2.1. Data Collection

The literature search was performed on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) on August 20, 2024. The search strategy employed was as follows: a combination of the following terms related to the NLRP3 inflammasome: “TS = [(NLRP3) OR (NLRP3 inflammasome) OR (NLR Family Pyrin Domain Containing 3 Protein) OR (Nod-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome)],” and terms related to MI: “TS = [(myocardial infarction) OR (Myocardial Infarctions) OR (Infarction, Myocardial) OR (Infarctions, Myocardial) OR (Myocardial Infarct) OR (MI)].” The search strategy is illustrated in Figure 1. Only articles and review articles published in English and meeting the specified inclusion criteria were considered for the analysis. The search process was conducted independently by two authors (Y.H.J. and R.H.), who ensured that all relevant studies were captured. All records, including references cited within the studies, were exported in plain text format for further analysis.

2.2. Data Analysis

In this study, HistCite Pro (version 2.1) was used to count records, total local citation scores (TLCSs), and total global citation scores (TGCSs) for each publication, journal, country, institution, and author.

VOSviewer (version 1.6.19) is a free software with powerful bibliometric mapping features [15]. In our study, the software mainly accomplished the following analyses: institutional collaboration, journal cocitation, keyword co-occurrence, author collaboration, author cocitation, reference cocitation, etc. The linkage between the nodes indicates the co-occurrence relationship, and the magnitude of the linkage indicates the frequency of co-occurrence of the two nodes.

CiteSpace (version 6.3.R1), another citation visualization and analysis tool developed by Professor Chen [16], was used for cluster analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and reference and keyword citation burst analysis.

Scimago Graphica (version 1.0.42) is a novel data visualization authoring tool that can be used for describing the global distribution map of academic research in this field and providing geographic distribution maps of publications.

In addition, the online bibliometrics website (https://bibliometric.com/app) was used to visualize international collaboration. Microsoft Excel 2021 was used to provide analysis of annual trends in the number of publications.

3.1. Global Overview of Publication Output

The number of studies on NLRP3 in MI has trended upward over the past 12 years, from 2 in 2013 to 61 in 2023, while the number of publications in 2024 was lower than that in 2023, probably because the search results included only two-thirds of the year 2024, as shown in Figure 2. Between 2013 and 2016, the number of annual publications was low, remaining at the single-digit level each year. However, since 2017, the number of annual publications has shown a clear trend of growth, particularly between 2019 and 2022, when the number of annual publications peaked, with nearly 70 publications in 2022. Publication output has grown rapidly, with the achievement of reaching a cumulative total of 324 publications in 2024.

The number of national publications was analyzed to investigate the countries/regions contributing most to the field. The analysis revealed that a total of 31 countries/regions have published in the relevant field, as shown in Figure 3(a), which showed the geographical distribution of publications, indicating that research is concentrated in Asia, North America, and Europe. The top-contributing countries were highlighted based on the number of publications (Figure 3(b), Table 1), where China ranked first with 251 (71.51%) publications, followed by the United States (n = 41, 11.68%), Italy (n = 17, 4.84%), Norway (n = 8, 2.28%), and Australia (n = 7, 1.99%). A visual map of national collaboration networks was constructed using online bibliometric websites, shown in Figure 3(c). China and the United States are the countries at the center of these publications and maintain strong collaborative relationships with several countries. Meanwhile, VOSviewer conducted an overlay visualization map of the country coauthorship analysis, with nodes colored concerning time, as shown in Figure 3(d). Countries labeled in green, such as China, Canada, and Italy, are relatively new researchers, while Norway, Spain, and Sweden are older researchers.

