Anti-inflammatory effect of Impatiens textori Miq. extract via inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in in vitro and in vivo experimental models

Impatiens textori Miq. (I. textori, Balsaminaceae) is a traditional medicinal herb used for centuries to treat several inflammatory related skin infections and allergic disorders in Asian countries.In this study, we elucidated the effects of whole plant extracts of I. textori on inflammasome activation using in vitro and in vivo models.LPS-stimulated murine bone marrow macrophages were used to study the regulatory effect of I. textori extract (IT) on inflammasome activation. ATP, nigericin and MSU were used as danger-associated molecules to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. An LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI) mouse model was used to study the in vivo effect of IT on inflammasome activation.IT treated at 25, 50, and 100μg/mL concentrations suppressed interleukin-1β secretion through the attenuation of NLRP3 inflammasome activation (p<0.001 at 100μg/mL) leading to the decreased amount of ASC oligomerization and caspase-1 maturation. For the in vivo model, IT inhibited the NLRP3 expression and cell recruitment at the lung tissue in the ALI mouse model.IT exhibited potent anti-inflammatory effects via the attenuation of NLRP3 inflammasome activation supporting the traditional claims and may provide a valuable therapeutic strategy in treating various inflammation-related disorders.