The Role of NLRP3 Inflammasome in Pericarditis: Potential for Therapeutic Approaches

•Acute pericarditis is characterized by an intense inflammatory response involving the pericardium. Although mostly benign in its clinical course, 30% of patients may experience complications (recurrence, treatment failure, cardiac tamponade).•The pathogenesis of pericarditis is poorly understood. The scarcity of animal models might justify the limited understanding of this syndrome and the lack of targeted therapies.•Acute pericarditis is believed to represent a stereotypical response to an acute injury of the pericardium. The NLRP3 inflammasome, through its main product, IL-1β, could play a central role in the clinical manifestations.•A mouse model of acute pericarditis was developed through the intrapericardial injection of zymosan A, leading to the classical features of the inflamed pericardium: pericardial effusion, pericardial thickening, and increased expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome. By inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome or IL-1β, the pericardial effusion and thickening and the NLRP3 inflammasome expression were greatly reduced compared with vehicle.•Treatment with IL-1 trap, neutralizing both IL-1β and IL-1α, produced a powerful effect on pericardial inflammation in the experimental pericarditis model.