Rosavidin protects against PM2.5-induced lung toxicity via inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) contributes to adverse health effects through the promotion of inflammatory cytokine release. Rosavidin (Ro), a phenylpropanoid compound having multiple biological activities, is extracted from Rhodiola crenulata, a medicine and food homology plant. However, the protective role and mechanism of Ro in PM2.5-induced lung toxicity have not been previously studied. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effect and mechanism of Ro in PM2.5-induced lung toxicity. A lung toxicity rat model was established through trachea drip of PM2.5 suspension after the different dose pretreatment of Ro (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg) to evaluate the effect of Ro on PM2.5 caused lung toxicity. The results showed that Ro attenuated the pathological changes, edema, and inflammation response in rats. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway may be associated with the protective effect of Ro against pulmonary toxicity. Subsequently, we verified the role of PI3K/AKT in the PM2.5 exposure lung tissue. Moreover, expression levels of p-PI3K and p-AKT were lower, and those of NLRP3, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, cleaved IL-1β, and GSDMD-N were higher in PM2.5 group compared to those in control group. Whereas pre-administration of Ro reversed the expression trends of these proteins in lung tissue. Notably, those protective effects of Ro were not observed after pretreatment with a combination of Ro with nigericin or LY294002. These results indicate that Ro mitigates PM2.5-caused lung toxicity by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis through activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.