Methylene blue alleviates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by modulating AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway and Th17/Treg immune response.

Methylene blue (MB) is an effective neuroprotectant in many neurological disorders. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/silent mating-type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) plays a crucial role in maintaining inflammatory responses and shows a synergistic effect on cell homeostasis. We investigated the effect of MB on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a classical animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). MB treatment reduced the clinical scores of EAE significantly and attenuated pathological injuries in spinal cords. Furthermore, the protective effects of MB were related to the activation of AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway. In addition, MB treatment alleviated T helper type17 (Th17) responses and increased regulatory T cell (Treg) responses. Our findings suggest that MB could be a promising reagent to treat autoimmune diseases and MS.