Chitosan-coated taxifolin liposomes preserve renal structure and function in mice

Isoproterenol (ISO), a nonselective β-adrenergic agonist, is widely used to induce myocardial injury and has been reported to cause secondary renal damage known as cardiorenal syndrome, partly driven by oxidative stress and inflammation. Taxifolin (TAX), a flavonoid with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is limited in clinical application due to poor solubility and low bioavailability. This study developed and evaluated chitosan-coated taxifolin liposomes (CS-TL) for the prevention of ISO-induced renal injury in mice. TAX liposomes (TL) were prepared via the ethanol injection method and coated with chitosan to obtain CS-TL. Physicochemical properties, including encapsulation efficiency (EE), particle size, and zeta potential, were characterized. Male mice pretreated with TL or CS-TL received ISO to induce cardiorenal damage. TL exhibited EE of 86.35 ± 3.15%, particle size of 154.8 ± 1.68 nm, and zeta potential of -32.54 ± 3.27 mV, while CS-TL demonstrated EE of 90.70 ± 1.47%, particle size of 289.4 ± 3.27 nm, and zeta potential of +35.26 ± 2.85 mV. ISO induced marked renal tissue damage, increased oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and apoptosis, and suppressed Nrf2/HO-1. Notably, CS-TL pretreatment markedly attenuated ISO-induced alterations in the aforementioned parameters and preserved renal histological architecture. These findings suggest that CS-TL could serve as a promising adjunctive therapeutic strategy for renoprotection in cardiorenal syndromes by ameliorating inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and restoring the Nrf2/HO-1 cascade.