a The expression of CDC42 and CDC42-165aa in the indicated MH-S was detected by immunoblotting (n = 3 biological replicates). b Results of the MTT assay showing the viability of MH-S cells (n = 5 biological replicates). c The ELISA results indicating the levels of TNF and IL-6 in the MH-S cell supernatants (n = 5 biological replicates). d Light microscopy analysis of the morphology of MH-S cells treated as indicated, the red arrows indicate pyroptotic cells (n = 3 biological replicates). Scale bar, 20 μm. e The release of LDH from MH-S cells was treated as indicated and presented as a percent of medium activity compared to cell lysate from cells (n = 4 biological replicates). f Immunoblotting analysis of the expression of Caspase-1, GSDMD and IL-1β in the indicated MH-S cells (n = 3 biological replicates). g The secretion of IL-1β in the indicated MH-S cell supernatants was detected by ELISA (n = 4 biological replicates). Data are presented as the means ± SD. b One-way ANOVA with Tukey test. c, e, g Two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s test. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; ****p < 0.0001. p-values: (b) p = 1.86E-06 (siNC vs siNC + KP), p = 1.26E-06 (siNC + KP vs si-circCDC42 + KP), p = 2.92E-06 (EV vs EV + KP), p = 5.23E-05 (EV + KP vs OE + KP). (c) TNF: p = 1.23E-10 (siNC vs siNC + KP), p = 3.15E-10 (siNC + KP vs si-circCDC42 + KP), p = 5.54E-09 (EV vs EV + KP), p = 8.96E-05 (EV + KP vs OE + KP); IL-6: p = 5.44E-10 (siNC vs siNC + KP), p = 1.50E-05 (siNC + KP vs si-circCDC42 + KP), p = 9.21E-07 (EV vs EV + KP), p = 3.08E-05 (EV + KP vs OE + KP). (e) p = 4.63E-06 (siNC vs siNC + KP), p = 0.0011 (siNC + KP vs si-circCDC42 + KP), p = 2.29E-07 (EV vs EV + KP), p = 0.0004 (EV + KP vs OE + KP). (g) p = 6.01E-10 (siNC vs siNC + KP), p = 0.0011 (siNC + KP vs si-circCDC42 + KP), p = 1.95E-05 (EV vs EV + KP), p = 0.0004 (EV + KP vs OE + KP). See also Figure S3. Source data are provided as a Source data file.