PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH
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2025
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IF 6.3
Anpei Wang,Yi Li,Fei Zhao,Hai Fang,Chengxue Pan,Bo Wei
Cardioprotective formulations in traditional Chinese medicine often combine cold and hot herbs, with licorice frequently included to balance their properties and reduce adverse effects. However, the independent cardioprotective mechanisms of licorice in ischemic heart disease remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of licorice extract (GC) on myocardial ischemia (MI) and ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Myocardial injury models were established using H 2 O 2 -induced H9c2 cardiomyocytes and left anterior descending coronary artery ligation in rats. Cardioprotective effects were evaluated through electrocardiography, echocardiography, and pharmacodynamic assessments. Network pharmacology and PCR were used to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism, followed by investigation of the upstream inflammatory pathways using Western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and molecular docking. Metabolomics confirmed GC's impact on terminal metabolic disturbances. Pharmacodynamic evaluations demonstrated that GC exerted significant cardioprotective effects both in vitro and in vivo. Network pharmacology suggested anti-inflammatory potential, which was confirmed by PCR showing reduced levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Expression analysis of seven Sirtuin and four NOD-like receptor family members revealed that GC's anti-inflammatory effect was mediated by upregulation of Sirt3, leading to inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, decreased Caspase-1 activity, and reduced secretion of IL-1β and IL-18. Additionally, GC modulated ischemia-induced metabolic disturbances, notably restoring disrupted amino acid and unsaturated fatty acid metabolism. In conclusion, GC exerted cardioprotective effects by suppressing inflammation through the Sirt3/NLRP3 axis and restoring metabolic homeostasis. These findings supported its traditional use and suggested its potential application in cardiovascular health.
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ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
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2024
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IF 6.2
Yu Ma,Wei Yang,Peiyao Liang,Ruzhen Feng,Tianming Qiu,Jingyuan Zhang,Xiance Sun,Qiujuan Li,Guang Yang,Xiaofeng Yao
As a persistent organic pollutant, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has a serious detrimental impact on human health. It has been suggested that PFOS is associated with liver inflammation. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Here, PFOS was found to elevate the oligomerization tendency of voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) in the mice liver and human normal liver cells L-02. Inhibition of VDAC1 oligomerization alleviated PFOS-induced nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat protein-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. Cytoplasmic membrane VDAC1 translocated to mitochondria was also observed in response to PFOS. Therefore, the oligomerization of VDAC1 occurred mainly in the mitochondria. VDAC1 was found to interact with the ATP synthase beta subunit (ATP5B) under PFOS treatment. Knockdown of ATP5B or immobilization of ATP5B to the cytoplasmic membrane alleviated the increased VDAC1 oligomerization and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Therefore, our results suggested that PFOS induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation through VDAC1 oligomerization, a process dependent on ATP5B to transfer VDAC1 from the plasma membrane to the mitochondria. The findings offer novel perspectives on the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, the regulatory mode on VDAC1 oligomerization, and the mechanism of PFOS toxicity.
