Inhibitory Effect of Gualou Guizhi Decoction on Microglial Inflammation and Neuron Injury by Promoting Anti-Inflammation via Targeting mmu-miR-155.

Gualou Guizhi decoction (GLGZD) treatment exerts neuroprotective effects and promotes spasticity following ischemic stroke. However, the molecular mechanism of GLGZD treatment on ischemic stroke remains unclear. Our previous study indicated that GLGZD ameliorates neuronal damage caused by secondary inflammatory injury induced by microglia. In the present study, we investigate the potential mechanism of GLGZD treatment on neuron damage induced by neuroinflammation via mmu-miR-155 in vitro. The HT22 cell line and the BV2 cell line were exposed to oxygen/glucose-deprive (OGD) conditions; the conditioned medium was prepared using the supernatants from OGD-stimulated BV2 cells after pretreating with GLGZD. Cell viability was determined by MTT assays; levels of released inflammatory cytokines were assessed using the BioPlex system. mmu-miR-155 and its targeting genes were detected using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of anti-inflammatory proteins was evaluated by Western blotting. DAPI staining was used to test the apoptotic cells. Our results showed that GLGZD pretreatment significantly induced IL10 release and decreased the production of TNF-α, IL6, and IFN-γ. In addition, GLGZD markedly attenuated mmu-miR-155 expression and its downstream SOCS1, SMAD2, SHIP1, and TAB2 expression levels. The DAPI-stained apoptotic cell death and caspase-3 activation in HT22 cells exposed to the conditioned medium were reversed by GLGZD treatment. Our findings suggested that GLGZD pretreatment downregulates the mmu-miR-155 signaling, which inhibits microglial inflammation, thereby resulting in the suppression of neuron apoptosis after OGD stress. The underlying mechanisms may provide the support for GLGZD treatment of cerebral ischemic injury.