Boosting the anti-inflammatory effect of self-assembled hybrid lecithin–chitosan nanoparticles via hybridization with gold nanoparticles for the treatment of psoriasis: elemental mapping and in vivo modeling

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles are a promising drug delivery system for treatment of inflammatory skin conditions, including psoriasis, due to their small size and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to conjugate gold nanoparticles with anti-psoriatic formulations that previously showed successful results in the treatment of psoriasis (tacrolimus-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and lecithin–chitosan nanoparticles) by virtue of their surface charges, then examine whether the hybridization with gold nanoparticles would enhance the anti-psoriatic efficacy in vivo . Successful formation of gold nanoparticles was examined by elemental mapping and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Hybrid conjugates were examined in terms of particle size and zeta potential by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Morphological features were captured by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was conducted, as well. All characterization was conducted for the conjugated nanoparticles and compared with their bare counterparts. The in vivo results on imiquimod (IMQ)-induced mouse model showed promising anti-psoriatic effects upon application of gold conjugated tacrolimus-loaded lecithin–chitosan hybrid nanoparticles with a significant difference from the bare hybrid nanoparticles in some of the inflammatory markers. The anti-inflammatory effect of the gold conjugate was also evident by a lower spleen to body weight ratio and a better histopathological skin condition compared to other tested formulations.

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“…Proper choice of the type of nano-system plays an important role in their interaction with the skin. It is evident that polymeric nanoparticles, especially those having a particle size less than 100 nm and carrying a charge, are an excellent choice for the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders due to the selective accumulation in the inflamed skin [ 136 , 137 , 138 ]. On the other side, lipidic systems such as lipid nanoemulsions and nanocapsules tend to enhance the transdermal permeation of the encapsulated drugs due to their greater ability to diffuse through the different skin layers [ 139 , 140 ].…”

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“…Compared to bare hybrid nanoparticles, our study found significant differences in some inflammatory markers. Furthermore, these gold conjugates demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect, as evidenced by a lower spleen/body weight ratio and better histopathological skin condition compared to other preparations investigated [ 178 ].…”