International Journal of Nanomedicine (Oct 2020)
Preparation and Evaluation of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin Loaded Tween 80-Albumin Nanoparticle for Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment
Abstract
Yuanfeng Xue,1,* Junhong Ding,1,* Yulong Liu,2 Yuchun Pan,1 Penglai Zhao,3 Zhiwen Ren,1 Jian Xu,1 Liangliang Ye,1 Ying Xu2 1Department of Neurosurgery, Nanjing Lishui People’s Hospital, Zhongda Hospital Lishui Branch Southeast University, Nanjing 211200, People’s Republic of China; 2College of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yuanfeng Xue; Ying Xu Tel +8613951706820; +8651185038451Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious health problem with few available treatment options. Rh-erythropoietin (rh-EPO) is a potential therapeutic drug for TBI, but it cannot cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) directly. In this regard, a novel strategy to deliver rh-EPO for enhanced TBI treatment is via the development of Tween 80 modified albumin nanoparticles using electrostatic spray technology.Methods: The rh-EPO loaded Tween 80 modified albumin nanoparticles (rh-EPO-Tw-ABNPs) were prepared by electrostatic spray technology, while the process parameters were optimized via a single factor design. Investigation of physicochemical properties, bioactivity and stability of rh-EPO-Tw-ABNPs was carried out. The in vitro release and biocompatibility with nerve cells were also analyzed. The in vivo brain targeting efficiency, brain edema relieving effect and the expression of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the brain were evaluated in TBI model rats.Results: The particle size of optimal rh-EPO-Tw-ABNPs was about 438 ± 45 nm, with a zeta potential of − 25.42 ± 0.8 mv. The average drug loading ratio of rh-EPO-Tw-ABNPs was 21.3± 3.7 IU/mg with a relative bioactivity of 91.6 ± 4.1%. The in vitro release of rh-EPO from the nanoparticles was rather slow, while neither the blank Tw-ABNPs nor rh-EPO-Tw-ABNPs exhibited toxicity on the microglia cells. Furthermore, in vivo experiments indicated that the rh-EPO-Tw-ABNPs could enhance the distribution of EPO in the brain and relieve brain edema more effectively. Moreover, compared with an rh-EPO injection, the rh-EPO-Tw-ABNPs could increase the AQP4 level but reduced GFAP expression in the brain with more efficiency.Conclusion: The rh-EPO-Tw-ABNPs could enhance the transport of rh-EPO into the brain with superior therapeutic effect for TBI.Keywords: traumatic brain injury, rh-erythropoietin, Tween 80 modified albumin nanoparticle, electrostatic spray technology
