Acetylpuerarin protects against OGD-induced cell injury in BV2 microglia by inhibiting HMGB1 release

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a non-histone DNA-binding protein, is massively released into the extracellular space from neuronal cells after ischemic injury, initiates inflammatory response and aggravates brain tissue damage. Acetylpuerarin (AP), an acetylated derivative of puerarin, was reported to protect against cerebrovascular ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through anti-inflammation. In the present study, we aim to investigate whether AP inhibited HMGB1 release in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated BV2 microglia. BV2 microglia viability after OGD with or without AP was measured by CCK-8 assay, apoptosis of BV2 microglia was determined by Hoechst 33258 staining and FITC-Annexin V/7-AAD staining. HMGB1 protein level and release was detected by western blotting and immunofluorescent FITC-staining. The results demonstrated that AP significantly rescued OGD-induced cell death and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. AP inhibited OGD-induced HMGB1secretion at the level of nuclear to cytoplasmic translocation, decreased cytoplasmic HMGB1 at protein level, and the effects showed dose-dependent. The findings suggest that AP can protect against OGD-induced cellular injury in BV2 microglia by inhibition of HMGB1 release.