Potential of CeCl@mSiO 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 CeCl loaded mesoporous silica (CeCl@mSiO) nanoparticles in reducing the oxidative stress of lens epithelial cells. However, the potential of CeCl@mSiO in preventing diabetic cataract development remains unclear. In this study, we applied CeCl@mSiO nanoparticles with a size of 87.6±8.9nm to streptozotocin-induced diabetic cataract rat model by intraperitoneal injection. Our results showed that CeCl@mSiO efficiently ameliorated the progression of DC. Consistent with antioxidant effect of CeCl@mSiOin vitro, administration of CeCl@mSiO 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.