基于NLRP3-GSDMD通路的细胞焦亡调控与缺血性脑卒中的免疫治疗策略

万晨蕾 ,  任彬彬

中山大学学报(医学科学版) ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (2) : 216 -226.

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中山大学学报(医学科学版) ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (2) : 216 -226. DOI: 10.11714/jsysu.med.YX20250151
综述

基于NLRP3-GSDMD通路的细胞焦亡调控与缺血性脑卒中的免疫治疗策略

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Regulation of Pyroptosis via the NLRP3-GSDMD Pathway and Its Immunotherapeutic Strategy in Ischemic Stroke

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摘要

缺血性脑卒中(IS)是全球范围内致残和致死率极高的神经系统疾病,其发生发展过程中伴随复杂的免疫炎症反应与细胞死亡形式的交织。近年来,细胞焦亡作为一种由炎性小体介导的程序性细胞死亡方式,在卒中后神经损伤中的关键作用逐渐受到关注。其中,含吡啶结构域的NOD样受体家族蛋白3炎性小体-气道蛋白D(NLRP3-GSDMD)通路作为细胞焦亡的核心信号轴,在脑缺血后的免疫反应与神经功能损伤中起到关键调控作用。然而,目前针对该通路的作用机制尚不完全清晰、治疗策略仍面临特异性不足等瓶颈问题。因此,本文通过阐述总结IS的免疫炎症病理机制、NLRP3-GSDMD通路与细胞焦亡的作用和涉及此通路为靶点的免疫治疗策略,旨在为未来基于细胞焦亡调控的卒中免疫治疗研究提供参考与新思路。

Abstract

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a neurological disorder with high rates of disability and mortality worldwide, characterized by complex interactions between immune-inflammatory responses and various forms of cell death during its onset and progression. In recent years, pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death mediated by inflammasomes, has attracted increasing attention for its critical role in post-stroke neuronal injury. Among the underlying mechanisms, the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 inflammasome-Gasdermin D (NLRP3-GSDMD) pathway, as the central signaling axis of pyroptosis, plays a crucial regulatory role in immune responses and neuronal dysfunction following cerebral ischemia. However, current therapeutic strategies targeting this pathway remain limited by insufficient specificity and an incomplete understanding of its mechanisms of action. Therefore, this review summarizes the immuno-inflammatory pathology of IS, the mechanisms of the NLRP3-GSDMD pathway and pyroptosis, as well as emerging immunotherapeutic strategies targeting this signaling axis, aiming to provide insights and references for future research on pyroptosis-based immunomodulatory therapies for stroke.

Graphical abstract

关键词

含吡啶结构域的NOD样受体家族蛋白3炎性小体-气道蛋白D通路 / 细胞焦亡 / 缺血性脑卒中 / 免疫炎症 / 治疗

Key words

NLRP3-GSDMD pathway / pyroptosis / ischemic stroke / immune inflammation / treatment

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万晨蕾,任彬彬. 基于NLRP3-GSDMD通路的细胞焦亡调控与缺血性脑卒中的免疫治疗策略[J]. 中山大学学报(医学科学版), 2026, 47(2): 216-226 DOI:10.11714/jsysu.med.YX20250151

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脑卒中是全球第二大致死性和致残性疾病,据世界卫生组织统计,全球每年约有300万人死于脑卒中1。其中缺血性脑卒中(ischemic stroke, IS)是最常见的类型,IS是指大脑血液循环障碍导致缺血缺氧,而引起的脑组织坏死,占所有脑卒中总数的87%2。目前,治疗IS的主要方法是溶栓、血管内取栓术和抗血栓治疗3。尽管这些治疗手段在IS早期可以有效缓解患者的症状4,但后期受限于时间窗和再灌注损伤等因素,其整体疗效仍不理想。因此,深入揭示IS发生发展的病理分子机制并探索新的干预策略,成为当前研究的重点与难点。
IS发生发展过程涉及多种病理环节,包括炎症反应、细胞死亡、血脑屏障(blood-brain barrier, BBB)破坏及神经修复等5,引起一系列炎症反应和脑损伤。近年来,越来越多的证据表明,炎性小体在IS诱导的神经炎症和细胞死亡中发挥着关键作用,并与脑功能恢复密切相关6-8。其中NOD样受体家族吡咯碱结构域含3(NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3,NLRP3)作为目前研究最为深入的炎性小体之一,已发现在IS背景下介导神经炎症并发挥作用。细胞焦亡(又称细胞炎性坏死),它不仅负责程序性细胞死亡,还可促进神经炎症9,是一种依赖于半胱氨酰天冬氨酸特异性蛋白酶-1(cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed protease-1,Caspase-1)的细胞死亡方式,是先天免疫反应的重要组成部分10,其特征是细胞不断扩增直至胞膜破裂,导致促炎因子释放引起局部及全身免疫反应11-12。IS后细胞和神经元损伤,导致危险相关分子模式(damage-associated molecular patterns, DAMPs)、病原相关分子模式(pathogen-associated molecular patterns, PAMPs)会被释放或识别,从而激活NLRP3炎性小体,激活的NLRP3炎性小体招募凋亡相关斑点样蛋白含CARD结构域(apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD,ASC)和前体Caspase-1,导致气道蛋白D(gasdermin D,GSDMD)裂解并形成膜孔,caspase-1裂解的同时伴随白细胞介素-1β(interleukin-1 beta,IL-1β)、白细胞介素-18(interleukin-18,IL-18)释放和内皮功能障碍13-14,最终诱导细胞焦亡并放大炎症反应,加剧脑损伤。
在众多焦亡相关信号通路中,NLRP3-GSDMD作为经典的炎性小体依赖性细胞焦亡通路被认为是触发卒中后炎症反应的重要机制。Zhang等15在大脑中动脉阻塞(middle cerebral artery Occlusion,MCAO)再灌注模型中发现,下调内质网应激转录因子XBP-1可通过抑制经典NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD通路,显著减轻神经元焦亡和炎症反应,从而缓解卒中后的神经损伤。Shang等16发现,舒雪通注射液通过降低GSDMD-N、NLRP3和CD44的表达,减少暂时性大脑中动脉闭塞(middle cerebral artery occlusion,tMCAO)大鼠和OGD/R细胞的细胞焦亡和炎症,提示其通过CD44/NLRP3/GSDMD信号抑制急性IS中的细胞焦亡。这些研究表明NLRP3-GSDMD通路抑制细胞焦亡是改善卒中结果的可行策略。然而,目前相关研究仍集中于NLRP3炎性小体、GSDMD细胞焦亡各自的基础实验,两者转化应用和系统性总结尚显不足。基于此,本文将围绕IS后的免疫炎症反应,通过阐述总结IS的免疫炎症病理机制、NLRP3-GSDMD通路与细胞焦亡的作用和涉及此通路为靶点的免疫治疗策略,以期为卒中防治提供新的理论依据和研究方向。

1 IS的免疫炎症病理机制

1.1 小胶质细胞的早期激活是局部炎症的起点

IS发生后,外周免疫细胞浸润与小胶质细胞相互作用是局部炎症反应的核心特征17。而小胶质细胞的早期激活是IS局部炎症的起点,作为中枢神经系统先天免疫的第一道防线,急性期可在数分钟内迅速响应,亚急性期小胶质细胞出现于缺血核心区,慢性期则逐渐增多,并在第7天达到峰值18-19。小胶质细胞可通过不同炎症信号通路极化为两种功能表型:M1和M2,在缺血后发挥不同的调控作用。随着对小胶质细胞激活机制的进一步研究,发现NLRP3炎性小体是触发M1激活的关键20,激活的NLRP3炎性小体导致 IL-1β、IL-18的分化和成熟,以及 GSDMD 的裂解,从而产生强烈的炎症级联反应和细胞焦亡,被认为是脑出血后神经炎症的主要参与者21。Li等22发现芦荟大黄素可通过抑制NLRP3炎性小体的激活,促进小胶质细胞向M2型抗炎表型转化以及抑制细胞焦亡,能够有效减轻缺血再灌注(ischemia/reperfusion,I/R)损伤中的神经炎症反应和细胞死亡,从而对脑组织起到保护作用。

