Tanshinone IIA ameliorates acute lung injury by inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome

Abstract

Tanshinone IIA is the phenanthrenequinone derivative extracted from the perennial plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (red sage). We investigated whether inhibition of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome mediates the protective effect of tanshinone IIA in acute lung injury (ALI) induced in rats by oleic acid (OA) injection. Compared with the control treatment, OA injection induced pulmonary histological impairment, increased the lung wet/dry weight ratio (7.0±1.1 vs 4.3±0.6) and CO 2 partial pressure (PaCO 2) (52±6.4 vs 40±3.6 mmHg), decreased arterial O 2 partial pressure (PaO 2) (63±8.4 vs 100±3.0 mmHg), and increased tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) (8.8±2.3 vs 5.2±1.5 pg/mL), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) (36.1±4.9 vs 25.2±6.6 pg/mL) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (15.9±3.2 vs 4.6±1.3 pg/mL) in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Tanshinone IIA provided protection against ALI, observed as a reduction in the lung wet/dry weight ratio and CO 2 partial pressure, and increased O 2 partial pressure. The cytokine increase was also prevented. Tanshinone IIA attenuated increased protein levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β in pulmonary tissues, suggesting that it ameliorates ALI by preventing NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Recent Research Progress (2015–2021) and Perspectives on the Pharmacological Effects and Mechanisms of Tanshinone IIA

“…It is possible that Tan IIA could enhance the expression of Sirt1, thereby promoting cellular p65 protein deacetylation, inhibiting NF-kB transcriptional activation, then inhibit the NF-kB mediated inflammatory process ( Quan et al, 2019 ). Amelioration of acute lung injury by Tan IIA can also inhibit proinflammatory factors by inhibiting the expression of TRPM7 and reducing calcium influx in lung interstitial macrophages ( Li J. et al, 2018 ), as well as preventing nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation ( Chen T. et al, 2019 ).…”

Phytochemicals: Potential Therapeutic Interventions Against Coronavirus-Associated Lung Injury

“…Chen and coworkers reported that a phenanthrenequinone isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae), Tanshinone IIA, suppressed the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), as an inflammatory signaling pathway, at 10 mg/kg i.v. in rats, thereby reducing the oleic acid-induced lung injury ( Chen T. et al, 2019 ). Also, emodin, an anthraquinone found in different laxative plants such as Rheum rhabarbarum L. (Polygonaceae), showed protective effects on LPS-lung injury via activating autophagy pathways at 20 mg/kg i.p.…”