Fastigial nucleus stimulation ameliorates cognitive impairment via modulating autophagy and inflammasomes activation in a rat model of vascular dementia.

Background: It has been reported that the fastigial nucleus (FSN) plays an important role in the development of vascular dementia (VD). Both autophagy and inflammation are functionally involved in the pathogenesis of VD. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of electrical cerebellar fastigial nucleus stimulation (FNS) in VD treatment, as well as the effect of FNS on autophagy and inflammation.

Methods: A Morris water maze was used to evaluate the effect of FNS on the learning and memory ability of VD rats. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to study the apoptosis status of neuron cells in different groups of rats. In addition, immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analysis were carried out to measure the expression of various factors involved in autophagy and inflammation.

Results: Rats with artery occlusion or FSN damages showed longer escape latency and spent less time in the target quadrant. In addition, FNS treatment could help to partly recover the lost learning and memory ability in VD rats. Meanwhile, FNS treatment could alleviate neuron cell apoptosis by downregulating light chain 3-II expression and NLRP3 expression. In addition, the expression of caspase-1, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and IL-18 was markedly reduced in VD rats treated by FNS.

Conclusion: FNS treatment exerted a therapeutic effect during VD treatment by suppressing the autophagy process and by inhibiting inflammatory responses, thus alleviating neuron cell apoptosis and reducing the severity of VD.