Neuroreport最新文献

{"title":"N6-methyladenosine-modified miR-873 promotes receptor-interacting protein kinase 3-mediated necroptosis after intracerebral hemorrhage in mice and HT22 cells.","authors":"Jianfei Wang, Shuoyang Wang, Xiaodong Wu, Bin Lu, Jingfeng Huang, Dijing Yu, Shoucai Zhao, Zhaohu Chu, Yingshui Yao, Yang Xu","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002257","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002257","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) causes a severe form of stroke characterized by high morbidity, mortality, and long-term disability. Neuronal cell death is influenced at the posttranscriptional level. Certain microRNAs influence neuronal cell death at the posttranscriptional level by regulating receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 ( RIPK3 ), a key mediator of necroptosis. The specific mechanism by which miR-873 mediates neuronal necroptosis following ICH remains unclear. Epigenetic abnormalities, particularly N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, are increasingly recognized as critical contributors to ICH pathophysiology.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>ICH mice model was established, followed by intracerebroventricular injection for gene manipulation. Brain water content was measured to assess cerebral edema. Neurological function was evaluated using the Morris water maze and neurological deficit scoring. Molecular and cellular analyses included Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR, immunofluorescence, and luciferase reporter assays. Primary neuronal cultures, plasmid construction, and m6A RNA methylation quantification were performed to investigate underlying mechanisms. Differential gene expression was analyzed using microarray profiling, and data were statistically evaluated with appropriate analytical methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The m6A modification is upregulated and positively involved in the functional role of miR-873 in ICH. miR-873 rescued necroptosis in ICH. miR-873 targets RIPK3 . RRACH (R = G or A; H = A, C, or U) m6A sequence motifs predominantly contribute to the m6A modification of miR-873 . The m6A modification regulates necroptosis in ICH. Knockdown of methyltransferase-like 3 improved the neurological function prognosis of ICH in mice.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>m6A modification modulates miR-873 expression, thereby influencing RIPK3-mediated necroptosis in ICH. These findings provide potential therapeutic targets for mitigating neuronal injury after hemorrhagic stroke.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":" ","pages":"236-246"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13011949/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147504262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A voxel-level degree centrality study in Parkinson's disease and the correlation with transcriptomes.","authors":"Yuan-Zhi He, Si-Xian Li, Hai-Yu Wang, Zhi Wen","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002251","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002251","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Altered degree centrality, a measure of brain network connectivity, has been linked to Parkinson's disease symptoms. However, it is unclear whether regional degree centrality differences between Parkinson's disease patients and healthy controls relate to spatial patterns of gene expression. The associated biological pathways and cell types also remain to be clarified.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate regional degree centrality differences between Parkinson's disease and healthy controls, and to explore their associations with brain-wide gene expression, enriched pathways, and specific cell types.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Voxel-wise degree centrality maps were computed for each participant and compared between groups using two-sample t-tests. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was applied to link degree centrality alterations to gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas. Enrichment analyses were conducted using Metascape, and cell-type specificity was assessed to identify key cellular contributors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Parkinson's disease patients showed significant degree centrality alterations relative to controls. These changes were spatially correlated with a gene expression pattern captured by PLS component 2 (PLS2). Enrichment analysis revealed that the associated genes were predominantly expressed in astrocytes, excitatory neurons, and inhibitory neurons, and were involved in synapse organization.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study links functional network disruptions in Parkinson's disease to specific transcriptomic signatures, highlighting astrocytes and neurons as key contributors. These findings offer insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying brain connectivity changes in Parkinson's disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":"37 5","pages":"181-194"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147504436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cysteine desulfurase protects against intracerebral hemorrhage by inhibiting neuronal ferroptosis through the suppression of iron-responsive element-binding protein 2-mediated iron-starvation responses.","authors":"Xiaohu Wang, Yanwei Feng, Jiuhong Ma","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002250","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002250","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ferroptosis is emerging as a crucial type of cellular demise involved in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Cysteine desulfurase (NFS1) is a key gene involved in the regulation of ferroptosis; however, its role in modulating neuronal ferroptosis in ICH remains unclear. This work aimed to explore whether NFS1 influences neuronal ferroptosis in ICH and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We established an ICH animal model using collagenase injection