Identification of a chemical that represses multiwall carbon nanotube-stimulated IL-1β production

Abstract

Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have been shown to induce a robust IL-1β production via NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages. We explored inhibitors and identified K-NK104, which markedly reduced IL-1β production stimulated by MWCNT, but not by extracellular ATP. MWCNT uptake by cells was repressed, but cellular levels of NLRP3 inflammasome components were unaffected. These findings suggest that K-NK104 inhibits MWCNT-stimulated inflammasome activation and the consequent IL-1β production by repressing its internalization into cells.