Neuroprotective and Anti-Neuroinflammatory Properties of Vignae Radiatae Semen in Neuronal HT22 and Microglial BV2 Cell Lines

The important factors in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders include oxidative stress and neuron-glia system inflammation. Vignae Radiatae Semen (VRS) exhibits antihypertensive, anticancer, anti-melanogenesis, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory properties. However, the neuroprotective effects and anti-neuroinflammatory activities of VRS ethanol extract (VRSE) remained unknown. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activities of VRSE against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced neuronal cell death in mouse hippocampal HT22 cells and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial activation, respectively. This study revealed that VRSE pretreatment had significantly prevented H2O2-induced neuronal cell death and attenuated reactive oxygen species generations in HT22 cells. Additionally, VRSE attenuated the apoptosis protein expression while increasing the anti-apoptotic protein expression. Further, VRSE showed significant inhibitory effects on LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines in BV2 microglia. Moreover, VRSE pretreatment significantly activated the tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B/cAMP response element-binding protein, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, and heme oxygenase-1 signaling pathways in HT22 cells exposed to H2O2 and inhibited the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-κB mechanism in BV2 cells stimulated with LPS. Therefore, VRSE exerts therapeutic potential against neurodegenerative diseases related to oxidative stress and pathological inflammatory responses.