Volume 35, Issue 7 e22798
RESEARCH ARTICLE

β-Asarone suppresses TNF-α expression through DNA methylation and c-Jun-mediated transcription modulation in scratch-injured neuronal cells

Min Yi

Min Yi

Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

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Dongsheng Wang

Dongsheng Wang

Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

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Yanyi Chen

Yanyi Chen

Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

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Xia Xu

Xia Xu

Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

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Xingping Dai

Corresponding Author

Xingping Dai

Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

Correspondence Xingping Dai, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Rd, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 09 May 2021
Citations: 2

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the role and possible mechanism of β-asarone in regulating neuronal apoptosis and axonal regeneration. A scratch injury was applied to cell cultures of mouse primary cortical neurons to mimic neuronal injury. The neuronal apoptosis was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining and western blot analysis of apoptosis-related proteins. The axonal regeneration was assessed by immunofluorescent staining of β-tubulin III and western blot analysis of axonal markers. In the results, β-asarone inhibited neuronal apoptosis and promoted axonal regeneration by suppressing tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression in scratch-injured mouse neuronal cells. Research investigating the molecular mechanisms by which β-asarone inhibited TNF-α expression showed that, on the one hand, β-asarone suppressed the JNK/c-Jun pathway and thus transcriptionally inhibited TNF-α expression; on the other hand, β-asarone induced expression of UHRF1 that recruited DNMT1 to induce TNF-α promoter methylation and subsequently decreased the messenger RNA expression of TNF-α. In conclusion, β-asarone suppresses TNF-α expression through DNA methylation and c-Jun-mediated transcription modulation in scratch-injured neuronal cells.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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