Microglia, the innate immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), play essential roles in maintaining neural homeostasis through dynamic interactions with neurons and other brain structures. While their protective functions are well-established, recent studies have illuminated the detrimental consequences of sustained microglial activation in the context of neurodegeneration. In particular, overactivated microglia contribute to neuroinflammation and induce synaptic alterations through the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and engagement of specific receptors. These interactions disrupt synaptic structure and function, compromising connectivity, plasticity, and cognitive processes. Notably, neuronal synapses are primary targets of such inflammation-driven dysfunction, where prolonged exposure to cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α), and signaling via receptor systems including cluster of differentiation-200 (CD200)/CD200 receptor (CD200R), C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1)/CX3C receptor 1 (CX3CR1), colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1)/CSF1 receptor (CSF1R), and interferon- γ (IFN-γ)/IFN-γ receptor (IFN-γR), lead to impaired learning, excitotoxicity, and neurodegenerative progression. This review synthesizes emerging evidence on the mechanisms by which microglia-mediated immune responses regulate synaptic remodeling, emphasizing the roles of pro-inflammatory cytokines and their receptors in neurodegenerative disorders.

Background. Microglial activation contributes to neuroinflammation and neuronal damage in neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. It has been suggested that neurodegenerative disorders may be improved if neuroinflammation can be controlled. trans‐cinnamaldehyde (TCA) isolated from the stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia possesses potent anti‐inflammatory capability; we thus tested whether TCA presents neuroprotective effects on improving neuronal survival by inhibiting neuroinflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cells. Results. To determine the molecular mechanism behind TCA‐mediated neuroprotective effects, we assessed the effects of TCA on lipopolysaccharide‐ (LPS‐) induced proinflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cells. While LPS potently induced the production and expression upregulation of proinflammatory mediators, including NO, iNOS, COX‐2, IL‐1β, and TNF‐α, TCA pretreatment significantly inhibited LPS‐induced production of NO and expression of iNOS, COX‐2, and IL‐1β and recovered the morphological changes in BV2 cells. TCA markedly attenuated microglial activation and neuroinflammation by blocking nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) signaling pathway. With the aid of microglia and neuron coculture system, we showed that TCA greatly reduced LPS‐elicited neuronal death and exerted neuroprotective effects. Conclusions. Our results suggest that TCA, a natural product, has the potential of being used as a therapeutic agent against neuroinflammation for ameliorating neurodegenerative disorders.

Since microglia possess both neuroprotective and neurotoxic potential, they play a crucial role in the central nervous system (CNS). Excessive microglial activation induces inflammation-mediated neuronal damage and degeneration. At present, numerous herbal compounds are able to suppress neurotoxicity via inhibiting microglial activation. Therefore, many researchers focus on pharmacological inhibitors of microglial activation to ameliorate neurodegenerative disorders. Further work should concentrate on the exploration of new herbal compounds, which characteristically inhibit microglial neurotoxicity, rather than modulating neuroprotection alone. In this review, we summarize these herbal compounds, which in the past several years have been shown to exert potential neuroprotective activity by inhibiting microglial activation. The therapeutic targets and pharmacological mechanisms of these compounds have also been discussed.

Sleep loss or sleep deprivation (SD) refers to shorter sleep than average baseline need, and SD has been a serious problem of modern societies which affects health and well-being.Panax ginsengis a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Our previous study has demonstrated that total ginsenosides (GS), the extracts fromPanax ginseng, could effectively improve cognition and behavior on SD rats. However, little is known about its metabolomic study. In this study, serum and brain metabolomic method based on gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was employed to evaluate the efficacy and study the mechanism of GS on a rat model of SD. With pattern recognition analysis of serum and brain tissue metabolite profile, a clear separation of the model group and control group was acquired for serum and brain tissue samples; the MGS (model + GS) group showed a tendency of recovering when compared to control group, which was consistent with behavioral and biochemical parameters. 39 and 40 potential biomarkers of brain tissues and serum samples, respectively, were identified and employed to explore the possible mechanism. Our work revealed that GS has significant protective effects on SD, and metabolomics is a useful tool for evaluating efficacy and elucidating mechanism in TCM.