Punicalagin attenuates ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction via regulating the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway

CONTEXT: Punicalagin has myocardial protection; the mechanism of punicalagin on ventricular remodeling (VR) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: These studies explore the role and mechanism of punicalagin in preventing and treating VR after AMI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Molecular docking was used to predict the targets of punicalagin. After 2 weeks of AMI model, the SD rats were randomly divided into model, and punicalagin (200, 400 mg/kg, gavage) groups for 4 weeks. Thoracotomy with perforation but no ligature was performed on rats in control group. The protein expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis speck-like protein (ASC), caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), and GSDMD-N, the mRNA expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 were evaluated. RESULTS: Punicalagin had binding activities with NLRP3 (Vina score, −5.8), caspase-1 (Vina score, −6.7), and GSDMD (Vina score, −6.7). Punicalagin could improve cardiac function, alleviate cardiac pathological changes, minimize the excessive accumulation of collagen in the left ventricular myocardium (p < 0.01), and inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis (p < 0.01). Furthermore, punicalagin could inhibit the overexpression of NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD via immunohistochemistry (p < 0.01). Punicalagin inhibited the protein levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, ASC, GSDMD, and GSDMD-N (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Punicalagin reduced the mRNA expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β and IL-18 (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Punicalagin may provide a useful treatment for the future myocardial protection.