NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in the Brain after Global Cerebral Ischemia and Regulation by 17β-Estradiol

Figure 7

The ability of E2 to attenuate expression of cleaved caspase-1 and IL-1β after GCI is lost in PELP1 forebrain-specific knockout mice. (a and c) Representative confocal images show that cleaved caspase-1 and IL-1β are induced in hippocampal CA1 region at day 6 after GCI in FLOX as well as PELP1 knockout mice. The expression of these markers is suppressed by E2 in the FLOX control mice but not in the PELP1 KO mice sections (KO = PELP1 knockout) (magnification = 40x, scale bar = 50 μm). (b and d) Quantification of fluorescence intensity using MATLAB software shows a statistically significant suppression of all of these proteins by E2 in FLOX but not in KO mice (, sham versus GCI; , GCI versus GCI + E2; , FLOX GCI + E2 versus KO GCI + E2; NS, not significant, KO GCI versus KO GCI + E2) ( animals/group).

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