NLRP3 and periodontitis: Furthermore, Nlrc4-knockout mice exhibit greater bone resorption than wild-type mice, and osteoclast activity is increased in Nlrc4-deficient macrophages, suggesting a protective role of NLRC4 inflammasomes in inflammatory bone resorption in periodontitis induced by A. actinomycetemcomitans, which may be attributed to NLRP3 inflammasome activation (254).