Tanshinone IIA attenuates demyelination and promotes remyelination in A. cantonensis-infected BALB/c mice

Int J Biol Sci. 2019 Aug 19;15(10):2211-2223. doi: 10.7150/ijbs.35266. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Background: Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection can cause demyelination in the central nervous system, and there is no effective treatment.

Methods: We used dexamethasone, Tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) and Cryptotanshinone(Two traditional Chinese medicine monomers) in combination with albendazole (AB, a standard anti-helminthic compound) to observe their therapeutic effect on demyelination in A. cantonensis-infected mice. Luxol fast blue staining and electron microscope of myelin sheath, Oligodendrocyte (OL) number and myelin basic protein (MBP) expression in brain was detected in above groups.

Results: TSIIA+AB facilitated OL proliferation and significantly increased both myelin sheath thickness and the population of small-diameter axons. In addition, TSIIA treatment inhibited the expression of inflammation-related factors (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS]) rather than inhibiting eosinophil infiltration in brain. TSIIA also decreased microglial activation and shifted their phenotype from M1 to M2.

Conclusions: Taken together, these results provide evidence that TSIIA combined with AB may be an effective treatment for demyelination caused by A. cantonensis infection and other demyelinating diseases.

Keywords: A. cantonensis; Tanshinone IIA; demyelination; microglia polarization; remyelination.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abietanes / therapeutic use*
  • Albendazole / pharmacology
  • Angiostrongylus cantonensis / drug effects*
  • Angiostrongylus cantonensis / pathogenicity*
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Demyelinating Diseases / drug therapy
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Interleukin-1beta / metabolism
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Myelin Sheath / drug effects
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / metabolism
  • Remyelination / drug effects
  • Strongylida Infections / drug therapy*
  • Strongylida Infections / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Abietanes
  • IL1B protein, human
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Interleukin-6
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • tanshinone
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Albendazole