3.2. Analysis of Institutional Output and Collaboration

In general, a total of 416 institutions conducted research related to MI and NLRP3. The top 10 institutions are shown in Table 2. The majority of publications among these institutions were contributed by Harbin Medical University (n = 16), followed by Fudan University (n = 14), Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) (n = 13), Wuhan University (n = 12), and China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (n = 10). VCU had the highest TGCS (1529 citations), followed by the University of Oslo (732 citations) and VCU Johnson Center for Critical Care and Pulmonary Research (676 citations). Coauthorship analysis was also conducted to investigate the collaborative relationships between institutions, with the size of the dots representing the number of articles published by the institutions and the color of the dots representing the clustering of the institutions, as shown in Figure 4(a). Harbin Medical University, Fudan University, and Zhengzhou University demonstrated high academic output in this research area and had extensive collaborations with other institutions. The red cluster was concentrated around Fudan University and contained the largest number of institutions (n = 12). By analyzing the coauthorship plus time overlap of the institutions, as shown in Figure 4(b), the institutions represented by University of Oslo and VCU were the early researchers in the field. While Harbin Medical University, Fudan University, and Zhengzhou University in China have been active in the field of NLRP3 and MI in recent years.

3.3. Analysis of Journals

One hundred and sixty-nine journals were involved in the publication of articles on NLRP3 in MI. Table 3 lists the top 10 journals based on the number of publications, with 25% of the publications being included. Among these, International Immunopharmacology (n = 14) published the most articles in this area, followed by Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology (n = 9) and Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (n = 9). Among the top 10 active journals, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity had the highest impact factor (IF) (7.31) and Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology had the highest total citations (TGCS = 644) in Journal Citation Reports (JCR). Seventy percent of the journals were categorized as Q2 or Q3. In addition, VOSviewer was used to create a network visualization of citing and cocited journals, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b). The minimum number of citations was 30, and a total of 109 cocited journals were included. Circulation had the highest number of cocitations, followed by Circulation Research and Cardiovascular Research. To illustrate the distribution of citing and cited journals, a double-map overlay was utilized, as depicted in Figure 5(c). The citing journals are represented by geographic regions on the left, while the cited journals are displayed on the right. Different line colors represent various disciplines. The citing journals are primarily associated with fields such as molecular, biology, and genetics, while the cited journals predominantly relate to molecular, biology, immunology, medicine, and clinical.

3.4. Analysis of Authors and Cocited Authors

A total of 2079 authors were involved in MI and NLRP3 studies. In Table 4, the most active author was Abbate A. (n = 14, TGCS = 2035), followed by Toldo S. (n = 12, TGCS = 1994), Pagliaro P (n = 8, TGCS = 293), Penna C (n = 7, TGCS = 189), Mezzaroma E. (n = 6, TGCS = 706). The authors’ coauthorship network diagram is depicted in Figure 6(a), with color intensity indicating the time evolution of research collaborations. Abbate A. was an early researcher with a sustained interest in the field. The top 10 most cited authors are shown in Table 4. The five most cited authors were Abbate A. (TGCS = 2035), followed by Toldo S. (TGCS = 1994), Marchetti C. (TGCS = 998), van Tassell B.W. (TGCS = 738), and Mezzaroma E. (TGCS = 706). Cluster density maps for the author cocited analysis were depicted using VOSviewer (Figure 6(b)), with a minimum paper publication count of 2. A total of eight author clusters were formed. Sixty-one authors with at least 20 citations were included in the author cocited analysis, and the top three authors for total link strength were Toldo S. (5429), Abbate A. (3858), and van Tassell B.W. (2818).

3.5. Analysis of Publications and Cocited References

The most cited publications in a particular field reveal the impact of the research. Table 5 characterized the top 10 cited publications, all with more than 200 citations. The most cited paper was “The NLRP3 Inflammasome in Acute Myocardial Infarction” by Toldo S. in Nature Reviews Cardiology. More than half of the articles were of article type. CiteSpace was used for clustering analysis of reference keywords and visualization of a timeline representation based on cocitation clustering, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b). The clusters with different colors represent different research topics, which are divided into 11 clusters in total. According to the time of the cited references, the node size of the clustering reflects the research activity of the keyword in this period, and it can be seen that the research hotspots have been evolving and changing over time, and #11 ischaemia reperfusion and #9 coronary artery disease are the earlier research topics in the field, while #0 pyroptosis and #1 depression have shown strong continuity and activity in recent years. To better understand the evolution of MI and NLRP3-related research, the 20 most cited references on CiteSpace were also explored (Figure 7(c)). The first cited burst occurred in 2013 with an article published in 2011 by Kawaguchi M. et al. The article published by Sandanger O. et al. had the greatest burst intensity (13.8).

