Scutellarin Modulates Astrocyte-Microglia-Neuron Crosstalk to Mitigate Neuroinflammation and Apoptosis in Cerebral Ischemia.
作者信息
Chen Haolun, Duan Zhaoda, Jia Qiuye, Zhang Xiaolina, Xu Dongyao, Zheng Liyang, Qi Zhi, Yang Yujia, Yang Li, Wu Chunyun
机构信息
Department of Anatomy and Histology/Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, 1168 West Chunrong Road, Kunming, 650500, PR China.
School of Physical Education, Yunnan Minzu University, Yuehua Street 2929, Kunming, 650500, China.
出版信息
Mol Neurobiol. 2025 Apr 15. doi: 10.1007/s12035-025-04933-2.
This study investigates whether scutellarin promotes astrocyte polarization in MCAO and OGD models, and its effects on astrocyte-microglia, astrocyte-neuron interactions, and the PI3K-Akt pathway in neuroprotection. We used an experimentally induced cerebral ischemia rat model and OGD-stimulated TNC1 cell model. Using western blot, RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence, we show a noticeable increase in the expression of A2 astrocyte markers and a downregulation of A1 astrocyte markers in activated astrocytes, both in vivo and in vitro. Remarkably, after the treatment of scutellarin, OGD-stimulated TNC1 cells markedly downregulated M1 microglia markers and apoptosis factors in PC12 cells, while upregulating M2 microglia markers and anti-apoptosis factor Bcl2. Therefore, it is suggested that scutellarin can promote the polarization of activated astrocyte from the A1 to the A2 phenotype. Meanwhile, there is indeed a crosstalk between astrocytes-microglia and astrocytes-neurons, and astrocytes treated with scutellarin can promote M2 polarization of microglia and neuronal apoptosis. More importantly, based on the results of transcriptome sequencing, we used TNC1-pik3r1-siRNA cell model and pcDNA3.1 ( +)-pik3r1-TNC1 cell model to investigate the effect of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway on the polarization of astrocyte and their crosstalk. Scutellarin promotes the A2 polarization, M2 polarization, and anti-apoptosis in astrocyte crosstalk by concomitantly enhancing the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. This is strongly supported by observations in TNC1 astrocyte in TNC1-pik3r1-siRNA cell model, where the expression of A2 markers was decreased. Conversely, in the pcDNA3.1 ( +)-pik3r1-TNC1 cell model, expression was increased. In light of the above, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway is considered a potential therapeutic target.