Intravenous Arginine Administration Downregulates NLRP3 Inflammasome Activity and Attenuates Acute Kidney Injury in Mice with Polymicrobial Sepsis

Figure 5

Kidney nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-associated protein expressions in groups treated with the nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, L-N (6)-iminoethyl-lysine (L-NIL). (a) Protein expressions of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC), interleukin- (IL-) 1β, and caspase-1. Whole-tissue lysates were analyzed by immunoblotting, and β-actin was used as a loading control. (b) Densitometric analysis of blots corrected by the protein loading control. SSL: sepsis group with saline plus L-NIL, sacrificed at 6, 12, and 24 h after CLP; SAL: sepsis group with Arg plus L-NIL, sacrificed at 6, 12, and 24 h after CLP. Results of the densitometric analysis are presented as the ; for each group. Differences among group were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test.

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