Cerebral ischemia causes severe neurological disorders and neuronal dysfunction. Baicalin (BC), geniposide (GP), and their combination (BC/GP) have been shown to inhibit post-ischemic inflammatory injury by inhibiting the 5-LOX/CysLTs pathway. The aims of this study were to observe the inhibitory effects of BC/GP on the activation of microglial cells induced by oxygen glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) and to investigate whether the 5-LOX/LTB4 pathway was involved in these effects. Molecular docking showed that BC and GP exhibited considerable binding activity with LTB4 synthase LTA4H. BV-2 microglia were transfected with a 5-LOX overexpression lentiviral vector, and then OGD/R was performed. The effects of different concentrations of BC, GP, and BC/GP (6.25 μM, 12.5 μM, and 25 μM) on cell viability and apoptosis of microglia were evaluated by MTT and flow cytometry. The expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, NF-κB, and pNF-κB also was measured by ELISA, Western blots and immunofluorescence. Western blots and qRT-PCR analysis were used to determine the levels of CD11b, CD206, and 5-LOX pathway proteins. Results showed that BC, GP, and BC/GP reduced the apoptosis caused by OGD/R in a dose-dependent manner, and cell viability was significantly increased at a concentration of 12.5 μM. OGD/R significantly increased the release of TNF-α, IL-1β, NF-κB, pNF-κB, and CD11b. These effects were suppressed by BC, GP, and BC/GP, and the OGD/R-induced transfer of NF-κB p65 from the ctytoplasm to the nucleus was inhibited in microglia. Interestingly, the LTB4 inhibitor, U75302, exhibited the same effect. Also, BC, GP, and BC/GP significantly reduced the expression of 5-LOX pathway proteins. These results demonstrated that BC/GP inhibited OGD/R-induced polarization in BV2 microglia by regulating the 5-LOX/LTB4 signaling pathways and attenuating the inflammatory response. Our results supported the theoretical basis for additional in-depth study of the function of BC/GP and the value of determining its unique target, which might provide a new therapeutic strategy for ischemic cerebrovascular disease.
Keywords: Baicalin; Cerebral ischemic; Geniposide; Inflammation; Leukotriene B4; Microglia.