Xanthoxylin Regulating the Inflammatory Microenvironment After Spinal Cord Injury Through Inhibition of the NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a severe disorder of the central nervous system, typically caused by trauma or disease, which significantly impacts the quality of life of affected individuals. Secondary inflammation following spinal cord injury is a critical factor influencing prognosis, making the exploration of the inflammatory microenvironment crucial for the treatment of SCI. Xanthoxylin, a small organic molecule extracted from plants, has demonstrated notable anti-inflammatory effects. To investigate the role of Xanthoxylin in spinal cord injury, we initially employed Hoechst staining and flow cytometry, revealing that Xanthoxylin reduces neuronal apoptosis. Subsequently, through Western blot, immunofluorescence, and qPCR, we discovered that Xanthoxylin promotes the polarization of microglia from the M1 inflammatory phenotype to the M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype. Furthermore, transcriptome sequencing identified differential expression in the NF-κB pathway, which was corroborated by Western blot analysis. Finally, animal experiments were conducted to further validate the therapeutic effects of Xanthoxylin on spinal cord injury in mice. These results suggest that Xanthoxylin has a significant therapeutic effect on SCI in mice. Overall, our study is the first to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of Xanthoxylin on SCI and provides a scientific exploration of its underlying mechanisms, offering new directions for pharmacological treatment of spinal cord injury.