Effects of Atorvastatin Combined with Nano-Selenium on Blood Lipids and Oxidative Stress in Atherosclerotic Rats

Benzo[b]fluoranthene damages coronary artery and affects atherosclerosis markers in mice and umbilical vein endothelial cells

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure is associated with cardiovascular diseases. Toxic effects of PAHs are diverse, while cardiovascular consequences of benzo[b]fluoranthene (B[b]F) are unclear. Here, we reported the impacts of B[b]F on coronary artery and atherosclerosis markers both in mice and umbilical vein endothelial EAhy.926 cells. In mice, we found that B[b]F decreases heart-to-body weight ratio, affects aortic physiology, elevates serum low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, increases aortic levels of collagen fiber and atherosclerotic marker vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and downregulates oxidative stress related nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). In EAhy.926 cells, we showed that B[b]F inhibits cell proliferation and migration in a dose-dependent manner, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, increases reactive oxygen species, upregulates VCAM-1 level, and suppresses expression of Nrf2. Taken together, our findings reveal that B[b]F exposure may contribute to coronary artery damage and potentially induce atherosclerosis, possibly via the Nrf2-related signaling pathways.

Nano‑selenium alleviates cadmium-induced blood-brain barrier destruction by restoring the Wnt7A/β-catenin pathway

Selenium (Se), a highly beneficial animal feed additive, exhibits remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Nano‑selenium (Nano-Se) is an advanced formulation of Se featuring a specialized drug delivery vehicle, with good bioavailability, higher efficacy, and lower toxicity compared to the traditional form of Se. With the advancement of industry, cadmium (Cd) contamination occurs in different countries and regions and thereby contaminating different food crops, and the degree of pollution is degree increasing year by year. The present investigation entailed the oral administration of CdCl2 and/or Nano-Se to male chickens of the Hy-Line Variety White breed, which are one day old, subsequent to a 7-day adaptive feeding period, for a duration of 90 days. The study aimed to elucidate the potential protective impact of Nano-Se on Cd exposure. The study found that Nano-Se demonstrates potential in mitigating the blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction characterized by impairment of adherens junctions (AJS) and tight junctions (TJS) by inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction. In addition, the data uncovered that Nano-Se demonstrates a proficient ability in alleviating BBB impairment and inflammatory reactions caused by Cd through the modulation of the Wnt7A/β-catenin pathway, highlights its potential to maintain brain homeostasis. Hence, this research anticipates that the utilization of Nano-Se effectively mitigate the detrimental impacts associated with Cd exposure on the BBB.

Oral Nanoformulations in Cardiovascular Medicine: Advances in Atherosclerosis Treatment

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the formation of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of the arteries, causing them to narrow. If this occurs in the coronary arteries, the blood vessels may be completely blocked, resulting in myocardial infarction; if it occurs in the blood vessels of the brain, the blood vessels may be blocked, resulting in cerebral infarction, i.e., stroke. Studies have shown that the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis involves the processes of inflammation, lipid infiltration, oxidative stress, and endothelial damage, etc. SIRT, as a key factor regulating the molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress, inflammation, and aging, has an important impact on the pathogenesis of plaque formation, progression, and vulnerability. Statistics show that AS accounts for about 50 per cent of deaths in Western countries. Currently, oral medication is the mainstay of AS treatment, but its development is limited by side effects, low bioavailability and other unfavourable factors. In recent years, with the rapid development of nano-preparations, researchers have combined statins and natural product drugs within nanopreparations to improve their bioavailability. Based on this, this paper summarises the main pathogenesis of AS and also proposes new oral nanoformulations such as liposomes, nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and nanocapsules to improve their application in the treatment of AS.

L-limonene reduces aortic artery atherosclerosis by inhibiting oxidative stress/inflammatory responses in diabetic rats fed high-fat diet

