Nrf2 Negatively Regulates Melanogenesis by Modulating PI3K/Akt Signaling

Nrf2 plays a role in protection of cells against oxidative stress and xenobiotic damage by regulating cytoprotective genes. In this study, we investigated the effect of Nrf2 on melanogenesis in normal human melanocytes (NHMCs). When NHMCs were transduced with a recombinant adenovirus expressing Nrf2, melanin synthesis was significantly decreased. Consistent with this result, overexpression of Nrf2 decreased the expression of tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein 1. The inhibitory effect of Nrf2 was reversed by overexpression of Keap1, an intracellular regulator of Nrf2. Interestingly, Nrf2 overexpression resulted in marked activation of PI3K/Akt signaling. Conversely, inhibition of PI3K activity by treatment with wortmannin reversed the depigmentary effects of Nrf2. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that Nrf2 negatively regulates melanogenesis by modulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.     

Ibuprofen Exerts Antiepileptic and Neuroprotective Effects in the Rat Model of Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Epilepsy via the COX-2/NLRP3/IL-18 Pathway

Neurochemical Research - Epilepsy is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system. Recent studies have shown that a variety of inflammatory mediators play a key role in the...     

Neuroprotection by Curcumin in Ischemic Brain Injury Involves the Akt/Nrf2 Pathway

Oxidative damage plays a critical role in many diseases of the central nervous system. This study was conducted to determine the molecular mechanisms involved in the putative anti-oxidative effects of curcumin against experimental stroke. Oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) was used to mimic ischemic insult in primary cultured cortical neurons. A rapid increase in the intracellular expression of NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase1 (NQO1) induced by OGD was counteracted by curcumin post-treatment, which paralleled attenuated cell injury. The reduction of phosphorylation Akt induced by OGD was restored by curcumin. Consequently, NQO1 expression and the binding activity of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) to antioxidant response element (ARE) were increased. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002 blocked the increase in phospho-Akt evoked by curcumin and abolished the associated protective effect. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion for 60 minutes. Curcumin administration significantly reduced infarct size. Curcumin also markedly reduced oxidative stress levels in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats; hence, these effects were all suppressed by {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that curcumin protects neurons against ischemic injury, and this neuroprotective effect involves the Akt/Nrf2 pathway. In addition, Nrf2 is involved in the neuroprotective effects of curcumin against oxidative damage.     

Soyasaponins Can Blunt Inflammation by Inhibiting the Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Activation of PI3K/Akt/NF-kB Pathway

We and others have recently shown that soyasaponins abundant in soybeans can decrease inflammation by suppressing the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB)-mediated inflammation. However, the exact molecular mechanisms by which soyasaponins inhibit the NF-kB pathway have not been established. In this study in macrophages, soyasaponins (A₁, A₂ and I) inhibited the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced release of inflammatory marker prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) to a similar extent as the NF-kB inhibitor (BAY117082). Soyasaponins (A₁, A₂ and I) also suppressed the LPS-induced expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), another inflammatory marker, in a dose-dependent manner by inhibiting NF-kB activation. In defining the associated mechanisms, we found that soyasaponins (A₁, A₂ and I) blunted the LPS-induced IKKα/β phosphorylation, IkB phosphorylation and degradation, and NF-kB p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. In studying the upstream targets of soyasaponins on the NF-kB pathway, we found that soyasaponins (A₁, A₂ and I) suppressed the LPS-induced activation of PI3K/Akt similarly as the PI3K inhibitor {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002, which alone blocked the LPS-induced activation of NF-kB. Additionally, soyasaponins (A₁, A₂ and I) reduced the LPS-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to the same extent as the anti-oxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine, which alone inhibited the LPS-induced phosphorylation of Akt, IKKα/β, IkBα, and p65, transactivity of NF-kB, PGE₂ production, and malondialdehyde production. Finally, our results show that soyasaponins (A₁, A₂ and I) elevated SOD activity and the GSH/GSSG ratio. Together, these results show that soyasaponins (A₁, A₂ and I) can blunt inflammation by inhibiting the ROS-mediated activation of the PI3K/Akt/NF-kB pathway.     

