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Review
. 2022 Dec 22:13:1096296.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1096296. eCollection 2022.

Inflammation and oxidative stress in salt sensitive hypertension; The role of the NLRP3 inflammasome

Lale A Ertuglu  1 , Ashley Pitzer Mutchler  2 , Justin Yu  3 , Annet Kirabo  2
Affiliations
Review

Inflammation and oxidative stress in salt sensitive hypertension; The role of the NLRP3 inflammasome

Lale A Ertuglu et al. Front Physiol. .

Abstract

Salt-sensitivity of blood pressure is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and affects approximately half of the hypertensive population. While the precise mechanisms of salt-sensitivity remain unclear, recent findings on body sodium homeostasis and salt-induced immune cell activation provide new insights into the relationship between high salt intake, inflammation, and hypertension. The immune system, specifically antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T cells, are directly implicated in salt-induced renal and vascular injury and hypertension. Emerging evidence suggests that oxidative stress and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome drive high sodium-mediated activation of APCs and T cells and contribute to the development of renal and vascular inflammation and hypertension. In this review, we summarize the recent insights into our understanding of the mechanisms of salt-sensitive hypertension and discuss the role of inflammasome activation as a potential therapeutic target.

Keywords: hypertension; immunity; inflammasome; inflammation; salt sensitivity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The proposed relationship between high sodium intake, inflammation, and salt sensitive hypertension.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The mechanism of ENaC and IsoLG-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation in APCs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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