Abstract

To investigate the impact and potential mechanisms of erianin on the differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons in vitro cell model of traumatic brain injury. The brain injury tissue extraction liquid was extracted from traumatic brain injury rats. Neural stem cells were divided into different groups and cultured. The control, extract, vector, CCT020312 (p-extracellular signal regulated kinase activator), erianin and erianin+CCT020312 groups. The oxidative stress, inflammatory response, mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid damage level, neuronal differentiation, and signal pathway activation status of the cell model were evaluated. When brain injury tissue extract was added to the cell culture medium, the oxidative stress, inflammatory reaction, mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid damage level, and activation status of the extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/c-Jun signaling pathway significantly increased, leading to a significant decrease in the number of differentiated neurons. Furthermore, when CCT020312 was also added, it further exacerbates the changes in the above-mentioned indicators. However, when erianin was added simultaneously with the brain injury tissue extract to the cell culture medium, it significantly reduced the oxidative stress, inflammatory reaction, mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid damage level, and activation status of the extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/c-Jun signaling pathway, promoted cell differentiation into neurons. However, CCT020312 was able to reverse the aforementioned effects of erianin. The results indicate erianin in vitro cell models exert neuroprotective effects through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory actions, promoting the differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons, which may be associated with its inhibition of extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/c-Jun signaling pathway activation.