Amelioration of Acute Alcoholic Liver Injury via Attenuating Oxidative Damage and Modulating Inflammation by Means of Ursodeoxycholic Acid–Zein Nanoparticles

Abstract

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has been broadly adopted for the clinical treatment of hepatic and biliary diseases; however, its poor water-solubility becomes an obstacle in wide applications. To overcome these challenges, herein, a two-tier UDCAembedded system of zein nanoparticles (NPs) along with a polyelectrolyte complex was designed under facile conditions. Both the UDCA−zein NPs and their inclusion microcapsules showed a spherical shape with a uniform size. A typical wall plus capsule/core structure was formed in which UDCA−zein NPs distributed evenly in the interior. The UDCA inclusion microcapsules had an encapsulation rate of 67% and were released in a non-Fickian or anomalous transport manner. The bioavailability and efficacy of UDCA−zein NPs were assessed in vivo through the alcoholic liver disease (ALD) mouse model via intragastric administration. UDCA−zein NPs ameliorated the symptoms of ALD mice remarkably, which were mainly exerted through attenuation of antioxidant stress levels. Meanwhile, it notably upregulated the intestinal tight junction protein expression and improved and maintained the integrity of the mucosal barrier effectively. Collectively, with the improvement of bioavailability, the UDCA−zein NPs prominently alleviated the oxidative damage induced by alcohol, modulating the inflammation so as to restore ALD. It is anticipated that UDCA−zein NPs have great therapeutic potential as sustained-nanovesicles in ALD treatment.

Glucosamine attenuates alcohol-induced acute liver injury via inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation

“…Oxidative stress plays an important role in alcoholic liver disease ( Cederbaum et al, 2009 ). MDA, GSH, SOD, and CAT, as oxidative stress biomarkers, are often important indicators reflecting the degree of liver oxidative damage ( Wang et al, 2023 ). The detection results of liver oxidative stress biomarkers MDA, GSH, SOD and CAT showed that GLC could inhibit the expression of MDA, promote the expression of GSH, SOD and CAT, enhance the antioxidant function of liver cells, and alleviate the damage caused by oxidative stress caused by alcohol.…”