NLRP3 inflammasome in metabolic syndrome

ABSTRACT

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a serious health problem worldwide; it is characterized by a group of metabolic disorders, including central obesity, insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia with accelerated atherosclerosis, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and elevated uric acid with increased risk of gout. The incidence of MS has increased considerably in recent decades and has attracted considerable attention. A number of clinical and translational laboratory studies have implicated the activation of nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in the development of MS, therefore establishing a strong link between chronic inflammation and metabolic diseases. This paper aims to review new developments on NLRP3 inflammasome in MS for better understanding of chronic inflammation in metabolic diseases. We will also provide new insights into using NLRP3 inflammasome as an innovative therapeutic target.