Abstract
BackgroundInterferon-inducible 16 (IFI16)/caspase-1 inflammasome activates and secretes IL-1β. However, it is still unclear whether the IFI16 inflammasome is involved in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Autophagy directly removed inflammasome components and limited early IL-1β production. RalB is required for the crosstalk between inflammasome and autophagy in macrophages. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), the main derived ingredient of artemisinin, has a variety of biological activities. The mechanism of DHA in regulating the crosstalk between IFI16 inflammasome and autophagy by inhibiting RalB expression was analyzed in order to provide clues for new therapeutic methods in laryngeal cancer.MethodsThe expression of IFI16 was analyzed by Oncomine and GEPIA databases and detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The relationship between IFI16 inflammasome and autophagy was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence assay, etc. in Hep-2, Cal-27 and HeLa cells treated with DHA. The xenograft tumor of hep-2 cell in nude mice were used to assess the effect of DHA on laryngeal cancer.ResultsIt was reported for the first time in this study that IFI16 was overexpressed and positively correlated with caspase-1 in laryngeal carcinoma tissues. DHA significantly inhibited the activation of inflammasome and reduced IL-1β production in the microenvironment of Hep-2 cell xenograft tumor in nude mice. Mechanistically, we found that DHA degraded RalB, inhibited USP33 expression, and triggered autophagy. Meanwhile, enhanced autophagy can reduce the expression of RalB and USP33. Furthermore, DHA promotes autophagy, which suppresses the activation of IFI16/caspase-1 inflammasome and IL-1β production.ConclusionsTherefore, our findings demonstrate that DHA may act as a RalB inhibitor to regulate the crosstalk between autophagy and IFI16/caspase-1 inflammasome, which inhibits IL-1β production in tumor microenvironment.
Highlights
Interferon-inducible 16 (IFI16)/caspase-1 inflammasome activates and secretes IL-1β
It has been found that lower Absent in melanoma (AIM2) expression was negatively correlated with higher p-STAT3 expression in the human hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) tissue samples from 111 patients with HSCC, and combined analysis revealed that the patients with low AIM2 and high p-STAT3 levels had the worst survival rate [4]
According to the results of the previous work, the mechanism of DHA in regulating the crosstalk between IFI16 inflammasome and autophagy by inhibiting RalB expression was analyzed in order to provide clues for new therapeutic methods in laryngeal cancer
Summary
Interferon-inducible 16 (IFI16)/caspase-1 inflammasome activates and secretes IL-1β It is still unclear whether the IFI16 inflammasome is involved in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The mechanism of DHA in regulating the crosstalk between IFI16 inflammasome and autophagy by inhibiting RalB expression was analyzed in order to provide clues for new therapeutic methods in laryngeal cancer. IFI16, as a member of PYHIN family, can recognize double strand DNA (dsDNA) from various sources, assemble inflammasome, activate procaspase 1, release IL-1β, and induce pyroptosis [5]. It is still unclear whether the IFI16 inflammasome is involved in LSCC progression and DHA treatment
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