Statins augment PPAR-γ expression and inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation in MSU crystal-mediated inflammation. (A) PPAR-γ, NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β mRNA expression in THP-1 cells treated with atorvastatin (10 μM), simvastatin (10 μM), or mevastatin (5 μM) for 24 h under stimulation with MSU crystals (0.3 mg/mL) for 24 h. (B) PPAR-γ, NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β protein expression by Western blotting of supernatants and lysates from THP-1 cells treated with each statin under stimulation with MSU crystals (0.3 mg/mL) for 24 h. (C) PPAR-γ activity measured in nuclear extracts from THP-1 cells treated with MSU crystals (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mg/mL). (D) Measurement of PPAR-γ activity after addition of atorvastatin (10 μM), simvastatin (10 μM), or mevastatin (5 μM) in THP-1 cells stimulated with MSU crystals. (E) Measurement of PPAR-γ activity under stimulation of MSU crystlas (0.3 mg/mL) after pretreatment with multiple dosages of atorvastatin, simavstatin, or mevastatin. *: p < 0.05 compared to cells treated with only MSU crystals using Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn’s multiple comparison test; #: p < 0.05, compared to cells treated without MSU crystals using Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn’s multiple comparison test. Values presented as mean ± SEM of three independent experiments. Images are representative of three independent experiments. Abbreviations: PPAR-γ, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ; MSU, monosodium urate; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; ATO, atorvastatin; SIM, simvastatin; and MEV, mevastatin.