Go to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Journal stats
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • All ...
  • Videos
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Resource and Technical Advances
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Editorials
    • Perspectives
    • Physician-Scientist Development
    • Reviews
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • In-Press Preview
  • Resource and Technical Advances
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Editorials
  • Perspectives
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Reviews
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Journal stats
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
Caspase-4/11 promotes hyperlipidemia and chronic kidney disease–accelerated vascular inflammation by enhancing trained immunity
Yu Sun, Yifan Lu, Lu Liu, Fatma Saaoud, Ying Shao, Keman Xu, Charles Drummer IV, Ramon Cueto, Huimin Shan, Xiaohua Jiang, Huaqing Zhao, Hong Wang, Xiaofeng Yang
Yu Sun, Yifan Lu, Lu Liu, Fatma Saaoud, Ying Shao, Keman Xu, Charles Drummer IV, Ramon Cueto, Huimin Shan, Xiaohua Jiang, Huaqing Zhao, Hong Wang, Xiaofeng Yang
View: Text | PDF
Research Article Inflammation Vascular biology

Caspase-4/11 promotes hyperlipidemia and chronic kidney disease–accelerated vascular inflammation by enhancing trained immunity

  • Text
  • PDF
Abstract

To determine whether hyperlipidemia and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a synergy in accelerating vascular inflammation via trained immunity (TI), we performed aortic pathological analysis and RNA-Seq of high-fat diet–fed (HFD-fed) 5/6 nephrectomy CKD (HFD+CKD) mice. We made the following findings: (a) HFD+CKD increased aortic cytosolic LPS levels, caspase-11 (CASP11) activation, and 998 gene expressions of TI pathways in the aorta (first-tier TI mechanism); (b) CASP11–/– decreased aortic neointima hyperplasia, aortic recruitment of macrophages, and casp11–gasdermin D–mediated cytokine secretion; (c) CASP11–/– decreased N-terminal gasdermin D (N-GSDMD) membrane expression on aortic endothelial cells and aortic IL-1B levels; (d) LPS transfection into human aortic endothelial cells resulted in CASP4 (human)/CASP11 (mouse) activation and increased N-GSDMD membrane expression; and (e) IL-1B served as the second-tier mechanism underlying HFD+CKD-promoted TI. Taken together, hyperlipidemia and CKD accelerated vascular inflammation by promoting 2-tier trained immunity.

Authors

Yu Sun, Yifan Lu, Lu Liu, Fatma Saaoud, Ying Shao, Keman Xu, Charles Drummer IV, Ramon Cueto, Huimin Shan, Xiaohua Jiang, Huaqing Zhao, Hong Wang, Xiaofeng Yang

×

Figure 9

IL-1β released via caspase-4/N-GSDMD protein pores serves as the second step of HFD+CKD-promoted trained immunity, promotes trained immunity gene expression, and enhances caspase-4/11–induced VCAM-1 expression and IL-1β secretion in HAECs.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
IL-1β released via caspase-4/N-GSDMD protein pores serves as the second ...
(A) Volcano plot analysis of bulk RNA-Seq data shows the differentially expressed genes in HFD+CKD versus HF and HFD+CKD versus CKD. (B) Venn diagram of upregulated genes in HFD+CKD versus HFD and HFD+CKD versus CKD and 101 trained immunity genes. (C–E) Venn diagram showed the common shared genes between 125 IL-1β–upregulated genes and 101 trained immunity genes (C), 266 immunometabolism genes (D), and 1,223 casp4/11-dependent secrotomes (E). (F and G) VCAM-1 expression (F) and IL-1β secretion (G) were examined in LPS-transfected HAECs in the presence and absence of IL-1Ra (10 μM) (n = 3). Each experiment was repeated 3 times. The Kruskal-Wallis test with Benjamini and Hochberg multiple-comparison method was used to control the overall FDR of 5% (F and G).

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN 2379-3708

Sign up for email alerts