To investigate the protective effects of Angelicae and Astragalus ultra-filtration (AAU) on H₉C₂ myocardial cell injury induced by X-ray radiation based on NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome.

The H₉C₂ myocardial cells were divided into blank group, model group and experimental -L, -M, -H groups. The H₉C₂ myocardial cells injury model of model group and experimental -L, -M, -H groups were constructed with X-ray 6 Gy irradiation. After successful modeling, the blank and model groups were treated with 0.9% NaCl; the experimental -L, -M, -H groups were treated with 2%, 5%, 10% AAU drug-containing serum 0.5 mL, respectively. After 24 h of treatment, EdU staining was used to observe cell survival rate, Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) and Caspase-1 protein.

The cell viability rates of the experimental -M, -H groups, model group and blank group were (89.91±1.16)%, (91.66±1.93)%, (78.61±1.30)% and (98.10±0.20)%; the relative expression levels of NLRP3 protein were 0.79±0.05, 0.74±0.04, 0.94±0.02 and 0.53±0.12; the relative expression levels of ASC protein were 0.40±0.04, 0.41±0.07, 0.48±0.01 and 0.22±0.02; the relative expression levels of Caspase-1 protein were 0.25±0.03, 0.23±0.01, 0.58±0.04 and 0.18±0.01; the relative expression levels of IL-18 protein were 0.67±0.03, 0.62±0.02, 0.91±0.07 and 0.61±0.03; the relative expression levels of IL-1β protein were 0.41±0.06, 0.38±0.02, 0.78±0.02 and 0.34±0.09, respectively. Compared with the experimental -M, -H groups, the differences of above indicators in the model group were statistically significant (all P<0.05).

AAU may protect H₉C₂ myocardial cells from injury induced by X-ray radiation by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome.