Xinwen Li,1,* Lin Cao,1,* Jianmin Li,2,* Zhengyang Li,1 Hongyu Ma,3 Shifeng Cheng,1 Hongyi Xu,1 Yang Zhao1,2 

1Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, People’s Republic of China; 2Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, People’s Republic of China; 3Image Center, Cangzhou Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Hospital, Cangzhou, 061000, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Yang Zhao, Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, People’s Republic of China, Email yang.zhao@tmu.edu.cn

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with no clinical cure. Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the inflammatory sites leads to the onset and progression of IBD. And the current non-invasive imaging methods are not ideal for the diagnosis and monitoring of IBD.
Methods: Herein, we developed inulin (IN)-coated cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2@IN NPs) for treatment and monitoring of IBD guided by computed tomography (CT). The physicochemical properties, ROS scavenging ability and CT imaging capabilities of CeO2@IN were investigated in vitro. Moreover, the therapeutic and targeted inflammation imaging effects of CeO2@IN were validated in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model.
Results: CeO2@IN with catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) capabilities effectively scavenged ROS, thus protecting the cells against oxidative stress. In colitis model mice, orally administered CeO2@IN successfully traversed the gastrointestinal tract to reach the colon under the protection of IN, and effectively reduced intestinal inflammation, thereby maintaining the intestinal epithelial integrity. Notably, CeO2@IN performed better than conventional CT contrast agents for gastrointestinal tract imaging, particularly in detecting the inflamed areas in the colon. In addition, CeO2@IN exhibited excellent biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo.
Conclusion: The study provided a novel integrated diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the treatment and monitoring of IBD, presenting great potential as a clinical application for IBD.

Keywords: inflammatory bowel disease, ceria, nanozyme, antioxidation, CT imaging