Anti-inflammatory effects of moxifloxacin and levofloxacin on cadmium-activated human astrocytes: Inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine release, TLR4/STAT3, and ERK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Cadmium is a non-essential element and neurotoxin that causes neuroinflammation, which leads to neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancer. To date, there are no specific or effective therapeutic agents to control inflammation and alleviate cadmium-induced progressive destruction of brain cells. Fluoroquinolones (FQs), widely used antimicrobials with effective blood-brain barrier penetration, show promise in being repurposed as anti-inflammatory drugs.