ArticleAging2021
Melatonin attenuates smoking-induced atherosclerosis by activating the Nrf2 pathway via NLRP3 inflammasomes in endothelial cells.
Article in Aging, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 63 citations in OpenAlex.
- The NLRP3 inflammasome: a therapeutic target of phytochemicals in treating atherosclerosis (a systematic review).Frontiers in immunology · 2025Pooled it
- Melatonin for age-related vascular diseases: mechanistic rationale, translational barriers, and clinical prospects.Molecular biology reports · 2026Review
- Esculeoside A attenuates aortic remodeling and early atherosclerosis-like changes, with protective effects strongly associated with Nrf2 activation in high-cholesterol-fed rats.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Research progress on targeted regulatory proteins in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Melatonin suppresses ILC2-driven airway hyperreactivity via glutathione-dependent metabolic reprogramming.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Inflammatory drivers of carotid atherosclerosis: signaling pathways, immune cells, and plaque stability.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2026Review
- Computational validation and network pharmacology reveal the cardioprotective and hypolipidemic potential ofFrontiers in bioinformatics · 2026Article
- Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Vascular Endothelial Injury Induced by Cigarette Smoke and Cigarette Smoke Extract in Atherosclerosis.Journal of inflammation research · 2026Review
- Circadian Rhythm Disruptions and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: The Special Role of Melatonin.Current issues in molecular biology · 2025Review
- Reprogramming Atherosclerosis: Precision Drug Delivery, Nanomedicine, and Immune-Targeted Therapies for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction.Pharmaceutics · 2025Review
- NLRP3-Mediated PANoptosis and Associated Interventions in Endothelial Injury.Cardiovascular toxicology · 2025Review
- Targeted drug delivery systems for atherosclerosis.Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2025Review
- Gentiopicroside Alleviates Atherosclerosis by Suppressing Reactive Oxygen Species-Dependent NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in Vascular Endothelial Cells via SIRT1/Nrf2 Pathway.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2025Article
- Therapeutic effects of melatonin on the lungs of rats exposed to passive smoking.Respiratory research · 2024Article
- Chronobiotic and cytoprotective activity of melatonin in the cardiovascular system. Doses matter.Npj biological timing and sleep · 2024Review
- Article
- Activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 axis by glutaredoxin 2 overexpression antagonizes vascular endothelial cell oxidative injury and inflammation under LPS exposure.Cytotechnology · 2024Article
- Esculetin Alleviates IL-1β-Evoked Nucleus Pulposus Cell Death, Extracellular Matrix Remodeling, and Inflammation by Activating Nrf2/HO-1/NF-kb.ACS omega · 2024Article
- A Review of the Potential of Nuclear Factor [Erythroid-Derived 2]-like 2 Activation in Autoimmune Diseases.Brain sciences · 2023Review
- The Role of the Circadian Rhythm in Dyslipidaemia and Vascular Inflammation Leading to Atherosclerosis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Substantial evidence suggests that the effects of smoking in atherosclerosis are associated with inflammation mediated by endothelial cells. However, the mechanisms and potential drug therapies for smoking-induced atherosclerosis remain to be clarified. Considering that melatonin exerts beneficial effects in cardiovascular diseases, we examined its effects on cigarette smoke-induced vascular injury. We found that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) treatment induced NLRP3-related pyroptosis in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). CSE also induced ROS generation and upregulated the Nrf2 pathway in HAECs. Furthermore, pretreatment of HAECs with Nrf2-specific siRNA and an Nrf2 activator revealed that Nrf2 can inhibit CSE-induced ROS/NLRP3 activation. Nrf2 also improved cell viability and the expression of VEGF and eNOS in CSE-treated HAECs. In balloon-induced carotid artery injury model rats exposed to cigarette smoke, melatonin treatment reduced intimal hyperplasia in the carotid artery. Mechanistic studies revealed that compared with the control group, Nrf2 activation was increased in the melatonin group, whereas ROS levels and the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway were inhibited. These results reveal that melatonin might effectively protect against smoking-induced vascular injury and atherosclerosis through the Nrf2/ROS/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Overall, these observations provide compelling evidence for the clinical use of melatonin to reduce smoking-related inflammatory vascular injury and atherosclerosis.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.