Nanocomposite treatment reduces disease and lethality in a murine model of acute graft-versus-host disease and preserves anti-tumor effects

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 13;10(4):e0123004. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123004. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is an immunological disorder triggered by bone marrow transplantation that affects several organs, including the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Fullerenes and their soluble forms, fullerols, are nanocomposites with a closed symmetrical structure with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. The present study evaluated the effects of treatment with the fullerol (C60(OH)18-20) in the development and pathogenesis of GVHD in a murine model. Mice with experimental GVHD that were treated with the fullerol showed reduced clinical signs of disease and mortality compared with untreated mice. Treatment with the fullerol decreased the hepatic damage associated with reduced hepatic levels of reactive oxygen species, pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (IFN-γ TNF-α, CCL2, CCL3 and CCL5) and reduced leukocyte accumulation. The amelioration of GVHD after treatment with the fullerol was also associated with reduced intestinal lesions and consequent bacterial translocation to the blood, liver and peritoneal cavity. Moreover, the fullerol treatment alleviated the GVHD while preserving effects of the graft against a leukemia cell line (GFP+P815). In summary, the fullerol was effective in reducing the GVHD inflammatory response in mice and may suggest novel ways to treat this disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry*
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / adverse effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Fullerenes / chemistry*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / therapy*
  • Inflammation
  • Liver / pathology
  • Macrophages / cytology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred DBA
  • Nanocomposites / chemistry*
  • Neutrophils / cytology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Fullerenes
  • Reactive Oxygen Species

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal do Ensino Superior (CAPES), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), and NANOVALID. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.