Human Serum Albumin-enriched Clopidogrel Bisulfate Nanoparticle Alleviates Cerebral Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Purpose Cerebral ischemia – reperfusion (I/R) injury remains a leading cause of mobility and mortality among patients with ischemic stroke. This study aims to develop a human serum albumin (HSA)-enriched nanoparticle platform for solubilizing clopidogrel bisulfate (CLP) for intravenous administration, and to explore the protective effect of HSA-enriched nanoparticles loaded with CLP (CLP-ANPs) against cerebral I/R injury in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model. Methods CLP-ANPs were synthesized via a modified nanoparticle albumin-bound technology, lyophilized, and then characterized by morphology, particle size, zeta potential, drug loading capacity, encapsulation efficiency, stability and in vitro release kinetics. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies were conducted using Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. Also, an MCAO rat model was established to explore the therapeutic effect of CLP-ANPs on cerebral I/R injury. Results CLP-ANPs remained spherical particles with a layer of proteins forming protein corona. Lyophilized CLP-ANPs after dispersion displayed an average size of about 235.6 ± 6.6 nm (PDI = 0.16 ± 0.08) with a zeta potential of about − 13.5 ± 1.8 mV. CLP-ANPs achieved sustained release for up to 168 h in vitro . Next, a single injection of CLP-ANPs dose-dependently reversed the histopathological changes induced by cerebral I/R injury possibly via attenuating apoptosis and reducing oxidative damages in the brain tissues. Conclusions CLP-ANPs represent a promising and translatable platform system for the management of cerebral I/R injury during ischemic stroke.