VX-765 prevents intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome

Paclitaxel may inhibit migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells via nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3/caspase-1/Gasdermin E mediated pyroptosis pathway

Gastric cancer (GC) is a gastric epithelium-derived malignancy insensitive to post-surgical radiotherapy. Paclitaxel, an anti-microtubule drug, has been proven to induce apoptosis of GC cells; however, its exact mechanism of action is unclear. Therefore, the molecular mechanism by which paclitaxel inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells was investigated in this study. First off, SNU-719 cells were co-cultured with paclitaxel and/or Caspase1 inhibitor VX765. Then the proliferation ability of the cells was detected by MTT after paclitaxel treatment (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 nM), the migration ability by scratch assay, and the invasion ability by Transwell assay. Next, the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in cell culture supernatant were detected by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). And the level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the supernatant was measured by a corresponding kit. Finally, western blot was performed to detect the concentrations of Gasdermin E (GSDME), GSDME-N, nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, cleaved caspase-1 protein in GC cells. As a result, paclitaxel inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SNU-719 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, it induced the pyroptosis of SNU-719 cells. After cell co-culture with VX765 paclitaxel showed decreased inhibitory effect on the migration and invasion of SNU-719 cells. VX765, additionally, suppressed the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDME mediated pyroptosis pathway activated by paclitaxel. In a nutshell, paclitaxel may inhibit the migration and invasion of GC cells SNU-719 through the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDME mediated pyroptosis pathway.

Diallyl disulfide attenuates pyroptosis via NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β signaling pathway to exert a protective effect on hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal rats

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a perinatal brain disease caused by hypoxia in neonates. It is one of the leading causes of neonatal death in the perinatal period, as well as disability beyond the neonatal period. Due to the lack of a unified and comprehensive treatment strategy for HIE, research into its pathogenesis is essential. Diallyl disulfide (DADS) is an allicin extract, with detoxifying, antibacterial, and cardiovascular disease protective effects. This study aimed to determine whether DADS can alleviate HIE induced brain damage in rats and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced pyroptosis in PC12 cells, as well as whether it can inhibit pyroptosis via the NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β signaling pathway. In vivo, DADS significantly reduced the cerebral infarction volume, alleviated inflammatory reaction, reduced astrocyte activation, promoted tissue structure recovery, improved pyroptosis caused by HIE and improved the prognosis following HI injury. In vitro findings indicated that DADS increased cell activity, decreased LDH activity and reduced the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins, including IL-1β, IL-18, and certain inflammatory factors in PC12 cells caused by OGD. Mechanistically, DADS inhibited pyroptosis and protected against HIE via the NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β pathway. The specific inhibitor of caspase-1, VX-765, inhibited caspase-1 activation, and IL-1β expression was determined. Additionally, the overexpression of NLRP3 reversed the protective effect of allicin against OGD-induced pyroptosis. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that DADS inhibits the NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β signaling pathway and decreases HI brain damage.

VX-765 inhibits pyroptosis and reduces inflammation to prevent acute liver failure by upregulating PPARα expression

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

As a fatal clinical syndrome, acute liver failure (ALF) is characterized by overwhelming liver inflammation and hepatic cell death. Finding new therapeutic methods has been a challenge in ALF research. VX-765 is a known pyroptosis inhibitor and has been reported to prevent damage in a variety of diseases by reducing inflammation. However, the role of VX-765 in ALF is still unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

ALF model mice were treated with D-galactosamine (D-GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LO2 cells were stimulated with LPS. Thirty subjects were enrolled in clinical experiments. The levels of inflammatory cytokines, pyroptosis-associated proteins and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) were detected using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to determine the serum aminotransferase enzyme levels. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological features of the liver.

RESULTS

With the progression of ALF, the expression levels of interleukin (IL) -1β, IL-18, caspase-1, and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were increased. VX-765 could reduce the mortality rate of ALF mice, relieve liver pathological damage, and reduce inflammatory responses to protect against ALF. Further experiments showed that VX-765 could protect against ALF through PPARα, and this protective effect against ALF was reduced in the context of PPARα inhibition.

CONCLUSIONS

As ALF progresses, inflammatory responses and pyroptosis deteriorate gradually. VX-765 can inhibit pyroptosis and reduce inflammatory responses to protect against ALF by upregulating PPARα expression, thus providing a possible therapeutic strategy for ALF.

Inflammatory signalling in atrial cardiomyocytes: a novel unifying principle in atrial fibrillation pathophysiology

Inflammation has been implicated in atrial fibrillation (AF), a very common and clinically significant cardiac rhythm disturbance, but its precise role remains poorly understood. Work performed over the past 5 years suggests that atrial cardiomyocytes have inflammatory signalling machinery - in particular, components of the NLRP3 (NACHT-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing 3) inflammasome - that is activated in animal models and patients with AF. Furthermore, work in animal models suggests that NLRP3 inflammasome activation in atrial cardiomyocytes might be a sufficient and necessary condition for AF occurrence. In this Review, we evaluate the evidence for the role and pathophysiological significance of cardiomyocyte NLRP3 signalling in AF. We first summarize the evidence for a role of inflammation in AF and review the biochemical properties of the NLRP3 inflammasome, as defined primarily in studies of classic inflammation. We then briefly consider the broader evidence for a role of inflammatory signalling in heart disease, particularly conditions that predispose individuals to develop AF. We provide a detailed discussion of the available information about atrial cardiomyocyte NLRP3 inflammasome signalling in AF and related conditions and evaluate the possibility that similar signalling might be important in non-myocyte cardiac cells. We then review the evidence on the role of active resolution of inflammation and its potential importance in suppressing AF-related inflammatory signalling. Finally, we consider the therapeutic potential and broader implications of this new knowledge and highlight crucial questions to be addressed in future research.

Evidence of Failed Resolution Mechanisms in Arrhythmogenic Inflammation, Fibrosis and Right Heart Disease

Inflammation is a complex program of active processes characterized by the well-orchestrated succession of an initiation and a resolution phase aiming to promote homeostasis. When the resolution of inflammation fails, the tissue undergoes an unresolved inflammatory status which, if it remains uncontrolled, can lead to chronic inflammatory disorders due to aggravation of structural damages, development of a fibrous area, and loss of function. Various human conditions show a typical unresolved inflammatory profile. Inflammatory diseases include cancer, neurodegenerative disease, asthma, right heart disease, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, or atrial fibrillation. New evidence has started to emerge on the role, including pro-resolution involvement of chemical mediators in the acute phase of inflammation. Although flourishing knowledge is available about the role of specialized pro-resolving mediators in neurodegenerative diseases, atherosclerosis, obesity, or hepatic fibrosis, little is known about their efficacy to combat inflammation-associated arrhythmogenic cardiac disorders. It has been shown that resolvins, including RvD1, RvE1, or Mar1, are bioactive mediators of resolution. Resolvins can stop neutrophil activation and infiltration, stimulate monocytes polarization into anti-inflammatory-M2-macrophages, and activate macrophage phagocytosis of inflammation-debris and neutrophils to promote efferocytosis and clearance. This review aims to discuss the paradigm of failed-resolution mechanisms (FRM) potentially promoting arrhythmogenicity in right heart disease-induced inflammatory status.