Chitosan-coated taxifolin liposomes preserve renal structure and function in mice

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Nanomedicine
• Renal Physiology

Background:

• Isoproterenol (ISO) induces myocardial injury and cardiorenal syndrome, characterized by oxidative stress and inflammation.
• Taxifolin (TAX), an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonoid, has limited clinical use due to poor solubility and bioavailability.
• Developing effective delivery systems for TAX is crucial for its therapeutic application in preventing organ damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate chitosan-coated taxifolin liposomes (CS-TL) for preventing isoproterenol-induced renal injury.
• To assess the physicochemical properties of taxifolin liposomes (TL) and CS-TL.
• To investigate the renoprotective effects of CS-TL against ISO-induced cardiorenal damage in mice.

Main Methods:

• Taxifolin liposomes (TL) were prepared using the ethanol injection method and subsequently coated with chitosan to form CS-TL.
• Physicochemical characterization included encapsulation efficiency (EE), particle size, and zeta potential measurements.
• Male mice were pretreated with TL or CS-TL before ISO administration to induce cardiorenal damage, followed by histological and biochemical analyses.

Main Results:

• TL exhibited an EE of 86.35%, particle size of 154.8 nm, and zeta potential of -32.54 mV.
• CS-TL showed improved EE (90.70%), larger particle size (289.4 nm), and a positive zeta potential (+35.26 mV).
• CS-TL pretreatment significantly attenuated ISO-induced renal damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, while preserving renal histology and restoring the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan-coated taxifolin liposomes (CS-TL) demonstrate enhanced physicochemical properties suitable for drug delivery.
• CS-TL effectively protects against isoproterenol-induced cardiorenal injury by mitigating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.
• CS-TL represents a promising therapeutic strategy for renoprotection in cardiorenal syndromes, warranting further clinical investigation.