Sophocarpine attenuates septic liver injury through suppression of the NLRP3 inflammasome via autophagy‑mediated degradation

Hou,Nianguo; Dai,Xiaofeng; Lu,Wenqing; Yang,Hongguang; Yu,Haida; Liu,Junchao; Li,Hui; Shuai,Xunjun; Ai,Dengbin

doi:10.3892/etm.2020.9379

Sophocarpine attenuates septic liver injury through suppression of the NLRP3 inflammasome via autophagy‑mediated degradation

Authors:
- Nianguo Hou
- Xiaofeng Dai
- Wenqing Lu
- Hongguang Yang
- Haida Yu
- Junchao Liu
- Hui Li
- Xunjun Shuai
- Dengbin Ai
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Affiliations: Department of Anesthesiology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong 266011, P.R. China, Department of Anesthesiology, Qingdao Central Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong 266000, P.R. China, Department of Anesthesiology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261053, P.R. China
Published online on: October 23, 2020 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.9379
Article Number: 249
Copyright: © Hou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Septic liver injury remains a challenge in sepsis treatment. Nucleotide‑binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation has been suggested to be a major cause of hepatocyte cell death in liver diseases. However, insufficient research has been performed to explore the underlying mechanisms associated with this. In the present study, sophocarpine, a pharmaceutical monomer originally isolated from Sophora ﬂavescens, was suggested to attenuate septic liver injury in a mouse cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model. By utilizing western blotting, ELISA, H&E staining and immunohistochemistry, the results demonstrated that sophocarpine treatment reversed CLP‑induced elevations in serum aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, interleukin (IL)‑6 and IL‑1β levels. Additionally, sophocarpine appeared to have suppressed the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, as indicated by observed reductions in liver IL‑1β, NLRP3, caspase 1‑p20 and gasdermin D‑p30 protein levels. Further investigation suggested that sophocarpine‑induced autophagy was essential for this suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, the inhibition of which reversed the protective effects of sophocarpine on CLP‑induced liver injury. Collectively, results from the present study suggested a protective role for sophocarpine against septic liver injury, where sophocarpine may suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activation by autophagy‑mediated degradation.

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