Figure 4.

Curcumin inhibits the TXNIP/NLRP3 axis and proinflammatory cytokine release in PQ-treated WI-38VA13 cells. PQ (10 µmol/l) and curcumin (300 µmol/l) were used to study the mechanisms underlying the effects of curcumin on PQ-induced lung cell injury. (A and B) Protein levels of TXNIP, NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1 and caspase-1 as determined via western blotting. mRNA levels of (C) NLRP3 and (D) TXNIP were detected via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. GAPDH was used as an internal control. Levels of (E) IL-1β and (F) IL-18 were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data are presented as the mean ± standard error of the mean (n=3). *P<0.05, **P<0.01 vs. control; ^{^}P<0.05, ^{^^}P<0.01 vs. PQ; ^#P<0.05, ^##P<0.01 vs. PQ + Cur. Cur, curcumin; IL, interleukin; NLRP3, NLR pyrin domain containing 3; PQ, paraquat; TXNIP, thioredoxin interacting protein.