10,11-Dehydrocurvularin attenuates inflammation by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Chin J Nat Med. 2023 Mar;21(3):163-171. doi: 10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60418-2.

Abstract

10,11-Dehydrocurvularin (DCV) is a natural-product macrolide that has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory activity. However, the underlying mechanism of its anti-inflammatory activity remains poorly understood. Aberrant activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in diverse inflammation-related diseases, which should be controlled. The results showed that DCV specifically inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in association with reduced IL-1β secretion and caspase-1 activation, without effect on the NLRC4 and AIM2 inflammasomes. Furthermore, DCV disturbed the interaction between NEK7 and NLRP3, resulting in the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The C=C double bond of DCV was required for the NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition induced by DCV. Importantly, DCV ameliorated inflammation in vivo through inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome. Taken together, our study reveals a novel mechanism by which DCV suppresses inflammation, which indicates the potential role of DCV in NLRP3 inflammasome-driven inflammatory disorders.

Keywords: 10,11-Dehydrocurvularin; Inflammation; NEK7-NLRP3 interaction; NLRP3 inflammasome.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
  • Inflammasomes*
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Interleukin-1beta / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein* / genetics

Substances

  • Inflammasomes
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • curvularin
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Nlrp3 protein, mouse