Knee osteoarthritis model

Healthy male C57BL/6 mice (eight weeks) were purchased from the Animal Resource Center of the Faculty of Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, while Yunzi Chen Laboratory provided NLRP3^−/− mice. All mice were housed and handled as per defined procedures of the Animal Resource Center at Nanjing Medical University's Faculty of Medicine. OA knee mice model was created via surgically destabilizing the medial meniscus (DMM). In brief, mice were randomly divided into two groups labeled sham and OA groups. The sham group mice were anesthetized intraperitoneally with 35 mg/kg pentobarbital before sham surgery. The skin and joint capsule were incised, and then, the joint capsule and skin were sutured sequentially. The medial meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) were removed in OA group, and the joint capsule and skin were sutured. After surgery, ibuprofen was given to each mouse to relieve pain, and penicillin was provided to prevent infection. Three days after surgery, the mice were forced to exercise for one hour per day for six weeks on a customized treadmill.