Down-regulation of E2F1 attenuates UVB-induced human lens epithelial cell oxidative stress and pyroptosis through inhibiting NLRP3.

Background: It is well-known that ultraviolet B (UVB) causes cataracts by inducing pyroptosis and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human lens epithelial cells (HLECs). The transcription factor E2F1 (E2F1) serves as a positive regulator of disrupted pathways involved in histone modification and cell cycle regulation. However, its function in UVB-treated HLECs remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the function of E2F1 in UVB-treated HLECs, with a particular focus on its interaction with NLRP3 and its impact on oxidative stress and pyroptosis. HLECs were irradiated with UVB, and cell damage was assessed using CCK-8, ROS, and pyroptosis detection. The interaction between E2F1 and NLRP3 was confirmed using Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The study was conducted using UVB-treated HLECs.

Data Collection And/or Analysis: Collected data were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results: Our results show that HLECs were much more susceptible to oxidative stress, pyroptosis, and E2F1 in response to UVB-irradiation, but that E2F1 down-regulation effectively counteracted these effects. E2F1 was then suggested as a potential NLRP3 transcription factor by bioinformatics studies. At the same time, luciferase and CHIP assays showed that E2F1 could bind to the NLRP3 promoter and enhance NLRP3 transcription. In addition, the protective effects of si-E2F1 against oxidative stress and pyroptosis in HLECs are counteracted by overexpressing NLRP3.

Conclusions: All of the above provided the possibility to demonstrate that E2F1 plays a crucial role in regulating oxidative stress and pyroptosis in UVB-induced HLECs through inhibiting NLRP3, and it promotes oxidative stress-induced pyroptosis by suppressing NLRP3 expression.