Black Carbon Induces Complement Activation via NLRP3 Inflammasome in Human Corneal Epithelial Cells

To investigate the effect of black carbon (BC) particles on complement activation in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) and determine whether this effect can be attenuated by inhibiting the NLPR3 inflammasome pathway.HCECs were treated with fresh BC (FBC) or ozone-oxidized BC (OBC) particles at a concentration of 200 μg/ml for 72 hours. Complement activation was observed by detecting C5b-9 protein level in cell culture supernatant using...