Octyl gallate reduces ATP levels and Ki67 expression leading HepG2 cells to cell cycle arrest and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis

Caveolin-1 influences mitochondrial plasticity and function in hepatic stellate cell activation

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is an integral membrane protein present in all organelles, responsible for regulating and integrating multiple signals as a platform. Mitochondria are extremely adaptable to external cues in chronic liver diseases, and expression of Cav-1 may affect mitochondrial flexibility in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation. We previously demonstrated that exogenous expression of Cav-1 was sufficient to increase some classical markers of activation in HSCs. Here, we aimed to evaluate the influence of exogenous expression and knockdown of Cav-1 on regulating the mitochondrial plasticity, metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria distance, and lysosomal activity in HSCs. To characterize the mitochondrial, lysosomal morphology, and ER-mitochondria distance, we perform transmission electron microscope analysis. We accessed mitochondria and lysosomal networks and functions through a confocal microscope and flow cytometry. The expression of mitochondrial machinery fusion/fission genes was examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Total and mitochondrial cholesterol content was measured using Amplex Red. To define energy metabolism, we used the Oroboros system in the cells. We report that GRX cells with exogenous expression or knockdown of Cav-1 changed mitochondrial morphometric parameters, OXPHOS metabolism, ER-mitochondria distance, lysosomal activity, and may change the activation state of HSC. This study highlights that Cav-1 may modulate mitochondrial function and structural reorganization in HSC activation, being a potential candidate marker for chronic liver diseases and a molecular target for therapeutic intervention.

Octyl gallate decrease lymphocyte activation and regulates neutrophil extracellular traps release

BACKGROUND

Inflammation is a complex mechanism with an objective to destroy and eliminate the invading microorganisms. During acute inflammation, the neutrophils are the major cells involved in this process and, although they defend the organism, must die to not generate damage. The two major mechanisms that drive neutrophils to death are: apoptosis and a novel mechanism recently discovered denominated NETosis. This process is a "suicidal mechanism", in which the cells release "neutrophil extracellular traps" (NETs) during the inflammatory response. Octyl gallate (OG) is one of the gallic acid derivates, with several protective effects, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory in cancer models. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the action of OG on the proliferation of lymphocytes, neutrophils activation, and its effectiveness in an experimental sepsis model.

METHODS

Lymphocytes and neutrophils were obtained from healthy donors. Cell viability, apoptosis, NETs release and antioxidant capacity of OG were observed. In addition, survival was evaluated in an experimental model of sepsis in C57BL/6 mice.

RESULTS

Our study demonstrated, for the first time, that the OG can act as an inhibitor of reactive oxygen species (ROS) release, NETs formation in primary human neutrophils and, modulates the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) effect in neutrophil apoptosis. The OG also inhibited peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) proliferation in vitro. Despite the positive results, we did not observe an increase in the survival of septic animals.

CONCLUSIONS

The pharmacological potential of OG, modulating activation of neutrophils and lymphocytes, suggests the use as an adjuvant therapeutic strategy in inflammatory diseases.

Differential Age-Dependent Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress, and Apoptosis Induced by Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia in the Immature Rat Brain

Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is among the main causes of mortality and morbidity in newborns. Experimental studies show that the immature rat brain is less susceptible to HI injury, suggesting that changes that occur during the first days of life drastically alter its susceptibility. Among the main developmental changes observed is the mitochondrial function, namely, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and respiratory complex (RC) activities. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the influence of neonatal HI on mitochondrial functions, redox homeostasis, and cell damage at different postnatal ages in the hippocampus of neonate rats. For this purpose, animals were divided into four groups: sham postnatal day 3 (ShP3), HIP3, ShP11, and HIP11. We initially observed increased apoptosis in the HIP11 group only, indicating a higher susceptibility of these animals to brain injury. Mitochondrial damage, as determined by flow cytometry showing mitochondrial swelling and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, was also demonstrated only in the HIP11 group. This was consistent with the decreased mitochondrial oxygen consumption, reduced TCA cycle enzymes, and RC activities and induction of oxidative stress in this group of animals. Considering that HIP3 and the sham animals showed no alteration of mitochondrial functions, redox homeostasis, and showed no apoptosis, our data suggest an age-dependent vulnerability of the hippocampus to hypoxia-ischemia. The present results highlight age-dependent metabolic differences in the brain of neonate rats submitted to HI indicating that different treatments might be needed for HI newborns with different gestational ages.

