NLRP3 and metabolic disease: NLRP3 can be activated by pathogens and by a wide range of cytosolic DAMPs, including ATP, potassium efflux, alum, uric acid crystals and amyloid β (Jin and Flavell, 2010; Schroder et al., 2010) and is also involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (Heneka et al., 2013), autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), and it also contributes to ethanol-induced neuroinflammation in the cerebellum of ethanol-treated mice (Lippai et al., 2013).