The Effects of Propolis-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles and Menstrual Blood Stem Cells on Lps-Induced Ovarian Inflammation in the Murine Ovary in Vivo: An in Vitro and in Vivo Study Publisher Pubmed



Ding X¹ ; Zhang L² ; Zhou D¹ ; Tang X¹ ; He X³ ; Rohani S⁴ Show Affiliations
Source: Reproductive Toxicology Published:2024

Abstract

Mammary glands infection via Gram-negative bacteria may cause infertility or reduced ovarian function. In the current study, a potential treatment for LPS-induced ovarian inflammation was developed. Propolis was loaded into chitosan nanoparticles and co-administered with menstrual blood stem cells (MenSCs) in mice infused with LPS. Various properties of propolis-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, drug release assay, antibacterial assay, and radical scavenging assay. In vitro studies showed biocompatibility, anti-oxidative, and antibacterial properties of the developed propolis nanoformulation. In vivo study showed that mice treated with co-administration of propolis-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and MenSCs significantly increased the total ovarian follicle reserve in mice infused with LPS. Percentage of mature follicles in co-administration method was around 13.89 ± 1.72 %. Gene expression studies showed that the expression levels of inflammation related cytokines including IL6, IL8, IL-1β, and TNF-α were downregulated in this group compared with other groups. However, the expression levels of PTEN, AKT, FOXO3 did not show a significant difference between groups. The developed treatment may potentially considered as an approach for treating ovarian infection with gram-negative bacteria. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.