M1小胶质细胞通常由干扰素-γ(interferon-gamma,IFN-γ)和脂多糖(lipopolysaccharide,LPS)诱导,发挥促炎作用,释放IL-1β、肿瘤坏死因子-α(tumor necrosis factor-alpha,TNF-α)等趋化因子,促进外周免疫细胞通过受损的BBB浸润,从而加重神经炎症和神经损伤23-25。相反,M2小胶质细胞由白细胞介素-4(interleukin-4,IL-4)和白细胞介素-13(interleukin-13,IL-13)诱导,发挥抗炎作用,分泌白细胞介素-10(IL-10)、转化生长因子-β(transforming growth factor-beta,TGF-β)、类胰岛素生长因子-1(insulin-like growth factor-1,IGF-1)及神经营养因子,通过抑制促炎因子和吞噬损伤碎屑促进组织修复26。M1促炎与M2抗炎的动态平衡与IS密切相关,揭示了小胶质细胞在神经炎症与修复中的双重作用27。Guan等28在近期研究表明,IS后小胶质细胞/巨噬细胞中胞苷/尿苷单磷酸激酶表达显著升高,其敲低可抑制NLRP3炎性小体活化和细胞焦亡,并减轻tMCAO小鼠的缺血损伤。此外,Serglycin(SRGN,由Srgn基因编码)是一种在免疫细胞中表达的蛋白多糖,Qian等29发现SRGN可增强小胶质细胞促炎因子(IL-1β、TNF-α)表达,进一步放大神经炎症。综上,这些发现为小胶质细胞早期活化作为局部炎症起点提供了分子证据。

1.2 BBB破坏与外周免疫细胞浸润——放大炎症反应

上述讨论得知:NLRP3炎性小体的激活通过激活caspase-1,促使GSDMD裂解,启动细胞焦亡,释放大量的促炎因子13,引起BBB的破坏。BBB作为中枢神经系统与外周循环的分界,严格调控营养物质和离子流动,同时限制有害物质进入,并选择性调节炎症因子和免疫细胞的流动,从而维持大脑稳态30-31。此外,IS发生后,小胶质细胞激活及外周免疫细胞(中性粒细胞、单核细胞/巨噬细胞、淋巴细胞)浸润也会破坏BBB,放大神经元损伤并促进神经免疫反应32-34

1.2.1 中性粒细胞

中性粒细胞产生的促炎因子(IL-1β、TNF-α)和趋化因子会进一步破坏BBB35。作为最早浸润缺血脑组织的外周免疫细胞,中性粒细胞可在数分钟内附着脑内皮细胞,1~3 d达到峰值,随后逐渐减少36。有学者在研究实验分析中发现急性期中性粒细胞在梗死周围聚集,其耗竭可减少BBB破坏并增强第14天的新生血管形成37。此外,中性粒细胞可极化为促炎N1表型或抗炎N2表型——神经毒性表型和神经保护表型38。前者加重脑损伤,后者抑制炎症并促进修复39。Cai等40验证了促进中性粒细胞向N2表型转化已被证明可在MCAO后1天减少梗塞体积,提示其为潜在的组织保护策略。综上,中性粒细胞在IS后的双重作用凸显了其在脑损伤与修复过程中的关键地位。其早期大量浸润及分泌的炎症因子可加重BBB破坏和神经损伤,而促进其向抗炎N2表型转化则有望减轻炎症反应、促进神经再生。

1.2.2 单核细胞/巨噬细胞

IS发生后,除中性粒细胞外,单核细胞/巨噬细胞和淋巴细胞的作用也逐渐显现。单核细胞来源于外周血,迁移至梗死区域后可分化为巨噬细胞41,与同源的小胶质细胞一样,均可极化为促炎M1或抗炎M2表型,其表型受局部炎症环境影响42。Cao等43有一项在急性I/R模型测定中的研究表明M1向M2表型转化可缓解神经炎症并改善IS预后。此外,单核细胞来源的巨噬细胞与小胶质细胞具有协同作用,是卒中后产生和释放多种细胞因子及趋化因子的主要来源,在卒中后3-7 d达到峰值,同时释放(reactive oxygen species,ROS)和其他炎症介质,诱导脑损伤进展44-45

