NLRP3 and Hepatic fibrosis: Studies have shown that wild type mice develop more severe liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) as compared to the NLRP3–/– and ASC–/– mice, as evidenced by higher α-SMA expression and more Sirius Red staining area in the wild-type than in the knockout mice (Watanabe et al., 2009).