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Updated: Jun 21, 2025
Characterization and Isolation of Mouse Primary Microglia by Density Gradient Centrifugation
Published on: February 16, 2018
Thymol improves ischemic brain injury by inhibiting microglia-mediated neuroinflammation
Chenchen Zhao1, Liang Sun1, Yuxin Zhang1
1Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210008, China; Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
Background:
Microglia-mediated inflammation is a critical factor in the progression of ischemic stroke. Consequently, mitigating excessive microglial activation represents a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemic injury. Thymol, a monophenol derived from plant essential oils, exhibits diverse beneficial biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, with demonstrated protective effects in various disease models. However, its specific effects on ischemic stroke and microglial inflammation remain unexplored.
Methods:
Rodent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model was established to simulate ischemic stroke. TTC staining, modified neurological function score (mNSS), and behavioral tests were used to assess the severity of neurological damage. Then immunofluorescence staining and cytoskeleton analysis were used to determine activation of microglia. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was utilized to induce the inflammatory response of primary microglia in vitro. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to exam the expression of inflammatory cytokines. And western blot was used to investigate the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect of thymol.
Results:
In this study, we found that thymol treatment could ameliorate post-stroke neurological impairment and reduce infarct volume by mitigating microglial activation and pro-inflammatory response (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). Mechanically, thymol could inhibit the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), sink serine/threonine kinase (Akt), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), thereby suppressing the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB).
Conclusions:
Our study demonstrated that thymol could reduce the microglial inflammation by targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR/NF-κB signaling pathway, ultimately alleviating ischemic brain injury. These findings suggest that thymol is a promising candidate as a neuroprotective agent against ischemic stroke.
