NLRP3 and mastitis: Li et al. reported that E. coli infection induced NLRP3 inflammasome assembly, caspase-1 activation, mitochondrial damage and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, causing BMEC apoptosis, whereas Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 inhibited the effect of E. coli and had a preventive and protective effect against E. coli-induced mastitis [38].