Melatonin Exerts Cardioprotective Effects by Inhibiting NLRP3 Inflammasome-Induced Pyroptosis in Mice following Myocardial Infarction

Figure 3

Effect of melatonin on NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated cardiac pyroptosis in H9C2 cells exposed to hypoxia. (a) Melatonin reduced hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte loss. Live cells were stained with calcein-AM (green), and dead cells were stained with EthD-III (red). Scale bar, 40 μm. (b) Melatonin treatment decreased the release of LDH in H9C2 cells. vs. ctl, ^# vs. hypoxia. . (c) GSDMD-N levels were decreased by melatonin treatment. vs. ctl, ^#. . (d) The mRNA levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the different groups were detected by real-time PCR. vs. ctl, ^#. . (e) Melatonin treatment reduced the levels of NLRP3 and cl.casp-1 in hypoxia-treated H9C2 cells. vs. ctl, ^# vs. hypoxia. . (f) NLRP3 levels were detected by immunofluorescence. Scale bar, 50 μm. (g) The levels of IL-1β and IL-18 were decreased by melatonin in H9C2 cells. vs. ctl, ^# vs. hypoxia. . cl.casp-1: cleaved caspase-1; MLT: melatonin.

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