Anticancer Effect of Rutin-Chitosan Nanoconjugates on the Transplanted Tumor of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells in Nude Mice

Abstract

Background: Rutin has gained considerable attention in cancer research due to its potential anti-tumor effects. However, the low bioavailability of rutin effect its effectiveness in tumor treatment. Thus, the ion gel method synthesized the rutin-chitosan nanoconjugates in this study. Its anti-tumor effects were evaluated in a xenograft tumor in nude mice, and the underlying mechanisms were explored using transcriptome sequencing. Methods: In vitro release test of rutin was carried out using the drug release experiment. The anti-tumor effect of rutin-chitosan nanoconjugates was investigated using a xenograft mouse model. Further studies on rutin targets screened by the transcriptomic analysis were conducted. Results: It was proved that rutin-chitosan nanoconjugates had good drug loading, encapsulation rate, and slow-release effect. In vivo experiments showed that compared with free rutin, rutin-chitosan nanoconjugates compound had stronger anti-proliferation and pro-apoptotic effects on transplanted tumors of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells in nude mice. The sequencing, qRT-PCR and western blot results showed that the mRNA and protein levels of Rasgrp3, Flt4 and Vegfd were significantly decreased in the rutin-chitosan nanoconjugates group. Conclusions: Rutin-chitosan nanoconjugates may therefore serve as a new therapeutic agent for breast cancer treatment. This opens a new avenue for the development and use of anti-tumor drugs.