Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Eriodictyol attenuates spinal cord injury by activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and inhibiting NF-κB pathway

Xiaojie Mao¹, Zhiyang Jiang¹ , Chaohong Shi¹, Junjun Lu², Gaofeng Rao¹

¹Department of Rehabilitation Medicine; ²Department of Nephrology, The First People's Hospital of Wenling, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province 317500, China.

For correspondence:- Zhiyang Jiang Email: FDRT98Ilo@163.com Tel:+8657689668302

Accepted: 28 July 2020 Published: 31 August 2020

Citation: Mao X, Jiang Z, Shi C, Lu J, Rao G. Eriodictyol attenuates spinal cord injury by activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and inhibiting NF-κB pathway. Trop J Pharm Res 2020; 19(8):1611-1617 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v19i8.7

© 2020 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of eriodictyol on spinal cord injury (SCI) and its underlying mechanism of action.

Methods: Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to sham, SCI, and eriodictyol-treated groups (SCI + Eri; 10, 20, and 50 mg/kg). Moderate spinal cord contusion injury was induced to model SCI. Locomotor recovery was assessed based on Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score. Pain was evaluated by paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and latency (PWL), and spinal cord water content was measured. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Immunoassay was used to determine malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) levels while Western blotting was employed to evaluate nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB) levels.

Results: Eriodictyol elevated BBB score, PWT, and PWL in SCI rats but reduced spinal cord water content (p < 0.05). Eriodictyol treatment down-regulated TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and MDA, whereas SOD, GSH, and GSH-PX levels were elevated (p < 0.05). Eriodictyol administration increased Nrf2 and HO-1 levels but reduced p-NF-κB/NF-κB.

Conclusion: This study provides a potential therapy to promote long-term functional recovery following SCI.

Keywords: Spinal cord injury, Eriodictyol, Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, Polymerase chain reaction, Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan score