Fenofibrate nanoliposome: Preparation and its inhibitory effects on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice

Abstract

The aim was to prepare fenofibrate nanoliposome (FNB-Nanolipo) and investigate its characterizations, oral pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles as well as preventive and therapeutic effects on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a methionine choline deficient (MCD) diet in mice. The prepared FNB-Nanolipo showed high drug loading capacity and sustained in vitro FNB release profile. Compared to FNB crude drug at equal doses, the FNB-Nanolipo given at 20 mg/kg/day (beginning on the same day when the MCD diet feeding started and lasted for 7 days) or 40 mg/kg/day (beginning after 7 days of the MCD diet feeding and lasting for another 7 days together with the MCD diet) increased plasma FNB concentration of the mice by 11.8-fold (P<0.05) or 57.3-fold (P<0.001), respectively, and reduced 54.7% (P<0.05) or 35.5% (P<0.05) of excessive hepatic lipid, respectively. The results suggest that the FNB-Nanolipo could not only significantly prevent but also efficiently treat NAFLD.