Biocompatible N-acetyl-nanoconstruct alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in vivo

Oxidative stress plays important roles in inflammatory responses during acute lung injury (ALI). Recently, nanoconstruct (Nano)-based drug-delivery systems have shown promise in many models of inflammation. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) loaded in a biocompatible Nano using a rat model of ALI. We synthesized a Nano with a good NAC-releasing capacity using porous silica Nano, which was used to produce Nano/NAC complexes. For in vivo experiments, Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally administered NAC or Nano/NAC 30 min after intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide. After 6 h, bronchoalveolar lavage fluids and lung tissues were collected. The anti-oxidative effect of the Nano/NAC complex was confirmed by demonstrating reduced levels of reactive oxygen species after treatment with the Nano/NAC in vitro. In vivo experiments also showed that the Nano/NAC treatment may protect against LPS-induced ALI thorough anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, which may be attributed to the inactivation of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. In addition, the effects of Nano/NAC treatment were shown to be superior to those of NAC alone. We suggest the therapeutic potential of Nano/NAC treatment as an anti-inflammatory agent against ALI. Furthermore, our study can provide basic data for developing nanotechnology-based pharmacotherapeutics for ALI.