Tomatidine relieves neuronal damage in spinal cord injury by inhibiting the inﬂammatory responses and apoptosis through blocking the NF-κB/CXCL10 pathway activation

Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024 · DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1503925 · Published: December 12, 2024

Spinal Cord Injury Pharmacology Immunology

Simple Explanation

This study investigates how tomatidine, a natural compound, can help with spinal cord injuries (SCI). SCI often leads to inflammation and cell death, worsening the damage. The research focuses on the NF-κB/CXCL10 pathway, which is involved in inflammation after SCI. The study uses rat models of SCI and lab-grown cells to understand how tomatidine affects this pathway. The findings suggest that tomatidine reduces inflammation and cell death by blocking the NF-κB/CXCL10 pathway, potentially offering a new treatment approach for SCI.

Study Duration

7 days

Participants

Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats

Evidence Level

Level: Not specified, Study type: In vivo and in vitro study

Key Findings

1
Tomatidine promotes neuronal damage recovery and reduces histopathological changes in spinal cord tissues and LPS-induced PC-12 cells.
2
Tomatidine decreases the expression of CXCL10 in vitro and in vivo, which is accompanied by the regulation of the NF-κB pathway.
3
The NF-κB pathway agonist PMA reversed the protective effect of tomatidine, while a CXCL10 inhibitor had similar effects to tomatidine.

Research Summary

The study investigates the molecular mechanisms of tomatidine in modulating the inflammatory response and promoting functional rehabilitation after SCI. Results show that tomatidine can alleviate neuronal damage in SCI by inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation through the NF-κB/CXCL10 pathway. The findings suggest that tomatidine may provide a novel therapeutic target and candidate for the treatment of SCI.

Practical Implications

Potential Therapeutic Target

Tomatidine could be explored as a potential therapeutic agent for spinal cord injury due to its ability to modulate the NF-κB/CXCL10 pathway.

Drug Development

The findings offer insights for developing new drugs that mimic the effects of tomatidine in reducing inflammation and apoptosis after SCI.

Combination Therapy

Tomatidine could be used in combination with other treatments to enhance recovery and functional rehabilitation in SCI patients.

Study Limitations

1
The specific pro-survival signaling mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of tomatidine on SCI remain to be elucidated.
2
Additional target genes capable of inhibiting the activation of the NF-ĸB pathway in SCI need to be further explored.
3
Further investigation is warranted to substantiate whether tomatidine possesses greater efficacy in safeguarding against SCI compared to other phytochemicals.

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