Modulation of the TGF‐β/Smad Signaling Pathway by a Bioactive Oxidized Polygonati Rhizoma Polysaccharide Crosslinked Chitosan Hydrogel as Therapeutic Carrier for Parkinson's Disease Treatment
Peng Dai, Jikuang Zhao, Chang Xue, Kailei Xu, Liang Yong, Zhuangwei Zhang, Yi Huang, Jianwei Shuai, Xianzhen Chen, Sheng Nie, Junpeng XuABSTRACT
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by progressive dopaminergic neuron loss compounded by oxidative stress and neuroinflammation within a self‐perpetuating pathological brain microenvironment. Here, we report a bioactive injectable self‐healing hydrogel (COPRP) constructed by crosslinking oxidized Polygonati rhizoma polysaccharide (OPRP) with carboxymethyl chitosan via dynamic Schiff base linkages. OPRP is structurally identified as an inulin neoseries‐type fructan with relevance to TGF‐β/Smad pathway regulation. Without levodopa loading, COPRP reduced ROS accumulation and M1‐associated inflammatory markers in LPS‐stimulated microglia. It also improved cell viability, preserved mitochondrial membrane potential, and maintained TH expression in 6‐OHDA‐challenged SH‐SY5Y cells, supporting the intrinsic bioactivity of the hydrogel matrix. In a 6‐OHDA rat PD model, COPRP significantly ameliorated motor deficits and preserved TH‐positive neurons. Incorporating levodopa into COPRP creates a dual‐mechanism platform combining active microenvironmental remodeling with passive dopaminergic supplementation. Proteomic analysis, corroborated by western blotting, identified the TGF‐β/Smad signaling axis as the principal mechanistic mediator. Pharmacological intervention with pirfenidone attenuated TGF‐β2/Smad2/3 activation and partially reduced the behavioral and neuroprotective effects associated with COPRP, supporting the functional involvement of this pathway. This work delineates how a defined polysaccharide structure modulates the intracranial pathological microenvironment, offering insights for the rational design of bioactive biomaterials targeting neurodegenerative disease.