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INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
·
2025
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IF 4.7
Qingqi Zhou,Xun Li,Decai Hou
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related progressive joint disease characterized by loss of cartilage and subsequent inflammation. Perillaldehyde is a compound extracted from Perilla , which has multiple pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptosis. However, it still remains unknown whether and how perillaldehyde could regulate chondrocyte apoptosis and inflammation in OA. Methods The interleukin-1beta (IL-1β)-treated chondrocytes and destabilized medial meniscus (DMM) -induced rats were used as in vitro and in vivo models of OA. Cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were investigated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assays. The mitochondrial membrane potential was analyzed by 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylbenzimidazolylcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) staining. Light chain 3 (LC3) location, and expression of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3) and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) were detected by immunofluorescence staining. Relative protein levels were measured via western blotting. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-6 and IL-8 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The cartilage injury in rats was investigated via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Results Perillaldehyde attenuated IL-1β-induced inhibition of viability (from 44.45 % to 92.72 %, p < 0.05) and proliferative potential of chondrocytes ( p < 0.05). Perillaldehyde mitigated mitophagy-associated apoptosis of chondrocytes by enhancing mitophagy ( p < 0.05) and reducing cell apoptosis (from 32.36 % to 8.00 %, p < 0.05). Perillaldehyde attenuated NLRP3-mediated inflammation through reducing NLRP3, ASC, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 levels ( p < 0.05). ALOX5 expression was upregulated in OA (fold change: 2.61, p < 0.05), and decreased by perillaldehyde treatment (fold change: 1.34, p < 0.05). Perillaldehyde inhibits p65 nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling activation (fold change: 3.19 to 1.33, p < 0.05) by regulating ALOX5 expression. ALOX5 overexpression reversed the effects of perillaldehyde on mitophagy-associated apoptosis and NLRP3-mediated inflammation ( p < 0.05), and these roles were mitigated due to NF-κB inactivation ( p < 0.05). Perillaldehyde attenuated cartilage injury in OA rats ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Perillaldehyde attenuated IL-1β-induced mitophagy-associated apoptosis and NLRP3-mediated inflammation through decreasing ALOX5 and inactivating NF-κB signaling, indicating the potentially protective potential of perillaldehyde in osteoarthritis.
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TOXICON
·
2025
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IF 2.4
Jingyi Yang,Hao Xu,Ruiqi Ye,Yu Zhang,Jiale Wu,Erhui Jin,Xiaojin Li,Mixia Cao,Shenghe Li,Chang Liu,Lei Li
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a prevalent contaminant in feed and poses a serious threat to the poultry industry and public health. The liver is the primary target of OTA, and oxidative stress alongside consequent inflammation, is considered the main contributor to OTA-induced liver damage. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a key constituent of the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Astragalus membranaceus, exhibits diverse pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunoregulatory, and organ-protective effects. However, whether AS-IV can ameliorate OTA-induced liver damage remains uncertain. In the current investigation, we investigated the effect of AS-IV on OTA-induced liver damage in chicks and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. The results revealed that AS-IV inhibited OTA-induced increases in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activities. Additionally, AS-IV reversed the OTA-induced decrease in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activities, as well as the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that AS-IV is capable of mitigating mitochondrial damage and reducing the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the chicken liver cell line LMH induced by OTA. Moreover, AS-IV was discovered to reverse the OTA-induced decrease in nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) expression, and the increase in Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap1) expression. Meanwhile, AS-IV also counteracted OTA-induced NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome expression. Taken together, our findings suggested that AS-IV ameliorated OTA-induced hepatotoxicity in chicks by regulating the Nrf2 and NLRP3 signaling pathways.
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JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
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2024
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IF 5.7
Yanan Zhao,Bin Li,Hongting Deng,Chang Zhang,Yitong Wang,Lei Chen,Hui Teng
Prolonged and excessive intake of alcohol results in the onset of alcoholic liver disease, which is marked by oxidative stress, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and disturbance in the intestinal microbiome. Galangin, a potent flavonoid from Alpinia officinarum Hance, has been recognized for its diverse biological properties; however, its ability for protecting against alcohol-stimulated hepatotoxicity remains unexplored in prior research. In the current study, a Gao-Binge mouse model was established to assess the positive role and mechanisms of galangin upon alcohol-induced liver injury. The administration of galangin relieved liver pathological damage, oxidative stress, and NLRP3-mediated inflammation induced by alcohol. In addition, galangin significantly reversed abnormal intestinal histopathological manifestations and damaged the intestinal barrier function. Furthermore, microbiota composition revealed that galangin improved intestinal imbalance by improving the gut microbiota dysbiosis and short-chain fatty acid level. Collectively, this study explored the interactions between phytochemical factors and virulence factors and discovered that galangin powerfully improved alcohol-induced liver disease by repressing the inflammatory cascade via the gut microbiota-mediated gut–liver axis. These results suggested that alcohol-targeted natural products could have potential applications in promoting food safety and human health and offer valuable insights into the possible use of these substances in these important areas.
