The flavonoid Baicalein attenuates cuprizone-induced demyelination via suppression of neuroinflammation.

The flavonoid Baicalein attenuates cuprizone-induced demyelination via suppression of neuroinflammation.
Brain Res Bull. 2017 Sep 15;:
Authors: Hashimoto M, Yamamoto S, Iwasa K, Yamashina K, Ishikawa M, Maruyama K, Bosetti F, Yoshikawa K
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system characterized by recurrent and progressive demyelination/remyelination cycles, neuroinflammation, oligodendrocyte loss, and axonal pathology. Baicalein isolated from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. The cuprizone model is an established mouse model of MS and causes demyelination and motor dysfunction to induce neuroinflammation such as glial activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. To determine whether Baicalein attenuates cuprizone-induced demyelination, we administrated Baicalein to cuprizone-exposured mice. We found that Baicalein treatment attenuated cuprizone-induced demyelination, glial activation, pro-inflammatory cytokine expressions, and motor dysfunction. Our results suggest that Baicalein may be a useful therapeutic agent in demyelinating diseases to suppress neuroinflammation.
PMID: 28923306 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Brain Research Bulletin - September 15, 2017 Category: Neurology Authors: Hashimoto M, Yamamoto S, Iwasa K, Yamashina K, Ishikawa M, Maruyama K, Bosetti F, Yoshikawa K Tags: Brain Res Bull Source Type: research