NLRP3 and necrotizing enterocolitis: To confirm the involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the development of NEC intestinal injury, we constructed the NEC mouse model with typical disruption of intestinal villus architecture that resembles human NEC, as evidenced by obvious villus disarrangement, villous sloughing with significant villous core separation, and patchy intestinal necrosis (Fig. 1 a and b).