Fig 2: IRF2 silencing attenuates GSDMD-induced pyroptosis in vitro. (A) IRF-2 expression in H9c2 cells stimulated by hypoxia (6, 12, 24 and 48 h) was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. *P<0.05 vs. Con. (B) IRF2 expression was detected by western blotting. *P<0.05 vs. sh-NC; #P<0.05 vs. pc-NC. (C) Following transfection of sh-IRF2 and IRF2, apoptosis of H9c2 cells was detected by flow cytometry under hypoxic conditions. &P<0.05 vs. Hypoxia + pc-NC, *P<0.05 vs. Con; #P<0.05 vs. Hypoxia+sh-NC. Following transfection of sh-IRF2 and IRF2, the expression of (D) c-caspase-1, GSDMD-N, GSDMD, (E) IL-1ß, and IL-18 was detected by western blotting under hypoxic conditions. *P<0.05 vs. Con; #P<0.05 vs. Hypoxia + sh-NC. All data are expressed as the mean ± SD (n=3). IRF2, interferon regulatory factor 2; GSDMD, gasdermin D; c-, cleaved; MI, myocardial infarction; sh, short hairpin; NC, negative control; Con, control.