1.2.3 淋巴细胞

淋巴细胞作为外周免疫细胞的重要组成细胞,它们在神经炎症中的作用主要与T细胞有关46。Hoffmann等47在MCAO小鼠模型中发现,BBB在再灌注后2 h出现显著功能障碍,随之T细胞浸润到受损区域。此外,小胶质细胞可通过抗原呈递促进T细胞浸润到神经系统中激活继发性神经免疫反应48。Wang等49研究表明,Th1/Th17细胞(CD4⁺T)通过分泌IFN-γ和IL-17A,激活内皮细胞和小胶质细胞,并上调趋化因子,促进中性粒细胞和单核细胞浸润,破坏BBB并进一步加重组织损伤。而调节性T细胞(regulatory T cell,Treg)则通过分泌IL-10和TGF-β抑制炎症并促进组织修复50。Wang等51在IS模型实验中验证了与SHAM组相比,MCAO组脑内Treg和γδT细胞比例升高并伴随炎症,MEA组通过上调Treg及IL-10、下调γδT细胞,显著改善Treg/γδT细胞比例,从而抑制炎症并减轻脑损伤。

综上两节所述,IS发生后,局部缺血缺氧迅速触发神经炎症,其核心在于小胶质细胞的激活与极化。活化的小胶质细胞可通过NLRP3-GSDMD信号通路介导细胞焦亡,释放IL-1β、IL-18等炎症介质,进一步放大局部炎症反应;同时,BBB破坏使中性粒细胞、单核细胞和T淋巴细胞等外周免疫细胞大量浸润,加剧神经元损伤和炎症级联反应,从而推动卒中后病理进展。IS免疫炎症反应机制图如图1所示。

1.3 IS免疫应答的系统性效应

IS不仅是局限于脑组织的急性血管事件,更是一种涉及全身多系统的复杂疾病。在其发生发展过程中,系统性免疫应答发挥关键作用,既包括免疫激活与炎症反应,也包括免疫抑制,形成“免疫双相效应”。前文已阐述IS后的免疫炎症反应机制,然而,与上述炎症过度反应并行的另一特征是卒中后免疫抑制。初期,免疫炎症反应有助于防御和清除死细胞,但随着炎症加剧,过量的氧化物和细胞毒性物质释放,可能加重卒中的病理进程34。此后,外周免疫抑制现象显现,表现为免疫细胞极化,淋巴细胞数量急剧减少,中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比率增加,抗原呈递分子表达减少,抗炎介质和抗体水平上升等52。NLRP3-GSDMD通路不仅在早期促炎阶发挥作用(比如诱导细胞焦亡、促进炎症因子释放),在后期免疫抑制阶段也依然活跃。比如有文献分析了NLRP3炎性小体在巨噬细胞极化中的作用,特别是在IS后的免疫反应,NLRP3的激活可能导致巨噬细胞向M2型(抗炎)表型转化19,从而增强免疫抑制效应。此外,Faura等53有证据表明,免疫抑制的发生与交感神经系统、下丘脑–垂体–肾上腺轴和副交感神经系统密切相关。卒中的免疫抑制不仅增加继发感染(如肺炎、尿路感染)的风险53,还影响了神经修复和功能恢复54。免疫抑制还可导致肺部免疫防御功能下降,进而引发卒中相关性肺炎55。此外,卒中后还可表现出全身性效应:如卒中后炎症与交感兴奋可诱发心律失常、心肌损伤,形成所谓“脑心综合征”56,以及卒中后可通过肠-脑轴引起肠道菌群失衡,进一步加重神经炎症和恢复障碍57,这些会引起一系列全身反应,从而加剧免疫紊乱。但目前IS免疫应答的系统性效应中,NLRP3-GSDMD通路在免疫抑制阶段通过调节免疫细胞功能来改变机体的免疫应答模式的研究相对较少,因此对于此小节阐述相对不够完善,这也成为未来研究的一个重点。

综上,IS诱导的免疫应答具有系统性特征,其免疫学改变呈现“早期炎症过度—后期免疫抑制”的双相过程,这共同决定着卒中后的预后与恢复,深入理解其机制并实施针对性干预,对减少并发症、改善预后具有重要临床意义。

2 NLRP3-GSDMD通路:细胞焦亡的核心分子机制

2.1 NLRP3炎性小体的激活与调控

炎性小体是引发细胞焦亡的关键传感器,其中NLRP3炎性小体在经典细胞焦亡途径中发挥重要作用58-59。NLRP3蛋白属于NLR家族,特异性形成三聚体,其由N端吡咯碱结构域(pyrin domain,PYD)、C端12个富含亮氨酸的重复序列(leucine-rich repeat,LRR)和一个中央核苷酸结合寡聚化结构域(nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing tetra-helix,NACTH)组成60。而NLRP3炎性小体是由NLRP3蛋白、ASC和Caspase-1组成的多蛋白复合物61。其可通过经典和非经典途径激活:

