NLRP3 and colitis: There is evidence suggesting that mice lacking the NLRP3 inflammasome components exhibit exacerbated colitis when challenged with DSS or 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid for the induction of experimental colitis (Allen et al., 2010; Zaki et al., 2010; Hirota et al., 2011), as characterized by increased mortality, compromised epithelial integrity, an increase in commensal bacterial translocation from the gut to the bloodstream, and a decline in cytokines, including IL-1β.