Atherosclerosis, a leading cause of mortality worldwide, is driven by multiple risk factors such as diabetes. Oxidative stress and inflammation assist interrelated roles in diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis. Thereby, treatment of diabetic atherosclerosis from an oxidative stress/inflammatory perspective seems to be a more effective modality to prevent and delay plaque formation and progression. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of l-limonene (LMN) on oxidative stress/inflammatory responses in the aortic artery of diabetic atherosclerosis-modeled rats. Male Wistar rats (n = 30, 250-280 g, 12 weeks old) were used to establish a diabetic atherosclerosis model (8 weeks) using high-fat diet/low-dose streptozotocin. LMN (200 mg/kg/day) was administered orally, starting on day 30^th before tissue sampling. Plasma lipid profiles, aortic histopathological changes, atherogenic index, aortic artery levels of oxidative stress markers (manganese superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and 8-isoprostane), inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10), and expression of phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK)/AMPK, Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), and p-p65/p65 proteins were evaluated. The administration of LMN to diabetic rats improved lipid profiles, aortic histopathological morphology, and atherogenic index (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001). It also increased enzymatic antioxidant activities, decreased 8-isoprostane level, suppressed inflammatory response, upregulated p-AMPK and SIRT1 proteins, and downregulated p-p65 protein (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). Inhibiting the AMPK through the administration of compound C significantly abolished or reversed the positive effects of LMN in diabetic rats (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). LMN treatment had dual anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory actions against atherosclerosis in the aortic artery of diabetic rats. Atheroprotection by LMN was mediated partly through modulation of AMPK/SIRT1/p65 nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway. LMN appears to be a promising anti-atherosclerotic modality to improve the quality of life in diabetic patients.

Nano-selenium alleviates cadmium-induced cerebellar injury by activating metal regulatory transcription factor 1 mediated metal response

This study aims to investigate the role of metal regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF1)-mediated metal response in cadmium (Cd)-induced cerebellar injury, and to evaluate the antagonistic effects of nano-selenium (Nano-Se) against Cd toxicity. A total of 80 chicks (1 d old, male, Hy-Line Variety White) were randomly allocated to 4 treatment groups for 3 months: the control group (fed with a basic diet, n = 20), the Nano-Se group (basic diet with 1 mg/kg nano-Se 1 mg/kg Nano-Se in basic diet, n = 20), the Nano-Se + Cd group (basic diet with 1 mg/kg Nano-Se and 140 mg/kg CdCl₂, n = 20) and the Cd group (basic diet with 140 mg/kg CdCl₂ , n = 20). The results of the experiment showed that the Purkinje cells were significantly decreased with their degradation and indistinct nucleoli after Cd exposure. Moreover, exposure to Cd caused a significant accumulation of Cd and cupper. However, the contents of Se, iron, and zinc were decreased, thereby disturbing the metal homeostasis in the cerebellum. The Cd exposure also resulted in high levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and down regulation of selenoprotein transcriptome. Furthermore, the expressions of MTF1, metallothionein 1 (MT1), MT2, zinc transporter 3 (ZNT3), ZNT5, ZNT10, zrt, irt-like protein 8 (ZIP8), ZIP10, transferrin (TF), ferroportin 1 (FPN1), ATPase copper transporting beta (ATP7B), and copper uptake protein 1 (CTR1) were inhibited by Cd exposure. However, all these changes were significantly alleviated by the supplementation of Nano-Se. This study proved that Cd could disorder metal homeostasis and induce oxidative stress, whereas Nano-Se could relieve all these negative effects caused by Cd via activating the MTF1-mediated metal response in the cerebellum of chicken.

Nanozymes for Regenerative Medicine

Nanozymes refer to nanomaterials that catalyze enzyme substrates into products under relevant physiological conditions following enzyme kinetics. Compared to natural enzymes, nanozymes possess the characteristics of higher stability, easier preparation, and lower cost. Importantly, nanozymes possess the magnetic, fluorescent, and electrical properties of nanomaterials, making them promising replacements for natural enzymes in industrial, biological, and medical fields. On account of the rapid development of nanozymes recently, their application potentials in regeneration medicine are gradually being explored. To highlight the achievements in the regeneration medicine field, this review summarizes the catalytic mechanism of four types of representative nanozymes. Then, the strategies to improve the biocompatibility of nanozymes are discussed. Importantly, this review covers the recent advances in nanozymes in tissue regeneration medicine including wound healing, nerve defect repair, bone regeneration, and cardiovascular disease treatment. In addition, challenges and prospects of nanozyme researches in regeneration medicine are summarized.

Tackling Dyslipidemia in Obesity from a Nanotechnology Perspective

Obesity and dyslipidemia are the main features of metabolic syndrome, expressed mainly by adipose tissue dysfunction and connected by similar pathways and pharmacotherapy. Conventional drugs used in these two associated disorders are limited due to poor drug efficiency, non-specificity, and toxic side effects. Therefore, novel solutions for tackling obesity-associated diseases and providing insights into the development of innovative or improved therapies are necessary. Targeted nanotherapy is a revolutionary technology, offering a promising solution for combatting the disadvantages of currently available therapies for treating obesity and dyslipidemia due to its superior features, which include specific cell targeting, the protection of drugs against physiological degradation, and sustained drug release. This review presents a brief assessment of obesity and dyslipidemia, their impacts on human health, current treatment, and limitations, and the role and potential use of nanotechnology coupled with targeted drug delivery and nutraceuticals as emerging therapies. To the best of our knowledge, this paper presents, for the first time in the literature, a comparison between obesity and dyslipidemia nano-formulations based on drugs and/or natural extracts applied in experimental studies.