研究领域:
药理学
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肝病学
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微生物学
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免疫学
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营养学
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Journal of Neuroinflammation
·
2026
·Vol. 23
·期 1
·71
·
IF 11.5
Geng Fan,Zhao Na,Zhou Lv,Liu Xue-ting,Chen Xiu,Wang Zhi-Tian,Zhang Zhi-Jun,Ren Qing-Guo
Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by extracellular Aβ deposition and tau hyperphosphorylation, leading to synaptic dysfunction and cognitive decline. Mounting evidence indicates that circadian rhythm disorders are associated with increased AD risks. Growing evidence implicates the microbiota-gut-brain axis and its metabolites as critical modulators of both circadian physiology and AD pathology. However, the molecular mechanism through which circadian disturbance modulates gut-brain communication to influence AD pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Methods Core circadian clock gene expression was assessed across four AD human brain datasets, and found Cry2 to be the only gene consistently downregulated. To investigate its functional role in vivo, we established a mouse model with hippocampal-specific Cry2 knockdown. Cognitive performance, gut microbiota composition, and metabolic alterations were evaluated using the Morris water maze, 16 S rRNA sequencing, and untargeted metabolomics, respectively. Intestinal barrier integrity, blood-brain barrier function, and neuroinflammatory signaling were examined through immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. The contribution of microbiota disturbance was tested using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). The involvement of sphingolipid signaling was further assessed through FMT, pharmacological modulation with the S1PR agonist FTY720, NLRP3 knockout mice, and microglial assays. Results We found that the expression of Cry2 consistently decreased in the AD group in four AD-related datasets. Then, knockdown of Cry2 in the hippocampus ( shCry2 ) caused dysbiosis of gut microbiota, intestinal barrier impairment, cognitive dysfunction and tau pathology in mice. Intriguingly, along with the disturbance in intestinal sphingolipid metabolism pathways, activation of the S1P/NLRP3/IL-1β pathway was found in the brain of shCry2 mice. Transplantation of “ shCry2 microbiota” mimicked the pathological and behavioral changes induced by hippocampal Cry2 deficiency. Administration of S1PR agonist FTY720 significantly improved cognitive impairment and decreased the expression of NLRP3 in shCry2 mice, and knockdown of Cry2 in NLRP3 −/− mice alleviated tau pathology and cognitive impairment. FTY720 and S1PR1 antagonist W146 dose-dependently modulated the expression of NLRP3 in BV2 cells. Overexpressing Cry2 in the hippocampus significantly alleviated the tau pathology and cognitive decline in APP/PS1 mice. Conclusion Hippocampal Cry2 deficiency leads to cognitive impairment through the gut-brain axis mediated S1P/NLRP3/IL-1β pathway and might provide a potential therapeutic target for AD.
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INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
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2022
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IF 5.714
Shaomin Liu,Qiufang Chen,Liang Yan,Yuehong Ren,Jun Fan,Xingwang Zhang,Shiping Zhu
Inflammation mediates a variety of physiological and pathological events, prompting an importance of inflammation management for prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases. This study formulated tripterine (Tri) into selenized phytosomes in an attempt to attenuate its cytotoxicity and potentiate its inflammation-regulating effect with selenium. Tri-loaded phytosomes (Tri-PTs) with selenium modification were prepared by a melting-hydration followed by in situ reduction technique. Then, selenized Tri-PTs ( [email protected] ) were characterized by particle size, entrapment efficiency, and transmission electron microscope. The in vitro drug release and cellular uptake were performed to examine the formulation performance of [email protected] The cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory efficacy through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyroptosis were appreciated in murine J774A.1 macrophage cell line, respectively. The resultant [email protected] presented a particle size of 125 nm around. [email protected] exhibited attenuated cytotoxicity and improved cellular uptake in macrophages compared with free Tri or Tri-PTs. Also, [email protected] inhibited the releases of caspase-1p20 and mature IL-1β, resulting in restriction of NLRP3 inflammasome activation that inhibits the formation of GSDMD-NT whereby to initiate pyroptosis. Altogether, our findings suggest that [email protected] can inhibit inflammatory response by regulating the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway, which in turn reduces pyroptosis via suppressing the cleavage of GSDMD.
