Resveratrol improves gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis of vascular endothelial cells induced by a high-fat diet and palmitic acid possibly via the SIRT1-p66Shc-NLRP3 pathway

Resveratrol (RSV) ameliorates endothelial dysfunction (ED) primarily through sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). Increasing evidence shows pyroptosis as a novel mechanism in palmitic acid (PA)-induced ED. p66Shc is an adaptor protein involved in oxidative stress. However, whether RSV attenuates the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome via p66Shc remains elusive. This study aims to evaluate whether the antipyroptotic effect of RSV and the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 are related to p66Shc. High-fat diet (HFD) induced obesity in mice, and RSV was administered intragastrically with 400mg/kg/d for 22 successive weeks. The serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 were analyzed, and the expression of related proteins were assayed with immunohistochemistry in the thoracic aorta. human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were induced by PA, then treated with RSV and EX527 respectively, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and expression of p66Shc, NLRP3, GSDMD and pyroptosis-related genes were assayed. RSV administration ameliorated endothelial cell pyroptosis by decreasing serum IL-1β and IL-18, the expression of NLRP3, p66Shc, and gasdermin D (GSDMD), and increasing the expression of SIRT1 in the HFD-treated thoracic aorta. PA promoted GSDMD-mediated endothelial cell pyroptosis by ROS production, LDH release, decreased MMP and SIRT1 expression, increased expression of p66Shc and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in a dose-dependent manner. RSV attenuated PA-induced pyroptosis, whereas EX527 reversed the antipyroptotic effect of RSV in PA-treated HUVECs. Our results suggested a new mechanism that RSV improves PA-induced pyroptosis in endothelial cells via the SIRT1-p66Shc-NLRP3 pathway.