LL-37 improves sepsis-induced acute lung injury by suppressing pyroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells

LL-37 (also known as murine CRAMP) is a human antimicrobial peptide that plays a crucial role in innate immune defence against sepsis through various mechanisms. However, its involvement in sepsis-induced lung injury remains unclear. This work investigates the impact of LL-37 on pyroptosis generated by LPS in alveolar epithelial cells. The research utilizes both in vivo and in vitro sepsis-associated acute lung injury (ALI) models to understand the underlying molecular pathways. In vivo, an acute lung injury model induced by sepsis was established by intratracheal administration of LPS in C57BL/6J mice, which were subsequently treated with low-dose CRAMP (recombinant murine cathelicidin, 2.5 mg.kg−1) and high-dose CRAMP (5.0 mg.kg−1). In vitro, pyroptosis was induced in a human alveolar epithelial cell line (A549) by stimulation with LPS and ATP. Treatment was carried out with recombinant human LL-37, or LL-37 was knocked out in A549 cells using small interfering RNA (siRNA). Subsequently, haematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to observe the histopathological changes in lung tissues in the control group and sepsis-induced lung injury group. TUNEL and PI staining were used to observe DNA fragmentation and pyroptosis in mouse lung tissues and cells in the different groups. An lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay was performed to measure the cell death rate. The expression levels of NLRP3, caspase1, caspase 1 p20, GSDMD, NT-GSDMD, and CRAMP were detected in mice and cells using Western blotting, qPCR, and immunohistochemistry. ELISA was used to assess the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in mouse serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue and cell culture supernatants. The expression of NLRP3, caspase1 p20, NT-GSDMD, IL 18 and IL1β in the lung tissue of mice with septic lung injury was increased, which indicated activation of the canonical pyroptosis pathway and coincided with an increase in CRAMP expression. Treatment with recombinant CRAMP improved pyroptosis in mice with lung injury. In vitro, treatment with LPS and ATP upregulated these classic pyroptosis molecules, LL-37 knockdown exacerbated pyroptosis, and recombinant human LL-37 treatment alleviated pyroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells. These findings indicate that LL-37 protects against septic lung injury by modulating the expression of classic pyroptotic pathway components, including NLRP3, caspase1, and GSDMD and downstream inflammatory factors in alveolar epithelial cells.