APOE and atherosclerosis: We tested whether caspase-11 deficiency attenuates atherosclerosis by blocking the activation of gasdermin D. The levels of both full-length gasdermin D (GSDMD-FL) and the pyroptosis-inducing fragment GSDMD-N were upregulated in the aorta of ApoE−/− and WT mice fed a HFHC diet for 12 weeks compared with those fed a chow diet (Figure 4A).