Increased photodynamic therapy sensitization in tumors using a nitric oxide-based nanoplatform with ATP-production blocking capability

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy in cancer cells is affected by sub-physiological hypoxia caused by dysregulated and “chaotic” tumor microvasculature. However, current traditional O₂-replenishing strategies are undergoing their own intrinsic deficiencies. In addition, resistance mechanisms activated during PDT also lead the present situation far from satisfactory.

Methods: We propose a nitric oxide (NO)-based theranostic nanoplatform by using biocompatible poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) as carriers, in which the outer polymeric layer embeds chlorin e6 (Ce6) and incorporates L-Arginine (L-Arg). This nanoplatform (L-Arg@Ce6@P NPs) can reduce hyperactive O₂ metabolism of tumor cells by NO-mediated mitochondrial respiration inhibition, which should raise endogenous O₂ tension to counteract hypoxia. Furthermore, NO can also hinder oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) which should cause intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion, inhibiting tumor cells proliferation and turning cells more sensitive to PDT.

Results: When the L-Arg@Ce6@P NPs accumulate in solid tumors by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, locally released L-Arg is oxidized by the abundant H₂O₂ to produce NO. In vitro experiments suggest that NO can retard hypoactive O₂ metabolism and save intracellular O₂ for enhancing PDT efficacy under NIR light irradiation. Also, lower intracellular ATP hinders proliferation of DNA, improving PDT sensitization. PDT phototherapeutic efficacy increased by combining these two complementary strategies in vitro/in vivo.

Conclusion: We show that this NO-based nanoplatform can be potentially used to alleviate hypoxia and sensitize tumor cells to amplify the efficacy of phototherapy guided by photoacoustic (PA) imaging.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate induces generation of reactive oxygen species and activation of p53-dependent cell death in human endometrial cancer cells

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (F1,6BP), an intermediate of the glycolytic pathway, has been found to play a promising anticancer effect; nevertheless, the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect and mechanisms of F1,6BP in a human endometrial cancer cell line (Ishikawa). F1,6BP showed an antiproliferative and non-cytotoxic effect on endometrial cancer cells. These effects are related to the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). These harmful stimuli trigger the upregulation of the expression of pro-apoptotic genes (p53 and Bax), leading to the reduction of cell proliferation through inducing programmed cell death by apoptosis. Furthermore, F1,6BP-treated cells had the formation of autophagosomes induced, as well as a decrease in their proliferative capacity after withdrawing the treatment. Our results demonstrate that F1,6BP acts as an anticancer agent through the generation of mitochondrial instability, loss of cell function, and p53-dependent cell death. Thus, F1,6BP proves to be a potential molecule for use in the treatment against endometrial cancer.

Octyl gallate triggers dysfunctional mitochondria leading to ROS driven membrane damage and metabolic inflexibility along with attenuated virulence in Candida albicans

