To investigate the ameliorative effects of curculigoside on rats with aortic dissection by the inhibition of the reactive oxygen species /NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (ROS/NLRP3) pathway.

Rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, low-dose experimental group (50 mg·kg^-1 curculigoside), high-dose experimental group (100 mg·kg^-1 curculigoside) and combination group (100 mg·kg^-1 curculigoside and 1.75 mg·mL^-1 trimethylamine N-oxide), with 12 rats in each group. The rat model of aortic dissection was established by intragastric administration of 0.1 g·kg^-1 β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN). Cardiac blood was collected, and the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Van Gieson staining were used to evaluate histopathological changes and the degree of elastic fiber rupture. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining. The mRNA expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) in aortic tissues were measured by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The protein expression levels of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) and caspase-1 in aortic tissues were detected by Western blotting.

The IL-6 levels in the low-dose experimental group, high-dose experimental group, control group, model group and combination group were (49.06±4.98), (37.18±3.81), (35.62±3.63), (72.34±7.33) and (50.03±5.08) pg·mL^-1, respectively; the TNF-α levels were (25.63±2.64), (16.35±1.71), (15.31±1.62), (42.06±4.23) and (26.15±2.64) pg·mL^-1, respectively; the degrees of elastic fiber rupture were 2.01±0.22, 0.85±0.09, 0±0, 3.22±0.34 and 1.85±0.19, respectively; the ROS levels were 358.62±36.64, 203.11±20.15, 186.34±19.11, 588.64±60.03 and 361.24±37.24, respectively; the relative mRNA expression levels of MMP-9 were 1.67±0.18, 1.15±0.12, 1.02±0.11, 2.45±0.26 and 1.72±0.19, respectively; the relative mRNA expression levels of MMP-2 were 1.88±0.19, 1.24±0.14, 0.98±0.10, 2.85±0.30 and 1.91±0.20, respectively; the relative protein expression levels of Caspase-1 were 0.85±0.09, 0.55±0.06, 0.44±0.05, 1.24±0.13 and 0.88±0.10, respectively; the relative protein expression levels of ASC were 0.97±0.10, 0.64±0.08, 0.55±0.06, 1.48±0.16 and 0.89±0.09, respectively; and the relative protein expression levels of NLRP3 were 0.64±0.08, 0.35±0.05, 0.25±0.03, 1.02±0.11 and 0.72±0.09, respectively. Compared with the control group, the above indicators in the model group were significantly different (all P<0.05); compared with the model group, the above indicators in the high-dose experimental group were significantly different (all P<0.05); and compared with the high-dose experimental group, the above indicators in the combination group were significantly different (all P<0.05).

Curculigoside can effectively ameliorate BAPN-induced aortic injury in rats. Its protective mechanism against the development of aortic dissection may be associated with the inhibition of the ROS/NLRP3 signaling pathway.