SIRT1 alleviates IL-1β induced nucleus pulposus cells pyroptosis via mitophagy in intervertebral disc degeneration

• Published in: International immunopharmacology Vol. 107; p. 108671
• Main Authors: Ma, Zhaoxin, Tang, Pan, Dong, Wei, Lu, Yang, Tan, Bing, Zhou, Nian, Hao, Jie, Shen, Jieliang, Hu, Zhenming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.06.2022; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Animals; Autophagy; Cell survival; Degeneration; Degenerative disc disease; IL-1β; Inflammasomes; Inflammasomes - metabolism; Inflammation; Inflammation - metabolism; Interleukin-1beta - metabolism; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration - metabolism; Intervertebral discs; IVDD; Mammals; Mitochondria; Mitophagy; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein - genetics; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein - metabolism; NLRP3 inflammasome; Nuclei (cytology); Nucleus Pulposus; Oxidative stress; Pathogenesis; Protein Kinases - metabolism; PTEN-induced putative kinase; Pyroptosis; Rats; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; SIRT1; SIRT1 protein; Sirtuin 1 - genetics; Sirtuin 1 - metabolism; Therapeutic targets; Pyroptosis; NLRP3 inflammasome; Mitophagy; SIRT1; IVDD
• ISSN: 1567-5769; 1878-1705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108671

•This study is the first time to analyze the potential mechanism of SIRT1 in NLRP3-activated pyroptosis in NPCs.•We found that IL-1β could promote its own production by enhancing NLRP3 inflammasome activation, resulting in an activation positive feedback loop in IL-1β treated NPCs.•We firstly found that SIRT1 overexpression could ameliorate IL-1β induced mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS accumulation, inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation by promoting PINK1/Parkin mediated mitophagy.•In the rat model, we firstly confirmed that SIRT1 agonist (SRT1720) treatment decreased the expression of NLRP3, p20, and IL-1β, increased the expression of PINK1 and LC3, delayed IVDD process.\•Taken together, our results indicate that SIRT1 alleviates IL-1β induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation via mitophagy in NPCs, SIRT1 may be a potential therapeutic target to alleviate NLRP3- activated pyroptosis in the inflammatory stress related IVDD. Inflammatory stress of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Pyroptosis and NLRP3 inflammasome activation have been reported aggravating IVDD. SIRT1 is essential for mammalian cell survival and longevity by participating in various cellular processes. However, few studies analyzed the potential mechanism of SIRT1 in NLRP3- activated pyroptosis in NPCs. In this study, we confirmed that IL-1β could induce pyroptosis and NLRP3 inflammation activation, meanwhile, resulted in mitochondrial oxidative stress injury and dysfunction in NPCs. When the mitochondrial ROS was inhibited by Mito-Tempo, the pyroptosis and NLRP3 inflammation activation was also inhibited. SIRT1 overexpression could ameliorate IL-1β induced mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS accumulation, inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation by promoting PINK1/Parkin mediated mitophagy, however, these protective phenomena reversed by autophagy inhibitor 3‐MA pretreatment. In vivo, SIRT1 agonist (SRT1720) treatment decreased the expression of NLRP3, p20, and IL-1β, increased the expression of PINK1 and LC3, delayed IVDD process in the rat model. Taken together, our results indicate that SIRT1 alleviates IL-1β induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation via mitophagy in NPCs, SIRT1 may be a potential therapeutic target to alleviate NLRP3- activated pyroptosis in the inflammatory stress related IVDD.