Anti-inflammatory effect of rosuvastatin using diblock amphiphilic copolymer: Synthesis, characterization, in vitro and in vivo study

In this study, we synthesized methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) diblock copolymers as water soluble nanocarriers to investigate the in vivo anti-inflammatory characteristic of rosuvastatin-loaded nanocarriers. For determining the structure of prepared nanocarriers, we used proton nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and dynamic scanning calorimetry method. Nano-precipitation method was used for loading of rosuvastatin into copolymeric nanocarriers. The goal of this study is investigation of the anti-inflammatory effects of rosuvastatin-loaded nanocarriers in comparison with indomethacin. The paw edema thickness was measured during 4 h after gavage of nanocarriers in acute inflammation-induced rats, and the ability of nanocarriers to inhibit the edema was calculated. Rosuvastatin was loaded in nanocarriers with a loading capacity of 9.38 +/- 0.96% and an encapsulation efficiency of 62.50 +/- 0.84%; moreover, rosuvastatin and rosuvastatin nanocarriers displayed considerable anti-inflammatory activity in this study. This study indicated that rosuvastatin and rosuvastatin nanocarriers have anti-inflammatory characteristic and we can conclude that in addition to lipid lowering affect, statins have potential for anti-inflammatory activity.