Essential oil of Acorus tatarinowii Schott inhibits neuroinflammation by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in 3 × Tg-AD transgenic mice

• Published in: Phytomedicine (Stuttgart) 2023-04, Vol.112, p.154695-154695, Article 154695
• Main Authors: Xu, Zhiwei, Zhou, Xiaojie, Hong, Xiao, Wang, Sichen, Wei, Jiale, Huang, Junhao, Ji, Liting, Yang, Yuanxiao, Efferth, Thomas, Hong, Chunlan, Li, Changyu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acorus; Acorus tatarinowii; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer's disease; Animals; Caspase 1 - metabolism; Inflammasomes - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Neuroinflammation; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; NF-kappa B - metabolism; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein - metabolism; NLRP3 inflammasome; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Oils, Volatile - therapeutic use; Phytotherapy
• ISSN: 0944-7113; 1618-095X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154695

•Acorus tatarinowii schott is a medicinal plant in traditional chinese medicine that could used to treat mental diseases. The essential oil of acorus tatarinowii schott is one of the central active parts.•Neuroinflammation has been proved to be one of the important causes of alzheimer's disease. NLRP3 inflammasome is a key link in the production of inflammatory cytokines.•The essential oil of acorus tatarinowii schott ameliorates cognitive dysfunction of alzheimer's disease by inhibiting neuroinflammation mediated by NLRP3 inflammasome. Shi chang pu (Acorus tatarinowii Schott) is a herbal used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in China. The essential oil of Shi chang pu (SCP-oil) is the main active component. However, its effects on the neuroinflammation of AD have not been well studied. Neuroinflammation mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a crucial role in AD. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of SCP-oil on cognitive impairment of AppSwe/PSEN1M146V/MAPTP301L triple transgenic (3 × Tg-AD) mice model and investigate the mechanism underlying its anti-inflammation effects. Thirty-two 3 × Tg-AD mice at 12 months and 8 wild-type B6 mice were used for this experiment. The 3 × Tg-AD mice were administered with SCP-oil or donepezil hydrochloride for 8 weeks. Morris water maze test and step-down test were used to evaluate the cognitive ability of mice. The pathological changes, neuroinflammation, and the NLRP3 inflammasome related-protein of AD mice were detected by histomorphological examination, TUNEL staining, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, Elisa, and western blot assays. SCP-oil treatment attenuated cognitive dysfunction of 3 × Tg-AD mice. Moreover, SCP-oil also ameliorated characteristics pathological of AD, such as pathological changes damage, deposition of Aβ, phosphorylation of Tau, and neuronal loss. Additionally, SCP-oil treatment alleviated the neuroinflammation and inhibited phosphorylation of IKKβ, NF-κB, and NLRP3 inflammasome related-protein NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, cleaved-Caspase-1, and GSDMD-N in the hippocampus of 3 × Tg-AD mice. Overall, SCP-oil contributed to neuroprotection in 3 × Tg-AD mice by reduced activation of NLRP3 inflammasome by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. Essential oil of Acorus tatarinowii Schott inhibited precursor protein of the NLRP3 inflammasome through the NF-κΒ signaling pathway in microglial, thereby reducing the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, subsequently redu