3.6. Analysis of Keywords and Themes

Trend assessment and analysis of keywords are important for revealing cutting-edge knowledge in a particular field. A total of 1310 keywords were collected in this study and keyword co-occurrence network analysis was performed using VOSviewer software as shown in Figure 8(a). In Table 6, the top 20 most frequently occurring keywords were summarized based on their frequency, with “NLRP3 inflammasome,” “myocardial infarction,” “pyroptosis,” “inflammation,” and “NLRP3” identified as the five most commonly used terms. To better elucidate the relationship between these keywords and the evolving trends in MI and NLRP3-related research, a visual mapping of 39 keywords with at least 15 occurrences is presented in Figure 8(b). In this mapping, dark blue indicates earlier occurrences, while yellow represents more recent occurrences. Keywords such as “inhibition,” “atherosclerosis,” and “inflammasome” were associated with earlier research, as indicated by their average time of occurrence. Notably, research on the NLRP3 inflammasome surged significantly after 2020, particularly in connection with emerging topics such as oxidative stress and autophagy. A keyword cluster analysis was also created via CiteSpace, and a total of 10 clusters emerged, as shown in Figure 8(c), including #0 NLRP3 inflammasomes, #1 myocardial ischemia, #2 oxidative stress, #3 time, #4 cardiac remodeling, #5 heart failure, #6 molecular docking, #7 acute myocardial infarction, #8 interleukin-1 beta, and #9 myocardial infarction. The modular Q-value and mean silhouette S-value were both greater than 0.5. In addition to quantitative analysis, this study also conducted a qualitative analysis of the keywords. Figure 8(d) illustrates the evolution of keywords across three phases of the field from 2013 to 2024, summarized using a Sankey diagram. In this diagram, the bandwidth proportionally represents the frequency of occurrences, with wider bands indicating higher frequency. Figure 9 highlights the top 25 keywords with the most significant citation bursts in the field, with “inhibition,” “pathway,” “reperfusion injury,” and “NLRP3 inflammasome activation” showing the highest burst intensities. Notably, “pathway,” “gasdermin D,” and “myocardial ischemia” are keywords that continue to exhibit citation bursts through 2024.

4.1. General Information

In this study, research data on the NLRP3 inflammasome in MI were retrieved from the WoSCC database and analyzed using bibliometric methods to explore the research trajectory and trends in this field. The analysis encompassed trends in publications, major contributing countries, institutions, journals, authors, references, and keywords. A total of 324 articles and reviews published between 2013 and 2024 were retrieved. The first article, published in 2013 by Hermansson et al. [17], suggested that the NLRP3 inflammasome might be associated with exacerbating ischemic myocardial injury. Based on the annual publication count and growth trends, the research can be divided into two phases: a slow-growth phase from 2013 to 2018, with fewer than 15 articles published per year, and a fast-growth phase from 2019 to 2024, with more than 25 publications per year. This trend indicates that interest in the NLRP3 inflammasome within the MI research community is likely to remain strong in the coming years.

4.2. Country and Institution

In terms of countries and regions studied, China had the highest number of publications, followed by the United States. However, in terms of TLCS, the United States was the most cited country, with China in second place, indicating that both countries have had a significant presence in the field over the past 12 years. The visualization map of intercountry cooperation networks shows that China and the United States dominate the global collaboration network, while other countries’ cooperation tends to be more regionally focused. These intercountry cooperation networks not only reflect partnerships in scientific research but also reveal the influence of various factors, such as politics and economics, on research collaboration. Although China entered this field later than some other countries, interest has grown rapidly in recent years, leading to a steady increase in the number of published articles. National economic support and international cooperation are likely to further promote the overall development of this field. By analyzing the field from different perspectives, researchers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of which countries are currently leading and should be prioritized for collaboration, particularly China, the United States, and Italy.

