Inflammasome activation under high cholesterol load triggers a protective microglial phenotype while promoting neuronal pyroptosis

BACKGROUND: Persistent inflammatory response in the brain can lead to tissue damage and neurodegeneration. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is an aberrant activation of inflammasomes, molecular platforms that drive inflammation through caspase-1-mediated proteolytic cleavage of proinflammatory cytokines and gasdermin D (GSDMD), the executor of pyroptosis. However, the mechanisms underlying the sustained activation of inflammasomes in AD are largely unknown. We have previously shown that high brain cholesterol levels promote amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation and oxidative stress. Here, we investigate whether these cholesterol-mediated changes may regulate the inflammasome pathway. METHODS: SIM-A9 microglia and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were cholesterol-enriched using a water-soluble cholesterol complex. After exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus muramyl dipeptide or Aβ, activation of the inflammasome pathway was analyzed by immunofluorescence, ELISA and immunoblotting analysis. Fluorescently-labeled Aβ was employed to monitor changes in microglia phagocytosis. Conditioned medium was used to study how microglia-neuron interrelationship modulates the inflammasome-mediated response. RESULTS: In activated microglia, cholesterol enrichment promoted the release of encapsulated IL-1β accompanied by a switch to a more neuroprotective phenotype, with increased phagocytic capacity and release of neurotrophic factors. In contrast, in SH-SY5Y cells, high cholesterol levels stimulated inflammasome assembly triggered by both bacterial toxins and Aβ peptides, resulting in GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis. Glutathione (GSH) ethyl ester treatment, which recovered the cholesterol-mediated depletion of mitochondrial GSH levels, significantly reduced the Aβ-induced oxidative stress in the neuronal cells, resulting in lower inflammasome activation and cell death. Furthermore, using conditioned media, we showed that neuronal pyroptosis affects the function of the cholesterol-enriched microglia, lowering its phagocytic activity and, therefore, the ability to degrade extracellular Aβ. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in intracellular cholesterol levels differentially regulate the inflammasome-mediated immune response in microglia and neuronal cells. Given the microglia-neuron cross-talk in the brain, cholesterol modulation should be considered a potential therapeutic target for AD treatment, which may help to block the aberrant and chronic inflammation observed during the disease progression. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40035-023-00343-3.