Fig. 9
From: Diet-induced obesity impairs spermatogenesis: the critical role of NLRP3 in Sertoli cells
The proposed mechanism of NLRP3 in obesity-induced subfertility. Free fatty acids (FFAs) induce miR-451 expression, which impairing AMPKα activity via targeting Cab39 and thus result in NADPH oxidases-dependent ROS production. NLRP3 activation caused by excessive ROS promotes IL-1β secretion from SCs to impair testosterone synthesis and sperm performance, activates NF-κB and increases MMP-8 expression to degrade occludin, thus affecting the BTB and spermatogenesis