CORM-2-Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Maintain Integrity of Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier After Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

• Published in: Molecular neurobiology Vol. 57; no. 6; pp. 2671 - 2689
• Main Authors: Joshi, Hari Prasad, Kumar, Hemant, Choi, Un Yong, Lim, Yong Cheol, Choi, Hyemin, Kim, Juri, Kyung, Jae Won, Sohn, Seil, Kim, Kyoung-Tae, Kim, Jin-Ki, Han, In-Bo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Animals; Apoptosis; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blood-Brain Barrier - drug effects; Carbon monoxide; Cell Biology; Cell death; Cell Line; Central nervous system; Compression; Disease Models, Animal; Endothelial cells; Endothelial Cells - drug effects; Extravasation; Female; Humans; Inflammation; Lipopolysaccharides; Microvasculature; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - administration & dosage; Nanoparticles - therapeutic use; Neurobiology; Neurology; Neurosciences; Organometallic Compounds - administration & dosage; Organometallic Compounds - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Recovery of function; Spinal Cord - drug effects; Spinal cord injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries - drug therapy; Carbon monoxide–releasing molecule; Blood-spinal cord barrier; Angiogenesis; Carbon monoxide; Spinal cord injury; Nanoparticle
• ISSN: 0893-7648; 1559-1182
• DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-01914-5

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition of the central nervous system that can lead to permanent motor and sensory deficits. Carbon monoxide–releasing molecule-2 (CORM-2) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and angiogenic properties that may be useful for the treatment of SCI. However, it has a short carbon monoxide (CO) release half-life (approximately 1 min). To address this challenge, we developed a CORM-2-incorporated solid lipid nanoparticle (CORM-2-SLN) and evaluated its ameliorating effects for preventing blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) disruption and endothelial cell death following SCI. After a moderate compression injury of the spinal cord (compression with a 35-g impounder for 5 min), groups of rats were treated with a CORM-2-solution and CORM-2-SLNs at an equal dose of 10 mg/kg each via an intraperitoneal injection for 8 consecutive days. Behavior analysis was performed and animals were later sacrificed at different time points and evaluated for whether the CORM-2-SLNs prevented BSCB disruption and rescued endothelial cell damage following SCI. The CORM-2-SLN-treated group showed significantly diminished extravasation of Evans Blue dye with enhanced expression of tight junction proteins following SCI. Likewise, significantly diminished endothelial cell markers after SCI were optimally stabilized at 21 days. Additionally, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced loss of tight junction integrity was significantly preserved after CORM-2-SLN treatment in human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line (hCMEC/D3). Clinically, CORM-2-SLNs were associated with a significantly improved functional recovery, as compared with the CORM-2-solution. CORM-2-SLNs may help potentially to maintain BSCB integrity following SCI.