Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41853102›Full record

ArticleDrug design, development and therapy2026

Obacunone Promotes Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury by Attenuating Neuroinflammation by Targeting the TLR4/MyD88/p38 MAPK Pathway.

Wenhao Kuang, Mi Zhang, Jiaqi Zhang, Haoran Huang, Qifan Chen, Cheng Yu, Birong Peng, Wei Sun, Jiezhao Lin, Junjie Cheng and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Drug design, development and therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Wenhao Kuang *Department of Spinal Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Mi Zhang *Department of Spinal Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Jiaqi Zhang *Department of Spinal Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Haoran HuangDepartment of Spinal Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Qifan ChenDepartment of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
Cheng YuDepartment of Orthopedics, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Birong PengDepartment of Spinal Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Wei SunDepartment of Spinal Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Jiezhao LinDepartment of Spinal Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Junjie ChengDepartment of Spinal Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Lixin ZhuDepartment of Spinal Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: Spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers a complex secondary injury process, among which inflammation and apoptosis are the key factors of nerve injury. Obacunone (Oba) is a natural limonoid that has demonstrated a variety of pharmacological effects, but its role in SCI remains unclear. Methods: Network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis were employed to predict the functions and mechanisms of Oba in SCI. Subsequently, in vivo validation was conducted in a mouse SCI model, with motor function recovery assessed using open field, footprint, and swimming tests. Spinal cord histomorphology was examined via hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining, while the anti‑inflammatory and anti‑apoptotic effects were evaluated by Western blot and immunofluorescence. To further elucidate the underlying mechanisms, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory model in BV‑2 microglial cells was established to study the anti‑inflammatory mechanisms of Oba. Furthermore, a BV‑2/HT22 neuronal co‑culture system was constructed to investigate neuroprotective effects of Oba against apoptosis. Results: In vivo, Oba treatment improved motor function, promoted neural repair, reduced inflammation and apoptosis. Correspondingly, Oba suppressed the expression of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines in BV-2 cells. In a microglia-neuron co-culture system, Oba protected HT22 neurons from microglia-mediated inflammatory apoptosis. Mechanistically, the anti‑inflammatory effects of Oba were mediated by inhibiting the activation of the TLR4/MyD88/p38 MAPK pathway. Conclusion: This study identifies Oba as an effective compound that mitigates secondary injury by reducing inflammation and apoptosis and promotes nerve repair and functional recovery post-SCI, supporting its potential for further therapeutic development.

Indexed as

BenzoxepinsLimoninsNeuroinflammatory DiseasesNeuroprotective Agentsp38 Mitogen-Activated Protein KinasesSpinal Cord InjuriesAnimalsApoptosisDisease Models, AnimalDose-Response Relationship, DrugLipopolysaccharidesMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMyeloid Differentiation Factor 88Recovery of FunctionBenzoxepinsLimoninsLipopolysaccharidesMyd88 protein, mouseMyeloid Differentiation Factor 88Neuroprotective Agentsp38 Mitogen-Activated Protein KinasesTlr4 protein, mouseToll-Like Receptor 4apoptosisinflammationobacunonespinal cord injuryTLR4/MyD88/p38 MAPK

Identifiers

PMID41853102
PMCPMC12994538

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.