Abstract
BACKGROUND: Grape exosome-like nanovesicles (GELNs) have the advantage of inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability, the potential to be used as oral delivery vehicles. The objective of this research was to evaluate the efficiency of Syrah GELN purification and their effects on the intestinal stem cells when orally administrated to the rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, Syrah GELN isolated by differential centrifugation and sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation method, then the concentration of protein, size, and zeta potential were measured as well as nanoparticles morphology. The stability of nanoparticles was investigated in the solution that mimicked the condition encountered in the stomach and intestine. To demonstrate transfection efficiency of intestinal stem cells, real-time PCR was carried out using rat leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5)-specific primers on cDNA derived from total RNA extracted from the upper part of the small intestine of GELN-treated rats and their controls. RESULTS: The mean size, zeta potential, and concentration of nanoparticles were 205.1 nm, -12.5 mV, and 250 μg/ml, respectively. The result of stability test demonstrated that Syrah GELN were resistant to the harsh environment of the stomach. Lgr5 gene expression was increased by tenfold in GELN-treated rats compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: As intestinal stem cells are poorly accessible by common exogenous agents in vivo, oral delivery of GELNs provides a new approach to modulate the stem cell microenvironment for intestinal remodeling. This novel and effective method would help to overcome conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and applicable in regenerative medicine.