Abstract: Objective To explore the mechanism of flavonoids from scindapsus aureus in the treatment of DPN mice via NF-кB pathway. Methods A total of 60 mice were divided into 6 groups as follows, the control group, the model group, the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose flavonoid groups, and the acarbose group, 10 cases per group. Schwann cells were divided into 5 groups: the normal group, the LPS group, and the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose flavonoid groups. The nerve conduction function indexes, thermal pain threshold, levels of inflammatory factors, expression levels of NF-кB signaling pathway key proteins and their related mRNA were compared among different groups. Results Flavonoids from scindapsus aureus could increase the MNCV, the SNCV and the thermal pain threshold in mice, and reduce the levels of inflammatory factors (P< 0. 05). The flavonoid could decrease the ratios of p-NF-кB P65 / NF-кB P65 and p-IKKβ / IKKβ, and increase the p-IкBα / IκBα ratio (P< 0. 05). It could also down-regulate the expression levels of NF-кB P65 and IKKβ mRNA, and up-regulate the expression level of IкBα mRNA (P < 0. 05). Conclusion Flavonoids from scindapsus aureus can reduce the levels of inflammatory factors and relieve the symptoms in the DPN mice by inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway. 

Key words: nuclear factor kappa B, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, flavonoids from scindapsus aureus, mouse