Effect of Chitosan and Gold Nanoparticles on Drug Metabolizing Enzymes in the Liver of Adult Male Rats

Abstract

Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) are a polysaccharide of natural origin that has been widely used. Chitosan is not extensively present in nature and the main source of commercial chitosan is the extensive deacetylation of its parent polymer chitin. Nanoparticle chitosan has gained growing interest due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, high permeability, cost-effectiveness, non-toxic property and excellent film forming ability, in addition to its ability to improve large molecules penetration through a mucosal surface. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are the most widely studied and the most promising nanomaterial for biomedical applications due to the finely controlled shape, size, and surface chemistry. AuNPs constitute a promising candidate in biomedicine to be applied in diagnostic aid, drug and gene delivery systems, in addition to being investigated in cancer chemotherapy, as they offer increased drug efficacy and high biocompatibility. AuNPs have been shown to accumulate in the liver and spleen.

Drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) play a crucial role in drug interactions. DMEs are a diverse collection of proteins that are responsible for metabolizing a vast range of xenobiotics, including drugs, pesticides, pollutants, and food toxicants. DMEs are also involved in the metabolism of endogenous compounds such as steroids and prostaglandins. DMEs are usually divided into 2 phases. Phase I enzymes include oxidation-reduction and hydrolytic enzymes such as cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP450s), quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) and carboxylesterase (CE). Phase II enzymes are conjugation enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GST), UDP- 87