NLRP3 and atherosclerosis: Vascular inflammation is considered to play a critical role in vascular remodeling in several vascular diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis.5, 8, 9 Plasma IL-1β level was increased in stroke-prone SHR19 and renovascular hypertensive rats.20 IL-1β accelerated the onset of stroke concomitant with severe hypertension,19 and stimulated the VSMC proliferation.21 The present study provides new insights that NLRP3 inflammasome activation contributes to the VSMC phenotypic transformation, proliferation and vascular remodeling in SHR.