Graphene\nOxide Quantum Dots as Novel Nanozymes for Alcohol Intoxication

Abstract

Alcohol\noverconsumption as a worldwide issue results in alcoholic liver disease\n(ALD), such as steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. The\ntreatment of ALD has been widely investigated but remains challenging.\nIn this work, the protective effects of graphene oxide quantum dots\n(GOQDs) as novel nanozymes against alcohol overconsumption are discovered,\nand the specific mechanisms underlying these effects are elucidated\nvia omics analysis. GOQDs dramatically alleviate the reduction of\ncell viability induced by ethanol and can act as nanozymes to accelerate\nethanol metabolism and avoid the accumulation of toxic intermediates\nin cells. Mitochondrial damage and the excessive generation of free\nradicals were mitigated by GOQDs. The mechanisms underlying the cellular\nprotective effects were also related to alterations in metabolic and\nprotein signals, especially those involved in lipid metabolism. The\nmoderately increased autophagy induced by GOQDs explained the removal\nof accumulated lipids and the subsequent elimination of excessive\nGOQDs. These findings suggest that GOQDs have an antagonistic capacity\nagainst the adverse effects caused by ethanol and provide new insights\ninto the direct applications of GOQDs. In addition to traditional\nantioxidation, this work also establishes metabolomics and proteomics\ntechniques as effective tools to discover the multiple functions of\nnanozymes.