Conclusion
In summary, the developed functional nanoplatform provides a basis for the clinical application of NGF in lumbar nerve root injury with disc herniation compression and a new treatment strategy for patients.
Methods
To overcome this obstacle, we developed Prussian blue (PBs) nanoparticles with the bio-delivery function and antioxidant effects of nanoenzymes. NGF was conjugated to the surface of PBs nanoparticles (PBs-NGF), which can be directly delivered to nerve cells.
Results
The results showed that free PBs showed great advantages in scavenging oxygen free radicals and antioxidants, while PBs-NGF showed good biocompatibility. At the cellular level, cell proliferation assay and fluorescence microscopy analysis confirmed that PBs-NGF significantly promoted the proliferation, differentiation, and neurite outgrowth of neuron-like PC12 cells compared with free NGF. In a nerve root compression (NRC) rat model, behavioral observations (paw withdrawal threshold, PWT, and paw withdrawal latency, PWL) confirmed that PBs-NGF eased the pain caused by nerve root compression. H&E staining showed that PBs-NGF could significantly reduce the inflammatory infiltration of nerve roots, and ELISA results showed that the concentrations of inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) were also significantly reduced.