Study on fluorouracil-chitosan nanoparticle preparation and its antitumor effect

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapy drug with limitations in delivery and efficacy.
• Chitosan nanoparticles offer a promising platform for targeted drug delivery.
• Developing effective drug delivery systems is crucial for improving cancer treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize fluorouracil-chitosan nanoparticles (5-FU-CS-mPEG).
• To evaluate the in vitro drug release kinetics and in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of these nanoparticles.
• To elucidate the mechanism of anti-tumor activity of the prepared nanoparticles.

Main Methods:

• Two-step synthesis of 5-FU-CS-mPEG prodrugs.
• Characterization using infrared spectroscopy, 1H NMR, and differential thermal analysis.
• Assessment of drug loading capacity (UV spectrophotometry), morphology (TEM), in vitro release (dialysis), and in vivo anti-tumor activity (animal pharmacodynamics).

Main Results:

• Prepared nanoparticles exhibited regular shape, good dispersion, and qualified drug content.
• In vitro release studies demonstrated favorable slow-release characteristics.
• In vivo studies showed a direct correlation between drug loading concentration and anti-tumor rate, with observed cell necrosis/apoptosis in tumor tissues.

Conclusions:

• The ion gel method is effective for preparing drug-loading nanoparticles with uniform distribution and regular shape.
• The prepared fluorouracil-chitosan nanoparticles exhibit good slow-release properties in vitro and in vivo.
• These nanoparticles demonstrate significant anti-tumor activity, indicating broad development prospects for cancer therapy.