Potential of CeCl3@mSiO2 nanoparticles in alleviating diabetic cataract development and progression

Cataract is a major cause of visual impairment for diabetic patients. It is imperative to develop efficient therapeutic agents against diabetic cataract (DC) because diabetes confers higher risk for complications after cataract surgery. We have previously reported the role of CeCl3 loaded mesoporous silica (CeCl3@mSiO(2)) nanoparticles in reducing the oxidative stress of lens epithelial cells. However, the potential of CeCl3@mSiO(2) in preventing diabetic cataract development remains unclear. In this study, we applied CeCl3@ mSiO2 nanoparticles with a size of 87.6 +/- 8.9 nm to streptozotocin- induced diabetic cataract rat model by intraperitoneal injection. Our results showed that CeCl3@mSiO(2) efficiently ameliorated the progression of DC. Consistent with antioxidant effect of CeCl3@mSiO(2) in vitro, administration of CeCl3@mSiO(2) significantly abrogated hyperglycemia- mediated upregulation of advanced glycation end products, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation in animal lens. Taken together, our study provides a potential nanodrug to manage the development of DC. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.