Effects of Arsenic Trioxide-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles on Proliferation and Migration of Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Backgroud. To evaluate improvement of arsenic trioxide-loaded PLGA nanoparticles (As2O3-PLGA-NPs) to Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (HUVSMCs) in vitro. Methods. As2O3-PLGA-NPs were synthesized and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and the cumulative release rates of As2O3-PLGA-NPs were measured in vitro; HUVSMCs were treated with As2O3-PLGA-NPs in vitro. MTT assay and flow cytometry assay (FCM) were performed to examine the inhibitory effect of As2O3-PLGA-NPs on HUVSMCs and compared with As2O3 solution at various concentrations. Optical microscope was used to observe the morphological change of HUVSMCs treated with As2O3-PLGA-NPs. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, and MMP-9 in HUVSMCs was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot (WB). Results. EDS confirmed that prepared nanoparticles contained elements of arsenic. The surface coating of the eluting stent of As2O3-PLGA-NPs has the same characteristics with our self-prepared As2O3-PLGA-NPs, and it also has a drug sustained-release character. Compared with the control group, cell proliferation and migration cell were significantly suppressed with concentration-dependent ( , respectively). Meanwhile, in concentration-dependent, As2O3-PLGA-NPs depressed mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 and MMP-9 and increased mRNA and protein expression of Bax. Conclusion. As2O3-PLGA-NPs had an inhibitory effect on HUVSMCs’ proliferation and migration, and it may work via regulating Bax, Bcl-2, and MMP-9 expression in vitro.