Liu Yunxiao, Zhao Chengguang, Hu Xiang, Wang Chengde, Xi Yiyuan, Ni Xiaofen
Key Laboratory of Joint Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Liver Disease and Liver Cancer of Lishui, the Lishui Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Lishui University, Lishui People's Hospital, Lishui 323000, China.
School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
ACS Omega. 2025 Jun 5;10(23):24396-24411. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.5c00536. eCollection 2025 Jun 17.
Puerarin (PU) helps slow down and control the harmful progression of atherosclerosis (AS) by reducing inflammation, inhibiting foam cell formation, and exhibiting anticoagulant effects. However, its clinical application is limited due to its low bioavailability and other drawbacks. In recent years, nanoparticle-based therapeutic strategies targeting reactive oxygen species (ROS) at AS pathological sites and enhancing drug bioavailability and biocompatibility have shown great potential for AS treatment. In this study, we developed ROS-responsive cinnamaldehyde polymer nanoparticles loaded with PU (RGCP@PU NPs) for the treatment of AS. These nanoparticles demonstrate good stability and biocompatibility in physiological environments and can respond to ROS in the AS pathological environment, thereby releasing the encapsulated PU. In vitro experiments showed that these nanoparticles effectively inhibited oxidative stress and inflammation levels. In in vivo studies, RGCP@PU NPs were able to stabilize atherosclerotic plaques, prevent their further deterioration, and delay the progression of AS. Moreover, compared to free PU, these nanoparticles exhibited superior therapeutic effects in inhibiting AS progression. Therefore, RGCP@PU NPs represent a promising nanocarrier that not only effectively suppresses AS progression but also provides a new approach for the design of responsive drug delivery systems for AS treatment.
葛根素（PU）通过减轻炎症、抑制泡沫细胞形成和发挥抗凝作用，有助于减缓并控制动脉粥样硬化（AS）的有害进展。然而，由于其低生物利用度和其他缺点，其临床应用受到限制。近年来，基于纳米颗粒的治疗策略在AS病理部位靶向活性氧（ROS），并提高药物的生物利用度和生物相容性，在AS治疗方面显示出巨大潜力。在本研究中，我们开发了负载PU的ROS响应型肉桂醛聚合物纳米颗粒（RGCP@PU NPs）用于治疗AS。这些纳米颗粒在生理环境中表现出良好的稳定性和生物相容性，并能在AS病理环境中对ROS作出响应，从而释放包封的PU。体外实验表明，这些纳米颗粒有效抑制了氧化应激和炎症水平。在体内研究中，RGCP@PU NPs能够稳定动脉粥样硬化斑块，防止其进一步恶化，并延缓AS的进展。此外，与游离PU相比，这些纳米颗粒在抑制AS进展方面表现出更好的治疗效果。因此，RGCP@PU NPs是一种有前景的纳米载体，不仅能有效抑制AS进展，还为AS治疗的响应性药物递送系统设计提供了新方法。
