Ethyl pyruvate enhances spontaneous remyelination by targeting microglia phagocytosis

• Published in: International immunopharmacology 2019-12, Vol.77, p.105929-105929, Article 105929
• Main Authors: He, Yan, An, Jun, Yin, Jun-Jun, Sui, Ruo-Xuan, Miao, Qiang, Ding, Zhi-Bin, Han, Qing-Xian, Wang, Qing, Ma, Cun-Gen, Xiao, Bao-Guo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Cell death; Cell differentiation; Cell Line; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell proliferation; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cells (biology); Cuprizone; Cuprizone-induced demyelination; Cytokines - immunology; Demyelinating Diseases - chemically induced; Demyelinating Diseases - drug therapy; Demyelinating Diseases - immunology; Demyelination; Disease Models, Animal; Energy resources; Ethyl pyruvate; Glial stem cells; Inflammation; Interleukin 10; Interleukin 6; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microglia; Microglia - drug effects; Microglia - physiology; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - drug therapy; Multiple Sclerosis - immunology; Myelin; Myelination; NF-κB protein; Nitric-oxide synthase; Oligodendrocytes; Phagocytosis; Phagocytosis - drug effects; Phenotypes; Pyruvates - pharmacology; Pyruvates - therapeutic use; Pyruvic acid; Remyelination; Remyelination - drug effects; Sheaths; Substrates; TLR4 protein; Toll-like receptors; Tumor necrosis factor-α
• ISSN: 1567-5769; 1878-1705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2019.105929

•EP improved the behavioural performance and histological demyelination in CPZ-induced demyelination.•EP promoted the phagocytosis of myelin debris by BV2 microglia and primary microglia.•EP induced M2 phenotype of microglia, representing decreased iNOS/TNF-α and increased Arg-1/IL-10.•EP resulted in the generation of OPCs and promoted its maturation to mature oligodendrocytes. Ethyl pyruvate (EP), a simple derivative of the endogenous energy substrate pyruvate, provides strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. but its role in remyelination has not been explored. In this study, EP efficiently improved the behavioural performance and histological demyelination in cuprizone (CPZ)-induced mouse model. In terms of action, EP treatment enhanced microglia migration, increased the phagocytosis of myelin debris by BV2 microglia and primary microglia, induced cell proliferation and subsequent cell death. At the same time, EP induced microglia to exhibit M2 phenotype, representing decreased iNOS/TNF-α and increased Arg-1/IL-10. In addition, EP decreased microglia enrichment in myelin sheath, and declined TLR4/p-NF-kb/p65 and IL-1β and IL-6, inhibiting microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. As a result, EP treatment promoted the generation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) and the differentiation from maturation to mature oligodendrocytes, which may be related to the up-regulation of Sox2. Given these data, we provided the proof-of-experiment that EP should be beneficial in multiple sclerosis or demyelinating lesions. However, further studies on the possibility to use EP as therapeutic application are warranted.