Interestingly, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA), which inhibits autophagy, was found to prevent renal injury onset and reduce renal fibrosis, macrophage infiltration, and the production of NLRP3 and IL-1β in injured kidneys. Here, NLRP3 is linked to renal fibrosis.