Abstract
Sepsis may lead to sleep deprivation, which will promote the development of neuroinflammation and mediate the progression of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE). Senkyunolide I, an active component derived from an herb medicine, has been shown to provide a sedative effect to improve sleep. However, its role in sepsis is unclear. The present study was performed to investigate whether Senkyunolide I protected against SAE in a murine model of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Here, we showed that Senkyunolide I treatment improved the 7-day survival rate and reduced the excessive release of cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. A fear conditioning test was performed, and the results showed that Senkyunolide I attenuated CLP-induced cognitive dysfunction. Senkyunolide I treatment also decreased the phosphorylation levels of inflammatory signaling proteins, including p-ERK, p-JNK, p-P38, and p-P65, and the level of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, in the hippocampus homogenate. Sleep deprivation was attenuated by Senkyunolide I administration, as demonstrated by the modification of the BDNF and c-FOS expression. When sleep deprivation was induced manually, the protective effect of Senkyunolide I against inflammatory responses and cognitive dysfunction was reversed. Our data demonstrated that Senkyunolide I could protect against sepsis-associated encephalopathy in a murine model of sepsis via relieving sleep deprivation.