Cerium dioxide nanoparticles possess anti-inflammatory properties in the conditions of the obesity-associated NAFLD in rats

Obesity is a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The disease is associated with impairment of pro/antioxidant equilibrium and the inflammation in liver tissue. The aim of the work was to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of the nanocrystalline cerium dioxide (nCeO2) on the rat model of NAFLD associated with monosodium glutamate (MSG)-induced obesity. The study was carried out on three groups of rats: control, MSG- and MSG + nCeO2. They were injected with saline (control) or MSG. A month after born MSG-rats had been treated with water in a volume of 2.9 ml/kg, MSG + CeO2 groups – with CeO2 intragastrically (i.g.). The anthropometric and carbohydrate metabolism parameters, content of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-12Bp40, interferon-γ (INF-γ)) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, tumor growth factor-β (TGF-β)) were measured by ELISA. We have demonstrated the anti-obesity effect of nanocrystalline cerium dioxide and for the first time its anti-inflammatory properties. Nanoparticles reduced the content of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-12Bp40) in rat serum and restored the level of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β) to the control values. The precise mechanisms of this phenomenon remain to be unclear but we suppose they are at least partially associated with the strong anti-oxidant action of studied substance. Nanocrystalline cerium dioxide attenuates the inflammatory processes in rat blood that can prevent obesity complications and liver injury.