Astaxanthin attenuate iohexol-induced human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells injury via the ROS/NLRP3 inflammasome signal pathway

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To investigate the possible mechanism of renal protection of astaxanthin in iohexol-induced human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells injury. METHODS: Human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) were randomly divided into six groups: blank control group (Control group); Dimethyl sulfoxide solvent control group (DMSO group); astaxanthin control group (AST group); Contrast media group (CM group); astaxanthin pretreatment group (AST+CM group); N-acetylcysteine pretreatment group (NAC+CM group).After the cells received different intervention for the indicated time,DAPI DNA fluorescence staining detected cells apoptosis; Annexin-V-FITC / PI dual-labeled flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate; the levels of Reactive oxygen species(ROS) was detected by Flow cytometry; the protein levels of NLRP3 and CASPASE1 were detected by Western Blotting; the levels of IL-1βand IL-18 was detected by ELISA. RESULTS: The measurement results show a significant increase (P< 0.05) in the levels of ROS, NLRP3, CASPASE1, IL-1β, IL-18 and apoptosis rate in the CM group compared with the CON group. Compared with the CM group, a significant improvement in these unfavorable parameters was observed in AST+CM group and NAC+CM group. There was no significant difference in the above parameters between AST+CM group and NAC+CM group(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Astaxanthin can attenuate iohexol-induced human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells injury, and its possible mechanism is related to the inhibition of ROS production and down-regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream apoptosis and inflammatory response.