NLRP3 and colitis: NLRs, especially NLRP3 play a dual and somewhat contradictory role in the intestine: NLRP3 seems to be partly responsible for maintaining mucosal barrier homeostasis as it protects from epithelial injury, as some studies have shown that mice lacking NLRP3 are more susceptible to develop chemically induced colitis, similar to mice lacking ASC or casp-1.