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Microorganisms
·
2021
·Vol. 9
·期 9
·1983
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IF 4.128
Shiyan Chen,Yanan Li,Bingxin Chu,Lanxin Yuan,Ning Liu,Yaohong Zhu,Jiufeng Wang
SalmonellaTyphimurium (S.Typhimurium) is an aggressive zoonotic pathogen that causes enteritis and diarrhea. Antibiotic therapy is still the primary method at present. However, the increasing emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria weakens the therapeutic efficacy of antibiotics. Probiotics have been widely studied as an alternative antibiotic therapy. In this study, we established an IPEC-J2 cell model ofS.Typhimurium infection, aiming to determine the protective effect ofLactobacillus johnsoniiL531 (L. johnsoniiL531) onS.Typhimurium infection. As our data showed,S.Typhimurium infection resulted in a robust inflammatory response demonstrated by promoted protein levels of the inflammatory-related pathway (TLR4, MyD88, p-IκBα, and p-p65), increased cytokine levels of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α, and activated the NLRP3 inflammasome via promoting its assembly. However,L. johnsoniiL531 pre-incubation inhibited the activation of the above inflammatory signaling pathways and reduced the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition,L. johnsoniiL531 alleviated the damage ofS.Typhimurium to tight junctions ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1. In summary, our findings suggested thatL. johnsoniiL531 alleviatedS.Typhimurium-induced tight junction injury by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway.Keywords:SalmonellaTyphimurium;Lactobacillus johnsonii;TLR4;NF-κB;NLRP3 inflammasome;tight junctions
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Journal of Natural Medicines
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2020
·Vol. 75
·期 1
·129-141
·
IF 2.055
An Meng-Fei,Wang Ming-Yue,Shen Chang,Sun Ze-Rui,Zhao Yun-Li,Wang Xuan-Jun,Sheng Jun
Abstract Isoorientin (ISO), a natural flavonoid compound, has been identified in several plants and its biological activity is determined and the study on lowering uric acid has not been reported. In view of the current status of treatment of hyperuricemia, we evaluated the hypouricemic effects of ISO in vivo and in vitro, and explored the underlying mechanisms. Yeast extract-induced hyperuricemia animal model as well as hypoxanthine and xanthine oxidase (XOD) co-induced high uric acid L-O2 cell model and enzymatic experiments in vitro were selected. The XOD activity and uric acid (UA) level were inhibited after the treatment of ISO in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, serum creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were also significantly reduced and liver damage was recovered in pathological histology after the ISO administration in hyperuricemia animal model. The results of mechanism illustrated that protein expressions such as XOD, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), cathepsin B (CTSB), NLRP3, and its downstream caspase-1 as well as interleukin-18 (IL-18) were markedly downregulated by ISO intervention in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that ISO exerts a urate-lowering effect through inhibiting XOD activity and regulating TLR4-NLRP3 inflammasome signal pathway, thus representing a promising candidate therapeutic agent for hyperuricemia. Graphic abstract Both animal models and in vitro experiments suggested that ISO may effectively lower uric acid produce. The mechanism might be the inhibition of XOD activity and NLRP3 inflammasome of upregulation.
