Quercetin promotes the proportion and maturation of NK cells by binding to MYH9 and improves cognitive functions in aged mice

Tingting Su; Haitao Shen; Mengyuan He; Shanshan Yang; Xue Gong; Ce Huang; Liuling Guo; Hao Wang; Shengyu Feng; Taotao Mi; Meili Zhao; Qing Liu; Fengjiao Huo; Jian-Kang Zhu; Jianbo Zhu; Hongbin Li; Hailiang Liu

doi:10.1186/s12979-024-00436-1

Quercetin promotes the proportion and maturation of NK cells by binding to MYH9 and improves cognitive functions in aged mice

Immun Ageing. 2024 May 10;21(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s12979-024-00436-1.

Authors

Tingting Su^#¹, Haitao Shen^#¹, Mengyuan He^#¹, Shanshan Yang², Xue Gong¹, Ce Huang², Liuling Guo², Hao Wang², Shengyu Feng², Taotao Mi², Meili Zhao², Qing Liu², Fengjiao Huo², Jian-Kang Zhu³, Jianbo Zhu⁴, Hongbin Li⁵, Hailiang Liu^{6

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China.
² Institute for Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200123, China.
³ Institute of Advanced Biotechnology and School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China. [email protected].
⁵ Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China. [email protected].
⁶ Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China. [email protected].
⁷ Institute for Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200123, China. [email protected].
⁸ Institute of Advanced Biotechnology and School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China. [email protected].

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: Quercetin is a flavonol compound widely distributed in plants that possesses diverse biological properties, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective and senescent cell-clearing activities. It has been shown to effectively alleviate neurodegenerative diseases and enhance cognitive functions in various models. The immune system has been implicated in the regulation of brain function and cognitive abilities. However, it remains unclear whether quercetin enhances cognitive functions by interacting with the immune system.

Results: In this study, middle-aged female mice were administered quercetin via tail vein injection. Quercetin increased the proportion of NK cells, without affecting T or B cells, and improved cognitive performance. Depletion of NK cells significantly reduces cognitive ability in mice. RNA-seq analysis revealed that quercetin modulated the RNA profile of hippocampal tissues in aging animals towards a more youthful state. In vitro, quercetin significantly inhibited the differentiation of Lin^-CD117⁺ hematopoietic stem cells into NK cells. Furthermore, quercetin promoted the proportion and maturation of NK cells by binding to the MYH9 protein.

Conclusions: In summary, our findings suggest that quercetin promotes the proportion and maturation of NK cells by binding to the MYH9 protein, thereby improving cognitive performance in middle-aged mice.

Keywords: Cognitive level; Hematopoietic stem cells; MYH9; NK cells; Quercetin (PubChem CID: 5280343).

Abstract

Grants and funding