Fig. 2

MT inhibits nicotine-induced pyroptosis in THP-1 macrophages. (A) Viability assay results of macrophages exposed to nicotine (1 µM, 24 h) and treated with different concentrations of MT (6 h). (B) The mRNA expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 was analyzed by q-RT-PCR in macrophages (1 µ M nicotine, 24 h) without MT and macrophages (1 µ M nicotine, 24 h) treated with different concentrations of MT (6 h). (C) The pyroptosis-related protein expression was analyzed by WB in macrophages (1 µ M nicotine, 24 h) without MT and macrophages (1 µ M nicotine, 24 h) treated with different concentrations of MT (6 h). (D) The pyroptosis-related protein expression was analyzed by WB in macrophages (1 µ M nicotine, 24 h) without MT and macrophages (1 µ M nicotine, 24 h) treated with different incubation times of 30 mM MT. (E) The ELISA results showed that IL-18 and IL-1 β were secreted in the supernatant of macrophages (1 µ M nicotine, 24 h) without MT treatment or treated with different concentrations of MT (6 h). 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