Oxygen Nanocarriers for Improving Cardioplegic Solution Performance: Physico-Chemical Characterization.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cardiovascular Research
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Oxygenated cardioplegic solutions (CS) improve myocardial protection during cardiac arrest but offer limited duration.
• Nanocarriers are explored for sustained oxygen delivery to overcome limitations in current therapeutic strategies.
• Organ transplantation requires effective methods for preserving organs during ischemic periods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate nanocarriers for prolonged oxygen release in cardioplegic solutions.
• To enhance myocardial protection and organ preservation times in transplantation.
• To investigate the oxygen storage and release capabilities of different nanocarrier formulations.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of nanocarrier formulations including native α-cyclodextrin (αCD), αCD-based nanosponges (αCD-NSs), native cyclic nigerosyl-nigerose (CNN), and CNN-based nanosponges (CNN-NSs).
• Assessment of oxygen release kinetics and concentration from nanocarriers in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) CS at 37 °C.
• Physicochemical characterization of nanocarriers for oxygen storage capacity and release profiles at low temperatures.

Main Results:

• Nanosponges (NSs) demonstrated higher oxygen release over 24 hours compared to native αCD and CNN.
• CNN-NSs achieved the highest oxygen concentration (8.57 mg/L) in NIH CS at 37 °C over 12 hours.
• NSs exhibited superior oxygen retention (1.30 g/L) compared to other formulations, indicating prolonged release potential.

Conclusions:

• Oxygenated nanocarriers, particularly CNN-NSs, offer a promising approach for sustained oxygen delivery in cardioplegic solutions.
• These nanocarriers can significantly extend the duration of myocardial protection and organ viability during hypothermic storage.
• The developed nanocarrier formulations are suitable for preserving organs during explant and transport procedures in transplantation.