Porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres inhibit calcium oxalate kidney stone formation by oxidation resistance

The prevalence of kidney stones continues to increase worldwide, however, there are still short of effective drugs against urinary stones. In our study, we developed and utilized porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres as the novel antioxidant agent to detect its potential effects on crystallization inhibition. Porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres enable to deliver Se sustainably with lower cytotoxicity and preferred biocompatibility. In vivo, we found that porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres markedly decreased CaOX crystal deposition in renal parenchyma and alleviated kidney oxidative damage. In vitro, we found that the antioxidant effects of porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres were mediated by upregulation of HO-1 and activation of Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. These results suggests that porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres may be a new promising therapeutic option for stone formers.