Facile synthesis of antioxidative nanotherapeutics using a microwave for efficient reversal of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity

Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity is highly correlated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, which greatly limits its clinical therapeutic effects. Therefore, identification of agents that are able to mitigate this effect has become an urgent need for cisplatin-based cancer therapy. Herein, tea polyphenol-functionalized selenium nanoparticles (Se@TE NPs) were simply synthesized via a microwave-assisted method. These Se@TE NPs possess potent ROS scavenging capacity in vitro and effectively inhibited cisplatin-induced HK-2 cell apoptosis through suppressing intracellular ROS accumulation-mediated pathways. Moreover, the Se@TE NPs transformed into Se-containing amino acids in vivo, such as selenomethionine (Se-Met) and selenocystine (Se-Cys2), which may possibly activate selenoenzymes to inhibit excessive ROS production induced by cisplatin. Moreover, upregulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and downregulation of the malondialdehyde (MDA) level were also detected in kidney tissues of mice treated with Se@TE NPs, which may contribute to the reversal of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury. Taken together, this study provides a facile synthesis strategy for functionalized antioxidant nanocomposites and sheds light on their application and underlying mechanisms for the efficient reversal of cisplatin-induced renal injury.