scholarly journals Caspase-1 inhibition prevents glial inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in models of multiple sclerosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (26) ◽  
pp. E6065-E6074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brienne A. McKenzie ◽  
Manmeet K. Mamik ◽  
Leina B. Saito ◽  
Roobina Boghozian ◽  
Maria Chiara Monaco ◽  
...  

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS of unknown cause that remains incurable. Inflammasome-associated caspases mediate the maturation and release of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 and activate the pore-forming protein gasdermin D (GSDMD). Inflammatory programmed cell death, pyroptosis, was recently shown to be mediated by GSDMD. Here, we report molecular evidence for GSDMD-mediated inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in both myeloid cells (macrophages/microglia) and, unexpectedly, in myelin-forming oligodendrocytes (ODCs) in the CNS of patients with MS and in the MS animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We observed inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in human microglia and ODCs in vitro after exposure to inflammatory stimuli and demonstrate caspase-1 inhibition by the small-molecule inhibitor VX-765 in both cell types. GSDMD inhibition by siRNA transduction suppressed pyroptosis in human microglia. VX-765 treatment of EAE animals reduced the expression of inflammasome- and pyroptosis-associated proteins in the CNS, prevented axonal injury, and improved neurobehavioral performance. Thus, GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in select glia cells is a previously unrecognized mechanism of inflammatory demyelination and represents a unique therapeutic opportunity for mitigating the disease process in MS and other CNS inflammatory diseases.

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (7) ◽  
pp. E1530-E1539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Marchetti ◽  
Benjamin Swartzwelter ◽  
Fabia Gamboni ◽  
Charles P. Neff ◽  
Katrin Richter ◽  
...  

Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome induces maturation of IL-1β and IL-18, both validated targets for treating acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. Here, we demonstrate that OLT1177, an orally active β-sulfonyl nitrile molecule, inhibits activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. In vitro, nanomolar concentrations of OLT1177 reduced IL-1β and IL-18 release following canonical and noncanonical NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The molecule showed no effect on the NLRC4 and AIM2 inflammasomes, suggesting specificity for NLRP3. In LPS-stimulated human blood-derived macrophages, OLT1177 decreased IL-1β levels by 60% and IL-18 by 70% at concentrations 100-fold lower in vitro than plasma concentrations safely reached in humans. OLT1177 also reduced IL-1β release and caspase-1 activity in freshly obtained human blood neutrophils. In monocytes isolated from patients with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS), OLT1177 inhibited LPS-induced IL-1β release by 84% and 36%. Immunoprecipitation and FRET analysis demonstrated that OLT1177 prevented NLRP3-ASC, as well as NLRP3-caspase-1 interaction, thus inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome oligomerization. In a cell-free assay, OLT1177 reduced ATPase activity of recombinant NLRP3, suggesting direct targeting of NLRP3. Mechanistically, OLT1177 did not affect potassium efflux, gene expression, or synthesis of the IL-1β precursor. Steady-state levels of phosphorylated NF-κB and IkB kinase were significantly lowered in spleen cells from OLT1177-treated mice. We observed reduced IL-1β content in tissue homogenates, limited oxidative stress, and increased muscle oxidative metabolism in OLT1177-treated mice challenged with LPS. Healthy humans receiving 1,000 mg of OLT1177 daily for 8 d exhibited neither adverse effects nor biochemical or hematological changes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiantian Tang ◽  
Ping Li ◽  
Xinhui Zhou ◽  
Rui Wang ◽  
Xiuqin Fan ◽  
...  

The dysregulation of NLRP3 inflammasome plays a critical role in pathogenesis of various human inflammatory diseases, thus NLRP3 inflammasome activation must be tightly controlled at multiple levels. However, the underlying mechanism regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation remains unclear. Herein, the effects of Tripartite motif-containing protein 65 (TRIM65) on NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the underlying molecular mechanism were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition or deletion of Trim65 could significantly strengthen agonist induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in THP-1 cells and BMDMs, indicated by increased caspase-1 activation and interleukin-1β secretion. However, TRIM65 had no effect on poly (dA: dT)-induced AIM2 inflammasome activation or flagellin-induced IPAF inflammasome activation. Mechanistically, immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that TRIM65 binds to NACHT domain of NLRP3, promotes lys48- and lys63- linked ubiquitination of NLRP3 and restrains the NEK7-NLRP3 interaction, thereby inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome assembly, caspase-1 activation, and IL-1β secretion. In vivo, three models of inflammatory diseases were used to confirm the suppression role of TRIM65 in NLRP3 inflammasome activation. TRIM65-deficient mice had a higher production of IL-1β induced by lipopolysaccharide in sera, and more IL-1β secretion and neutrophil migration in the ascites, and more severity of joint swelling and associated IL-1β production induced by monosodium urate, suggesting that TRIM65 deficiency was susceptible to inflammation. Therefore, the data elucidate a TRIM65-dependent negative regulation mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and provide potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of NLRP3 inflammasome-related diseases.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianjun Jiang ◽  
Jin Yang ◽  
Yining Shi ◽  
Jiyu Cao ◽  
Youjin Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The NLRP3 inflammasome serves as a crucial component in an array of inflammatory conditions by boosting the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines: IL-1β and IL-18. Hence, a thorough investigation of the underlying mechanism of NLRP3 activation could ascertain the requisite directionality to the ongoing studies, along with the identification of the novel drug targets for the management of inflammatory diseases. Previous studies have established the vital role of the Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM)/Ceramide (Cer) pathway in the functional outcome of cells, with a particular emphasis on the inflammatory processes. ASM mediates the ceramide production by sphingomyelin hydrolysis. Furthermore, the participation of the ASM/Cer in NLRP3 activation remains ambiguous. Methods: We employed lipopoysaccharide (LPS)/Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)-induced activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in J774A.1 cells as an in vitro inflammatory model. Results: We observed that imipramine, a well-known inhibitor of ASM, significantly inhibited ASM activity & increased ceramide accumulation, which indicates ASM activation. Besides, it also suppressed the LPS/ATP-induced expression of proteins and mRNA: Thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP), NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18. Interestingly verapamil, a TXNIP inhibitor, suppressed LPS/ATP-induced TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome activation; however, it did not affect LPS/ATP-induced ASM activity and ceramide production. Further examination showed that the exogenous C2-ceramide-treated J774A.1 cells induce the overexpression of TXNIP, NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18. Furthermore, verapamil inhibited C2-Ceramide mediated TXNIP overexpression and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These findings infer that TXNIP overexpression leads to Cer mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Conclusion: Our study validated the crucial role of the ASM/Cer/TXNIP signaling pathway in NLRP3 inflammasome activation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Xie ◽  
Long Fan ◽  
Liya Xiong ◽  
Peiyu Chen ◽  
Hongli Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common pathogen in development of peptic ulcers with pyroptosis. Rabeprazole, a critical component of standard triple therapy, has been widely used as the first-line regimen for H. pylori infectious treatment. The aim of this study to explore the function of Rabeprazole on cell pyroptosis in vitro. Methods The clinical sample from patients diagnosed with or without H. pylori-infection were collected to analyze by Immunohistochemistry (IHC). Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), western blot (WB) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (Elisa) were performed to analyze the effect of Rabeprazole on cell pyroptosis, including LDH, IL-1β and IL-18. Results In this study, we showed that Rabeprazole regulated a phenomenon of cell pyroptosis as confirmed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Further results showed that Rabeprazole inhibited cell pyroptosis in gastric epithelial cells by alleviating GSDMD-executed pyroptosis, leading to decrease IL-1β and IL-18 mature and secretion, which is attributed to NLRP3 inflammasome activation inhibition. Further analysis showed that ASC, NLRP3 and Caspase-1, was significantly repressed in response to Rabeprazole stimulation, resulting in decreasing cleaved-caspase-1 expression. Most important, NLRP3 and GSDMD is significantly increased in gastric tissue of patients with H. pylori infection. Conclusion These findings revealed a critical role of Rabeprazole in cell pyroptosis in patients with H. pylori infection, suggesting that targeting cell pyroptosis is an alternative strategy in improving H. pylori treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengxiao Chen ◽  
Qi Bai ◽  
Yanting Wu ◽  
Qiongzhen Zeng ◽  
Xiaowei Song ◽  
...  

