IL18 and inflammatory response: The NLRP3 inflammasome regulates renal inflammation and fibrosis in UUO through interactions with ASC and procaspase-1 to form the inflammasome, which consequently mediates the activation of caspase-1, cleaving cytokine precursors such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-18, and other cytokine precursors, transforming them into their mature forms and participating in the inflammatory reaction.