Evaluation Anti-inflammatory Effect of Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles with Cortistatin Peptide as Drug Delivery to Asthmatic Lung Tissue.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease that affects the airways. Inflammation of the airway and reversible bronchoconstriction eventually lead to obstruction of the airways, breathlessness and asthma attack. Gold nanoparticles are among the most widely used nanoparticles and have many applications for pharmaceutical and medical purposes. Cortistatin is a neuropeptide that exhibits anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, spherical gold nanoparticles were conjugated to the Cortistatin peptide, for effective and targeted drug delivery to the airways of asthmatic mice. After synthesizing spherical gold nanoparticles and conjugation the Cortistatin, asthma model was produced and treatment with a nano-drug. The levels of inflammatory cytokines, Specific and total IgE, inflammatory gene expression, the number of goblet cells, and the amount of mucus secretion and eosinophilic inflammation in lung tissues were studied. The results showed that Cortistatin-nanoparticle could control allergic and inflammatory factors and the anti-inflammatory effects of Cortistatin peptide-bound nanoparticle are far greater than those of the peptide alone. Increasing the anti-inflammatory effect of peptide-bound nanoparticle versus peptide alone, confirmed the effective, targeted and correct drug delivery of peptide-nanoparticle combination to inflamed areas in lung tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]