The mitochondrial protease HtrA2 restricts the NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes.

Activation of the inflammasome pathway is crucial for effective intracellular host defense. The mitochondrial network plays an important role in inflammasome regulation but the mechanisms linking mitochondrial homeostasis to attenuation of inflammasome activation are not fully understood. Here, we report that the Parkinson's disease-associated mitochondrial serine protease HtrA2 restricts the activation of ASC-dependent NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes, in a protease activity-dependent manner.

Pilot Investigation of 2 Nondiet Approaches to Improve Weight and Health.

Context • Weight loss and maintenance are associated with many health benefits, but long-term maintenance of weight loss remains elusive for many people. Overweight individuals are at higher risk than normal-weight individuals for stress-induced overeating. The use of stress-management tools in a weight loss program might decrease the physiological stress that fuels overeating and improve posttreatment maintenance of weight loss Objective • The study intended to compare the differences in outcomes between 2 approaches to achieving weight loss and changes in health-stress reduction and intuitive eating (IE)-during a 14-wk period.

A comparison of a behavioral weight loss program to a stress management program: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: This study compared a behavioral weight loss program (BWL) with a stress management-based program, Emotional Brain Training (EBT), on weight loss, blood pressure, depression, perceived stress, diet, and physical activity.

Methods: Subjects with a body mass index (BMI) of >28 and <45 kg/m(2) were recruited in Lexington, Kentucky in January 2014 and randomized to BWL or EBT for a 20-week intervention. Of those recruited, 49 participants were randomized to EBT or BWL.

Caspase-8 scaffolding function and MLKL regulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation downstream of TLR3.

TLR2 promotes NLRP3 inflammasome activation via an early MyD88-IRAK1-dependent pathway that provides a priming signal (signal 1) necessary for activation of the inflammasome by a second potassium-depleting signal (signal 2). Here we show that TLR3 binding to dsRNA promotes post-translational inflammasome activation through intermediate and late TRIF/RIPK1/FADD-dependent pathways. Both pathways require the scaffolding but not the catalytic function of caspase-8 or RIPK1.