Quercetin Liposomal Nanoformulation for Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury Treatment
Margarida Ferreira-Silva,
Catarina Faria-Silva,
Manuela C. Carvalheiro,
Sandra Simões,
H. Susana Marinho,
Paulo Marcelino,
Maria Celeste Campos,
Josbert M. Metselaar,
Eduarda Fernandes,
Pedro V. Baptista,
Alexandra R. Fernandes,
Maria Luísa Corvo
Affiliations
Margarida Ferreira-Silva
Faculty of Pharmacy, iMed.ULisboa–Research Institute for Medicines, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
Catarina Faria-Silva
Faculty of Pharmacy, iMed.ULisboa–Research Institute for Medicines, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
Manuela C. Carvalheiro
Faculty of Pharmacy, iMed.ULisboa–Research Institute for Medicines, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
Sandra Simões
Faculty of Pharmacy, iMed.ULisboa–Research Institute for Medicines, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
H. Susana Marinho
CQB–Centro de Química Estrutural, DQB–Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Paulo Marcelino
CEDOC, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria 130, Nova Medical School, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal
Maria Celeste Campos
ANATOMIK–Laboratório de Anatomia Patológica, Grupo Clara Saúde, Rua Gago Coutinho e Sacadura Cabral, 136–138, 2955-190 Palmela, Portugal
Josbert M. Metselaar
Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen University Clinic, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Eduarda Fernandes
LAQV, REQUIMTE–Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Pedro V. Baptista
Associate Laboratory i4HB, Campus da Caparica, Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2819-516 Caparica, Portugal
Alexandra R. Fernandes
Associate Laboratory i4HB, Campus da Caparica, Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2819-516 Caparica, Portugal
Maria Luísa Corvo
Faculty of Pharmacy, iMed.ULisboa–Research Institute for Medicines, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
Ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common complication caused by inflammation and oxidative stress resulting from liver surgery. Current therapeutic strategies do not present the desirable efficacy, and severe side effects can occur. To overcome these drawbacks, new therapeutic alternatives are necessary. Drug delivery nanosystems have been explored due to their capacity to improve the therapeutic index of conventional drugs. Within nanocarriers, liposomes are one of the most successful, with several formulations currently in the market. As improved therapeutic outcomes have been demonstrated by using liposomes as drug carriers, this nanosystem was used to deliver quercetin, a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, in hepatic IRI treatment. In the present work, a stable quercetin liposomal formulation was developed and characterized. Additionally, an in vitro model of ischemia and reperfusion was developed with a hypoxia chamber, where the anti-inflammatory potential of liposomal quercetin was evaluated, revealing the downregulation of pro-inflammatory markers. The anti-inflammatory effect of quercetin liposomes was also assessed in vivo in a rat model of hepatic IRI, in which a decrease in inflammation markers and enhanced recovery were observed. These results demonstrate that quercetin liposomes may provide a significant tool for addressing the current bottlenecks in hepatic IRI treatment.