Relationship between Brain Metabolic Disorders and Cognitive Impairment: LDL Receptor Defect

The low-density-lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) removes low-density lipoprotein (LDL), an endovascular transporter that carries cholesterol from the bloodstream to peripheral tissues. The maintenance of cholesterol content in the brain, which is important to protect brain function, is affected by LDLr. LDLr co-localizes with the insulin receptor and complements the internalization of LDL. In LDLr deficiency, LDL blood levels and insulin resistance increase, leading to abnormal cholesterol control and cognitive deficits in atherosclerosis. Defects in brain cholesterol metabolism lead to neuroinflammation and blood–brain-barrier (BBB) degradation. Moreover, interactions between endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) and mitochondria are induced by ox-LDL accumulation, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) regulates the levels of amyloid beta (Aβ) in the brain, and hypoxia is induced by apoptosis induced by the LDLr defect. This review summarizes the association between neurodegenerative brain disease and typical cognitive deficits.

Formulation of selenium nanoparticles encapsulated by alginate-chitosan for controlled delivery of Vibrio Cholerae LPS: A novel delivery system candidate for nanovaccine

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Vibrio cholerae plays a significant role in stimulating primary protection and immune responses. LPS delivery has been limited by the stimulation of inflammatory cytokines. This work aimed to report the synthesis and performance of this formulation in modulating immune responses and protecting LPS against acidic gastric medium. Alg-Cs-LPS-SeNPs composite was fabricated by an ionic cross-linking/in situ reduction method. Cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and TGF-β were assessed after cells were incubated with different compounds of the system. The main outcomes revealed that encapsulation of LPS-loaded SeNPs in the alginate-chitosan complex was associated with a high entrapment efficiency and could effectively protect LPS against acidic GIT medium. Kinetic profiling revealed that LPS was more slowly released from LPS-loaded Alg-Cs-LPS-SeNPs at pH 1.2, 7.4, and 6.8. These results indicated that Alg-Cs-LPS-SeNPs composite was able to significantly increase anti-inflammatory cytokines and reduce the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, these findings show that this system for LPS delivery could be easily biosynthesized and encapsulated for use in the pharmaceutical industry. This study provides proof of the potential for future use of oral LPS vaccines, concomitantly inducing immunomodulatory effects.

Oxidative reactivity across kingdoms in the gut: Host immunity, stressed microbiota and oxidized foods

Reactive oxygen species play a major role in the induction of programmed cell death and numerous diseases. Production of reactive oxygen species is ubiquitous in biological systems such as humans, bacteria, fungi/yeasts, and plants. Although reactive oxygen species are known to cause diseases, little is known about the importance of the combined oxidative stress burden in the gut. Understanding the dynamics and the level of oxidative stress 'reactivity' across kingdoms could help ascertain the combined consequences of free radical accumulation in the gut lumen. Here, we present fundamental similarities of oxidative stress derived from the host immune cells, bacteria, yeasts, plants, and the therein-derived diets, which often accentuate the burden of free radicals by accumulation during storage and cooking conditions. Given the described similarities, oxidative stress could be better understood and minimized by monitoring the levels of oxidative stress in the feces to identify pro-inflammatory factors. However, we illustrate that dietary studies rarely monitor oxidative stress markers in the feces, and therefore our knowledge on fecal oxidative stress monitoring is limited. A more holistic approach to understanding oxidative stress 'reactivity' in the gut could help improve strategies to use diet and microbiota to prevent intestinal diseases.

ROS-Based Nanoparticles for Atherosclerosis Treatment

Atherosclerosis (AS), a chronic arterial disease, is the leading cause of death in western developed countries. Considering its long-term asymptomatic progression and serious complications, the early prevention and effective treatment of AS are particularly important. The unique characteristics of nanoparticles (NPs) make them attractive in novel therapeutic and diagnostic applications, providing new options for the treatment of AS. With the assistance of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-based NPs, drugs can reach specific lesion areas, prolong the therapeutic effect, achieve targeted controlled release and reduce adverse side effects. In this article, we reviewed the mechanism of AS and the generation and removal strategy of ROS. We further discussed ROS-based NPs, and summarized their biomedical applications in scavenger and drug delivery. Furthermore, we highlighted the recent advances, challenges and future perspectives of ROS-based NPs for treating AS.