GSDME deficiency leads to the aggravation of UVB-induced skin inflammation through enhancing recruitment and activation of neutrophils

Abstract Gasdermin E (GSDME)-mediated pyroptosis is induced in keratinocytes of UVB-challenged skin. The role of GSDME in UVB-caused skin damage remains unknown. To explore the role of GSDME in UVB-induced skin inflammation. We compared differences in skin appearance, histological features, keratinocyte death modalities, infiltration of immune cells, and levels of some inflammatory cytokines between Gsdme −/− mice and wild type (WT) mice after UVB exposure. We explored whether keratinocytes contribute to GSDME deficiency-caused aggravation of UVB-induced skin inflammation in GSDME knockdown keratinocyte cultured in vitro and keratinocyte-specific Gsdme conditional knockout mice. We used anti-Ly6G antibody to deplete neutrophils and explore their role in UVB-caused skin damage. Skin damage and neutrophils infiltration were aggravated in UVB-challenged Gsdme −/− mice, compared with UVB-challenged WT mice. Apoptosis and necroptosis, which were initiated together with GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in UVB-challenged WT mice, were not enhanced in UVB-challenged Gsdme −/− mice. Neutrophils activation indicators and its recruiting cytokines were increased in skin tissue of UVB-challenged Gsdme −/− mice. However, GSDME knockdown did not lead to the further increase of mRNA and secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 in UVB-challenged keratinocytes. Skin damage was not aggravated in UVB-challenged Gsdme cKO mice. Neutrophils depletion alleviated UVB-caused skin damage in WT mice and Gsdme −/− mice, and eliminated its aggravation in Gsdme −/− mice. This study demonstrates that GSDME plays a restrictive role in UVB-induced skin damage through inhibiting excessive recruitment and activation of neutrophils in the immune microenvironment in UVB-caused skin inflammation. However, keratinocytes might not contribute to this restrictive function.