Luteolin ameliorates kainic acid-induced seizure by modulating GADD45B and reducing oxidative stress in hippocampal neurons

Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder impacting numerous people. However, existing anti-seizure medications frequently fall short of adequately managing seizures, highlighting the urgent need for the development of novel therapeutic interventions. This study investigates the neuroprotective effects of luteolin, which is a bioactive compound derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Danshen, on kainic acid (KA)-induced seizure in mice. Network pharmacology analysis identified GADD45B as a key target gene involved in acute epileptic seizure, which is modulated by luteolin. In vivo experiments demonstrated that luteolin significantly reduces seizure severity, frequency, and duration dose-dependently. Histological analyses revealed that luteolin preserves neuronal integrity and reduces hippocampal damage. Moreover, luteolin inhibited neuronal apoptosis and inflammation in KA-induced seizure mice by inhibiting MAPK and NF-kappa B signaling pathways. Furthermore, luteolin was shown to decrease oxidative stress and apoptosis in glutamate-induced HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells. Molecular docking showed that luteolin can bind with its target protein GADD45B in a good bond by intermolecular force. These neuroprotective effects of luteolin are mediated by the upregulation of GADD45B, which was further confirmed through knockdown experiments that GADD45B knockdown attenuated luteolin's protective actions. The findings suggest that luteolin exerts its therapeutic effects by modulating oxidative stress and apoptosis through GADD45B, offering potential as a novel neuroprotective strategy for seizures.