Neuroprotective effect of 20 (S) - Protopanaxadiol (PPD) attenuates NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated microglial pyroptosis in vascular dementia rats

[Display omitted] •20(S)-PPD inhibits microglial activation by preventing NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in 2-VO-induced VD rats.•20(S)-PPD protected memory impairments by reducing Aβ deposition and Tau phosphorylation in 2-VO-induced VD rats.•20(S)-PPD has the potential to be a neuroprotective substance for vascular dementia. 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), one of the ginsenosides from Panax ginseng, has been reported to improve performance with dementia. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of PPD attenuating NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated microglial pyroptosis in vascular dementia (VD) rats induced by bilateral common carotid artery ligation (2-VO). Male Sprague-Dawley rats (SPF, 150–180 g, n = 10/group) were randomly divided into PPD (20, 10, 5 mg/kg, subcutaneous injection once per day for 3 weeks), model, and vehicle-sham group. It was found that PPD significantly reversed 2-VO-induced cognitive impairment by decreasing escape latency and spontaneous alternation and increasing the number of crossing platforms, showing memory‐improving effects. PPD improved the pathological morphology of brain tissue in VD rats. PPD significantly reduced the cerebral infarction area and the activation of microglia in the cortex and hippocampal DG, CA1, and CA3 area. Moreover, PPD could attenuate NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated microglial pyroptosis, inhibit the positive expression of NLRP3, decrease IL-1β, and IL-18 levels, and increase IL-10 levels in the brain cortex. PPD also significantly alleviated the neurotoxicity by decreasing the Aβ and p-Tau in hippocampal DG, CA1, and CA3 areas. In addition, the levels of NLRP3, ASC, and IL-1β in the cortex, APP, BACE1, and p-Tau in the hippocampus were significantly reduced by PPD. These results suggested that PPD hinders microglial activation to alleviate neuroinflammation of NLRP3 inflammasome and inhibits neurotoxicity of Aβ deposition and Tau phosphorylation in 2-VO-induced VD rats.