Recently the high incidence of worldwide Candida infections has substantially increased. The growing problem about toxicity of antifungal drugs and multidrug resistance aggravates the need for the development of new effective strategies. Natural compounds in this context represent promising alternatives having potential to be exploited for improving human health. The present study was therefore designed to evaluate the antifungal effect of a naturally occurring phenolic, octyl gallate (OG), on Candida albicans and to investigate the underlying mechanisms involved. We demonstrated that OG at 25 μg/ml could effectively inhibit C. albicans. Mechanistic insights revealed that OG affects mitochondrial functioning as Candida cells exposed to OG did not grow on non-fermentable carbon sources. Dysfunctional mitochondria triggered generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which led to membrane damage mediated by lipid peroxidation. We explored that OG inhibited glucose-induced reduction in external pH and causes decrement in ergosterol levels by 45%. Furthermore, OG impedes the metabolic flexibility of C. albicans by inhibiting the glyoxylate enzyme isocitrate lyase, which was also confirmed by docking analysis. Additionally, OG affected virulence traits such as morphological transition and cell adherence. Furthermore, we depicted that OG not only prevented biofilm formation but eliminates the preformed biofilms. In vivo studies with Caenorhabditis elegans nematode model confirmed that OG could enhance the survival of C. elegans after infection with Candida. Toxicity assay using red blood cells showed only 27.5% haemolytic activity. Taken together, OG is a potent inhibitor of C. albicans that warrants further structural optimization and pharmacological investigations.

Octyl gallate induces hepatic steatosis in HepG2 cells through the regulation of SREBP-1c and PPAR-gamma gene expression

Octyl gallate (OG) is an antioxidant commonly used in food, although there is no definition of its acceptable daily intake. There are reports in vitro and in vivo showing that food additives and drugs can alter lipid metabolism. Lipid droplet accumulation in hepatic cells is one of the main findings in the unregulated lipid metabolism and is strongly related to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we investigated the effects of OG on lipid metabolism in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). The results have shown, for the first time, that treatment with OG increased the overall amount of lipids, the triglyceride concentration, the lipid droplet area, and SREBP-1c and PPAR-γ gene expression. Taken together, the findings indicate that OG induces lipid droplet accumulation in HepG2 cells through the regulation of SREBP-1c and PPAR-γ gene expression without involving mTOR/S6K1 and may contribute to NAFLD when used as a food additive.

Sex-dependent metabolic effects of pregestational exercise on prenatally stressed mice

Stressful events during the prenatal period have been related to hyperactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses as well as metabolic changes in adult life. Moreover, regular exercise may contribute to the improvement of the symptoms associated with stress and stress-related chronic diseases. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of exercise, before the gestation period, on the metabolic changes induced by prenatal stress in adult mice. Female Balb/c mice were divided into three groups: control (CON), prenatal restraint stress (PNS) and exercise before the gestational period plus PNS (EX + PNS). When adults, the plasmatic biochemical analysis, oxidative stress, gene expression of metabolic-related receptors and sex differences were assessed in the offspring. Prenatal stress decreased neonatal and adult body weight when compared to the pregestational exercise group. Moreover, prenatal stress was associated with reduced body weight in adult males. PNS and EX + PNS females showed decreased hepatic catalase. Pregestational exercise prevented the stress-induced cholesterol increase in females but did not prevent the liver mRNA expression reduction on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) α and γ in PNS females. Conversely, PNS and EX + PNS males showed an increased PPARα mRNA expression. In conclusion, pregestational exercise prevented some effects of prenatal stress on metabolic markers in a sex-specific manner.

Tripartite Motif-Containing 46 Promotes Viability and Inhibits Apoptosis of Osteosarcoma Cells by Activating NF-B Signaling Through Ubiquitination of PPAR

Osteosarcoma (OS), the most common bone cancer, causes high morbidity in children and young adults. TRIM46 is a member of the family of tripartite motif (TRIM)-containing proteins that serve as important regulators of tumorigenesis. Here we investigate the possible role of TRIM46 in OS and the underlying molecular mechanism. We report an increase in the expression of TRIM46 in OS and its association with tumor size, Enneking’s stage, and patient prognosis. TRIM46 knockdown inhibits OS cell viability and cell cycle progression and induces apoptosis, while TRIM46 overexpression exerts inverse effects, which are inhibited by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) overexpression and the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitor, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). Furthermore, TRIM46 negatively regulates PPARα expression via ubiquitination-mediated protein degradation and modification. PPARα overexpression also inactivates NF-κB signaling and NF-κB promoter activity in OS cells overexpressing TRIM46. Moreover, TRIM46 knockdown inhibits tumor growth and induces apoptosis of OS cells in vivo. TRIM46 acts as an oncogene in OS by interacting with and ubiquitinating PPARα, resulting in the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, TRIM46 may be a potential biomarker of carcinogenesis.