其中经典激活涉及两个信号:启动信号和激活信号。启动信号是在IS发生后由模式识别受体识别DAMPs或PAMPs时触发,常见受体包括Toll样受体(toll-like receptors,TLRs)、肿瘤坏死因子受体(tumor necrosis factor receptors,TNFRs)或NOD样受体(NOD-like receptors,NLRs)62,通过激活核因子κB(nuclear factor kappa B,NF-κB)信号通路上调NLRP3炎性小体、Caspase-1和IL-1β的表达63。而激活信号则来源于DAMPs或PAMPs刺激,包括细胞外ATP浓度变化、细胞内离子通量改变64-65、溶酶体损伤及组织蛋白酶B的释放66以及线粒体功能障碍引起的活性氧ROS生成67。这些因素共同促进了NLRP3炎性小体的组装与激活。

NLRP3炎性小体的非典型激活途径主要由革兰氏阴性菌表面LPS介导68。LPS通过吞噬进入宿主细胞质,激活半胱天冬酶-11(cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed protease-11,Caspase-11,),进而触发pannexin-1通道开放,使ATP进入细胞并促进K⁺外流,上调NLRP3炎性小体激活,同时分泌IL-1β和IL-18随后诱导GSDMD的裂解生成GSDMD-NT结构域,该结构域在细胞膜形成跨膜孔,导致炎症因子释放并诱导细胞焦亡69。此外,K⁺外流进一步触发NLRP3炎性小体激活,形成一种正反馈机制,强化免疫反应70,通过经典和非典型途径激活的NLRP3炎性小体,可放大炎症反应并触发下游细胞焦亡,增强免疫应答71

Franke等72证明,IS发生后,NLRP3炎性小体主要在缺血神经元中表达,并在小鼠tMCAO模型的炎症反应中发挥重要作用,早期阻断NLRP3炎性小体可减轻炎症并稳定BBB来防止I/R损伤。Wang等73在一项探讨电针对IS大鼠神经功能及炎症相关蛋白NLRP3/caspase-1表达的实验中发现,电针刺激通过抑制NLRP3/caspase-1炎症通路,减少NLRP3、GSDMD、caspase-1、IL-1β和IL-18的表达,从而减轻IS大鼠的神经功能缺损和脑组织损伤。Hu等74探讨了依达拉奉右冰片在急性IS的治疗效果及其潜在机制,发现NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD信号通路是依达拉奉右冰片促进功能恢复的治疗靶点。上述临床证据表明,NLRP3炎性小体在IS的病理机制中起着关键作用,提示NLRP3炎性小体有望成为干预脑缺血的重要潜在靶点。

2.2 GSDMD介导的膜穿孔与细胞焦亡过程

gasdermin家族是细胞焦亡的重要执行介质,其中GSDMD被视为在炎性小体通路中与焦亡关系最为密切的分子75。它由N端(GSDMD-N)和C端(GSDMD-C)组成,静息状态下为无活性前体76,当IS发生后,NLRP3会作为细胞焦亡的启动分子,活化的caspase-1或caspase-4/5/11裂解GSDMD,裂解后释放的N-GSDMD可插入细胞膜形成孔洞,介导炎性细胞因子释放并诱导细胞焦亡77。研究显示,IS中,LPS可通过caspase-4/11-GSDMD通路破坏BBB,引发细胞死亡和炎症因子释放78。此外,Ma等79报告了GSDMD在IS的表达显著上调,并与胞质双链DNA介导的cGAS-AIM2/NLRP3-GSDMD信号通路相关,从而驱动细胞发生焦亡。此外,Wang等80在一项探究GSDMD在I/R脑损伤的实验中揭示了敲除GSDMD能减轻脑损伤并改善神经功能,与野生型小鼠相比,GSDMD⁻/⁻小鼠在I/R后的梗死体积更小,IL-1β和IL-18炎症因子的分泌也减少,神经功能恢复更好。综上所述,GSDMD在IS相关的细胞焦亡中发挥核心作用,为未来靶向治疗提供了潜在方向。NLRP3-GSDMD通路介导的细胞焦亡机制示意图如图2所示。

