Abstract

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory condition, and Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is known for inducing antioxidant enzymes and reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) contribute to joint damage by releasing interleukins (IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8) in response to ROS. Given ROS's impact on FLS acquiring an invasive phenotype, our study explored the effects of poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles containing DMF on the expression of the HO-1 enzyme and the inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 in FLS cells. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated and compared the impact of Free-DMF and PLGA-DMF, on the gene expression of the HO-1 and inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8) in FLS cells derived from 13 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. qRT-PCR method was used to quantify the gene expression levels. RESULTS: PLGA-DMF nanoparticles demonstrated a significant increase in HO-1 expression and a significant decrease in IL-1beta gene expression. Also, a significant decrease in IL-6 gene expression was seen under the effect of Free-DMF. These results indicate the potential effectiveness of PLGA-DMF nanoparticles in reducing inflammation and improving rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. DISCUSSION: According to the findings, PLGA-DMF nanoparticles are expected to be effective in reducing inflammation and improving the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Also, further studies on other factors affected by oxidative stress such as cell invasion factors and survival factors after the effect of PLGA-DMF nanoparticle are recommended.