Fig. 2

NLRP3 inflammasome activation participates in brain injury of NEC. a Representative images of harvested brains from control and NEC mice at P11. Red arrow, hemorrhage; orange arrows, inflammatory cell infiltration. b Brain weights and c brain/body weight ratios of control and NEC group. Brains in both groups were weighed immediately after harvest. Body weights were measured prior to brain harvest. d Representative H&E staining of brain sections from control and NEC group. e Representative Iba-1 and GFAP staining in the brain of control and NEC mice. Quantification of IHC staining was exhibited as the number of Iba-1 or GFAP positive cells per field (4–6 fields/mice, n=3 mice per group). f Western blot analysis of NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1, pro IL-1β, and mature IL-1β protein levels in mouse brain. The relative intensity of the bands was quantified (control, n = 3; NEC, n = 7). g Representative NLRP3 immunohistochemical staining of hippocampus and cerebral cortex regions in control and NEC mice. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001 vs. control group