Potential of CeCl₃@mSiO₂ nanoparticles in alleviating diabetic cataract development and progression

Cataract is a major cause of visual impairment for diabetic patients. It is imperative to develop efficient therapeutic agents against diabetic cataract (DC) because diabetes confers higher risk for complications after cataract surgery. We have previously reported the role of CeCl₃ loaded mesoporous silica (CeCl₃@mSiO₂) nanoparticles in reducing the oxidative stress of lens epithelial cells. However, the potential of CeCl₃@mSiO₂ in preventing diabetic cataract development remains unclear. In this study, we applied CeCl₃@mSiO₂ nanoparticles with a size of 87.6±8.9nm to streptozotocin-induced diabetic cataract rat model by intraperitoneal injection. Our results showed that CeCl₃@mSiO₂ efficiently ameliorated the progression of DC. Consistent with antioxidant effect of CeCl₃@mSiO₂in vitro, administration of CeCl₃@mSiO₂ significantly abrogated hyperglycemia-mediated upregulation of advanced glycation end products, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation in animal lens. Taken together, our study provides a potential nanodrug to manage the development of DC.