The significance of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages by CCs was verified by the observation that atherosclerosis in high-cholesterol diet fed LDL receptor- (LDLR-) deficient mice was alleviated by transplanting bone marrow from NLRP3-deficient, ASC-deficient, or IL-1α/β-deficient mice [117]. Here, NLRP3 is linked to atherosclerosis.