Role of NLRP-3 inflammasome in hypertension: A potential therapeutic target

Hypertension is a multifactorial and chronic cardiovascular condition whose complications are responsible for worldwide morbidity and mortality. An increasing body of experimental data, recognize low-grade inflammation as a basic process in hypertension onset and development since there is a strong contribution of both the innate and the adaptive immune system according to the so-called Danger-Model. In this contest, NLRP3 inflammasome represents a key signaling platform as demonstrated by its implication in several hypertension-associated conditions, such as vascular smooth muscle remodeling and proliferation. This intracellular receptor is activated by Pathogenassociated molecular pattern molecules/damage-associated molecular pattern molecules signals and its mechanism of action converges on the final production of caspase-1 and, consequently, of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18.