NLRP3 Inflammasome/Pyroptosis: A Key Driving Force in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious diabetic complication, is a kind of low-grade inflammatory cardiovascular disorder. Due to the high risk of morbidity and mortality, DCM has demanded the attention of medical researchers worldwide. The pathophysiological nature of DCM is intricate, and the genesis and development of which are a consequence of the coaction of many factors. However, the exact pathogenesis mechanism of DCM remains unclear. Pyroptosis is a newly identified programmed cell death (PCD) that is directly related to gasdermin D(GSDMD). It is characterized by pore formation on the cell plasma membrane, the release of inflammatory mediators, and cell lysis. The initiation of pyroptosis is closely correlated with NOD-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) activation, which activates caspase-1 and promotes the cleaving of GSDMD. In addition to adjusting the host's immune defense, NLRP3 inflammasome/pyroptosis plays a critical role in controlling the systemic inflammatory response. Recent evidence has indicated that NLRP3 inflammasome/pyroptosis has a strong link with DCM. Targeting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome or pyroptosis may be a hopeful therapeutic strategy for DCM. The focus of this review is to summarize the relevant mechanisms of pyroptosis and the relative contributions in DCM, highlighting the potential therapeutic targets in this field.

Correlation of serum vitamin D with lipid profiles in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Deficiency of vitamin D has been associated with various health conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between the serum 25OHD concentration and lipid profiles in Chinese individuals. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Serum 25OHD and lipid profiles were obtained for a cross sectional sample of 10100 individuals aged 40-75 years from Lanzhou city, which is located in western China. Linear-by-linear association, partial correlation analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate associations between serum 25OHD concentration and lipid profiles. RESULTS: 10038 subjects aged 40- 75 years were included in the study. The 25OHD deficient and insufficient groups had higher TC, LDL-C and TG when compared to the optimal group. The dyslipidemia rates of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency groups were 45.4%, 41.6%, 38.8%, respectively. The prevalence rates of dyslipidemia, high cholesterol, high LDL-C, hypertriglyceridemia and mixed type hyperlipidemia exhibited decline trend in vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency and sufficiency groups. The correlation coefficients in between TC and 25OHD, LDL-C and 25OHD, TG and 25OHD were -0.033, -0.022, -0.044, respectively. Low 25OHD levels were associated with the risk of onset of dyslipidemia [OR 1.225 (95% CI 1.075-1.397), p=0.002] in the logistical regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Deficient serum 25OHD is associated with higher TC, LDL-C, and TG in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals. These findings suggest that low 25OHD levels observationally is simply a marker for elevated atherogenic lipoproteins and question a role for vitamin D supplementation in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.