Acacetin alleviates neuroinflammation and oxidative stress injury via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in a mouse model of spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to serious motor deficits, and current treatments are insufficient. This study investigates acacetin, a natural compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as a potential treatment for SCI in mice. The researchers found that acacetin treatment improved motor function, protected nerve cells, and reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in mice with SCI. These beneficial effects appear to be linked to the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. By using an inhibitor of Nrf2, the study demonstrated that the neuroprotective effects of acacetin were reversed, highlighting the importance of this pathway in mediating acacetin's benefits for SCI.

• 1
  Acacetin treatment improved motor function in SCI mice, as evidenced by higher BMS scores and improved mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity.
• 2
  Acacetin improved neuron integrity and repressed glial cell activation in the spinal cord tissues of SCI mice, as indicated by increased NeuN levels and decreased GFAP and Iba-1 levels.
• 3
  Acacetin administration reduced the SCI-induced high concentrations of IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α, as well as inhibited oxidative stress by reducing ROS and TBARS levels and restoring antioxidant enzyme activities.