Understanding the Potential Role of Nanotechnology in Liver Fibrosis: A Paradigm in Therapeutics

Singh, Sukhbir; Sharma, Neelam; Shukla, Saurabh; Behl, Tapan; Gupta, Sumeet; Anwer, Md. Khalid; Vargas-De-La-Cruz, Celia; Bungău, Simona; Brisc, Cristina Mihaela

doi:10.3390/molecules28062811

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 211 publications

(191 reference statements)

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“…Thus, the effective anti-cancer dose cannot be reached, and the therapeutic effect cannot be achieved. 71 To optimize PL's anti-HCC effects, the development of suitable carriers, dosage forms, and administration methods is essential. 72 Nanocarriers, a current research focus, offer the potential to enhance the advantages of drugs while mitigating adverse reactions, maintaining steady blood concentrations, and improving solubility.…”

Section: Dovepressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plumbagin Regulates Snail to Inhibit Hepatocellular Carcinoma Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in vivo and in vitro

Du,

Yuan,

et al. 2024

JHC

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Background/Aims: Plumbagin (PL) has been shown to effe ctively inhibit autophagy, suppressing invasion and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the specific mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of PL on tumor growth factor (TGF)-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC. Methods: Huh-7 cells were cultured, and in vivo models of EMT and HCC-associated lung metastasis were developed through tail vein and in situ injections of tumor cells. In vivo imaging and hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to evaluate HCC modeling and lung metastasis. After PL intervention, the expression levels of Snail, vimentin, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in the liver were evaluated through immunohistochemistry and Western blot. An in vitro TGF-β-induced cell EMT model was used to detect Snail, vimentin, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin mRNA levels through a polymerase chain reaction. Their protein levels were detected by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. Results:In vivo experiments demonstrated that PL significantly reduced the expression of Snail, vimentin, and N-cadherin, while increasing the expression of E-cadherin at the protein levels, effectively inhibiting HCC and lung metastasis. In vitro experiments confirmed that PL up-regulated epithelial cell markers, down-regulated mesenchymal cell markers, and inhibited EMT levels in HCC cells. Conclusion: PL inhibits Snail expression, up-regulates E-cadherin expression, and down-regulates N-cadherin and vimentin expression, preventing EMT in HCC cells and reducing lung metastasis.

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Section: Dovepressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plumbagin Regulates Snail to Inhibit Hepatocellular Carcinoma Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in vivo and in vitro

Du,

Yuan,

et al. 2024

JHC

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“…Its anti-inflammatory effect is related to the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway, which is responsible for initiating the transcription of genes associated with inflammation [5]. Furthermore, its anti-inflammatory effect is also associated with increased levels of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine [6]. Because of its antifibrotic property, its anti-inflammatory effect is related to a decrease in collagen synthesis and inhibition of the proliferation of activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) with a myofibroblast phenotype [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Silybin Nanoparticles against Liver Damage in Murine Schistosomiasis mansoni Infection

