The NLRP3 inflammasome plays a major role in innate immune responses by activating caspase-1, resulting in secretion of IL-1β and inflammatory pathologic responses. Viral RNA can induce NLRP3 inflammasome activation. However, none of the components of NLRP3 inflammasome has the ability to bind viral RNA. Therefore, it had been proposed that there might have been some unidentified cytosolic RNA ...

BACKGROUND NLRP3 inflammasome acts as a danger signal sensor that triggers and coordinates the inflammatory response. However, the roles of NLRP3 inflammasome in the tumorigenesis and development of cancer stem cells (CSCs) of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) remain ambiguous. METHODS In our study, tissue microarrays, ELISA, sphere-forming assay, colony formation assay and...

Lymphocyte growth and differentiation are modulated by extracellular nucleotides and P2 receptors. We previously showed that the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R or P2RX7) is overexpressed in circulating lymphocytes from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. In the present study we investigated the P2X7R/NLRP3 inflammasome axis in lymphocytes from a cohort of 23 CLL patients. P2X7R, ASC and NLRP3 we...

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection activates the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages and dendritic cells. Much attention has been paid to the mechanisms for regulation of NLRP3 against Mtb. However, whether epigenetic mechanisms participated in NLRP3 activation is still little known. Here we showed that NLRP3 activation was regulated by DNA methylation modification. Mtb infection promoted...

We tested the hypothesis that loss of Nlrp3 would protect mice from Western diet-induced adipose tissue (AT) inflammation and associated glucose intolerance and cardiovascular complications. Five-week old C57BL6J wild-type (WT) and Nlrp3 knockout (Nlrp3-/-) mice were randomized to either a control diet (10% kcal from fat) or Western diet (45% kcal from fat and 1% cholesterol) for 24 weeks (n = ...

Inflammasomes are multiprotein signaling platforms that form upon sensing microbe- or damage-associated molecular patterns. Upon their formation, caspase-1 is activated, leading to the processing of certain proinflammatory cytokines and the initiation of a special type of cell death, known as pyroptosis. Among known inflammasomes, NLRP3 takes on special importance because it appears to be a gen...

Progressive renal disease is characterized by tubulo-interstitial injury with ongoing inflammation and fibrosis. The Nlrp3 inflammasome contributes to these pathophysiological processes through its canonical effects in cytokine maturation. Nlrp3 may additionally exert inflammasome-independent effects following tissue injury. Hence, in this study we investigated potential non-canonical effects o...

Progressive fibrosis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the well-recognized cause leading to the progressive loss of renal function. Emerging evidence indicated a pathogenic role of the NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in mediating kidney injury. However, the role of NLRP3 in the remnant kidney disease model is still undefined. The present study was undertake...

NLRP3 and ASC are able to form a large multimeric complex called inflammasome in response to a number danger signals. The NLRP3 inflammasome is required for the activation of caspase-1 and subsequent maturation of pro-IL-1β into active IL-1β. Although the mechanisms regulating the formation and activity of NLRP3 inflammasome are yet not fully elucidated, data suggest that the assembly of NLRP3 ...