1. Academic Validation
  2. Repair of spinal cord injury by inhibition of astrocyte growth and inflammatory factor synthesis through local delivery of flavopiridol in PLGA nanoparticles

Repair of spinal cord injury by inhibition of astrocyte growth and inflammatory factor synthesis through local delivery of flavopiridol in PLGA nanoparticles

  • Biomaterials. 2014 Aug;35(24):6585-94. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.04.042.
Hao Ren 1 Min Han 2 Jing Zhou 1 Ze-Feng Zheng 3 Ping Lu 1 Jun-Juan Wang 1 Jia-Qiu Wang 3 Qi-Jiang Mao 3 Jian-Qing Gao 4 Hong Wei Ouyang 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Center for Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
  • 2 College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
  • 3 School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
  • 4 College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: gaojianqing@zju.edu.cn.
  • 5 Center for Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: hwoy@zju.edu.cn.
Abstract

The cell-cycle inhibitor flavopiridol has been shown to improve recovery from spinal cord injury in animal models. However, the systemic dose of flavopiridol has side-effects and the mechanism of action is not clear. This study aimed to develop a strategy for the local delivery of flavopiridol and investigate its mechanisms of action. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) were used for the sustained delivery of flavopiridol. The spinal cord was right-hemisectioned and NPs were delivered into the injury site. Transparent spinal cord technology was used for the three-dimensional observation of anterograde tracing. The results showed that flavopiridol NPs had a sustained release of up to 3 days in vitro. Flavopiridol NPs significantly decreased inflammatory factor synthesis by astrocytes, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, while the IL-10 expression was elevated. In vivo study demonstrated that flavopiridol NPs decreased cell-cycle activation, inflammatory expression and glial scarring, and facilitated neuronal survival and regeneration. The cavitation volume was decreased by ~90%. Administration of flavopiridol NPs also improved the motor recovery of injured Animals. These findings demonstrated that local delivery of flavopiridol in PLGA NPs improves recovery from spinal cord injury by inhibiting astrocyte growth and inflammatory factor synthesis.

Keywords

Astrocyte; Cell activation; Drug release; Inflammation; Nanoparticle; Spinal surgery.

Figures
Products