Minocycline mitigates sepsis‐induced neuroinflammation and promotes recovery in male mice: Insights into neuroprotection and inflammatory modulation

Abstract

Abstract Sepsis is associated with brain injury and acute brain inflammation, which can potentially transition into chronic inflammation, triggering a cascade of inflammatory responses that may lead to neurological disorders. Minocycline, recognized for its potent anti‐inflammatory properties, was investigated in this study for its protective effects against sepsis‐induced brain injury. Adult male C57 mice pretreated with minocycline (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) 3 days before sepsis induction. An intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/kg LPS was used to induce sepsis. Spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA) and weight changes were assessed over several days post‐sepsis to monitor the recovery of the mice. The expression of inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress markers was assessed 24 h post sepsis. Septic mice exhibited significant weight loss and impaired SLA. Initially, minocycline did not attenuate the severity of weight loss (1 day) or SLA (4 h post‐sepsis), but it significantly accelerated the recovery of the mice in later days. Minocycline dose‐dependently mitigated sepsis‐induced brain inflammation and oxidative stress. Our findings demonstrate that pretreatment with minocycline has the potential to prevent brain tissue damage and accelerate recovery from sepsis in mice, suggesting that minocycline may serve as a promising therapeutic intervention to protect against sepsis‐induced neurological complications.

Keywords

• brain inflammation
• minocycline
• oxidative stress
• sepsis