Selective Cytotoxicity of a Novel Trp-Rich Peptide against Lung Tumor Spheroids Encapsulated inside a 3D Microfluidic Device

There is a globally rising healthcare need to develop new anticancer therapies as well as to test them on biologically relevant in vitro cancer models instead of overly simplistic 2D models. To address both these needs, a 3D lung cancer spheroid model is developed using human A549 cells trapped inside a collagen gel in a compartmentalized microfluidic device and homogenously sized (35-45 µm) multicellular tumor spheroids are obtained in 5 days. The novel tryptophan-rich peptide P1, identified earlier as a potential anticancer peptide (ACP), shows enhanced cytotoxic efficacy against A549 tumor spheroids (>75%) in clinically relevant low concentrations, while it does not affect human amniotic membrane mesenchymal stem cells at the same concentrations (<15%). The peptide also inhibits the formation of tumor spheroids by reducing cell viability as well as lowering the proliferative capacity, which is confirmed by the expression of cell proliferation marker Ki-67. The ACP offers a novel therapeutic strategy against lung cancer cells without affecting healthy cells. The microfluidic device used is likely to be useful in helping develop models for several other cancer types to test new anticancer agents.

Octyl Gallate Induces Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Apoptosis and Suppresses Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition-Promoted M2-Macrophages, HSP90α Secretion, and Tumor Growth

Octyl gallate (OG) is a common antioxidant and preservative safely used in food additive and cosmetics. In this study, OG exhibited an activity to induce apoptosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells. It induced BNIP3L level and facilitated physical associations of BNIP3L with Bcl-2 as well as Bcl-XL to set the mitochondrial Bax/Bak channels free for cytochrome c release. In addition, in vivo evaluation also showed that daily oral administration of OG was efficacious to prevent the tumor growth of PDAC cell grafts. Considering PDAC is a desmoplastic tumor consisting of many cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), we further evaluated the efficacy of OG in a CAFs-involved PDAC mouse model. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) is an important source of CAFs. The mix of EndoMT-derived CAFs with PDAC cell grafts significantly recruited myeloid-derived macrophages but prevented immune T cells. HSP90α secreted by EndoMT-derived CAFs further induced macrophage M2-polarization and more HSP90α secretion to expedite PDAC tumor growth. OG exhibited its potent efficacy against the tumor growth, M2-macrophages, and serum HSP90α level in the EndoMT-involved PDAC mouse model. CD91 and TLR4 are cell-surface receptors for extracellular HSP90α (eHSP90α). OG blocked eHSP90α-TLR4 ligation and, thus, prevented eHSP90α-induced M2-macrophages and more HSP90α secretion from macrophages and PDAC cells.

Phytoestrogen coumestrol attenuates brain mitochondrial dysfunction and long-term cognitive deficits following neonatal hypoxia-ischemia

INTRODUCTION

Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia (HI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and is frequently associated with short and long-term neurologic and cognitive impairments. The HI injury causes mitochondrial damage leading to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Phytoestrogens are non-steroidal plant substances structurally and functionally similar to estrogen. Coumestrol is a potent isoflavonoid with a protective effect against ischemic brain damage in adult rats. Our aim was to determine if coumestrol treatment following neonatal HI attenuates the long-term cognitive deficits induced by neonatal HI, as well as to investigate one possible mechanism underlying its potential effect.

