Responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles for sensing of hydrogen peroxide and simultaneous treatment toward heart failure

Chronic heart failure is often characterized by the elevated amounts of reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the heart. Thus, it is of importance that selective release of therapeutic drugs occurs at the heart failure site to maximize therapeutic effects. In this work, functional mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) were developed for detection of H2O2, selective drug release and controlled treatment toward heart failure. The H2O2-sensitive probe was attached to the surface of the MSNPs, and a therapeutic drug of heart failure, captopril, was loaded within the pores of the MSNPs and retained by the binding of α-cyclodextrin to the probe. H2O2 present in tissue could react with the probe and enable the dissociation of α-cyclodextrin present on the nanoparticle surface, so that captopril could be successfully released along with “turn-on” of the probe fluorescence. In vivo experiments using the KillerRed heart failure transgenic zebrafish model demonstrated that this therapeutic system is physiologically responsive. Captopril-loaded MSNPs showed high therapeutic efficacy, improving the heartbeat rate and cardiac output in zebrafish experiencing acute KillerRed-induced heart failure.