NLRP3 and Hepatic steatosis: HFD-induced liver steatosis in WT mice was also verified biochemically with markedly elevated hepatic levels of cholesterol and TG (Figures 4C,D), and importantly, Nlrp3−/− and Asc−/− (Pycard−/−) livers showed significantly reduced levels of these lipid components in response to HFD feeding compared with WT mice (Figures 4A–D).