Mechanism underlying the effect of MnO2 nanosheets for A549 cell chemodynamic therapy

MnO2 nanosheets (MnO2NSs) were synthesized by one-step method, and MnO2NSs were applied to A549 cell chemodynamic Therapy (CDT). The cytotoxicity, redox ability, and reactive oxygen species production of MnO2NSs have been investigated, and differences in cell metabolism during CDT were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). In addition, the metabolites of A549 lung cancer cells affected by MnO2NSs treatment are identified; metabolite differences were identified by PCA, PLS-DA, orthogonal PLS-DA, and other methods; and these differences were analyzed using non-targeted metabolomics. We found that A549 cells which were treated by MnO2NSs have 17 different metabolites and 9 metabolic pathways that varied markedly. Owing to their unique composition, structure, and physicochemical properties, MnO2NSs and their composites have become a favored type of nanomaterial used for CDT in cancer therapy. This work provides insights into the mechanism underlying the effects of MnO2NSs on the tumor microenvironment of A549 lung cancer cells, effectively making up for the deficiency of the study on cellular mechanism of CDT-induced apoptosis of cancer cells. It could aid the development of cancer CDT treatment strategies and help improve the use of nanomaterials in the clinical field.