Taurine ameliorates burn sepsis-induced intestinal injury by restoring NLRP3/NLRP6 inflammasome homeostasis.

Abstract

Burn injuries trigger severe systemic complications such as sepsis, which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Intestinal-barrier dysfunction plays a pivotal role in sepsis progression by promoting microbial translocation and systemic inflammation. However, the mechanisms underlying burn sepsis-induced intestinal injury remain largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of burn sepsis on intestinal-barrier integrity, NLRP3 and NLRP6 inflammasome homeostasis, and taurine levels, and evaluated the regulatory effect of taurine on intestinal barrier function and inflammasome regulation in a murine burn sepsis model. We found that burn sepsis significantly compromised intestinal integrity, as evidenced by elevated serum diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactate, and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran levels alongside reduced tight-junction protein expression. Notably, burn sepsis induced marked NLRP3 upregulation and NLRP6 downregulation, disrupting inflammasome homeostasis. Importantly, intestinal taurine levels were significantly decreased after burn sepsis induction. Taurine supplementation effectively restored intestinal-barrier function, attenuated inflammation, and rebalanced NLRP3/NLRP6 expression while also suppressing caspase-1 activation and enhancing IL-18 secretion. These findings demonstrated that taurine ameliorated burn sepsis-induced intestinal injury by regulating NLRP3/NLRP6 expression balance, underscoring its therapeutic potential in burn-associated sepsis.