Research progress on pyroptosis and cardiovascular diseases / 生理学报

ABSTRACT

Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death which is closely related to the inflammatory response, mediated by Gasdermin protein and depends on the activity of cysteine aspartate specific protease (caspase). Pyroptosis is typically characterized by swelling and rupture of cell membrane, release of proinflammatory factors and cell contents from the plasma membrane to the extracellular environment, which aggravates inflammatory response. During the inflammatory response, NLRP3, caspase, Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and IL-1β play important roles in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we focus on the role of pyroptosis in cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, diabetic cardiomyopathy, pressure overload-induced ventricular remodeling and cardiac hypertrophy, myocarditis, arrhythmia and so on, and summarize the potential treatment targeting pyroptosis. It will provide the basis for prevention and treatment of clinical cardiovascular diseases.