Pyroptosis mediates high glucose-induced inflammation and injury in MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts

AIM To investigate whether pyroptosis contributes to the inflammation and injury in mouse embryonic osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 induced by high glucose (HG; 45 mmol/L glucose). METHODS The cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay. The protein expression levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) and caspase-1 (CASP1) were determined by Western blot. The secretion levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and IL-1β were measured by ELISA. The intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining followed by photofluorography. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was examined by rhodamine 123 staining followed by photofluorography. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was determined using the ALP kit, and the number of mineralized nodules was detected by alizarin red S staining. RESULTS After the MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were treated with HG for 24 h, the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and CASP1, and the secretion levels of IL-18 and IL-1β were significantly increased. The decrease in cell viability, and the increases in ROS generation and MMP loss were also observed. Moreover, the differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were inhibited, evidenced by decreases in both ALP activity and mineralized nodule number. Knockdown of CASP1 by siRNA attenuated the HG-induced osteoblast inflammation and injury mentioned above. CONCLUSION Pyroptosis mediates HG-induced inflammation and injury in MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts.