Coenzyme Q₀ Inhibits NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation through Mitophagy Induction in LPS/ATP-Stimulated Macrophages

Figure 8

Graphical summary. Collectively, our results showed that subcytotoxic treatments of macrophages with CoQ₀ displayed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. CoQ₀ inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome and procaspase-1 activation which in turn suppressed pro-IL1β expression levels. On the other hand, CoQ₀ exposure in LPS/ATP-stimulated macrophages incited autophagy which was evident by the accumulation of LC3-II and p62/SQSTM1 as well as dysregulation of Beclin1/Bcl-2. This was accompanied by reduced phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT, p70 S6 kinase, and mTOR. Besides, CoQ₀ inhibited ROS-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation through mitophagy induction and Nrf2 activation in LPS/ATP-stimulated macrophages. Altogether, we propose that CoQ₀ might be a promising candidate for the therapeutics of inflammatory abnormalities due to its effective anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant properties.