METHODS

On the 7th postnatal day, male Wistar rats were submitted to the Levine-Rice HI model. Intraperitoneal injections of 20 mg/kg of coumestrol, or vehicle, were administered immediately pre-hypoxia or 3 h post-hypoxia. At 12 h after HI the mitochondrial status and ROS levels were determined. At 60th postnatal day the cognitive deficits were revealed in the Morris water maze reference and working spatial memories. Following behavioral analysis, histological assessment was performed and reactive astrogliosis was measured by GFAP expression.

RESULTS

Results demonstrate that both pre- and post-HI administration of coumestrol were able to counteract the long-term cognitive and morphological impairments caused by HI, as well as to block the late reactive astrogliosis. The pre-HI administration of coumestrol was able to prevent the early mitochondrial dysfunction in the hippocampus of injured rat pups.

CONCLUSION

Present data suggest that coumestrol exerts protection against experimental neonatal brain hypoxia-ischemia through, at least in part, early modulation of mitochondrial function.

Cytotoxic effects of 4'-hydroxychalcone on human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y)

Neuroblastoma is an aggressive form of cancer with high mortality. Hydroxychalcones have received considerable attention because of their cytotoxic activities on cancer cells. However, the effect of the 4'-hydroxychalcone on neuroblastoma cells is unknown. The aim of the present study was to characterize the cytotoxicity of 4HC to neuroblastoma and the importance of mitochondrial effects in its action mechanism using an in vitro model of SH-SY5Y cells. Incubation of cultured SHSY5Y cells with 10-60 μM 4HC (24 h) decreased cell confluency, cellular metabolic activity and depleted intracellular ATP relative to the vehicle-treated control. The mechanism of 4HC-induced cell toxicity likely involves mitochondria dysfunctional as judged by inhibition of mitochondrial respiration, depolarization of mitochondria membrane potential and intracellular and morphological alterations. Furthermore, loss of cell viability was accompanied mainly by increase of phosphatidylserine exposure on the surface of cells, suggesting that the flavonoid may induce apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, treatment inhibited SH-SY5Y cell migration/proliferation in a scratch assay and induced significant changes in the cell cycle progression. Our results showed the effects of 4HC in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y are associated with mitochondrial dysfunctional, depletion of intracellular ATP levels, ROS increase, alteration in cell cycle progression and cellular morphology.

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor modulates painful and fatigue symptoms in a mouse model of fibromyalgia

Generalized pain and fatigue are both hallmarks of fibromyalgia, a syndrome with an indefinite etiology. The treatment options for fibromyalgia are currently limited, probably because of its intricate pathophysiology. Thus, further basic and clinical research on this condition is currently needed. This study investigated the effects of nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) receptor (NOPr) ligands and the modulation of the NOP system in the preclinical mouse model of reserpine-induced fibromyalgia. The effects of administration of the natural agonist N/OFQ and the selective NOPr antagonists (UFP-101 and SB-612111) were evaluated in fibromyalgia-related symptoms in reserpine-treated mice. The expression of prepronociceptin/orphanin FQ and NOPr was assessed in central and peripheral sites at different time points after reserpine administration. Nociceptin/orphanin FQ displayed dual effects in the behavioral changes in the reserpine-elicited fibromyalgia model. The peptide NOPr antagonist UFP-101 produced analgesic and antifatigue effects, by preventing alterations in brain activity and skeletal muscle metabolism, secondary to fibromyalgia induction. The nonpeptide NOPr antagonist SB-612111 mirrored the favorable effects of UFP-101 in painful and fatigue alterations induced by reserpine. A time-related up- or downregulation of prepronociceptin/orphanin FQ and NOPr was observed in supraspinal, spinal, and peripheral sites of reserpine-treated mice. Our data shed new lights on the mechanisms underlying the fibromyalgia pathogenesis, supporting a role for N/OFQ-NOP receptor system in this syndrome.