and a cellular model by treating neurons with hemin. Neurons with NFS1 overexpression or knockdown were generated using adenoviral vectors. Ferroptosis was evaluated by measuring typical indicators such as lipid peroxidation and ferrous iron levels. In-vivo NFS1 overexpression was achieved via adeno-associated virus constructs. Neurobehavioral function was assessed using Rotarod, Cylinder, and Corner tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A marked decrease in NFS1 levels was revealed in both animal and cellular models. Overexpression of NFS1 inhibited hemin-induced neuronal damage and ferroptosis. The exacerbating impact of NFS1 silencing on hemin-induced neuronal damage could be reversed by inhibiting ferroptosis. NFS1 overexpression suppressed hemin-induced neuronal ferroptosis by inhibiting the iron-responsive element-binding protein 2-mediated iron-starvation response. Blocking the iron-starvation response reversed the promoting effect of NFS1 silencing on neuronal ferroptosis. In the animal model, NFS1 overexpression significantly reduced hemorrhage volume and improved neurobehavioral function, accompanied by lower levels of iron-starvation response and ferroptosis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>NFS1 may alleviate ICH damage by suppressing neuronal ferroptotic death via the downregulation of the iron-starvation response, suggesting a prospective therapeutic target for the treatment of this disorder.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":"37 5","pages":"167-180"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147504484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"20-Deoxyingenol alleviates ferroptosis by activating transcription factor EB in spinal cord injury.","authors":"Pan Wang, Tangyue Li, Xin Zhang, Kang Gao","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002252","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002252","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Spinal cord injury (SCI) lacks effective treatments. Ferroptosis contributes to SCI pathology. We investigated the therapeutic potential of 20-deoxyingenol (20-DOI), a natural diterpene, focusing on its role in inhibiting ferroptosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used ventral spinal cord 4.1 motor neurons in vitro, challenged with H2O2 or erastin. Assessments included cell viability, proliferation, autophagy, lysosomal function, and ferroptosis. Transcription factor EB (TFEB) knockdown validated its involvement. In vivo, a mouse SCI model assessed functional recovery (Basso mouse scale score), tissue damage, and ferroptosis markers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>20-DOI restored cell viability and proliferation, enhanced autophagy and lysosomal activity. It suppressed ferroptosis, reducing lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species, and preserving mitochondrial function. These benefits required TFEB; its knockdown abolished the protection and reduced NRF2/GPX4 levels. In mice, 20-DOI improved motor function, preserved neurons, and attenuated ferroptosis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>20-DOI promotes recovery after SCI by activating TFEB to inhibit ferroptosis. Our work identifies TFEB as a key target and 20-DOI as a promising therapeutic agent.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":"37 5","pages":"204-214"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147504453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"METTL3-mediated TIGAR m6A modification and its role in microglia activation related to Alzheimer's disease.","authors":"Jing Kang, Xin Du, Xiaoting Zhang, Yadong Li, Chunying Wang, Shiming Sun","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002253","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002253","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study focused on clarifying whether methyltransferase3 (METTL3) participates in the polarization and activation of microglia in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by mediating the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification level of TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Human microglia HMC3 cells were transfected with overexpression or knockdown lentivirus of METTL3, TIGAR, or TIGAR before being induced by Aβ treatment to establish an in-vitro AD cell model. The expression of TIGAR and METTL3 was measured by real-time quantitative PCR and western blot. Microglial polarization was assessed by detecting the expression of M1 microglia marker CD86 and M2 marker CD206 using immunofluorescence and measuring the protein expression of M1-associated iNOS and IL-1β, and M2-associated Arg-1 and IL-10 using western blot. PAR-CLIP was employed to examine the binding of METTL3 to TIGAR mRNA, and MeRIP was used to measure the m6A level of TIGAR mRNA. The stability of TIGAR mRNA was evaluated by an actinomycin D assay.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In Aβ-induced HMC3 cells, both METTL3 and TIGAR expressions were reduced. Aβ treatment in HMC3 cells increased M1 polarization and decreased M2 polarization. But this effect was partially reversed by overexpression of either METTL3 or TIGAR. METTL3 binds to TIGAR mRNA and increases its m6A level, thereby promoting TIGAR mRNA stability.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>METTL3 modulates the balance of Aβ-induced polarization and microglia activation in HMC3 cells by upregulating TIGAR, promoting polarization toward an anti-inflammatory profile.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":"37 5","pages":"195-203"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147504473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Winding down for the night: changes in thalamocortical connectivity before bed are associated with subsequent sleep-stage duration.","authors":"William D S Killgore, Kymberly Henderson-Arredondo, Samantha Jankowski, Salma I Patel, Michael A Grandner, Lindsey L Hildebrand, Kathryn E R Kennedy, Jungwon Cha, David C Negelspach, Alisa Huskey","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002245","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002245","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The transition from wakefulness to sleep depends on dynamic thalamocortical interactions that regulate arousal and sensory gating. While thalamic coordination of cortical activity during sleep is well established, little is known about how presleep thalamocortical connectivity relates to subsequent sleep architecture. This study examined whether short-term changes in thalamocortical coupling during the early evening predict polysomnographically measured sleep later that night.