ER Stress Activates the NLRP3 Inflammasome: A Novel Mechanism of Atherosclerosis

Figure 2

The effect of ROS in the process of ER stress activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. ER induces ROS production via NOX4 and ERO1 during stress. The release of Ca²⁺ in the ER causes mitochondrial damage which further aggravates the release of ROS. The increased ROS level triggers NLRP3 inflammasome assembly. In addition, NOX2 regulates dsRNA-activated PKR expression under ER stress and affects the process of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. ROS: reactive oxygen species; ER: endoplasmic reticulum; NLRP3: nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3; NOX4: NADPH oxidase 4; ERO1: ER oxidase 1; NOX2: NADPH oxidase 2; PKR: protein kinase RNA.