Overexpression of Tumor Protein p53-regulated Apoptosis-inducing Protein 1 Regulates Proliferation and Apoptosis of Breast Cancer Cells through the PI3K/Akt Pathway

Purpose

Tumor protein p53-regulated apoptosis-inducing protein 1 (TP53AIP1) functions in various cancers. We studied the effect and molecular mechanism of TP53AIP1 in breast cancer.

Methods

The degree of correlation between TP53AIP1 expression and overall survival in patients with breast cancer was obtained from the online The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Six of the TP53AIP1 levels in the tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues randomly selected from 38 breast cancer patients were determined. Transgenic technology was used to enhance the expression of TP53AIP1 in breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-415 and MDA-MB-468, and to observe the effects of gene overexpression on the proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of breast cancer cells. The molecular mechanism of association between cell cycle- and apoptosis-related factors and the phosphoinositide 3-kinases/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway was also studied.

Results

The messenger RNA and protein expression levels of TP53AIP1 in cancer tissues were significantly lower than those in the control group. TP53AIP1 overexpression inhibits cell viability. The mechanism of TP53AIP1 inhibition of proliferation and growth of breast cancer cells includes cell cycle arrest, apoptosis promotion (p < 0.01), promotion of the expression of cleaved-caspase-3 (p < 0.01), cleaved-caspase-9 (p < 0.01), B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein, and p53 (p < 0.01), and the inhibition of Bcl-2, Ki67, and PI3K/Akt pathways (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

TP53AIP1 may be a novel tumor suppressor gene in breast cancer and can potentially be used as an effective target gene for the treatment of breast cancer.

Antiproliferation activities of NK4 on multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy. The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been demonstrated to promote MM cell growth. NK4, a splice variant of HGF in which the heavy chain consists of the N-terminal domain and the four kringle domains, is a specific antagonist of HGF that competes with HGF for tyrosine-protein kinase receptor binding. The current study aimed to examine the antiproliferative activity of NK4 on human MM cells and to investigate the underlying mechanism. The results indicated that NK4 suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis in RPMI 8226 cells. In addition, NK4 altered the expression of cell cycle and apoptosis-associated proteins in RPMI 8226, including cyclin-dependent kinase 4, cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B, apoptosis regulator Bcl-2, apoptosis regulator BAX, cleaved caspase-9 and caspase-3. Furthermore, NK4 inhibited the activation of the RAC-α serine/threonine-protein kinase (Akt)/serine/threonine-protein kinase mTOR (mTOR) signaling pathway and reduced the levels of phosphorylated (p)-Akt, p-mTOR, ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1 and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 in RPMI 8226 cells. In conclusion, NK4 inhibited the proliferation of human MM RPMI 8226 cells, which may be attributed to the induction of apoptosis and the inhibition of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate preserves glucose metabolism integrity and reduces reactive oxygen species in the brain during experimental sepsis

Sepsis is one of the main causes of hospitalization and mortality in Intensive Care Units. One of the first manifestations of sepsis is encephalopathy, reported in up to 70% of patients, being associated with higher mortality and morbidity. The factors that cause sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) are still not well known, and may be multifactorial, as perfusion changes, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and glycolytic metabolism alterations. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), a metabolite of the glycolytic route, has been reported as neuroprotective agent. The present study used an experimental sepsis model in C57BL/6 mice. We used in vivo brain imaging to evaluate glycolytic metabolism through microPET scans and the radiopharmaceutical ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG). Brain images were obtained before and 12 h after the induction of sepsis in animals with and without FBP treatment. We also evaluated the treatment effects in the brain oxidative stress by measuring the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the activity of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and the levels of fluorescent marker 2'7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF). There was a significant decrease in brain glucose metabolism due to experimental sepsis. A significant protective effect of FBP treatment was observed in the cerebral metabolic outcomes. FBP also modulated the production of ROS, evidenced by reduced CAT activity and lower levels of DCF. Our results suggest that FBP may be a possible candidate in the treatment of SAE.