Artemisinin attenuates perinatal inflammation and consequent oxidative stress in oligodendrocyte precursor cells by inhibiting IRAK-4 and IRAK-1.

BACKGROUND

The main causes of abnormal white matter development (periventricular leukomalacia) in premature infants are perinatal inflammation and the consequent oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs); however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this work, a rat model of prenatal inflammation was used to examine the mechanism by which artemisinin (ART) protects against white matter dysplasia.

METHODS

We established a primary OPC model and rat model of perinatal inflammation. ART was identified from the FDA-approved medicinal chemical library to be beneficial for treating OPC inflammation in model systems. Based on bioinformatics analysis of protein interactions and molecular docking analysis, we further identified the possible targets of ART and evaluated its specific effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms in vivo and in vitro.

RESULTS

Following inflammatory stimulation, ART strongly promoted the maturation of OPCs and the development of white matter in the brain. A Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) demonstrated that interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4) and interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-1 (IRAK-1) may be targets of ART, which was consistent with the findings from molecular modelling with Autodock software. Experiments conducted both in vivo and in vitro demonstrated the activation of the IRAK-4/IRAK-1/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway and the production of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in OPCs were greatly suppressed in the group treated with ART compared to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated group. Moreover, ART dramatically decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in OPCs while increasing nuclear factor e2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) levels.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that ART can significantly reduce OPC perinatal inflammation and consequent oxidative stress. The targeted inhibition of IRAK-4 and IRAK-1 by ART may be a potential therapeutic strategy for alleviating abnormalities in white matter development in premature newborns.