α-Lipoic acid loaded hollow gold nanoparticles designed for osteoporosis treatment: preparation, characterization and in vitro evaluation

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a common disease among the ageing society. Oxidative stress caused by excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the aetiology of osteoporosis. α-Lipoic acid (ALA) is an antioxidant in the body, which can eliminate excess ROS in the body and inhibits levels of oxidative stress in cells. Herein, we designed PEGylated hollow gold nanoparticles (HGNPs) loaded with ALA (mPEG@HGNPs-ALA) to remove ROS in the treatment of osteoporosis. First, mPEG@HGNPs with a particle size of ∼63 nm has been successfully synthesized. By comparing the drug loading of mPEG@HGNPs, it was concluded that the optimal mass ratio of mPEG@HGNPs (calculated by the amount of gold) to ALA was ∼1:2. ABTS antioxidant assay showed that free radical removal ability. In vitro results revealed that the preparation had good biocompatibility. At the gold concentration of 1–150 μg/mL, the cell viability of mPEG@HGNPs was more than 100%, which indicated that it could promote the proliferation of osteoblasts. What’s more, mPEG@HGNPs-ALA could effectively remove the ROS caused by H2O2 injury and improve the cell viability. According to these results, it can be considered that mPEG@HGNPs-ALA has the potential to treat osteoporosis.