Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Ameliorate Delayed Neurocognitive Recovery in Aged Mice by Inhibiting Hippocampus Ferroptosis via Activating SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathway

Delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR) is a prevalent perioperative neurological complication in older patients and has common characteristics such as acute cognitive dysfunction, impaired memory, and inattention. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSCs-Exo) are enclosed by a lipid bilayer contain proteins, DNA, miRNA, and other components, which are important mediators of intercellular communication. It has been reported that exosomes could play an important role in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, nerve injury, and other neurological diseases. In this study, we examined the effects of MSCs-Exo on dNCR aged mice after exploratory laparotomy and evaluated their potential regulatory mechanisms. We found that MSCs-Exo treatment ameliorated cognitive impairment in dNCR aged mice. MSCs-Exo inhibit hippocampus ferroptosis and increase the expression of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1), factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in dNCR aged mice. Interestingly, the above effects of MSCs-Exo on dNCR aged mice were abolished by SIRT1 selective inhibitor EX-527. In conclusion, these findings indicated that MSCs-Exo can ameliorate cognitive impairment by inhibiting hippocampus ferroptosis in dNCR aged mice via activating SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, providing a potential avenue for the treatment of dNCR.