To test whether inflammasomes are also important for IL-1β production by alveolar epithelial cells during B. abortus infection, primary cultures of these cells (type II pneumocytes or ATII) obtained from WT mice were treated with a specific caspase-1 inhibitor before infection with the pathogen, and IL-1β levels were measured at 24 h p.i. As shown in Figure 6, IL-1β levels were significantly reduced in cells pretreated with the inhibitor as compared to untreated cells or cells treated with vehicle (DMSO). Here, CASP1 is linked to infection.