Modulation of NLRP3 Inflammasome: Advantages of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Treating Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is characterized by severe inflammation and oxidative stress, and involves the recruitment and activation of immune cells, the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a multiprotein complex, is activated when exposed to different danger signals like excessive ROS, changes in ionic flux, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Once the NLRP3 inflammasome is activated, it promotes the maturation and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β and interleukin-18, which contributes to the inflammatory storm in myocardial I/R injury. This inflammatory cascade not only leads to adverse cardiac remodeling but also impairs cardiac function, ultimately exacerbating the clinical outcomes of myocardial infarction. Despite the critical role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in myocardial I/R injury, there is a significant absence of effective therapeutic strategies to address it in clinical practice. In recent years, Chinese herbal medicine has emerged as a promising candidate in the therapeutic landscape of myocardial I/R injury. Chinese herbal medicine exerts its cardioprotective effects through various mechanisms of inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasomes, including enhancing mitochondrial function, reducing ROS generation, inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and suppressing pyroptosis. This review emphasizes the therapeutic potential of Chinese herbal medicine and its extracts to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasomes in an effort to develop effective treatments for myocardial I/R injury. It likewise summarizes the research results of Chinese herbal medicine interventions for myocardial I/R injury by the mechanism of regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome, providing insights for the development of effective treatments for myocardial I/R injury.