Artemisia argyi H. Lév. and Vaniot is a traditional medical herb that has been used for a long time in China and other Asian counties. Essential oil is the main active fraction of Artemisia argyi H. Lév. and Vaniot, and its anti-inflammatory potential has been observed in vitro and in vivo. Here, we found that the essential oil of Artemisia argyi H. Lév. and Vaniot (EOAA) inhibited monosodium urate (MSU)- and nigericin-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. EOAA suppressed caspase-1 and IL-1β processing and pyroptosis. NF-κB p65 phosphorylation and translocation were also inhibited. In addition, EOAA suppressed nigericin-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation without blocking ASC oligomerization, suggesting that it may inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation by preventing caspase-1 processing. Our study thus indicates that EOAA inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation and has therapeutic potential against NLRP3-driven diseases.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Bombaci ◽  
Mayuresh A Sarangdhar ◽  
Nicola Andina ◽  
Aubry Tardivel ◽  
Eric Chi-Wang Yu ◽  
...  

Inflammasomes are cytosolic innate immune sensors that, upon activation, induce caspase-1 mediated inflammation. Although inflammation is protective, uncontrolled excessive inflammation can cause inflammatory diseases and is also detrimental in COVID-19 infection. However, the underlying mechanisms that control inflammasome activation are incompletely understood. Here we report that the leucine rich repeat (LRR) protein Ribonuclease inhibitor (RNH1), which shares homology with LRRs of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain (PYD)-containing (NLRP) proteins, attenuates inflammasome activation. Mechanistically, RNH1 decreased pro-IL1b expression and induced proteasome-mediated caspase-1 degradation. Corroborating this, mouse models of monosodium urate (MSU)-induced peritonitis and LPS-induced endotoxemia, which are dependent on caspase-1, respectively showed increased neutrophil infiltration and lethality in Rnh1-/- mice compared to WT mice. Further, RNH1 protein levels were negatively correlated with inflammation and disease severity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We propose that RNH1 is a new inflammasome regulator with relevance to COVID-19 severity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Wang ◽  
Tong Yang ◽  
Jianqiu Xiao ◽  
Canxin Xu ◽  
Yael Alippe ◽  
...  

AbstractThe D301N NLRP3 mutation in mice (D303N in humans) causes severe multi-organ damage and early death driven by the constitutively activated NLRP3 (NLRP3ca) inflammasome. Triggered inflammasomes activate caspase-1 to process IL-1 family cytokines and gasdermin D (GSDMD), generating N-terminal fragments, which oligomerize within the plasma membrane to form pores, which cause inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis) and through which IL-1β and IL-18 are secreted. GSDMD activation is central to disease symptoms since spontaneous inflammation in Nlrp3ca;Gsdmd-/- mice is negligible. Unexpectedly, when Nlrp3ca;Gsdmd-/- mice were challenged with LPS or TNF-α, they secreted high amounts of IL-1β and IL-18, suggesting an alternative GSDMD-independent inflammatory pathway. Here we show that GSDMD deficient macrophages subjected to inflammatory stimuli activate caspase-8, -3 and GSDME-dependent cytokine release and pyroptosis. Caspase-8, -3 and GSDME also activated pyroptosis when NLRP3 was stimulated in caspase-1 deficient macrophages. Thus, a salvage caspase-8, -3-GSDME inflammatory pathway is activated following NLRP3 activation when the canonical NLRP3-caspase-1-GSDMD is blocked. Surprisingly, the active metabolite of the GSDMD-inhibitor disulfiram, inhibited not only GSDMD but also GSDME-mediated inflammation in vitro and suppressed severe inflammatory disease symptoms in Nlrp3ca mice, a model for severe neonatal multisystem inflammatory disease. Although disulfiram did not directly inhibit GSDME, it suppressed inflammasome activation in GSDMD-deficient cells. Thus, the combination of inflammatory signals and NLRP3ca overwhelmed the protection provided by GSDMD deficiency, rewiring signaling cascades through caspase-8, -3 and GSDME to propagate inflammation. This functional redundancy suggests that concomitant inhibition of GSDMD and GSDME may be necessary to suppress disease in inflammasomopathy patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Li ◽  
Xiaohui Zhu ◽  
Xingxing Chai ◽  
Xiaoyu Chen ◽  
Xiaohua Su ◽  
...  