3,3′,4,5′-Tetramethoxy-trans-stilbene Improves Insulin Resistance by Activating the IRS/PI3K/Akt Pathway and Inhibiting Oxidative Stress

The potential anti-diabetic effect of resveratrol derivative, 3,3′,4,5′-tetramethoxy-trans-stilbene (3,3′,4,5′-TMS) and its underlying mechanism in high glucose (HG) and dexamethasone (DXMS)-stimulated insulin-resistant HepG2 cells (IR-HepG2) were investigated. 3,3′,4,5′-TMS did not reduce the cell viability of IR-HepG2 cells at the concentrations of 0.5–10 µM. 3,3′,4,5′-TMS increased the potential of glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis in a concentration-dependent manner in IR-HepG2 cells. 3,3′,4,5′-TMS ameliorated insulin resistance by enhancing the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β), inhibiting phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), and activating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in IR-HepG2 cells. Furthermore, 3,3′,4,5′-TMS significantly suppressed levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with up-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression. To conclude, the beneficial effect of 3,3′,4,5′-TMS against insulin resistance to increase glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis was mediated through activation of IRS/PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in the IR-HepG2 cells, accomplished with anti-oxidative activity through up-regulation of Nrf2.     

Magnesium Ions Promote the Biological Behaviour of Rat Calvarial Osteoblasts by Activating the PI3K/Akt Signalling Pathway

Magnesium has been investigated as a biodegradable metallic material. Increased concentrations of Mg²⁺ around magnesium implants due to biodegradation contribute to its satisfactory osteogenic capacity. However, the mechanisms underlying this process remain elusive. We propose that activation of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway plays a role in the Mg²⁺-enhanced biological behaviours of osteoblasts. To test this hypothesis, 6, 10 and 18 mM Mg²⁺ was used to evaluate the stimulatory effect of Mg²⁺ on osteogenesis, which was assessed by evaluating cell adhesion, cell viability, ALP activity, extracellular matrix mineralisation and RT-PCR. The expression of p-Akt was also determined by western blotting. The results showed that 6 and 10 mM Mg²⁺ elicited the highest stimulatory effect on cell adhesion, cell viability and osteogenic differentiation as evidenced by cytoskeletal staining, MTT assay results, ALP activity, extracellular matrix mineralisation and expression of osteogenic differentiation-related genes. In contrast, 18 mM Mg²⁺ had an inhibitory effect on the behaviour of osteoblasts. Furthermore, 10 mM Mg²⁺ significantly increased the phosphorylation of Akt in osteoblasts. Notably, the aforementioned beneficial effects produced by 10 mM Mg²⁺ were abolished by blocking the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway through the addition of wortmannin. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that 6 mM and 10 mM Mg²⁺ can enhance the behaviour of osteoblasts, which is at least partially attributed to activation of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway. Furthermore, a high concentration (18 mM Mg²⁺) showed an inhibitory effect on the biological behaviour of osteoblasts. These findings advance the understanding of cellular responses to biodegradable metallic materials and may attract greater clinical interest in magnesium.     

Graphene Oxide Ameliorates the Cognitive Impairment Through Inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway to Induce Autophagy in AD Mouse Model

Neurochemical Research - Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system characterised by cognitive impairment. Its major pathological feature is the...     

Beauvericin Ameliorates Experimental Colitis by Inhibiting Activated T Cells via Downregulation of the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Crohn''s disease is a common, chronic inflammatory bowel condition characterized by remission and relapse. Accumulating evidence indicates that activated T cells play an important role in this disease. In the present study, we aimed to examine the effect of beauvericin, a natural cyclic peptide, on 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in mice, which mimics Crohn''s disease. Beauvericin significantly reduced weight loss, diarrhea and mortality, accompanied with notable alleviation of macroscopic and microscopic signs. In addition, this compound decreased serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)- γ in a concentration-dependent manner in mice with experimental colitis. These effects of beauvericin are attributed to its inhibition on activated T cells. Flow cytometry and immunoblot assay data showed that beauvericin suppressed T-cell proliferation, activation and IFN-γ-STAT1-T-bet signaling and subsequently led to apoptosis of activated T cells by suppressing Bcl-2 and phosphorylated Bad as well as increasing cleavage of caspase-3, -9, -12 and PARP. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling, which was an upstream regulator of cell activation and survival in activated T cells, contributed to the effect of beauvericin. Overall, these results supported beauvericin as a novel drug candidate for the treatment of colonic inflammation mainly by targeting PI3K/Akt in activated T cells.     

