Urolithin B loaded in cerium oxide nanoparticles enhances the anti-glioblastoma effects of free urolithin B in vitro

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive kind of malignant primary brain tumor in humans. Given the limitation of Conventional therapeutic strategy, the development of nanotechnology and natural product therapy seems to be an effective method enhancing the prognosis of GBM patients. In this research, cell viability, mRNA expressions of various apoptosis-related genes apoptosis, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human U-87 malignant GBM cell line (U87) treated with Urolithin B (UB) and CeO2-UB. Unlike CeO2-NPs, both UB and CeO2-UB caused a dose-dependent decrease in the viability of U87 cells. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of UB and CeO2-UB were 315 and 250 μM after 24 h, respectively. Moreover, CeO2-UB exerted significantly higher effects on U87 viability, P53 expression, and ROS generation. Furthermore, UB and CeO2-UB increased the accumulation of U87 cells in the SUB-G1 population, decreased the expression of cyclin D1, and increased the Bax/Bcl2 ratio expression. Collectively, these data indicate that CeO2-UB exhibited more substantial anti-GBM effects than UB. Although further in vivo investigations are needed, these results proposed that CeO2-NPs could be utilized as a potential novel anti-GBM agent after further studies.