Fig. 4

NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 reverses experimental NEC-induced acute neuroinflammation and brain injury. a H&E staining and histological score of hippocampal CA1 regions in control, NEC and NEC+MCC950 mice. Pyramidal cells in NEC mice arranged disorderly with deeply stained cytoplasm and nucleus. Blue arrows indicate nuclear pyknosis. b Representative Iba-1 and GFAP staining in brain hippocampus of control, NEC, and NEC+MCC950 mice. The numbers of Iba-1 or GFAP positive cells per field were quantified (4–6 fields/mice, n = 3 mice per group). c Representative NLRP3 immunohistochemical analysis of hippocampus and cerebral cortex regions. d Western blot analysis of NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1, pro IL-1β, and mature IL-1β in mouse brain tissues. The relative band intensity was quantified (control, n = 3; NEC, n = 3; NEC+MCC950, n = 4). e Relative mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in brain (n = 5–6 mice per group). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 vs. control group; #p < 0.05, ##p < 0.01, ###p < 0.001 vs. NEC group