Caspase-3-mediated GSDME induced Pyroptosis in breast cancer cells through the ROS/JNK signalling pathway

Pyroptosis is a new form of programmed cell death generated by some inflammasomes, piloting the cleavage of gasdermin (GSDM) and stimulation of dormant cytokines like IL-18 and IL-1β; these reactions are narrowly linked to certain diseases like diabetic nephropathy and atherosclerosis. Doxorubicin, a typical anthracycline, and famous anticancer drug has emerged as a prominent medication in several cancer chemotherapies, although its application is accompanied with expending of dose-dependent, increasing, irreversible and continuing cardiotoxic side effects. However, the exact path that links the induced pyroptosis to the mechanism by which Doxorubicin (DOX) acts against breast cancer cells is still puzzling. The present study seeks to elucidate the potential link between DOX-induced cell death and pyroptosis in two human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and T47D). We proved that treatment with DOX reduced the cell viability in a dose-dependent way and induced pyroptosis morphology in MDA-MB-231 and T47D cells. Also, protein expression analyses revealed GSDME as a key regulator in DOX-induced pyroptosis and highlighted the related role of Caspase-3 activation. Furthermore, DOX treatments induced intracellular accumulation of ROS, stimulated the phosphorylation of JNK, and Caspase-3 activation, subsequently. In conclusion, the study suggests that GSDME triggered DOX-induced pyroptosis in the caspase-3 dependent reactions through the ROS/JNK signalling pathway. Additionally, it showed that the DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and pyroptosis in breast cancer cells can be minimized by reducing the protein level of GSDME; thus, these outcomes provide a new research target and implications for the anticancer investigations and therapeutic applications.