Hesperetin loaded fucoidan selenium nanoparticles alleviate cisplatin induced acute kidney injury via antioxidant and cGAS STING pathway regulation

Purpose To fabricate hesperetin-loaded fucoidan-selenium (Hes/Fu-Se) nanoparticles (NPs) for alleviating cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), overcoming hesperetin’s low solubility and bioavailability and boosting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacy. Methods Hes/Fu-Se NPs were prepared by encapsulating hesperetin within fucoidan, and then functionalized selenium (Se) NPs. Nanoparticle physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity (FRAP, ABTS) were characterized. Cisplatin-stimulated HK-2 cells were used for in vitro detection of cell viability, apoptosis, ROS accumulation, mitochondrial function and cGAS-STING signaling. A cisplatin-induced AKI mouse model was adopted to test renal biochemical indexes, renal histopathology and renal injury-related protein expression. Results Synthesized Hes/Fu-Se NPs exhibited uniform particle size, superior aqueous solubility and potent antioxidant activity. In vitro, the NPs restored HK-2 cell viability, mitigated apoptosis and ROS overproduction, and inhibited DNA damage and cGAS-STING cascade activation. In vivo, Hes/Fu-Se markedly reduced serum BUN and CRE, alleviated renal histological lesions and inflammatory infiltration, and downregulated the expression of cGAS, STING, γH2AX and TNF-α in kidney tissues. Conclusions Hes/Fu-Se NPs relieve cisplatin-triggered AKI via amplified antioxidation, DNA damage restoration and cGAS-STING pathway suppression. This nanoformulation provides a promising nephroprotective strategy against chemotherapy-related renal toxicity for clinical translation. Graphical abstract