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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Respiratory Pharmacology
Volume 15 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1503283
This article is part of the Research Topic Acute and Chronic Lung Injury: Therapeutic Targets and Drugs View all articles
Mitigating Inflammation and Fibrosis: The Therapeutic Potential of Quercetin Liposomes in COPD
Provisionally acceptedChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with severe therapeutic obstacles and high worldwide death rate. COPD progresses predominantly through an inflammatory response followed by fibrotic destruction. Quercetin (Que), recognized for its anti-inflammatory effects, presents significant promise as a therapeutic agent for COPD therapy. However, poor water solubility and low bioavailability of Que hinder its further clinical application. To address these issues, we developed Que liposomes (Que-lipo) to improve the solubility and bioavailability of Que. Que-lipo showed a gradual and sustained Que release profile in vitro, coupled with high biocompatibility and cellular uptake. Upon intratracheal administration, it showed significantly alleviate lung inflammation and fibrosis symptoms in a COPD mouse model. By modulating the inflammatory factor expression, antioxidant enzyme activity, and apoptosis-related proteins, Que-lipo significantly reduced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis. Que-lipo also exhibited anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic features by suppressing the NLRP3/IL-1β inflammasome pathway and TGF-β1 fibrosisrelated signaling pathway. Overall, this study offers novel insights and strategies for the treatment of COPD, as well as provides innovative approaches for the application of Que.
Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Inflammation, Fibrosis, Quercetin, Liposomes
Received: 28 Sep 2024; Accepted: 30 Nov 2024.
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