Hemp sprout-derived exosome-like nanovesicles as hepatoprotective agents attenuate liver fibrosis

Biomater Sci. 2024 Oct 8;12(20):5361-5371. doi: 10.1039/d4bm00812j.

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a form of hepatic steatosis in which more than 5% of the liver's weight is fat, primarily due to the overconsumption of soft drinks and a Western diet. In this study, we investigate the potential of plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PENs) to prevent liver fibrosis and leaky gut resulting from NAFLD. Specifically, we examine whether hemp sprout-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (HSNVs) grown on smart farms could exert protective effects against NAFLD by inhibiting liver fibrosis. HSNVs ranging from 100-200 nm were measured using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). HSNVs (1 mg kg-1) were orally administered for 5 weeks to mice with NAFLD induced by feeding them a Western diet (WD; a fat- and cholesterol-rich diet) and fat-, fructose-, and cholesterol-rich (FFC) diet for 8 weeks. Importantly, the administration of HSNVs markedly reduced oxidative stress and fibrosis marker proteins in NAFLD mouse models and LX2 cells. Furthermore, treatment with HSNVs prevented a significant decrease in the quantity of gut barrier proteins and endotoxin levels in NAFLD mouse models. For the first time, these results demonstrate that HSNVs can exhibit a hepatoprotective effect against gut leakiness and WD/FFC-induced liver fibrosis by inhibiting oxidative stress and reducing fibrosis marker proteins.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cannabis* / chemistry
  • Cell Line
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Exosomes* / chemistry
  • Exosomes* / drug effects
  • Exosomes* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / chemically induced
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / drug therapy
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / metabolism
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL*
  • Nanoparticles / administration & dosage
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / drug therapy
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / metabolism
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Protective Agents / administration & dosage
  • Protective Agents / chemistry
  • Protective Agents / pharmacology

Substances

  • Protective Agents