Pyroptosis induced by enterovirus 71 and coxsackievirus B3 infection affects viral replication and host response

Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 13;8(1):2887. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20958-1.

Abstract

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the primary causative pathogen of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), affecting children with severe neurological complications. Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death characterized by cell lysis and inflammatory response. Although proinflammatory response has been implicated to play important roles in EV71-caused diseases, the involvement of pyroptosis in the pathogenesis of EV71 is poorly defined. We show that EV71 infection induced caspase-1 activation. Responding to the activation of caspase-1, the expression and secretion of both IL-1β and IL-18 were increased in EV71-infected cells. The treatment of caspase-1 inhibitor markedly improved the systemic response of the EV71-infected mice. Importantly, caspase-1 inhibitor suppressed EV71 replication in mouse brains. Similarly, pyroptosis was activated by the infection of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), an important member of the Enterovirus genus. Caspase-1 activation and the increased expression of IL-18 and NLRP3 were demonstrated in HeLa cells infected with CVB3. Caspase-1 inhibitor also alleviated the overall conditions of virus-infected mice with markedly decreased replication of CVB3 and reduced expression of caspase-1. These results indicate that pyroptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of both EV71 and CVB3 infections, and the treatment of caspase-1 inhibitor is beneficial to the host response during enterovirus infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / virology
  • Caspase 1 / metabolism
  • Enterovirus A, Human / physiology*
  • Enterovirus B, Human / physiology*
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-18 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-1beta / metabolism
  • Mice
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein / metabolism
  • Pyroptosis*
  • Virus Replication*

Substances

  • Interleukin-18
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • Caspase 1