Oral Administration of Cryptotanshinone-Encapsulated Nanoparticles for the Amelioration of Ulcerative Colitis

• Published in: Cellular and molecular bioengineering Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 129 - 136
• Main Authors: Zhang, Li, Yu, Longfei, Wei, Yueguang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.02.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Arginase; Biological and Medical Physics; Biomaterials; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology; Biophysics; Body weight; Bone marrow; CD11b antigen; CD45 antigen; Cell Biology; Colon; Cryptotanshinone; Cytokines; Dextran; Dextran sulfate; Dextrans; Emulsification; Encapsulation; Engineering; Ethylene glycol; Flow cytometry; IL-1β; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Interleukin 6; Interleukins; Lactic acid; Macrophages; Nanoparticles; Oral administration; Original; Original Article; Phenotypes; Polyethylene glycol; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Ulcerative colitis; Cryptotanshinone; PEG-PLA; Ulcerative colitis; Macrophage
• ISSN: 1865-5025; 1865-5033
• DOI: 10.1007/s12195-021-00711-x

Background Inappropriate macrophages phenotype transition contributes to the development of ulcerative colitis, and the poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly ( d, l -lactic acid) (PEG-PLA) nanoparticles delivery system can be utilized to improve the cryptotanshinone (CTS)-based therapy. Methods We used a single emulsification method to prepare CTS-encapsulated nanoparticles (NP CTS ). The therapeutic efficacy of NP CTS was evaluated in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice. Then the proportion of total macrophages and M2-like macrophages were assayed with flow cytometry, and the relative content of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the colon was detected with Western blot. Bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were induced into M1-like macrophages, which were further incubated with NP CTS to repolarize into M2 subtype . Results Cryptotanshinone could induce the transition of M1 subtype to M2 subtype as indicated by up-regulated expression of arginase 1 (ARG1), interleukin (IL)-10, and CD206. In vivo , orally administrated NP CTS accumulated in the colon-infiltrated macrophages in colitis mice. It further revealed that NP CTS significantly alleviated colitis symptoms as indicated by increased body weight and colon length, decreased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 content in the colon, and diminished total macrophage proportion (CD45 + CD11b + F4/80 + ) and up-regulated M2 proportion (CD45 + CD11b + F4/80 + CD206 hi ). Conclusion Oral administration of NP CTS could ameliorate ulcerative colitis with the conversion of M1-like macrophages to M2-like macrophages.