Vanzan,

Goma,

Locatelli

et al. 2024

Pharmaceutics

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Silybin (SIB) is a hepatoprotective drug known for its poor oral bioavailability, attributed to its classification as a class IV drug with significant metabolism during the first-pass effect. This study explored the potential of solid lipid nanoparticles with (SLN-SIB-U) or without (SLN-SIB) ursodeoxycholic acid and polymeric nanoparticles (PN-SIB) as delivery systems for SIB. The efficacy of these nanosystems was assessed through in vitro studies using the GRX and Caco-2 cell lines for permeability and proliferation assays, respectively, as well as in vivo experiments employing a murine model of Schistosomiasis mansoni infection in BALB/c mice. The mean diameter and encapsulation efficiency of the nanosystems were as follows: SLN-SIB (252.8 ± 4.4 nm, 90.28 ± 2.2%), SLN-SIB-U (252.9 ± 14.4 nm, 77.05 ± 2.8%), and PN-SIB (241.8 ± 4.1 nm, 98.0 ± 0.2%). In the proliferation assay with the GRX cell line, SLN-SIB and SLN-SIB-U exhibited inhibitory effects of 43.09 ± 5.74% and 38.78 ± 3.78%, respectively, compared to PN-SIB, which showed no inhibitory effect. Moreover, SLN-SIB-U demonstrated a greater apparent permeability coefficient (25.82 ± 2.2) than PN-SIB (20.76 ± 0.1), which was twice as high as that of SLN-SIB (11.32 ± 4.6) and pure SIB (11.28 ± 0.2). These findings suggest that solid lipid nanosystems hold promise for further in vivo investigations. In the murine model of acute-phase Schistosomiasis mansoni infection, both SLN-SIB and SLN-SIB-U displayed hepatoprotective effects, as evidenced by lower alanine amino transferase values (22.89 ± 1.6 and 23.93 ± 2.4 U/L, respectively) than those in control groups I (29.55 ± 0.7 U/L) and I+SIB (34.29 ± 0.3 U/L). Among the prepared nanosystems, SLN-SIB-U emerges as a promising candidate for enhancing the pharmacokinetic properties of SIB.

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“…Several studies have focused on exploring the antifibrotic effect of nanodrugs and CDs ( Boey et al, 2021 ; Ren et al, 2021 ; Xu et al, 2022 ). Furthermore, the emerging nanotherapeutics could remodel the hepatic fibrotic microenvironment ( Zhao et al, 2023 ), and nanoparticles have served targeted drug delivery of synthetic molecules for management of liver fibrosis based on inflammation and oxidative stress ( Singh et al, 2023 ; Vyas and Patel, 2023 ). It follows that carbon-based nanoparticles play a crucial role in the treatment of liver diseases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Available and novel plant-based carbon dots derived from Vaccaria Semen carbonisata alleviates liver fibrosis

Zhao,

Dai,

Dong

et al. 2023

Front. Mol. Biosci.

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Background: Liver fibrosis represents an intermediate stage in the progression of liver disease, and as of now, there exists no established clinical therapy for effective antifibrotic treatment.Purpose: Our aim is to explore the impact of Carbon dots derived from Vaccaria Semen Carbonisata (VSC-CDs) on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice.Methods: VSC-CDs were synthesized employing a modified pyrolysis process. Comprehensive characterization was performed utilizing various techniques, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), multiple spectroscopies, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A hepatic fibrosis model induced by carbon tetrachloride was utilized to evaluate the anti-hepatic fibrosis effects of VSC-CDs.Results: VSC-CDs, exhibiting a quantum yield (QY) of approximately 2.08%, were nearly spherical with diameters ranging from 1.0 to 5.5 nm. The VSC-CDs prepared in this study featured a negative charge and abundant chemical functional groups. Furthermore, these particles demonstrated outstanding dispersibility in the aqueous phase and high biocompatibility. Moreover, VSC-CDs not only enhanced liver function and alleviated liver damage in pathomorphology but also mitigated the extent of liver fibrosis. Additionally, this study marks the inaugural demonstration of the pronounced activity of VSC-CDs in inhibiting inflammatory reactions, reducing oxidative damage, and modulating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.Conclusion: VSC-CDs exerted significant potential for application in nanodrugs aimed at treating liver fibrosis.

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Understanding the Potential Role of Nanotechnology in Liver Fibrosis: A Paradigm in Therapeutics

Cited by 11 publications

References 211 publications

Plumbagin Regulates Snail to Inhibit Hepatocellular Carcinoma Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in vivo and in vitro

Plumbagin Regulates Snail to Inhibit Hepatocellular Carcinoma Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in vivo and in vitro

Evaluation of Silybin Nanoparticles against Liver Damage in Murine Schistosomiasis mansoni Infection

Available and novel plant-based carbon dots derived from Vaccaria Semen carbonisata alleviates liver fibrosis

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