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Fluorescent drug delivery system used for methotrexate and its inhibition against HepG2 cells

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Abstract

To improve the bioavailability of methotrexate (MTX), reduce its cytotoxicity, and make its delivery targeted, the drug delivery system based on Eu3+-doped MgAl–LDH as the carrier of MTX was designed. Various characterizations revealed that the MTX was successfully loaded into the Eu3+-doped MgAl–LDH and the MTX loaded in the carrier was about 42.0%. In vitro simulating release suggested that the release of MTX from the drug delivery system exhibited a first rapid release, and followed by a slow release up to 800 min. Fluorescent spectra showed that the Eu3+-doped MgAl–LDH exhibited different fluorescent signals during drug delivery and release. In vitro cytotoxicity of Eu3+-doped MgAl–LDH loaded with MTX on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2 cells) investigated through CCK-8 assay showed the blank Eu3+-doped MgAl–LDH did not obviously suppress cell viability after 72 h, indicating significant biocompatibility of the Eu3+-doped MgAl–LDH. While the Eu3+-doped MgAl–LDH loaded with MTX showed higher cytotoxicity than free MTX on HepG2 cells. So the Eu3+-doped MgAl–LDH may be a promising carrier of the methotrexate for treating HepG2 cells.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51864033, 21978127), the National Key Research Development Program of China (2019YFC0605000).

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  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaoqiang Shang, Tingting Li, Yijun Liu, Xingxing Qiu, Yongxiu Li & Yufeng Chen

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Shang, X., Li, T., Liu, Y. et al. Fluorescent drug delivery system used for methotrexate and its inhibition against HepG2 cells. J IRAN CHEM SOC 21, 117–127 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13738-023-02910-x

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