Mdivi‐1 alleviates atopic dermatitis through the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome

Abstract Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory cutaneous disorder with few treatment options. Dynamin‐related protein 1 (Drp1)‐dependent mitochondrial fission contributes to the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, and inhibiting Drp1 has been become an attractive therapeutic strategy for inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Drp1 inhibitor mdivi‐1 on experimental AD. We firstly detected the effects of mdivi‐1 on primary human keratinocytes in an inflammatory cocktail‐induced AD‐related inflammation in vitro. Results showed that mdivi‐1 inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyroptosis which were evidenced by decreased expression of NLRP3, ASC, cleavage of caspase‐1, GSDMD‐NT, mature interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐18 in keratinocytes under AD‐like inflammation. Next, mouse model of AD‐like skin lesions was induced by epicutaneous application of 2,4‐dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) and mdivi‐1 (25 mg/kg/day, days 5–33 during construction of AD model) was intraperitoneally injected into DNCB‐induced mice. AD mice with mdivi‐1 treatment exhibited ameliorated AD symptoms, lower serum IgE level, and reduced epidermal thickening, mast cells infiltration, and production of IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13 in the lesional tissues. Indeed, mdivi‐1 significantly inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyroptotic injury occurred in DNCB‐treated skin tissues. Mechanically, mdivi‐1 regulated the expression of mitochondrial dynamic proteins and suppressed the activation of NF‐κB signal pathway which is an upstream of NLRP3 inflammasome both in vitro and in vivo. This study demonstrated that mdivi‐1 could protect against experimental AD through inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and subsequent inflammatory cytokine release, and mdivi‐1 might exert this function by inhibiting mitochondrial fission and subsequently blocking NF‐κB pathway.