Sirtuin 3 regulates Foxo3a-mediated antioxidant pathway in microglia

In the present study, Sirt3 immunoreactivity was localized in the ameboid microglial cells distributed in the corpus callosum (CC) of the early postnatal rat brain and diminished in the ramified microglial cells in the CC of the adult rat brain. A marked induction of Sirt3 expression was seen in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated microglia in vivo and in vitro as well as in adult rat brains subjected to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Knockdown of Sirt3 in microglia led to an increase in the cellular and mitochondrial ROS and decrease in the expression of antioxidant, mnSod which is indicative of the function of Sirt3 in ROS regulation in microglia. Conversely, Sirt3 overexpression led to increase in the expression of antioxidants Cat and mnSod. Further, increase in the expression and nuclear translocation of Foxo3a was observed following Sirt3 overexpression, suggesting that Sirt3 regulates ROS by inducing the expression of antioxidants via activation of Foxo3a. The above results point to an antioxidant defense mechanism presented by Sirt3 through the activation of Foxo3a, in microglia.