Vanillic acid, a bioactive phenolic compound, counteracts LPS-induced neurotoxicity by regulating c-Jun N-terminal kinase in mouse brain

Ullah, R. et al. (2021) Vanillic acid, a bioactive phenolic compound, counteracts LPS-induced neurotoxicity by regulating c-Jun N-terminal kinase in mouse brain. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(1), 361. (doi: 10.3390/ijms22010361) (PMID:33396372) (PMCID:PMC7795830)

Abstract

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), a pattern recognition receptor signaling event, has been associated with several human illnesses, including neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Vanillic acid (V.A), a flavoring agent, is a benzoic acid derivative having a broad range of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of V.A in exerting neuroprotection are not well investigated. The present study aims to explore the neuroprotective effects of V.A against lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation, amyloidogenesis, synaptic/memory dysfunction, and neurodegeneration in mice brain. Behavioral tests and biochemical and immunofluorescence assays were applied. Our results indicated increased expression of RAGE and its downstream phospho-c-Jun n-terminal kinase (p-JNK) in the LPS-alone treated group, which was significantly reduced in the V.A + LPS co-treated group. We also found that systemic administration of LPS-injection induced glial cells (microglia and astrocytes) activation and significantly increased expression level of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-KB) and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 β (IL1-β), and cyclooxygenase (COX-2). However, V.A + LPS co-treatment significantly inhibited the LPS-induced activation of glial cells and neuroinflammatory mediators. Moreover, we also noted that V.A treatment significantly attenuated LPS-induced increases in the expression of AD markers, such as β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP)−cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and amyloid-β (Aβ). Furthermore, V.A treatment significantly reversed LPS-induced synaptic loss via enhancing the expression level of pre- and post-synaptic markers (PSD-95 and SYP), and improved memory performance in LPS-alone treated group. Taken together; we suggest that neuroprotective effects of V.A against LPS-induced neurotoxicity might be via inhibition of LPS/RAGE mediated JNK signaling pathway; and encourage future studies that V.A would be a potential neuroprotective and neurotherapeutic candidate in various neurological disorders.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was supported by the Neurological Disorder Research Program of the National Research Foundation (NRF) funded by the Korean Government (MSIT) (2020M3E5D9080660).
• Keywords: Vanillic acid, lipopolysaccharide, c-Jun N-terminal kinases, neuroinflammation, amyloidogenesis, synaptic and memory impairment, neurodegenerative diseases.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Park, Tae Ju
• Authors: Ullah, R., Ikram, M., Park, T. J., Ahmad, R., Saeed, K., Alam, S. I., Rehman, I. U., Khan, A., Khan, I., Jo, M. G., and Kim, M. O.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cancer Sciences
• Journal Name: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1661-6596
• ISSN (Online): 1422-0067
• Published Online: 31 December 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 The Authors
• First Published: First published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22(1): 361
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License