Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) were isolated from WT mice, transfected with TLR4 siRNA, and then incubated with 10 μM of DAPT. After 48 hours, the cells were supplemented with 100 ng/ml of LPS for an additional 6 hours. The non-specific (NS) siRNA were used as controls. (A) Western blot analysis of NF-κB, NLRP3, and cleaved caspase-1 in LPS-stimulated macrophages. β-actin served as an internal control. Data representative of three experiments. (B) Density ratios of NF-κB, NLRP3, and cleaved caspase-1. *p<0.05. (C) Quantitative RT-PCR-assisted detection of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Each column represents the mean±SD (n=3–4 samples/group). *p<0.05.