Fig. 1

Pyroptosis was aggravated in mice during I/R-induced AKI. A Representative images of hematoxylin–eosin staining (H&E)-stained kidney sections. Red arrow: cell swelling and cytoplasm rarefaction; Yellow arrow: tubular necrosis; Black arrow: cast formation; Green arrow: karyopyknosis; Blue arrow: inflammatory cells. Scale bar = 50 μM. B Kidney injury was scored based on the percentage of tubules displaying tubular dilation, tubular necrosis, and cast formation using a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (≥75%) (n = 5). C Serum Cr and BUN levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (n = 5). D NLRP3 and GSDMD expression were analyzed by Western blots using kidney lysates from sham-operated mice and mice at different renal reperfusion time points. * p < 0.05 vs. sham; # p < 0.05 vs. mice subjected to renal reperfusion for 24 hours. Data are presented as means ± SEM (n = 3). E Concentration of IL-1β and IL-18 in kidney tissue was analyzed by ELISA at different reperfusion time points. * p < 0.05 vs. sham. # p < 0.05 vs. mice subjected to renal reperfusion for 24 hours. Data are presented as means ± SEM (n = 5)