Protection against Microglia Senescence by the Dietary Supplement Dekosilhue® in BV2 Cells: A New Perspective for Obesity and Related Complications

• Published in: Nutraceuticals Vol. 3; no. 2; pp. 250 - 261
• Main Authors: Borgonetti, Vittoria, Sasia, Chiara, Morozzi, Martina, Cenci, Lorenzo, Galeotti, Nicoletta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 23-05-2023
• Subjects: cellular senescence; inflammation; microglia; neuroinflammation; phytocomplex
• ISSN: 1661-3821; 1661-3821
• DOI: 10.3390/nutraceuticals3020020

Growing evidence indicates chronic low-grade systemic inflammation as a major pathophysiological mechanism of obesity. Systemic inflammation provokes an immune response in the brain through the activation of microglia that results in the development of neuroinflammation, cellular senescence, and occurrence of neurological dysfunction. In the efforts to identify an innovative intervention with potential efficacy on obesity and associated complications, our aim was to study the capability of the dietary supplement Dekosilhue® (DKS), successfully used for improving the control of body weight, to attenuate microglia senescent phenotype. Microglia senescence was induced by intermittent stimulation of BV2 cells with LPS 500 ng/mL every 72 h for 4 h/day, over a period of 10 days. DKS (100 µg/mL) treatment reduced ß-galactosidase activity and expression, the formation of senescence-associated heterochromatin foci to control levels, and increased cell viability of senescent BV2 (2 folds of control). DSK reduced the expression of Nuclear Factor-kB (NF-kB) (20% lower than control), a key molecule involved in the acquisition of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). DKS promoted a neuroprotective effect by increasing the cell viability of SH-SY5Y neuronal cells exposed to the senescent BV2 conditioned medium to values of non-senescent cells. In conclusion, DKS attenuated the senescent microglia phenotype, showing senotherapeutic activity that might be further investigated as adjunctive intervention for obesity and obesity-related neurological disturbances.