Silymarin-loaded Eudragit(®) RS100 nanoparticles improved the ability of silymarin to resolve hepatic fibrosis in bile duct ligated rats.
Some nano-formulations of silymarin (SM), a drug commonly used for liver diseases, were developed to overcome its poor solubility and poor bioavailability; antifibrotic effect of these formulations has not been tested yet. In this study we aimed to formulate and evaluate silymarin-loaded Eudragit(®) RS100 nanoparticles (SMnps) and to test the capability of SMnps to reverse an established fibrosis model. SMnps were prepared by solvent evaporation and nano-precipitation techniques. The influence of drug:polymer ratio, concentration of surfactant in the aqueous phase on particle size, drug entrapment efficiency (EE) % and in vitro drug releases were investigated. For in vivo evaluation, bile duct ligated (BDL)-rats were treated with either SM or SMnps every other day (125mg/kg) orally for 3 weeks started 3 weeks after BDL. Liver function tests, oxidative stress and fibrosis/fibrogenesis process were evaluated using biochemical and histopathological techniques. The formulation No (F4) of SMnps showed an average particle size of 632.28±12.15nm, a drug EE% of 89.47±1.65% and released the drug in a prolonged manner over 24h. The prepared SMnps were nearly spherical with smooth surfaces. In BDL-rats, treatments with either SM or SMnps corrected liver function and oxidative stress. Only SMnps was able to reverse the induced fibrosis; SMnps significantly decreased serum tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α), serum transforming growth factor- β1 (TGF-β1), hepatic hydroxyproline and downregulated the hepatic expression of tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and cytokeratin-19 (CK-19), whilst increased hepatic hepatocytes growth factor (HGF) and upregulated the hepatic expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and increased MMP-2/TIMP-1 ratio at mRNA level. Livers of rats treated with SMnps showed very little collagen in ECM and restored hepatic architecture as compared to either BDL rats or rats treated with SM.


CONCLUSIONS
Formulation of silymarin as nanoparticles improved its ability to resolve cholestasis-induced liver fibrosis by restoring hepatic regenerative capabilities. Therefore, formulation of SMnps may represent a step forward in the field of anti-fibrotic drug development.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt. Electronic address: nahlayounis2003@yahoo.com.
N
N
Younis
Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
Mohamed A
MA
Shaheen
Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt; Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hail University, Saudi Arabia.
Marwa H
MH
Abdallah
D000818:Animals; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D065546:Drug Liberation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008026:Ligation; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010316:Particle Size; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D012838:Silymarin; C038300:methylmethacrylate-methacrylic acid copolymer; D003094:Collagen; D001663:Bilirubin
Bile duct ligation; Eudragit(®) RS100; Fibrosis; Nanopreciptation; Silymarin