Ketogenic diet and quercetin promote the recovery of motor function in rats with spinal cord injury

IF 4.2 2区医学 Q1 NEUROSCIENCES

Experimental Neurology Pub Date : 2025-08-07 DOI:10.1016/j.expneurol.2025.115415

Xuhua Liu , Xinfang Liu , Jinbo Lin , Jinsong Wei , Kaiting Chen , Sidong Luo , Xu Wang , Kaifan Li , Pengqing Qiu , Yongsheng Li , Sheng Luo , Yeyang Wang

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Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurological disorder, and currently, there are no effective therapeutic options to promote the recovery of motor function. Therefore, exploring safe and effective post-SCI repair strategies is crucial. In our study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of ketogenic diet (KD) and quercetin, both separately and in combination, on the recovery of motor and neurological functions in rats with SCI. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups: (i) sham-operated surgery (sham), (ii) spinal cord injury (injury), (iii) ketogenic diet (KD), (iv) quercetin (Que), and (v) ketogenic diet+quercetin (KD + Que). We used thoracic cord clamp compression to create the SCI model and studied the potential synergistic effects of quercetin and KD on functional restoration. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) tests were conducted to assess motor performance, while motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) were used to evaluate neurophysiological function. 4 weeks post-SCI, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histological examination, immunofluorescence staining, and western blotting were performed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the synergistic repair effects. Our findings revealed that the combined treatment significantly decreased cavity volume, reduced glial scarring, attenuated local inflammatory infiltration, and enhanced neurite structural preservation and myelin integrity compared to either the KD or quercetin alone. Additionally, the synergistic effect of the KD and quercetin on SCI recovery may be mediated through the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway. In conclusion, a KD in conjunction with quercetin can facilitate the regaining of motor function following SCI by inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

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生酮饮食和槲皮素对脊髓损伤大鼠运动功能恢复有促进作用。

脊髓损伤是一种毁灭性的神经系统疾病，目前还没有有效的治疗方法来促进运动功能的恢复。因此，探索安全有效的脊髓损伤后修复策略至关重要。在我们的研究中，我们研究了生酮饮食（KD）和槲皮素单独或联合对脊髓损伤大鼠运动和神经功能恢复的治疗作用。雌性Sprague-Dawley大鼠随机分为5组：(i)假手术（sham），（ii）脊髓损伤（injury），（iii）生酮饮食（KD），（iv）槲皮素（Que）， (v)生酮饮食+槲皮素（KD + Que）。我们采用胸椎脊髓钳压术建立脊髓损伤模型，并研究槲皮素和KD对功能恢复的潜在协同作用。采用Basso， Beattie, and Bresnahan （BBB）测试评估运动表现，运动诱发电位（MEPs）评估神经生理功能。脊髓损伤后4 周，通过磁共振成像（MRI）、组织学检查、免疫荧光染色和免疫印迹（western blotting）来研究协同修复作用的机制。我们的研究结果显示，与单独使用KD或槲皮素相比，联合治疗可显著减少空腔体积，减少胶质瘢痕，减轻局部炎症浸润，增强神经突结构保存和髓磷脂完整性。此外，KD和槲皮素对脊髓损伤恢复的协同作用可能通过NF-κB/NLRP3途径介导。综上所述，KD联合槲皮素可通过抑制NF-κB/NLRP3通路促进脊髓损伤后运动功能的恢复。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Experimental Neurology 医学-神经科学

CiteScore

10.10

自引率

3.80%

发文量

258

审稿时长

42 days

期刊介绍： Experimental Neurology, a Journal of Neuroscience Research, publishes original research in neuroscience with a particular emphasis on novel findings in neural development, regeneration, plasticity and transplantation. The journal has focused on research concerning basic mechanisms underlying neurological disorders.