Fig. 6

MT induces the interaction of caspase-1 and caspase-3 in nicotine-treated macrophages. (A) The WB results showed the expression of GSDME and GSDME in macrophages under different treatments, and the specific pathway of pyroptosis has been identified. (B) ELISA results showing macrophage secretion of caspase-1 and caspase-3 after the different treatments. (C) Representative western blots showing caspase-3 expression following immunoprecipitation with an anti-caspase-1 antibody (top), caspase-1 expression following immunoprecipitation with an anti-caspase-3 antibody (middle), and caspase-1 and caspase-3 expression in total cell lysates (bottom). (D) Hoechst staining of THP-1 macrophages (When apoptosis occurs, the nucleus condenses. Indicate with a red arrow.) (scale bar: 20 μm). (E) Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis in macrophages after the different treatments. (F) TEM analysis of ultrastructural alterations in 1 µM THP-1 macrophages (scale bar: 2 μm). Data are presented as mean ± SD (n = 3 represents three independent experiments per group); ^*P < 0.05, ^**P < 0.01, and ^***P < 0.001 vs. control cells. ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01, and ^###P < 0.001 vs. nicotine-treated cells