Methylated urolithin A, mitigates cognitive impairment by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome and ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction in aging mice

Effective therapeutic interventions for elderly patients are lacking, despite advances in pharmacotherapy. Methylated urolithin A (mUro A), a modified ellagitannin (ET)-derived metabolite, exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anti-apoptotic effects. Current research has primarily investigated the neuroprotective effects of mUroA in aging mice and explored the underlying mechanisms. Our study used an in vivo aging model induced by d-galactose (D-gal) to show that mUro A notably improved learning and memory, prevented synaptic impairments by enhancing synaptic protein expression and increasing EPSCs, and reduced oxidative damage in aging mice. mUro A alleviated the activation of the NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, leading to reduced glial cell activity and neuroinflammation in both accelerated aging and naturally senescent mouse models. Moreover, mUroA enhanced the activity of TCA cycle enzymes (PDH, CS, and OGDH), decreased 8-OHdG levels, and raised ATP and NAD+ levels within the mitochondria. At the molecular level, mUro A decreased phosphorylated p53 levels and increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), thus enhancing mitochondrial function. In conclusion, mUro A alleviates cognitive impairment in aging mice by suppressing neuroinflammation through NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition and restoring mitochondrial function via the p53-PGC-1α pathway. This suggests its potential therapeutic agent for brain aging and aging-related diseases. •HPLC analysis revealed that methylated urolithin A accumulated in the brain tissue of both normal mice and D-gal-induced aging mice, indicating its ability to readily penetrate the blood-brain barrier.•Methylated urolithin A improved learning and memory, prevented synaptic impairments by enhancing synaptic protein expression and increasing sEPSCs, and reduced oxidative damage in aging mice.•Methylated urolithin A alleviated cognitive impairment in aging mice by suppressing neuroinflammation through NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition and restoring mitochondrial function via the p53-PGC-1α pathway.