NADPH Oxidase 2 Regulates NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in the Brain after Traumatic Brain Injury

Figure 5

Deficiency of NOX2 reduces gene and protein expression of NLRP3 and ASC in the mouse cerebral cortex after TBI. (a) Deletion of NOX2 attenuates mRNA gene expression of NLRP3 and ASC at 4 days after TBI as compared to WT mice. mice (ctrl, sham, WT, and KO, resp.). (b) Representative confocal images show that NLRP3 and ASC immunoreactivity is increased at the 4-day post-TBI in the WT-injured cortex. Deletion of NOX2 attenuates the expression of NLRP3 and ASC in the injured cortex following TBI. All images quantified below representative panel (data presented as fold change relative to sham mice). mice (sham, WT, and KO, resp.). Scale bar represents 50 μM. (c) Representative Western blot and quantification of all blots show the protein expression of NLRP3 and ASC in WT, NOX2 KO, and apocynin-treated mice at the 4-day post-TBI (data normalized to β-actin and presented as fold change relative to WT ctrl mice). Both the deletion of NOX2 and inhibition of NOX attenuated NLRP3 and ASC protein levels. BV2 sample included as positive control. mice (WT ctrl, KO ctrl, WT, KO, and APO, resp.). (, , and sham versus WT TBI; ^##, ^###, and ^#### WT TBI versus KO or APO TBI).

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