Otoprotective properties of 6α-methylprednisolone-loaded nanoparticles against cisplatin: In vitro and in vivo correlation

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine (2016): 59-65, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2015.12.3676α-Methylprednisolone-loaded surfactant-free nanoparticles have been developed to palliate cisplatin ototoxicity. Nanoparticles were based on two different amphiphilic pseudo-block copolymers obtained by free radical polymerization and based on N-vinyl pyrrolidone and a methacrylic derivative of α-tocopheryl succinate or α-tocopherol. Copolymers formed spherical nanoparticles by nanoprecipitation in aqueous media that were able to encapsulate 6α-methylprednisolone in their inner core. The obtained nanovehicles were tested in vitro using HEI-OC1 cells and in vivo in a murine model. Unloaded nanoparticles were not able to significantly reduce the cisplatin ototoxicity. Loaded nanoparticles reduced cisplatin-ototoxicity in vitro being more active those based on the methacrylic derivative of vitamin E, due to their higher encapsulation efficiency. This formulation was able to protect hair cells in the base of the cochlea, having a positive effect in the highest frequencies tested in a murine model. A good correlation between the in vitro and the in vivo experiments was foun