Propofol alleviates traumatic brain injury through regulating Th17/Treg balance by activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a prevalent neurological disorder in clinical practice, is primarily induced by external trauma. Propofol has been reported to alleviate the symptoms associated with TBI. In this study, a TBI model was established in mice using the controlled cortical impact (CCI) method. After treatment with propofol and BML-275, neuronal damage in the TBI model was assessed through the modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS), Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining, and Nissl staining. To investigate the role of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway in propofol-regulated TBI, AMPKα-silenced vectors and overexpressed SIRT1 vectors were transfected. Western blot was performed to evaluate the expression of proteins involved in the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway and pyroptosis markers. The regulatory impact of Th17/Treg balance was examined by detecting the key transcription factors RORγt and FOXP3 through immunofluorescent staining and RT-qPCR. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure IL-17 and IL-10 concentrations. Results showed that propofol significantly reduced neuronal injury in the TBI model, an effect that was reversed by BML-275. Moreover, propofol mitigated pyroptosis by downregulating Caspase-1 and GSDMD-N expression post-TBI. Propofol inhibited Th17 differentiation while promoting Treg differentiation by modulating RORγt/FOXP3 and IL-17/IL-10 levels. Silencing AMPKα markedly diminished propofol's effects on Th17 and Treg differentiation, with these effects being reversed upon SIRT1 overexpression. Propofol suppressed neuronal pyroptosis through the regulation of Th17/Treg balance <i>via</i> activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway. These findings suggest propofol exerts a protective effect against neuronal damage following TBI, potentially through the modulation of the Th17/Treg balance and AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway.