Airway epithelial injury in response to allergens such as toluene diisocyanate (TDI) leads to persistent airway inflammation. Pyroptosis is recognized as a strong proinflammatory cell death process. However, the role of pyroptosis in bronchial epithelial injury and airway inflammation in TDI-induced asthma remains unknown.

In this study, cytotoxic effect of TDI on 16HBE cells (a human bronchial epithelial cell line) was detected. Then a TDI-induced experimental asthma mouse model was established for in vivo study.

Here we found that TDI induced pyroptosis in 16HBE cells, as evidenced by enhanced expressions of caspase-1 and elevated levels of LDH, IL-1β and HMGB1. As expected, TDI-induced inflammatory cell death was significantly blocked by a specific NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor. Intriguingly, in asthmatic mice, the increased cleavages of caspase-1 and pyroptotic executioner gasdermin D (GSDMD) in bronchial epithelial cells were decreased by NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor. Furthermore, inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome attenuated airway hyper-responsiveness and airway inflammation, accompanied by lower levels of IL-1β, IgE and Th2-related cytokines.

Our data suggest that bronchial epithelial pyroptosis exacerbates airway inflammation and hyper-responsiveness in TDI-induced asthma via NLRP3 inflammasome activation and GSDND cleavage. Therefore, NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis may be a potential treatment target for TDI-induced asthma.