Wogonoside possesses anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy and anti-tumor properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether wogonoside alleviates spinal cord injury (SCI)‑induced inflammation via nuclear factor (NF)‑κB and nucleotide‑binding oligomerization domain‑like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. Sprague‑Dawley rats were positioned in the jaws of a calibrated aneurysm clip with a closing pressure of 55 g. The jaws were placed on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the spinal cord and left in place for 1 min. SCI rats were treated with 12, 25 and 50 mg/kg wogonoside. Following this, the locomotor function was assessed using the Basso Beattie Bresnahan scale. The water content of the spinal cord was measured, tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α), interleukin (IL)‑1β and IL‑6 levels were assessed and western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expressions of NF‑κB and NLRP3. Wogonoside was demonstrated to significantly ameliorate the SCI‑induced reduction in Basso Beattie Bresnahan score (P<0.01) and significantly reduce the water content of the spinal cord in rats with SCI‑induced inflammation (P<0.01). Results also indicated that treatment with wogonoside significantly reduced the levels of IL‑1β, TNF‑α and IL‑6 in rats with SCI‑induced inflammation (P<0.01), potentially via the phosphorylation of NF‑κB inhibitor α. Furthermore, treatment with wogonoside inhibited the expressions of toll‑like receptor 4, NLRP3 and caspase‑1 protein in SCI model rats (P<0.01). In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that wogonoside alleviates SCI‑induced inflammation by suppressing NF‑κB and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

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