NLRP3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: In hepatocellular carcinoma cells, metformin led to pyroptosis, upregulated FOXO3-activated NLRP3 transcription, and promoted IL-1β/IL-18, NLRP3, and c-caspase-1 level increases (Z. Shen et al. 2021a, b; L. Wang et al. 2019) (Fig. 3).