Neutrophil-macrophage hybrid membrane-coated prussian blue nanozyme for ulcerative colitis treatment and mechanistic insights

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic and recurrent digestive tract disease that can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of UC is intricately associated with the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Prussian blue (PB), an inorganic nanozyme with potent antioxidant properties, has been extensively applied in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions and tumors. However, despite the explicit antioxidant properties, the underlying molecular mechanism of PB nanozyme in the treatment of UC remains poorly understood. Furthermore, there is a deficiency in antioxidants that possess specific targeting capabilities towards UC lesions. The present study pioneered the fabrication of neutrophil (N)-macrophage (M) hybrid membrane-coated PB (NM-PB) nanozyme for the treatment of UC and investigated its underlying molecular mechanism.

Results: We have successfully constructed PB, N-PB, M-PB, and NM-PB nanozymes. In both the colitis cell model and UC mouse model, compared with PB, N-PB, and M-PB nanozymes, NM-PB nanozymes exhibited remarkable targeting capabilities, significantly enhancing the localization and uptake of PB nanozymes at the lesion site. NM-PB nanozymes significantly reduced levels of ROS (•OH, •OOH, and H₂O₂) and decreased the production of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β). Meanwhile, these nanozymes regulated the expression of intestinal mucosal barrier-related proteins (ZO-1, E-cadherin, and Occludin) and apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl2, Bax). Furthermore, NM-PB nanozymes facilitated the polarization of proinflammatory M1-phenotype macrophage towards an anti-inflammatory M2-phenotype. The mechanistic studies demonstrated that NM-PB nanozymes mitigated the progression of UC by inhibiting the pathway of cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction.

Conclusion: The NM-PB nanozymes provide a promising and innovative alternative for the treatment of UC, offering enhanced targeting and efficacy through their unique design and mechanism of action.