瓜蒌皮激活PI3K/PKB通路减轻柯萨奇病毒感染心肌细胞损伤的实验研究

柯萨奇病毒B3(Coxsackievirus B3,CVB3)是引起病毒性心肌炎最常见的病毒株,感染心肌细胞后能够激活细胞凋亡、引起细胞损伤;已有研究证实,瓜萎皮激活磷脂酰肌醇3-激酶(Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase,PI3K)/蛋白激酶B(Protein kinase B,PKB)通路减轻缺氧/复氧引起的心肌细胞凋亡,但瓜萎皮对CVB3感染引起心肌细胞凋亡的调节作用及机制尚不清楚.因此,本研究将观察瓜蒌皮激活PI3K/PKB通路减轻柯萨奇病毒感染心肌细胞损伤的作用.在培养心肌H9c2细胞后分组,对照组给予不含药物及病毒的培养基,CVB3组给予含有CVB3病毒液的培养基,瓜萎皮组含有CVB3病毒液及瓜萎皮提取物的培养基,瓜萎皮+抑制剂组含有CVB3病毒液、瓜萎皮提取物及抑制剂LY294002的培养基.检测培养基中乳酸脱氢酶(Lactic dehydrogenase,LDH)及磷酸肌酸激酶同工酶(Creatine phosphokinase-isoenzyme-MB,CK-MB)的含量、细胞活力 A490、细胞凋亡率、细胞中 cleaved caspase-9、cleaved caspase-3、p-PI3K、p-PKB的表达.结果显示,与对照组比较,CVB3组培养基中LDH、CK-MB的含量、细胞凋亡率、细胞中天冬氨酸蛋白水解酶-9(cleaved caspase-9,cleaved cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-9)、cleaved caspase-3的表达均增加,A490及细胞中p-PI3K、p-PKB的表达均降低(P＜0.05);与CVB3组比较,瓜萎皮组培养基中LDH、CK-MB的含量、细胞凋亡率、细胞中cleaved caspase-9、cleaved caspase-3的表达均降低,A490及细胞中p-PI3K、p-PKB的表达均增加(P＜0.05);与瓜萎皮组比较,瓜萎皮+抑制剂组培养基中LDH、CK-MB的含量、细胞凋亡率、细胞中cleaved caspase-9、cleaved caspase-3的表达均增加,A490及细胞中p-PI3K、p-PKB的表达均降低(P＜0.05).以上结果表明,瓜萎皮提取物能够减轻CVB3感染心肌细胞的损伤及凋亡,激活PI3K/PKB通路是可能的分子机制.本研究首次发现瓜萎皮提取物对CVB3感染心肌细胞的损伤和凋亡具有抑制作用;同时,本研究还初步阐明了瓜萎皮提取物发挥心肌保护作用的分子机制、即激活PI3K/PKB通路.     

Neuroprotective effects of astaxanthin against oxygen and glucose deprivation damage via the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β/Nrf2 signalling pathway in vitro

Astaxanthin (ATX), which is the most abundant flavonoid in propolis, has previously shown neuroprotective properties against cerebral ischaemia‐induced apoptosis. However, the mechanisms by which ATX mediates its therapeutic effects are unclear. At present, we explored the underlying mechanisms involved in the protective effects of ATX via the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β)/nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) signalling pathway in SH‐SY5Y cells. The PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002 and GSK3β inhibitor LiCl were employed in this study. Pre‐treatment with ATX for 24 hours significantly decreased the oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD)‐induced viability loss, reduced the proportion of apoptosis and regulated OGD‐mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, ATX suppressed OGD‐caused mitochondrial membrane potential and decomposition of caspase‐3 to cleaved caspase‐3, and heightened the B‐cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‐2)/Bax ratio. PI3K/Akt/GSK3β/Nrf2 signalling pathway activation in SH‐SY5Y cells was verified by Western blot. ATX and LiCl treatment raised the protein levels of p‐Akt, p‐GSK3β, nucleus Nrf2 and haeme oxygenase 1 (HO‐1). However, these protein expression levels decreased by treatment of LY294002. The above in vitro data indicate that ATX can confer neuroprotection against OGD‐induced apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β/Nrf2 signalling pathway.     

蛋白酶体抑制剂硼替佐米抑制PI3K/Akt通路致结肠癌SW480细胞凋亡

目的:研究蛋白酶体抑制剂硼替佐米对结肠癌SW480细胞凋亡作用,并进一步探讨其作用机制.方法:硼替佐米1-500nmol/L处理结肠癌SW480细胞24-48小时,MTT法检测细胞存活率、药物IC50值.流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率.Western blot技术检测caspase-3,p-Akt和PTEN蛋白表达水平变化.结果:硼替佐米以时间-剂量依赖方式抑制结肠癌SW480细胞增殖,48小时IC50值:87.36 nmol/L.细胞凋亡实验显示药物作用24小时细胞开始出现凋亡,48小时凋亡明显.硼替佐米作用24小时后细胞周期明显阻滞在G0/G1期.Westemblot实验显示,80 nmol/L硼替佐米处理结肠癌SW480细胞后PTEN蛋白表达水平随时间明显增加,而p-Akt蛋白随时间表达下降.结论:硼替佐米可以抑制结肠癌SW480细胞增殖.其机制可能与抑制PTEN蛋白降解,抑制p-Akt途径有关.为结肠癌治疗药物的发展和更新提供了新的候选分子.     

