Bioactive Macromolecule-mediated Biogenic FeONPs Attenuate Inflammation in Atherosclerotic Rat by Activating PI3K/Akt/eNOS Pathway

Introduction: Atherosclerosis refers to the thickening and hardening of artery walls. In our latest experiment, we utilized environmentally friendly techniques to produce multifunctional iron oxide nanoparticles (FeONPs) aimed at reducing inflammation in rats with atherosclerosis. Method: The formulation was synthesized using curcumin (as the potent bioactive molecule) and was characterized. We assessed the in vitro antioxidant capability of the formulation against DPPH free radicals. Additionally, we quantified the mRNA levels of eNOS, PI3K, and AKT using Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). We tested the therapeutic impact of the bioactive formulation on a Triton X-100-induced atherosclerosis mouse model. Results: The crystallinity and magnetic behavior confirmed the magnetic properties of the FeONPs. The DPPH assay exhibited the dose-dependent radical scavenging characteristics of FeONPs. In the animal experiments, significant upregulation of the studied genes was noticed in treated groups 2 and 3 compared to treated group 1. Moreover, the expression of PI3K/eNOS/Akt was greater in treated group 3 than in treated group 2. These results indicate a dose-dependent elevation in target gene expression. Conclusion: Nevertheless, the variation in gene expression between the negative control and the untreated control was not statistically significant (p > 0.05) across all genes.