Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Tanshinone IIA inhibits exosome-induced cardiomyocyte pyroptosis through NLRP3/caspase 1 pathway

Shun Xu¹, Menghan Wang², Yu Chen¹, Zaoli Shen¹, Qing Jia¹, Aili Wang¹

¹Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, The Seventh Peopleâ€™s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200137, China; ²Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Seventh Peopleâ€™s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200137, China.

For correspondence:- Aili Wang Email: 18930557415@189.cn

Accepted: 24 September 2022 Published: 28 October 2022

Citation: Xu S, Wang M, Chen Y, Shen Z, Jia Q, Wang A. Tanshinone IIA inhibits exosome-induced cardiomyocyte pyroptosis through NLRP3/caspase 1 pathway. Trop J Pharm Res 2022; 21(10):2057-2063 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v21i10.3

© 2022 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza, a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, on exosome-induced cardiomyocyte pyroptosis.

Methods: Pyroptosis was induced in human AC cells using exosomes. Then, the effect of Danshen (dried roots of S. miltiorrhiza) on exosome-induced pyroptosis was determined using flow cytometry. The expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while protein levels of cytokines were assayed by Western blotting.

Results: Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), the bioactive molecule in Danshen, inhibited cardiomyocyte pyroptosis by significantly reducing the expressions of proinflammatory cytokines (p < 0.001). Thus, Tan IIA reduced pyroptosis induced by cardiomyocyte-derived exosome via inhibition of the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome in human AC cells.

Conclusion: This study has identified a potential mechanism through which Danshen functions to prevent cardiac diseases. It involves, at least in part, the inhibition of pyroptosis in cardiomyocytes. Thus, tanshinone IIA may be a pharmacologically beneficial cardioprotective compound, especially when used against heart failure.

Keywords: Heart failure, Exosomes, Tanshinone IIA, NLRP3 inflammasome, Caspase 1, Pyroptosis