Local Delivery of β-Elemene Improves Locomotor Functional Recovery by Alleviating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Reducing Neuronal Apoptosis in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Background/Aims: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious global problem that leads to permanent motor and sensory deficits. This study explores the anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects of the natural extract β-elemene in vitro and in a rat model of SCI. Methods: CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase assay was used to evaluate cytotoxicity. A model of cell injury was established using cobalt chloride. Apoptosis was evaluated using a fluorescence-activated cell sorting assay of annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide staining. A rat SCI model was created via the modified Allen’s method and Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scores were used to assess locomotor function. Inflammatory responses were assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Apoptotic and surviving neurons in the ventral horn were respectively observed via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and Nissl staining. Western blotting was used to measure protein expression. Results: β-elemene (20 μg/ml) promoted cell viability by activating phosphorylation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. β-elemene reduced CoCl₂-induced cellular death and apoptosis by suppressing the expression levels of CHOP, cleaved-caspase 12, 78-kilodalton glucose-regulated protein, cleaved-caspase 3, and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. In the rat model of SCI, Nissl and TUNEL staining showed that β-elemene promoted motor neuron survival and reduced neuronal apoptosis in the spinal cord ventral horn. BBB scores showed that β-elemene significantly promoted locomotor behavioral recovery after SCI. In addition, β-elemene reduced the ELISA-detected secretion of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β. Conclusion: β-elemene reduces neuronal apoptosis by alleviating endoplasmic reticulum stress in vitro and in vivo. In addition, β-elemene promotes locomotor function recovery and tissue repair in SCI rats. Thus, our study provides a novel encouraging strategy for the potential treatment of β-elemene in SCI patients.

Metformin Promotes Axon Regeneration after Spinal Cord Injury through Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Stabilizing Microtubule

“…It is well known that the secondary injury caused by SCI induces neuronal cell death [7]. Furthermore, this neuronal cell death largely results in injured axons, which is difficult for them to regenerate and reestablish connections with the other neurons during injury [8].…”

Catalpol as a Component of Rehmannia glutinosa Protects Spinal Cord Injury by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Neuronal Apoptosis

“…Thirty days after SCI, CHOP expression was increased in the remaining white matter, suggesting that CHOP is involved in ER stress-mediated apoptosis. The misfolded proteins accumulated abnormally, causing the Caspase-12/Caspase-3 activation and upregulated expression of GRP78, which subsequently leads to cell apoptosis, after the occurrence of ER stress (Wang et al, 2018;Li et al, 2019b). Our study found that CAT could effectively inhibit the expressions of Caspase-12/Caspase-3 and GRP78 and reduce cell apoptosis in the SCI.…”

The analgesic effects of β-elemene in rats with neuropathic pain by inhibition of spinal astrocytic ERK activation

“…The second advantage of β-elemene in neuropathic pain management is its potential neuroprotective activity, since β-elemene could promote locomotor behavioural recovery by reducing neural apoptosis and enhancing neural regeneration in rats with spinal cord injury. 48 , 49 Clinical data demonstrated that compared with chemotherapeutic drugs, β-elemene had fewer side effects, including heart, liver, kidney and bone marrow damage. 50 In this study, neither locomotor disturbance nor liver and kidney injury were observed in rats.…”