Estrogen Receptor and PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway Involvement in S-(-)Equol-Induced Activation of Nrf2/ARE in Endothelial Cells

S-(-)equol, a natural product of the isoflavone daidzein, has been reported to offer cytoprotective effects with respect to the cardiovascular system, but how this occurs is unclear. Interestingly, S-(-)equol is produced by the human gut, suggesting a role in physiological processes. We report that treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and EA.hy926 cells with S-(-)equol induces ARE-luciferase reporter gene activity that is dose and time dependent. S-(-)equol (10–250 nM) increases nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) as well as gene products of Nrf2 target genes heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H (nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-phosphate) quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Endothelial cells transfected with an HA-Nrf2 expression plasmid had elevated HA-Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 in response to S-(-)equol exposure. S-(-)equol treatment affected Nrf2 mRNA only slightly but significantly increased HO-1 and NQO1 mRNA. The pretreatment of cells with specific ER inhibitors or PI3K/Akt (ICI182,780 and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002) increased Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 protein, impaired nuclear translocation of HA-Nrf2, and decreased ARE-luciferase activity. Identical experiments were conducted with daidzein, which had effects similar to S-(-)equol. In addition, DPN treatment (an ERβ agonist) induced the ARE-luciferase reporter gene, promoting Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Cell pretreatment with an ERβ antagonist (PHTPP) impaired S-(-)equol-induced Nrf2 activation. Pre-incubation of cells followed by co-treatment with S-(-)equol significantly improved cell survival in response to H₂O₂ or tBHP and reduced apoptotic and TUNEL-positively-stained cells. Notably, the ability of S-(-)equol to protect against H₂O₂-induced cell apoptosis was attenuated in cells transfected with an siRNA against Nrf2. Thus, beneficial effects of S-(-)equol with respect to cytoprotective antioxidant gene activation may represent a novel strategy to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases.     

PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号通路与自噬及肿瘤的关系

自噬是一种以胞质内出现双层膜结构包裹长寿命蛋白和细胞器的自噬体为特征的细胞“自我消化”过程,在维持细胞内稳态、发育、肿瘤发生和感染中发挥重要作用。近来,诸多研究表明,自噬作为一把“双刃剑”,对肿瘤的发生发展既有促进作用,也有抑制作用。PI3K/Akt/mTOR通路由PI3激酶(PI3K)、蛋白激酶B（PKB/Akt）和哺乳动物类雷帕霉素靶蛋白（mTOR）3个作用分子组成,是一个中心的调节机构,对肿瘤细胞的生长与增殖有促进作用,同时对自噬进行抑制。本文就PI3K/Akt/mTOR通路与自噬及肿瘤发生发展的关系作一综述。     

Arbutin attenuates LPS-induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway

BackgroundArbutin (Ar) has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the effects of Ar on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) are not clear.PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the effects of Ar on LPS-induced AKI in rats.MethodsThe possible data regarding the effects of Ar on AKI were collected by network pharmacology research. Histological changes in the kidney and the levels of blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and kidney injury molecule 1 were measured to assess the effects of Ar on renal function in LPS-induced AKI. The levels of inflammatory were detected by live small-animal imaging, cytometric bead array and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis of primary kidney cells were detected by flow cytometry. The oxidative stress-related markers were detected by the cuvette assay. The TLR4/NF-κB and PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 levels and apoptosis were detected by Western blot analysis. The effects of GDC-0068 (GDC, Akt inhibitor) on Ar interposed on LPS-induced NRK-52e cell apoptosis were investigated by flow cytometry.ResultsThe data collected by network pharmacology suggested that Ar might inhibit AKI by exerting an anti-inflammatory effect and regulating the Akt signaling pathway. The experimental results showed that Ar markedly improved renal function, and attenuated inflammation and cell apoptosis via regulating PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway following LPS challenge in vivo, which blocked by GDC effectively in vitro.ConclusionIn a word, this study demonstrated that Ar attenuated LPS-induced AKI by inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway.     

