Matrine regulates glutamate-related excitotoxic factors in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

•Downregulating glutamate and upregulating GABA levels.•Enhancing expression of two dependent glutamate transporters (GLT-1 and GLAST).•Reducing NMDA- and AMPA-glutamate receptor levels.

It is increasingly accepted that glutamate excitotoxicity contributes to the death of nerve cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). Matrine (MAT) is a quinolizidine alkaloid that has long been used in the treatment of hepatitis B without obvious side effects. Previous reports have shown that MAT suppresses central nervous system inflammation and demyelination in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS; however whether MAT effectively inhibits excitotoxic molecules, such as glutamate-related factors, is still unclear. In this study, we provide data showing that MAT attenuated EAE disease severity, accompanied by downregulated glutamate and upregulated GABA levels, as well as enhanced expression of two dependent glutamate transporters (GLT-1 and GLAST). In addition, MAT treatment significantly reduced the level of the NMDA- and AMPA-glutamate receptor in EAE rats. Taken together, our data indicate that MAT treatment regulates glutamate-related molecules, and suggests that the neuroprotective role of MAT is a novel mechanism underlying its therapeutic effect in EAE.