Antioxidant Carbon Dots Nanozyme Loaded in Thermosensitive in situ Hydrogel System for Efficient Dry Eye Disease Treatment

Int J Nanomedicine. 2024 May 7:19:4045-4060. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S456613. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Purpose: Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial ocular surface disease with a rising incidence. Therefore, it is urgent to construct a reliable and efficient drug delivery system for DED treatment.

Methods: In this work, we loaded C-dots nanozyme into a thermosensitive in situ gel to create C-dots@Gel, presenting a promising composite ocular drug delivery system to manage DED.

Results: This composite ocular drug delivery system (C-dots@Gel) demonstrated the ability to enhance adherence to the corneal surface and extend the ocular surface retention time, thereby enhancing bioavailability. Furthermore, no discernible ocular surface irritation or systemic toxicity was observed. In the DED mouse model induced by benzalkonium chloride (BAC), it was verified that C-dots@Gel effectively mitigated DED by stabilizing the tear film, prolonging tear secretion, repairing corneal surface damage, and augmenting the population of conjunctival goblet cells.

Conclusion: Compared to conventional dosage forms (C-dots), the C-dots@Gel could prolong exhibited enhanced retention time on the ocular surface and increased bioavailability, resulting in a satisfactory therapeutic outcome for DED.

Keywords: carbon dots nanozyme; composite ocular drug delivery system; dry eye disease; thermosensitive in situ gel.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants* / administration & dosage
  • Antioxidants* / chemistry
  • Antioxidants* / pharmacokinetics
  • Antioxidants* / pharmacology
  • Benzalkonium Compounds / administration & dosage
  • Benzalkonium Compounds / chemistry
  • Benzalkonium Compounds / pharmacokinetics
  • Biological Availability
  • Carbon* / chemistry
  • Cornea* / drug effects
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods
  • Dry Eye Syndromes* / drug therapy
  • Female
  • Hydrogels* / administration & dosage
  • Hydrogels* / chemistry
  • Hydrogels* / pharmacokinetics
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Quantum Dots / chemistry
  • Tears / chemistry
  • Tears / drug effects
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Carbon
  • Antioxidants
  • Hydrogels
  • Benzalkonium Compounds

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Shaanxi Province Key Research and Development Plan (2022SF-404), the Project of Xi’an Science and Technology Plan (23YXYJ0010), and the National Science Foundation of Shaanxi (2023-JC-QN-081).