Hollow CeO2 with ROS-Scavenging Activity to Alleviate Colitis in Mice
Jing Yang, Jinzhe Zhou, Yingying Zhao, Liangchen Zhu, Guanghong Luo, BuJun Ge
Abstract
Introduction: Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to induce high oxidative stress is one of the main causes of colitis; thus, it has been regarded as a therapeutic target for colitis treatment. And the nanomaterial-based therapeutic strategies are effective against colitis. However, the previous elaborately designed materials exhibit limited application due to the uncertain biocompatibility and complicated manufacturing processes. Methods: In this study, the highly monodisperse hollow CeO 2 nanoparticles (H-CeO 2 ) with uniform morphology were obtained by in situ growing CeO 2 on solid silica nanoparticles and subsequently removing the silica core. The H-CeO 2 was further modified with PEG, which owned excellent biological stability and biocompatibility. The experimental model of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of H-CeO 2 -PEG. Results: The H-CeO 2 -PEG showed good ROS scavenging efficacy and decreased the levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α) in DSS-induced colitis mice. Furthermore, H-CeO 2 -PEG inhibited the activation of the MAPK signalling pathway to alleviate colitis. Conclusion: This study reveals the therapeutic effects of CeO 2 -based nanomedicine toward colitis and elucidates the specific signalling pathway involved, which provides potential alternative therapeutic options for patients with inflammation tissue. Keywords: hollow CeO 2 , ROS, inflammation, colitis, MAPK signalling pathway