Abstract Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) is a major pathogenic factor for the development of gastric diseases including chronic gastritis and gastric cancer. Callicarpa nudiflora (CN), an air-dried leaves extract of Callicarpa nudiflora Hook. & Arn., has been found to exhibit a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect. In our study, we extracted the active ingredient from air-dried leaves of Callicarpa nudiflora, detected the effect of CN against H. pylori -infected GES-1 cells in vitro , and elucidated the underlying mechanism. GES-1 cells were cocultured with HPSS1 at MOI = 100:1 and treated with different concentrations of CN. Results indicated that CN not only significantly decreased cellular lactate dehydrogenase leakage, but also markedly attenuated H. pylori -induced cell apoptosis and ROS production in GSE-1 cells, therefore protecting gastric epithelial cells against injuries caused by H. pylori . CN also inhibited the secretions of inflammatory factors, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8. Furthermore, CN remarkably decreased the expression levels of NLRP3, PYCARD, active Caspase-1. In conclusion, CN exhibited highly efficient protective effect against H. pylori -induced gastritis and cell damage; Mechanismly, CN suppressed H. pylori -triggered inflammatory response and pyroptosis through depressing ROS production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation via ROS/NLRP3/IL-1β signaling axis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1165-1181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takanori Komada ◽  
Hyunjae Chung ◽  
Arthur Lau ◽  
Jaye M. Platnich ◽  
Paul L. Beck ◽  
...  

Nonmicrobial inflammation contributes to CKD progression and fibrosis. Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) is an inflammasome-forming receptor for double-stranded DNA. AIM2 is expressed in the kidney and activated mainly by macrophages. We investigated the potential pathogenic role of the AIM2 inflammasome in kidney disease. In kidneys from patients with diabetic or nondiabetic CKD, immunofluorescence showed AIM2 expression in glomeruli, tubules, and infiltrating leukocytes. In a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), Aim2 deficiency attenuated the renal injury, fibrosis, and inflammation observed in wild-type (WT) littermates. In bone marrow chimera studies, UUO induced substantially more tubular injury and IL-1β cleavage in Aim2−/− or WT mice that received WT bone marrow than in WT mice that received Aim2−/− bone marrow. Intravital microscopy of the kidney in LysM(gfp/gfp) mice 5–6 days after UUO demonstrated the significant recruitment of GFP+ proinflammatory macrophages that crawled along injured tubules, engulfed DNA from necrotic cells, and expressed active caspase-1. DNA uptake occurred in large vacuolar structures within recruited macrophages but not resident CX3CR1+ renal phagocytes. In vitro, macrophages that engulfed necrotic debris showed AIM2-dependent activation of caspase-1 and IL-1β, as well as the formation of AIM2+ ASC specks. ASC specks are a hallmark of inflammasome activation. Cotreatment with DNaseI attenuated the increase in IL-1β levels, confirming that DNA was the principal damage-associated molecular pattern in this process. Therefore, the activation of the AIM2 inflammasome by DNA from necrotic cells drives a proinflammatory phenotype that contributes to chronic injury in the kidney.


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