Prussian Blue Nanoparticles as Multienzyme Mimetics and Reactive Oxygen Species Scavengers

TLDR

Reactive oxygen species generation is a key mechanism of nanomaterial toxicity. The study proposes that Prussian blue nanoparticles’ multienzyme-like activities arise from their diverse redox potentials, enabling efficient electron transport. The authors evaluated ROS scavenging by PBNPs using in vitro models (chemical reagents, UV irradiation, oxidized LDL, high glucose, oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion) and an in vivo ICR mouse inflammation model. PBNPs effectively scavenge ROS via peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase‑like activities, inhibit hydroxyl radical generation, and show potential to mitigate ROS‑induced injury in pathological processes.

Abstract

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an important mechanism of nanomaterial toxicity. We found that Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) can effectively scavenge ROS via multienzyme-like activity including peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Instead of producing hydroxyl radicals (•OH) through the Fenton reaction, PBNPs were shown to be POD mimetics that can inhibit •OH generation. We theorized for the first time that the multienzyme-like activities of PBNPs were likely caused by the abundant redox potentials of their different forms, making them efficient electron transporters. To study the ROS scavenging ability of PBNPs, a series of in vitro ROS-generating models was established using chemicals, UV irradiation, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, high glucose contents, and oxygen glucose deprivation and reperfusion. To demonstrate the ROS scavenging ability of PBNPs, an in vivo inflammation model was established using lipoproteins in Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice. The results indicated that PBNPs hold great potential for inhibiting or relieving injury induced by ROS in these pathological processes.