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty adults (8 men, 12 women; age 19-39 years) with clinically significant insomnia symptoms completed two resting-state functional MRI scans ~2 hours apart (~6 : 30 and 8 : 30 p.m.) before an overnight in-lab sleep study. Whole-brain seed-to-voxel analyses using a bilateral thalamic region of interest assessed changes in functional connectivity between scans, which were then correlated with polysomnographic sleep-stage metrics [i.e. time in wake, N1, N2, N3, rapid eye movement (REM)].</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Increased thalamocortical connectivity with occipital, posterior middle temporal, and left frontal cortices before sleep predicted greater time in N2 sleep, whereas decreased connectivity with insula, putamen, and frontal regions predicted more N3 sleep. Reduced thalamic coupling with the left lateral occipital gyrus predicted greater REM sleep, and decreased thalamocerebellar connectivity was associated with increased wake time while in bed. No associations were observed for N1, total sleep time, or sleep efficiency.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Fluctuations in presleep thalamocortical connectivity predicted distinct features of subsequent sleep architecture. These findings suggest that presleep thalamocortical network dynamics may facilitate some aspects of later restorative sleep the same night, providing insight into how waking brain patterns influence subsequent sleep quality and continuity.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":"37 4","pages":"139-144"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12888901/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147434412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex differences in the relationship between orbitofrontal cortex gray matter volume and risk-taking.","authors":"Suril Gohel, Andrew P Szeszko, Chi C Chan","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002247","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002247","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Risk-taking and impulsivity are related constructs that are often studied independently of each other, and sex differences in their neurobiological mechanisms are not well understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study included 164 (69M/95F) individuals from the Nathan Kline Institute Rockland Sample between the ages of 18 and 40 who completed self-report measures of risk-taking and impulsivity (urgency being one of them). Gray matter volume in the lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortex was derived from T1-weighted images using FreeSurfer to examine the relationship to risk-taking and impulsivity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Males demonstrated greater risk-taking overall compared with females without sex differences on any specific subscale. In contrast, there were sex differences on specific subscales of impulsivity with females having greater (lack of) premeditation compared with males, but males having greater positive urgency and sensation-seeking compared with females. There was a significant positive correlation between total risk-taking and impulsivity in males and females, but this relationship was significantly stronger in females. Greater risk-taking was significantly and positively correlated with lateral orbitofrontal gray matter volume in males, but not females. Mediation analysis indicated that sensation-seeking partially mediated the relationship between lateral orbitofrontal gray matter volume and risk-taking in males. None of the correlations between medial orbitofrontal cortex volume and either risk-taking or impulsivity were significant in males or females.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings provide evidence for sex differences in the relationship between lateral orbitofrontal cortex volume and risk-taking. Furthermore, among males, this relationship was partially mediated by sensation-seeking, providing novel information regarding sex differences in healthy brain-behavior relations.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":"37 4","pages":"160-165"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147434402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brain activity related to kinesiophobia before and after total hip arthroplasty in patients with hip osteoarthritis: a pilot task-related functional MRI study.","authors":"Yuji Chuda, Tsubasa Mitsutake, Takanori Taniguchi, Hisato Nakazono, Mitsunori Okita, Atsushi Kawaguchi, Maiko Sakamoto","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002248","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002248","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Kinesiophobia that persists in some patients after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a significant factor hindering functional recovery. Its neural basis is not well understood. This exploratory prospective cohort study aimed to investigate changes in kinesiophobia-related brain activity before and after THA in patients with hip osteoarthritis (HOA) using task-related functional MRI (fMRI) during a motor task.