Given that China had the highest total number of publications, it is unsurprising that nearly all of the top 10 institutions were from China, underscoring the country’s strong research capabilities. Harbin Medical University, in particular, has made a significant contribution to this field. Notably, while the University of Oslo in Norway ranks 10th in terms of total publications, it ranks second among the top 10 institutions in terms of citations. This discrepancy may be attributed to the university’s early involvement in the field and its extensive original research, which has been highly regarded for its depth and quality. Although Harbin Medical University is the only Chinese institution among the top 10 most-cited institutions, Fudan University, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Zhengzhou University have been the most active in the last 2 years. International academic exchanges and collaborations are also on the rise; however, collaborations involving Chinese institutions are primarily domestic. It is advisable to encourage greater partnerships between Chinese institutions and their global counterparts.

4.3. Journal

Among the top 10 journals, 60% fall within JCR Q2 or Q3, and they were categorized under immunology, pharmacology, molecular and cellular biology, alternative medicine, and cardiology. Notably, only one journal, International Immunopharmacology, has published more than 10 articles on MI and NLRP3 research, indicating that this field still requires substantial further investigation. Moreover, although China has made significant contributions to this research area, most publications are still disseminated through journals managed by Western countries. This suggests that Asian countries, including China, could enhance their efforts in developing journals dedicated to this field. Furthermore, the cocitation of journals like Circulation and Cardiovascular Research indicates that the most impactful studies in this field are often interdisciplinary, combining insights from cardiology, immunology, and molecular biology. Future research could benefit from a similar multidisciplinary approach, integrating these domains to develop more comprehensive therapeutic strategies against MI by targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

4.4. Author

In the co-occurrence analysis of authors, Professor Abbate A. from VCU emerges as a leading figure in NLRP3-related research in the context of MI. He has not only produced the highest number of publications but is also among the earliest researchers in this domain. Professor Abbate’s research primarily focuses on the role of the inflammasome in ischemic MI, particularly the NLRP3 inflammasome [18, 19]. His 14 publications in this field have been cited 2035 times, underscoring his significant contributions and the recognition he has garnered within the scientific community.

Since 2014, Professor Abbate has consistently explored the therapeutic potential of inhibiting inflammasome activity via NLRP3 to reduce infarct size following myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in mice [18]. His research has since concentrated on identifying and testing inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome, contributing valuable insights to the field [20]. Furthermore, Professor Abbate has closely collaborated with Toldo S., with their joint research extending through 2024 [21]. Both authors have made substantial contributions to the study of MI and NLRP3, and their work is poised to continue influencing the field in the years to come.

4.5. Reference

Among the 10 most cited articles, the most frequently cited is a review by Toldo and Abbate [19], published in Nature Reviews Cardiology in 2015, which focuses on the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in acute MI. The second most cited article, authored by Abbate et al. [22] and published in 2020, systematically summarizes the evidence supporting the association between the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1 cytokines with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Citation burst analysis, which indicates the extent to which a reference is rapidly gaining attention and being widely discussed, reflects trends in the popularity of particular research areas. The first significant citation burst originated from a 2011 article by Kawaguchi et al. [23], which elucidated the molecular basis of the initial inflammatory response after I/R and proposed the inflammasome as a novel therapeutic target for the prevention of MIRI. This study provided a foundational direction for subsequent research on MI and the NLRP3 inflammasome. Additionally, a 2013 publication by Sandanger et al. [24] demonstrated the highest burst intensity. In this study, they observed that NLRP3-deficient mice undergoing postischemic reperfusion of the heart showed significant improvements in cardiac function and reductions in hypoxic injury compared to wild-type mice.

4.6. Research Hotpots

Through the analysis of reference timelines, keyword clustering, keyword bursts, and qualitative keyword analysis, the current research frontiers and hotspots can be broadly categorized into the following three aspects.