title: Pilot in vivo investigation of cerium oxide nanoparticles as a novel anti-obesity pharmaceutical formulation.
abstract: Obesity is a worldwide pathological condition that strongly impairs human health, and, to date, no effective therapy against excessive fat accumulation has been found yet. Since overweight correlates with an increased oxidative stress, our aim is to investigate the antioxidant effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) as a potential pharmaceutical approach for the treatment of obesity. Nanoceria were tested both in vitro and in vivo; they were proven to interfere with the adipogenic pathway by reducing the mRNA transcription of genes involved in adipogenesis, and by hindering the triglycerides accumulation in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. Nanoceria, intraperitonally injected in Wistar rats, did not show appreciable toxic effects, but instead efficiently contributed in reducing the weight gain and in lowering the plasma levels of insulin, leptin, glucose and triglycerides.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Obesity is now a significant problem worldwide. To date, obesity surgery remains the best treatment for weight reduction. Much research has been conducted to discover an effective pharmacological treatment against obesity. In this article, the authors continued their previous work in studying the anti-adipogenic properties of cerium oxide nanoparticles. The antioxidant effects of nanoceria were studied in in vitro and in vivo experiments. It was shown in animal model that nanoceria could reduce body weight effectively. These promising results may provide a novel treatment in the clinical setting in the future.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Pisa, Italy; Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, The BioRobotics Institute, Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: antonella.rocca@iit.it.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rocca
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moscato
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Emergency Medicine, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ronca
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Nanochemistry Department, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nitti
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Virgilio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mattoli
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Veterinary Sciences Department, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giorgi
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: gianni.ciofani@iit.it.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciofani
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002563:Cerium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002563:Cerium; C030583:ceric oxide
keywords: Adipogenesis; Anti-obesity formulation; Cerium oxide nanoparticles; Oxidative stress