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Six women (70.8 ± 13.1 years) who underwent THA for left HOA were assessed before and 2 weeks after surgery. Brain activity was measured using block-design fMRI during an active left hip flexion motor task. Clinical assessments included the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia short version (TSK-11), Visual Analog Scales (VAS) for kinesiophobia and pain, and gluteus medius muscle activity (% maximum voluntary contraction, %MVC) during the gait stance phase. Brain image analysis was performed using the General Linear Model in MATLAB R2024b and SPM25, with activation regions identified using Montreal Neurological Institute coordinates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>fMRI analysis revealed activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and middle cingulate cortex (MCC), both pre- and postoperatively. Postoperatively, TSK-11, kinesiophobia VAS, and pain VAS scores significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while %MVC increased (P < 0.01). Changes in ACC activity showed a positive correlation with changes in TSK-11 and kinesiophobia VAS. Changes in MCC activity showed a negative correlation with changes in pain VAS and %MVC.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that postoperative psychological improvements are associated with neuroplastic changes in the cingulate gyrus, which are associated with functional recovery. This suggests a potential neural mechanism involved in the recovery from kinesiophobia.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":"37 4","pages":"155-159"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147434372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Encoding under time pressure: stages and electrophysiological mechanisms in facial expression processing.","authors":"Guodong Wang, Jiawu Ji, Ruiying Zhang, Saizheng Weng, Huasheng Duan, Lili Nie","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002249","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study investigated the mechanisms by which shortened time constraints accelerate working memory encoding.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sixty-two participants completed a working memory task for facial emotions, with encoding durations manipulated between 250 and 1050 ms. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded and analyzed in terms of component amplitude, latency, and their relationship to working memory performance. Time-frequency analyses were also conducted. Bayesian analyses were additionally conducted to validate null effects.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Behavioral and time-frequency results revealed a two-stage encoding process: an initial establishment stage that enabled reasonable accuracy within 250 ms, and a refinement stage that improved encoding quality with extended time. ERP results showed that shortened encoding time primarily affected amplitudes rather than latencies of the ERPs. Specifically, P1 and N170 latencies remained stable, whereas amplitudes associated with attentional functioning (P1-origin and P1), code establishment (N170), and refinement/storage (250-400 ms) were attenuated. Linear mixed-effects models further indicated that lower accuracy was consistently associated with reduced ERP amplitudes across nearly all these components.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Working memory encoding comprises establishment and refinement stages. Encoding acceleration under shortened time constraints is achieved by truncation of the refinement stage rather than acceleration of the establishment stage. Moreover, this acceleration compromises encoding quality by not only truncating the refinement stage, but also limiting the resource allocation to attentional capture, representation establishment, and storage. These findings have broader implications for understanding cognitive performance under time pressure.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":"37 4","pages":"145-154"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12994898/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147434383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aloe-emodin attenuated Aβ-induced tau phosphorylation by autophagy-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.","authors":"Guanhua Hu, Wenli Li, Xin Lei, Yongchuan Yao, Shu Ye","doi":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002246","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WNR.0000000000002246","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Anthraquinone derivative aloe-emodin, extracted from Chinese herbs has been confirmed with various pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, particularly in Alzheimer's disease, but the exact mechanism of action remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, the PC12 cells were induced by amyloid β-protein (Aβ) to establish an in vitro model of Alzheimer's disease. The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine staining, transmission electron microscopy, real-time quantitative PCR, western blot, ELISA, coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP), and immunofluorescence were employed to evaluate effect of aloe-emodin on the survival and expression of related genes and proteins in PC12 cells induced by Aβ.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that 5 μM aloe-emodin significantly enhanced cell survival and proliferation. It also increased the mRNA and protein expression of Beclin-1 and LC3II, while decreasing the mRNA expression of P62, PI3K, AKT, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), and caspase-1, as well as the protein expression of P62, NLRP3, cleaved-caspase-1, p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-mTOR, interleukin-18 (IL-18), and IL-1β. Additionally, aloe-emodin reduced the intensity of p-tau fluorescence. The Co-IP results demonstrated a direct interaction between NLRP3 and LC3. Interestingly, aloe-emodin exhibited effects comparable to those of RAPA, an mTOR inhibitor.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings demonstrate that aloe-emodin offers neuroprotective benefits by reducing NLRP3-mediated inflammation and promoting autophagy, thereby providing a novel perspective on the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":19213,"journal":{"name":"Neuroreport","volume":" ","pages":"95-105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145952622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}