Sequential Dosing in Chemosensitization: Targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway in Neuroblastoma

Breaking resistance to chemotherapy is a major goal of combination therapy in many tumors, including advanced neuroblastoma. We recently demonstrated that increased activity of the PI3K/Akt network is associated with poor prognosis, thus providing an ideal target for chemosensitization. Here we show that targeted therapy using the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 significantly enhances doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells. Importantly, this increase in apoptosis was dependent on scheduling: while pretreatment with the inhibitor reduced doxorubicin-induced apoptosis, the sensitizing effect in co-treatment could further be increased by delayed addition of the inhibitor post chemotherapy. Desensitization for doxorubicin-induced apoptosis seemed to be mediated by a combination of cell cycle-arrest and autophagy induction, whereas sensitization was found to occur at the level of mitochondria within one hour of NVP-BEZ235 posttreatment, leading to a rapid loss of mitochondrial membrane potential with subsequent cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation. Within the relevant time span we observed marked alterations in a ∼30 kDa protein associated with mitochondrial proteins and identified it as VDAC1/Porin protein, an integral part of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore complex. VDAC1 is negatively regulated by the PI3K/Akt pathway via GSK3β and inhibition of GSK3β, which is activated when Akt is blocked, ablated the sensitizing effect of NVP-BEZ235 posttreatment. Our findings show that cancer cells can be sensitized for chemotherapy induced cell death – at least in part – by NVP-BEZ235-mediated modulation of VDAC1. More generally, we show data that suggest that sequential dosing, in particular when multiple inhibitors of a single pathway are used in the optimal sequence, has important implications for the general design of combination therapies involving molecular targeted approaches towards the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling network.     

BF12, a Novel Benzofuran,Exhibits Antitumor Activity by Inhibiting Microtubules and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Human Cervical Cancer Cells

BF12 [(2E)‐3‐[6‐Methoxy‐2‐(3,4,5‐trimethoxybenzoyl)‐1‐benzofuran‐5‐yl]prop‐2‐enoic acid], a novel derivative of combretastatin A‐4 (CA‐4), was previously found to inhibit tumor cell lines, with a particularly strong inhibitory effect on cervical cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the microtubule polymerization effects and apoptosis signaling mechanism of BF12. BF12 showed a potent efficiency against cervical cancer cells, SiHa and HeLa, with IC₅₀ values of 1.10 and 1.06 μm , respectively. The cellular mechanism studies revealed that BF12 induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in SiHa and HeLa cells, which were associated with alterations in the expression of the cell G2/M cycle checkpoint‐related proteins (cyclin B1 and cdc2) and alterations in the levels of apoptosis‐related proteins (P53, caspase‐3, Bcl‐2, and Bax) of these cells, respectively. Western blot analysis showed that BF12 inhibited the PI3 K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and induced apoptosis in human cervical cancer cells. BF12 was identified as a tubulin polymerization inhibitor, evidenced by the effective inhibition of tubulin polymerization and heavily disrupted microtubule networks in living SiHa and HeLa cells. By inhibiting the PI3 K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and inducing apoptosis in human cervical cancer cells, BF12 shows promise for use as a microtubule inhibitor.     

Expression of the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Cerebral Cortex After Traumatic Brain Injury in a Rat Model

Inflammatory response plays an important role in the pathogenesis of secondary damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The inflammasome is a multiprotein complex involved in innate immunity and a number of studies have suggested that the inflammasome plays a critical role in a host inflammatory signaling. Nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) is a key component of the NLRP3-inflammasome, which also includes apoptotic speck-containing protein (ASC) with a cysteine protease (caspase) -activating recruitment domain and pro-caspase1. Activation of the NLRP3-inflammasome causes the processing and release of the interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin 18 (IL-18). Based on this, we hypothesized that the NLRP3-inflammasome could participate in the inflammatory response following TBI. However, the expression of NLRP3-inflammasome in cerebral cortex after TBI is not well known. Rats were randomly divided into control, sham and TBI groups (including 6 h, 1 day, 3 day and 7 day sub-group). TBI model was induced, and animals were sacrificed at each time point respectively. The expression of NLRP3-inflammasome was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot and immunohistochemistry respectively. Immunofluorescent double labeling was performed to identify the cell types of NLRP3-inflammasome’s expression. Moreover, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the alterations of IL-1β and IL-18 at each time point post-injury. The results showed that, TBI could induce assembly of NLRP3-inflammasome complex, increased expression of ASC, activation of caspase1, and processing of IL-1β and IL-18. These results suggested that NLRP3-inflammasome might play an important role in the inflammation induced by TBI and could be a target for TBI therapy.