Pre-Treatment with Zirconia Nanoparticles Reduces Inflammation Induced by the Pathogenic H5N1 Influenza Virus

Huo, Caiyun; Xiao, Jin; Xiao, Kai; Zou, Shumei; Wang, Ming; Qi, Peng; Liu, Tianlong; Hu, Yanxin

IFN-α, IFN-β, and IL1-β are crucial for the innate immune and antiviral responses. To examine the effects of ZrO 2 on cytokine expression in mice, the mRNA levels of IFN-α, IFN-β, and IL1-β in the spleens of mice on days 1 and 3 after intraperitoneal administration were examined. The mRNA levels of the ZrO 2 groups were upregulated compared to the glucose group. With 25 mg/kg ZrO 2 treatment, the expression levels of all cytokines increased significantly. The mRNA levels in the 100 mg/kg ZrO 2 group were lowest among the three ZrO 2 groups due to the toxicity of ZrO 2 in mice ( Figure 4B) . Furthermore, the mRNA expression profiles of all cytokines in each ZrO 2 group on day 3 after intraperitoneal administration were higher than those on day 1. These data suggested that ZrO 2 promotes the expression of cytokines associated with the antiviral response and innate immunity. Consistent with the FACS results, we found that ZrO 2 effectively enhances innate immunity in mice.