Hollow CeO(2) with ROS-Scavenging Activity to Alleviate Colitis in Mice

INTRODUCTION: Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to induce high oxidative stress is one of the main causes of colitis; thus, it has been regarded as a therapeutic target for colitis treatment. And the nanomaterial-based therapeutic strategies are effective against colitis. However, the previous elaborately designed materials exhibit limited application due to the uncertain biocompatibility and complicated manufacturing processes. METHODS: In this study, the highly monodisperse hollow CeO(2) nanoparticles (H-CeO(2)) with uniform morphology were obtained by in situ growing CeO(2) on solid silica nanoparticles and subsequently removing the silica core. The H-CeO(2) was further modified with PEG, which owned excellent biological stability and biocompatibility. The experimental model of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of H-CeO(2)-PEG. RESULTS: The H-CeO(2)-PEG showed good ROS scavenging efficacy and decreased the levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α) in DSS-induced colitis mice. Furthermore, H-CeO(2)-PEG inhibited the activation of the MAPK signalling pathway to alleviate colitis. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the therapeutic effects of CeO(2)-based nanomedicine toward colitis and elucidates the specific signalling pathway involved, which provides potential alternative therapeutic options for patients with inflammation tissue.