2.3 NLRP3–GSDMD通路在IS中的免疫调控与细胞焦亡作用

通过上述讨论得知:IS是一种将炎症免疫级联反应与细胞焦亡网络连接起来的全身性疾病81。IS可触发复杂的免疫应答,其中NLRP3-GSDMD通路在细胞焦亡的发生中发挥着核心作用。一方面,NLRP3炎性小体通过识别DAMPs或PAMPs被激活,诱导免疫细胞等向损伤部位募集82,进而促使Caspase-1裂解GSDMD并形成膜孔83,引发细胞焦亡,并伴随炎症因子的释放,进一步放大炎症级联反应84。另一方面,若该通路被过度激活,则可能导致免疫失衡与继发性免疫抑制52。此外,NLRP3-GSDMD通路在不同细胞类型中发挥差异性作用:早期阶段,在神经元和神经胶质细胞(主要为小胶质细胞)中,NLRP3炎性小体的激活可直接触发GSDMD介导的细胞焦亡85,这形成局部神经炎症核心和直接损伤的终端效应。随后,BBB的破坏使髓系细胞(单核细胞/巨噬细胞、中性粒细胞等)进入脑内,NLRP3炎性小体活化主要通过释放IL-1β、IL-18等促炎因子放大炎症反应,招募外周免疫细胞,这部分是炎症的放大器,最终扩大损伤区域86-87。Li等88的研究揭示了甲基转移酶样14(METTL14)在IS中的作用:IS后小胶质细胞和巨噬细胞中的METTL14水平升高,而METTL14耗竭通过改变小胶质细胞和巨噬细胞的表型,并抑制NLRP3炎性小体的激活,发挥其抗炎作用。此外,动物实验和MCAO模型表明,METTL14耗竭减少了GSDMD-N的表达,并通过抑制小胶质细胞和巨噬细胞中的NLRP3-GSDMD通路,从而发挥神经保护作用。

综上,NLRP3-GSDMD通路在IS后的免疫病理发挥着至关重要的作用。它通过激活炎性小体和细胞焦亡过程,参与了免疫反应的启动和维持,因此针对该通路的干预有望成为未来卒中治疗的新策略。

3 干预靶点策略

综上所述,针对NLRP3-GSDMD通路的干预策略,旨在通过从上游到下游的多层次干预,全面阻断炎性小体的激活及细胞焦亡过程,从而减轻IS后的神经损伤与炎症反应。具体策略如下:

3.1 通过上游阻断NLRP3本体、激活步骤

针对上游干预,ChemR23(ERV1/ChemR23)信号通路因其对炎症调节的潜在作用而受到关注:Liu等89报告表明,激活ChemR23(如RvE1或C-9)或过表达ChemR23可减轻神经元死亡并抑制NLRP3炎性小体的活化;相反,敲除或抑制ChemR23会增加GSDMD-N表达、升高IL-1β/IL-18水平并促进细胞焦亡,提示靶向ChemR23可能为抑制NLRP3介导的焦亡提供新的途径。Bel等90研究发现,作为小分子抑制剂代表的MCC950在tMCAO模型中显示出明确的疗效:在直接抑制NLRP3方面,给予MCC950的动物中,预防性给药可将梗死面积显著降低(约60%),延迟给药也能获得显著但较小的梗死减少(约35%)。此外,Pra等91支持MCC950可缓解SIRT3-NLRP3驱动的炎症反应并改善神经功能学结局(运动协调、握力、贴片去除时间等)。这些发现都提示并强调了用MCC950靶向NLRP3炎性小体抑制剂治疗缺血性中风的治疗潜力。

3.2 通过中游抑制焦亡执行器

Caspase-1和GSDMD是细胞焦亡执行阶段的关键分子。Lu等92的研究显示,Caspase-1抑制剂Ac-YVAD-cmk可显著减弱胡椒碱(piperlongumine,Pip)对GSDMD-N和IL-1β的抑制作用,提示Pip可能通过调控Caspase-1依赖性细胞焦亡通路产生神经保护效应。此外,Xu等93在一项tMCAO的实验中表明从灯心草中提取的二氢菲类化合物Effusol能靶向NLRP3蛋白,然后抑制其过度激活及下游细胞焦亡反应,从而减轻缺血性脑损伤。Pan等94在研究中证实了新型Caspase-1抑制剂CZL80可抑制梗死周围皮层小胶质细胞的激活,通过抑制caspase-1促进脑卒中小鼠神经功能的恢复。这些结果共同提示,通过抑制caspase-1/GSDMD介导的焦亡执行过程,可有效阻断炎症级联放大,为IS的免疫治疗提供了重要策略。

