Artemisinin protects against sepsis-associated encephalopathy by activating the AMPK axis in the microglia
Abstract Background and purpose: Artemisinin has been in use as an anti-malarial drug for almost half a century in the world. There is growing evidence that artemisinin also possesses potent anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties. However, the efficacy of artemisinin treatment in sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) remains unknown. Here, we evaluate the possible protective effects and explore the underlying mechanism of action of artemisinin on SAE. Methods: Male C57BL/6mice were pretreated with either vehicle or artemisinin, and then injected with LPS to establish an animal model of SAE. The cognitive function was then assessed using the Morris water maze. Neuronal damage and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis. Additionally, the protective mechanism of artemisinin was determined in vitro. Results: The results showed that artemisinin preconditioning attenuated LPS-induced cognitive impairment, neural damage, and microglial activation in the mouse brain. Luminex liquid chip revealed that artemisinin could inhibit the pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines induced by LPS in the BV2 microglia cells. Meanwhile, artemisinin suppressed the migratory ability of BV2 cells. Western blot demonstrated that artemisinin promoted adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinaseα1 (AMPKα1) expression and suppressed nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Furthermore, knock-down of AMPKα1 markedly abolished the anti-inflammatory effects of artemisinin when exposed to LPS. Conclusion: Artemisinin is a potential therapeutic agent for SAE, and its effect was probably mediated by the activation of AMPKα1signalling pathway in microglia.