Exploring 'triggers' of the NLRP3 inflammasome spurred studies of tissue inflammation in diseases including gout and those that previously have not been considered inflammatory in nature such as diabetes, fibrosing lung disease and possibly coronary artery disease.
The fact that the accumulation of metabolic substrates such as monosodium urate, ceramide, cholesterol, and glucose can trigger the NLRP3 inflammasome connects metabolic stress to IL-1β-mediated inflammation and provides a rationale for therapeutically targeting IL-1 in prevalent diseases such as gout, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease.
Despite recent advances in the understanding of the role of NLRP3 inflammasomes in coronary atherosclerosis, further work on their activation and clinical implications remains to be performed.
Protective Effects of Microrna-22 Against Endothelial Cell Injury by Targeting NLRP3 Through Suppression of the Inflammasome Signaling Pathway in a Rat Model of Coronary Heart Disease.
This review discusses the mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the relationship between the inflammasome and CVDs, including coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, cardiomyopathies, and arrhythmia, as well as CVD-related treatments.