Figure 8.

Protective effects of MSC-EVs on ethanol-induced hippocampal neuroinflammation by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

MSC-EVs were isolated from adipose tissue, and then EVs were characterized by electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and Western blotting. MSC-EVs were administered by intravenous injection (iv) prior to ethanol treatment (intraperitoneal injection, ip) in adolescent mice. MSC-EVs administration ameliorates the activation of the hippocampal NLRP3 inflammasome complex and other NLRs inflammasomes (e.g., NLRP1, NLRC4, and AIM2), as well as the alterations in the expression of inflammatory genes and miRNAs induced by binge-like ethanol treatment in adolescent mice. AIM2: Absent in melanoma 2; EVs: extracellular vesicles; IL: interleukin; MSC-EVs: mesenchymal stem cell-derived EVs; NLRC4: caspase recruitment domain-containing 4; NLRP1: pyrin domain-containing 1; NLRP3: NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3; NLRs: nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors; TLR4: toll-like receptor 4