β-Asarone regulates microglia polarization to alleviate TBI-induced nerve damage via Fas/FasL signaling axis

Mingyue Xia; Min Yi; Chunyuan Guo; Yeli Xie; Wenting Yu; Dongsheng Wang; Xingping Dai

doi:10.1007/s13577-024-01161-z

β-Asarone regulates microglia polarization to alleviate TBI-induced nerve damage via Fas/FasL signaling axis

Hum Cell. 2024 Dec 24;38(1):33. doi: 10.1007/s13577-024-01161-z.

Authors

Mingyue Xia^{1

2

3}, Min Yi⁴, Chunyuan Guo^{1

5}, Yeli Xie^{1

2

3}, Wenting Yu^{1

2

3}, Dongsheng Wang^{1

2

3

6}, Xingping Dai^{7

8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Jiangxi Hospital, National Reginal Center for Neurological Disease, Honggutan District, No.266 Fenghe North Avenue, Nanchang, 330038, Jiangxi, China.
² National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
³ Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Gan of State Administration, Changsha, Hunan, China.
⁴ Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese & Western Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China.
⁵ Jiangxi Provincial, People's Hospital, Clinical College of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
⁶ Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
⁷ Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Jiangxi Hospital, National Reginal Center for Neurological Disease, Honggutan District, No.266 Fenghe North Avenue, Nanchang, 330038, Jiangxi, China. [email protected].
⁸ National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. [email protected].
⁹ Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Gan of State Administration, Changsha, Hunan, China. [email protected].

PMID: 39718669
DOI: 10.1007/s13577-024-01161-z

Abstract

Acute injury and secondary injury caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) seriously threaten the health of patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of β-Asarone in TBI-induced neuroinflammation and injury. In this work, the effects of β-Asarone on nerve injury and neuronal apoptosis were investigated in mice with TBI by controlled cortical impingement. The results of this research implied that β-Asarone dose-dependently decreased the mNSS score, brain water content and neuronal apoptosis, but increased the levels of the axonal markers Nrp-1 and Tau in TBI mice. In addition, β-Asarone caused a decrease in the levels of Fas, FasL, and inflammatory factors in cerebrospinal fluid and serum of TBI mice. Therefore, β-Asarone inhibited neuroinflammation and promoted axon regeneration in TBI mice. Besides, β-Asarone treatment inhibited M1 phenotype polarization but promoted M2 phenotype polarization in microglia of TBI mice. Overexpression of Fas and FasL reversed the above effects of β-Asarone. Thus, β-Asarone regulated microglial M1/M2 polarization balance in TBI mice by suppressing Fas/FasL signaling axis. In conclusion, β-Asarone inhibited Fas/FasL signaling pathway to promote the M1/M2 polarization balance of microglia toward M2 polarization, thus alleviating TBI-induced nerve injury.

Keywords: Fas/FasL signaling pathway; M1/M2 polarization of microglia; Traumatic brain injury; β-Asarone.

MeSH terms

Allylbenzene Derivatives* / pharmacology
Animals
Anisoles* / pharmacology
Apoptosis* / drug effects
Brain Injuries, Traumatic* / drug therapy
Brain Injuries, Traumatic* / metabolism
Cell Polarity / drug effects
Disease Models, Animal
Fas Ligand Protein* / metabolism
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Microglia* / metabolism
Neuroinflammatory Diseases / drug therapy
Neuroinflammatory Diseases / etiology
Signal Transduction* / drug effects
fas Receptor* / genetics
fas Receptor* / metabolism

Substances

Allylbenzene Derivatives
Anisoles
Fas Ligand Protein
asarone
fas Receptor
Fas protein, mouse
Fasl protein, mouse

Grants and funding

2020SK1014/National Major Science and Technology Projects of China