Sulforaphane Ameliorates Limb Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Muscular Injury in Mice by Inhibiting Pyroptosis and Autophagy Via the Nrf2-ARE Pathway

Background: Limb ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, as a life-threatening syndrome, is commonly caused by skeletal muscle damage resulting from oxidative stress. Additionally, inflammation-induced pyroptosis and dysregulated autophagy are vital factors contributing to the aggravation of I/R injury. Of note, sulforaphane (SFN) is a natural antioxidant, but whether it worked in limb I/R injury and the possible mechanism behind its protection for skeletal muscle has not been clearly established.

Methods: Effects of SFN on limb I/R-injured skeletal muscle were assessed by HE staining, followed by assessment of wet weight/dry weight (W/D) ratio of muscle tissues. Next, ELISA and biochemical tests were used to measure the inflammatory cytokine production and oxidative stress. Immunofluorescent analysis and Western blot were adopted to examine the level of pyroptosis- and autophagy-related proteins . Moreover, protein levels of Nrf2-ARE pathway-related factors were also examined using Western blot.

Results: SFN treatment could protect skeletal muscle against limb I/R injury, as evidenced by diminished inflammation, pyroptosis, autophagy, and oxidative stress in skeletal muscles of mice. Further mechanistic exploration confirmed that antioxidative protection of SFN was associated with the Nrf2-ARE pathway activation.

Conclusions: SFN activates the Nrf2-ARE pathway, and thereby inhibits pyroptosis and autophagy and provides a novel therapeutic strategy for the limb I/R-induced muscle tissue damage.