Resveratrol ameliorates LPS-induced acute lung injury via NLRP3 inflammasome modulation

NLRP3 inflammasome plays a pivotal role in the development of acute lung injury (ALI), accelerating IL-1β and IL-18 release and inducing lung inflammation. Resveratrol, a natural phytoalexin, has anti-inflammatory properties via inhibition of oxidation, leukocyte priming, and production of inflammatory mediators. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of resveratrol on NLRP3 inflammasome in lipopolysaccharide-induced ALI. Mice were intratracheally instilled with 3 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce ALI. Resveratrol treatment alleviated the LPS-induced lung pathological damage, lung edema and neutrophil infiltration. In addition, resveratrol reversed the LPS-mediated elevation of IL-1β and IL-18 level in the BAL fluids. In lung tissue, resveratrol also inhibited the LPS-induced NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 mRNA and protein expression, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Moreover, resveratrol administration not only suppressed the NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation, NF-κB activity and ROS production in the LPS-treated mice, but also inhibited the LPS-induced thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) protein expression and interaction of TXNIP-NLRP3 in lung tissue. Meanwhile, resveratrol obviously induced SIRT1 mRNA and protein expression in the LPS-challenged mice. Taken together, our study suggests that resveratrol protects against LPS-induced lung injury by NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition. These findings further suggest that resveratrol may be of great value in the treatment of ALI and a potential and an effective pharmacological agent for inflammasome-relevant diseases.