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INFLAMMATION RESEARCH
·
2021
·Vol. 70
·期 3
·323-341
·
IF 4.575
Wang Yu
Objective Tripterine (Trip) is frequently applied to alleviate inflammation in various diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Macrophages have both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory functions. However, whether Trip can inhibit cell inflammation in gouty arthritis (GA) remains undiscovered and whether the mechanism involved in macrophage polarization is also undetermined. This paper aims to study the effects of Trip on inflammation and macrophage polarization in GA. Methods Monosodium urate (MSU) crystals were used to establish GA mouse models, and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were induced to construct GA cell models. Pretreatments of Trip and injection of Antagomir-449a/Agomir-449a were performed on mice for 6 days. The effects of Trip and miR-449 on toe swelling, joint damage of GA mouse were examined. The alternations on cell morphology, cell proliferation marker Ki67, inflammatory cytokines, NLRP3 inflammasome, and NF-κB signaling-related proteins were also determined both in vivo and in vitro. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and RIP assay were adopted to estimate the targeting relationship between miR-449a and NLRP3. Results GA mouse model had increased M1 macrophage, intensified inflammation response, along with suppressed miR-449a expression. Following administration of Trip attenuated cell inflammation, promoted macrophage polarize to M2 phenotype, elevated miR-449a expression, repressed the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB signaling-related proteins, and diminished IκBα expression in vivo and in vitro. However, inhibition of miR-449a hindered the favorable effect of Trip on GA and increased NLRP3 inflammasome expression. MiR-449a directly targeted NLRP3. Overexpression of NLRP3 partially eliminated the biological effects of miR-449a agonist. Conclusion Trip regulates macrophage polarization through miR-449a/NLRP3 axis and the STAT3/NF-κB pathway to mitigate GA. The elucidation on the molecular mechanism of Trip in GA may provide theoretical guidance for clinical therapy of GA.
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Journal of Neuroinflammation
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2020
·Vol. 17
·期 1
·1-13
·
IF 5.793
Bian Hetao,Wang Gaohua,Huang Junjie,Liang Liang,Zheng Yage,Wei Yanyan,Wang Hui,Xiao Ling,Wang Huiling
Background Recently, depression has been identified as a prevalent and severe mental disorder. However, the mechanisms underlying the depression risk remain elusive. The neuroinflammation and NLRP3 inflammasome activation are known to be involved in the pathology of depression. Dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) has been reported as a strong antioxidant and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties in various diseases, albeit the direct relevance between DHLA and depression is yet unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the preventive effect and potential mechanism of DHLA in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sickness behavior in rats. Methods Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were utilized. LPS and DHLA were injected intraperitoneally every 2 days and daily, respectively. Fluoxetine (Flu) was injected intraperitoneally daily. PD98059, an inhibitor of ERK, was injected intraperitoneally 1 h before DHLA injection daily. Small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) for nuclear factor erythroid 2-like (Nrf2) was injected into the bilateral hippocampus 14 days before the DHLA injection. Depression-like behavior tests were performed. Western blot and immunofluorescence staining detected the ERK/Nrf2/HO-1/ROS/NLRP3 pathway-related proteins. Results The DHLA and fluoxetine treatment exerted preventive effects in LPS-induced sickness behavior rats. The DHLA treatment increased the expression of ERK, Nrf2, and HO-1 but decreased the ROS generation levels and reduced the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β in LPS-induced sickness behavior rats. PD98059 abolished the effects of DHLA on preventive effect as well as the levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins. Similarly, Nrf2 siRNA reversed the preventive effect of DHLA administration via the decreased expression of HO-1. Conclusions These findings suggested that DHLA exerted a preventive effect via ERK/Nrf2/HO-1/ROS/NLRP3 pathway in LPS-induced sickness behavior rats. Thus, DHLA may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for depression.
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NEUROCHEMICAL RESEARCH
·
2022
·Vol. 48
·期 2
·591-603
·
IF 4.414
Chen Rui,Xu Wan,Sun Yifu,Zhi Rongrong,Xie Peng,Zhi Zhongwen,Tang Xiaohong,Zhang Caiyi
2-(2-benzofu-ranyl)-2-imidazoline (2-BFI) is a drug that has attracted much attention in recent years. It has a therapeutic effect on brain diseases in animal models such as Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral infarction. However, whether 2-BFI affords neuroprotection against the toxicity of fluoride, which can cross the blood–brain barrier and cause neurological dysfunction is not known. We investigated the cell viability and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells and primary cultures of cortical neurons exposed to fluoride, and 2-BFI was used to protect both two kinds of cells against the effects of fluoride. We found that 2-BFI can provide neuroprotection on SH-SY5Y cells and primary cultures of cortical neurons upon fluorosis by maintaining the stability of endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria contact sites and inhibiting activation of the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. This study may provide a new method for protecting against the neurotoxicity induced by fluoride exposure.
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