Protective Effects of Chitosan-Bilirubin Nanoparticles Against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcers

Gastric ulcers (GU) are a disease of the gastrointestinal tract that can be caused by excessive alcohol consumption and heavy use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. GU manifests predominantly as pathological damage, such as extensive inflammatory erosion and superficial bleeding of the gastric mucosa. Oxidative stress damage and the inflammatory response are now considered important predisposing factors for GU, suggesting that antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drugs could be treatments for GU. Nanoparticle drug carriers offer many advantages over conventional drugs, such as improved drug efficiency, increased drug stability, and increased half-life.

We designed chitosan-bilirubin conjugate (CS-BR) nanoparticles and assessed the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities of CS-BR in gastric epithelial cells. Then, we evaluated the intragastric retention time and the anti-ulcer effects of CS-BR in vivo.

The in vitro data showed that CS-BR nanoparticles protect gastric epithelial cells against oxidative/inflammatory injury. The in vivo study demonstrated that CS-BR nanoparticles accumulate permanently in the stomach and exert powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects against GU.

This study applied bilirubin to the treatment of GU and confirmed that CS-BR nanoparticles are effective at alleviating acute GU in an experimental model. The findings provide innovative ideas for prophylaxis against or treatment of GU.