Fig. 4
Mn-ER-Cy plus laser irradiation (+) lead to pyroptotic cell death. (a) Bright-field images showing 4T-1 cells morphology in each group. White arrows indicate cell swelling characterized by large bubbles. (b) and (c) Bio-TEM and SEM images illustrating the morphological features of pyroptosis. Red circles highlight large bubbles within the cells and indicate cell membrane rupture. Green arrows show cell membrane degradation and an increase in surface gaps. (d) CLSM images illustrating caspase-1 expression in 4T-1 cells. (e) Western blotting analysis of the relative protein levels of pyroptosis-related genes (NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, and GSDMD-N). (f) and (g) Quantitative analysis of IL-1β and IL-18 in the cell supernatants of each group using ELISA (n = 3, mean ± s.d.). The experimental groups were categorized as follows: (I) PBS, (II) 808 nm laser (0.8 W/cm2, 5 min), (III) Mn-ER-Cy, and (IV) Mn-ER-Cy with 808 nm laser. Statistical analyses were conducted using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001