Preparation of Nano-Cerium Dioxide and Its Auxiliary Protection on Rats with Pulmonary Fibrosis via Notch/Jagged Signaling Pathway

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the auxiliary protection of Notch/Jagged signaling pathway based on nano-cerium dioxide (nano-CeO2) on rats with pulmonary fibrosis. Nano-CeO2 was prepared by detonation method, and the nano-particles were detected in terms of the average particle size, Zeta potential, and purity. 30 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were selected as the research objects, and they were grouped randomly into a blank control group (1 mL/kg normal saline injection) and a pulmonary fibrosis model group (intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL/kg 2 g/L nano-CeO2 suspension). Rats were sacrificed at the 5th day, 10th day, 15th day, 20th day, 40th day, and 50th day in turn, and their lung tissues were collected. The differences in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression of Notch-1, Jagged-1, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 genes were detected by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Lung tissue sections of rats were treated with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining for 50 days to observe the pathological changes of lung tissues. The results showed that the shape of nano-CeO2 was similar to a circle under the transmission electron microscope, the average particle size was 25.17±10.33 nm, and the average Zeta potential was −27.26±9.72 mV. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) map of nano-CeO2 presented 5 obvious characteristic peaks that were featured with good purity characteristics. After intraperitoneal injection of nano-CeO2 suspension into rats, the lung tissues of the pulmonary fibrosis model group showed marked congestion and fibrosis compared with the blank group. The mRNA and protein expressions of Notch-1, Jagged-1, and TGF-β1 in lung tissues of the pulmonary fibrosis model group increased gradually over time. Moreover, the expression levels of Notch-1, Jagged-1, and TGF-β1 of the pulmonary fibrosis model group were greater hugely than the levels of the black control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, nano-CeO2 can induce pulmonary fibrosis by regulating the Notch/Jagged pathway.