α-Iso-cubebene exerts neuroprotective effects in amyloid beta stimulated microglia activation

• α-Iso-cubebene suppressed neuroinflammatory molecules in microglia.
• α-Iso-cubebene reduced Aβ 1–42 fibril-induced ROS production.
• α-Iso-cubebene inhibited Aβ 1–42 fibril-induced JNK and p38 phosphorylation.
• α-Iso-cubebene blocked Aβ 1–42 fibril-induced NF-κB activation.
• α-Iso-cubebene has neuroprotective effects against neuroinflammation.

Schisandra chinensis is commonly used for food and as a traditional remedy for the treatment of neuronal disorders. However, it is unclear which component of S. chinensis is responsible for its neuropharmacological effects. To answer this question, we isolated α-iso-cubebene, a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignin, from S. chinensis and determined if it has any anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective properties against amyloid β-induced neuroinflammation in microglia. Microglia that are stimulated by amyloid β increased their production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the enzymatic activity of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). We found this was all inhibited by α-iso-cubebene. Consistent with these results, α-iso-cubebene inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and MMP-9 in amyloid β-stimulated microglia. Subsequent mechanistic studies revealed that α-iso-cubebene inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB-α, the phosphorylation and transactivity of NF-κB, and the phosphorylation of MAPK in amyloid β-stimulated microglia. These results suggest that α-iso-cubebene impairs the amyloid β-induced neuroinflammatory response of microglia by inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Importantly, α-iso-cubebene can provide critical neuroprotection for primary cortical neurons against amyloid β-stimulated microglia-mediated neurotoxicity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that α-iso-cubebene can provide neuroprotection against, and influence neuroinflammation triggered by, amyloid β activation of microglia.