NLRP3 and colitis: One major challenge for the interpretation of our data came from a few studies that reported protective role for NLRP3 inflammasome in mouse models of colitis, that is, mice lacking NLRP3, ASC, or caspase 1 were more susceptible for colitis in DSS and azoxymethane (AOM) models (Allen et al., 2010; Dupaul-Chicoine et al., 2010; Zaki et al., 2010a,b; Hirota et al., 2011).