NLRP3 Inflammasome Formation and Activation in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: Therapeutic Target for Antimetabolic Syndrome Remedy FTZ

Figure 4

NLRP3 inflammasome formation and activation in HSCs after PA-induced steatosis with and without FTZ treatment. (a) Representative confocal fluorescence images show the colocalization of NLRP3 with caspase-1 or ASC in HSCs. (b) Correlation coefficient (PCC) showing a statistically significant increase in NLRP3 inflammasomes formation in PA-treated (200 mM/ml, 24 hours) HSCs, which was almost completely blocked by FTZ (50 μg/ml, 24 hours) ( batches of cells). (c) Representative Western blot gel documents showing cleaved caspase-1 increased in HSCs treated with PA but blocked by FTZ. (d) Densitometric quantitation of immunoreactive bands showing a statistically significant increase in cleaved caspase-1 after PA-treated cells ( batches of cells). (e) ELISA of IL-1β levels from cell media showing a statistically significant increase induced by PA and decreased by FTZ ( batches of cells). versus Vehl-Ctrl group; versus PA-Vehl group.

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