Effects of catalpol on mitochondrial function and working memory in mice after lipopolysaccharide-induced acute systemic inflammation

The aim of this study was to investigate whether catalpol could facilitate recovery from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cognitive deficits and protect brain mitochondrial function from LPS-induced acute systemic inflammation. In the study, except control group, mice were challenged with a single dose of LPS (100 μg/mouse, i.p.) to mimic an acute peripheral infection. The results showed that LPS enhanced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation and induced a loss in mitochondrial integrity as shown by a significant decrease in membrane potential and increase in mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Pretreatment with catalpol (10 mg/kg d, i.p.) for 10 d before injection of LPS reversed the memory deficits induced by LPS, protected brain mitochondrial function, and attenuated LPS-induced NF-κB activation. Taken together, these data indicate that catalpol may possess therapeutic potential against LPS-induced acute systemic inflammation by attenuating NF-κB activation and protecting mitochondrial function in cerebral cortex and hippocampus.