3.3 通过下游阻止膜破裂

NINJ1作为最新发现的细胞焦亡终末执行分子,被认为是继GSDMD之后的又一潜在治疗靶点。该跨膜蛋白在GSDMD形成膜孔后介导细胞膜的最终裂解,使胞质内容物(DAMPs)大量释放,从而显著放大炎症反应95。Dong等96在一项涉及220例的临床随机对照试验中发现,尤其是大动脉粥样硬化性急性缺血性脑卒中(LAA-AIS型患者)血清NINJ1水平显著高于健康对照,且与促炎反应程度呈正相关,提示其可能作为新的炎症促进因子。因此,靶向抑制NINJ1以阻止细胞膜彻底破裂、减少DAMPs释放,可能成为降低继发性炎症损伤的新型干预策略。

3.4 通过外泌体介导的免疫与焦亡调控策略

近年来,外泌体因其内含多种功能性分子(如miRNA、lncRNA及蛋白质)而具备天然的跨细胞信息传递与靶向递送优势,被视为调控NLRP3-GSDMD通路的潜在免疫治疗策略。Yang等97在研究显示,Sinomenine可通过外泌体携带的miRNA-223-3p促进小胶质细胞M2 型极化并抑制神经元焦亡,从而减轻慢性脑低灌注引起的神经炎症。此外,Sun等98在体外和体内模型研究中指出了星形胶质细胞来源的外泌体miR-378a-5p能通过抑制NLRP3介导的焦亡反应,减轻脑缺血性神经炎症并发挥神经保护作用。这些发现提示外泌体不仅可作为免疫调控剂,还可作为针对NLRP3-GSDMD通路的靶向递送平台。然而,其临床转化仍受限于剂量控制、来源异质性及安全性评价不足等问题。

上述策略表明,针对NLRP3-GSDMD通路的干预可在不同层面上阻断炎性小体的激活及细胞焦亡过程——从直接抑制NLRP3的组装与活化,到阻断caspase-1/GSDMD的成孔作用,再到防止下游膜破裂及利用外泌体介导的免疫调控,NLRP3-GSDMD通路的调控已成为探索卒中免疫治疗的重要切入点。

4 总结与展望

综上,NLRP3-GSDMD通路介导的细胞焦亡在IS的炎症损伤与继发免疫反应中发挥关键作用。本文阐述总结了IS的免疫炎症病理机制、NLRP3-GSDMD通路与细胞焦亡的作用以及探讨了靶向该通路(包括阻断NLRP3激活、抑制Caspase-1和GSDMD活性,以及靶向下游膜裂解因子NINJ1等)有效减轻脑组织损伤、改善神经功能,为卒中免疫治疗提供了新的方向。

目前,虽然针对NLRP3-GSDMD通路在IS治疗中的研究取得了新进展,但仍存在若干挑战:首先,现有研究多停留在细胞和动物模型阶段,由于动物模型与人类卒中的病理差异,其临床可转化性有限。未来应开展更多高质量的随机对照临床试验,以验证其临床疗效、安全性及最佳给药方案。其次,部分治疗靶点和化合物的机制生物学与长期效应尚不明确。例如,MCC950虽具高选择性,但其肝毒性和潜在免疫抑制风险限制了临床应用;NINJ1虽兼具促炎与抗炎活性,但长期抑制可能干扰组织修复。未来需建立完善的药代动力学与安全性评估体系,并结合生物标志物开展多中心临床研究,实现个体化精准干预。此外,NLRP3-GSDMD通路在不同细胞类型和病程阶段中的作用具有显著异质性,目前缺乏针对性研究。未来还应加强对该通路在IS治疗的时间窗问题,明确最佳干预时机。同时,还应结合多基因风险评分与非遗传危险因素分层分析,有助于实现卒中的早期预测与个体化预防。基于此,NLRP3-GSDMD通路的细胞焦亡调控在IS中免疫炎症的作用不仅拓展了卒中发病机制的理解,也为精准免疫干预与个体化康复提供了新的理论基础与实践方向。

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基金资助

中医药传承与创新人才工程(仲景工程)(CZ0325-10)

2022年度河南省中医药拔尖人才培养项目专项(2022ZYBJ09)

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