Cerium oxide-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles delivering short-chain fatty acids: Regulating gut microbiota and JUNB expression for preventing and treating preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) poses a significant threat to maternal and fetal health, characterized by hypertension during pregnancy. This study investigates a promising approach to combat PE utilizing nanotechnology for the targeted delivery of short-chain fatty acids. By leveraging a sol-gel method and chemical deposition, cerium oxide-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with sodium butyrate (CeO₂@MSN@SB) were synthesized. The innovative strategy focuses on modulating gut microbiota and JunB proto-oncogene (JUNB) gene expression to induce macrophage M2 polarization and facilitate vascular remodeling. Evaluation in PE mouse models revealed that CeO₂@MSN@SB effectively improved blood pressure, urinary protein levels, placental function, and gut microbiota composition. Furthermore, the nanoparticles exhibited the ability to regulate key genes related to angiogenesis and inflammation, notably JUNB, leading to enhanced macrophage M2 polarization, trophoblast functionality, and vascular restructuring. These findings highlight that the application of nanotechnology holds potential to advance PE prevention and therapy.