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Betulinic Acid Promotes Motor Function Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury by Inhibiting Apoptosis Through Myc/NF-κB
Xiuwei Tan1, Shuai Wei1, Yanlan Wu2
1The People Hospital of HeChi, Hechi Hospital, The First Affliated Hospital Of Guangxi Medical University, HeChi, 547000, HC, China.
Neurochemical Research
|July 20, 2026
Summary
Betulinic acid (BA) shows promise for treating spinal cord injury (SCI). It reduces neuroinflammation and apoptosis by targeting Myc and the NF-κB pathway, promoting functional recovery in SCI patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Spinal cord injury (SCI) presents a significant challenge with limited effective treatments.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms of therapeutic agents is crucial for developing new interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and validate the molecular targets and signaling pathways of Betulinic acid (BA) in treating SCI.
- To elucidate the mechanism by which BA promotes functional recovery after SCI.
Main Methods:
- In vivo studies involved behavioral tests and histological analyses in SCI mice.
- Bioinformatics analyses identified key genes and pathways, followed by molecular docking.
- In vitro studies used cultured astrocytes to assess BA's effects on inflammatory and apoptotic responses.
Main Results:
- Betulinic acid (BA) significantly improved motor function recovery in SCI mice.
- BA reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and modulated astrocyte inflammatory responses.
- Myc was identified as a key target of BA, implicating NF-κB and apoptosis pathways in its mechanism.
Conclusions:
- Betulinic acid (BA) attenuates neuroinflammation and apoptosis in spinal cord injury.
- BA exerts therapeutic effects by targeting Myc and modulating the NF-κB signaling pathway.
- These findings suggest BA as a potential therapeutic agent for promoting functional recovery after SCI.