Electrolytes can be taken orally or intravenously as supplements or therapeutics. However, their therapeutic window may exceed the serum toxicity threshold, making systemic delivery a poor option. Local injection is also not adequate due to rapid diffusion of electrolytes. Here, we solved this issue with a nanocapsule technology, comprising an electrolyte nanocrystal as the drug filling and a silica sheath to regulate drug release rates. In particular, we prepared LiF@SiO² nanocapsules and investigated their potential as a delivery system for lithium, which was shown in recent studies to be an effective therapeutic agent for osteoarthritis (OA). We demonstrated that LiF@SiO₂ can extend lithium release time from minutes to more than 60 h. After intraarticular (i.a.) injection into a rat OA model, the nanocapsules reduced the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) score by 71% in 8 weeks while inducing no systemic toxicity. Our study opens new doors for improved delivery of electrolyte therapeutics, which have rarely been studied in the past.

中文翻译：

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LiF @ SiO 2纳米胶囊用于控制锂释放和骨关节炎的治疗

电解质可以口服或静脉内作为补充剂或治疗剂。但是，它们的治疗范围可能超过血清毒性阈值，从而使全身给药成为较差的选择。由于电解质的快速扩散，局部注入也不足够。在这里，我们用纳米胶囊技术解决了这个问题，该技术包括一种电解质纳米晶体作为药物填充物，以及一个二氧化硅护套来调节药物的释放速率。特别是，我们制备了LiF @ SiO ²纳米胶囊，并研究了其作为锂的递送系统的潜力，最近的研究表明这是一种有效的骨关节炎（OA）治疗剂。我们证明了LiF @ SiO ₂可以将锂释放时间从几分钟延长到60小时以上。关节内（ia）注入大鼠OA模型后，纳米胶囊在8周内将国际骨关节炎研究协会（OARSI）评分降低了71％，而没有引起全身毒性。我们的研究为改善电解质治疗剂的输送开辟了新的大门，这在过去很少进行研究。