Coal fly ash (CFA) is an ideal source for the preparation of heterogeneous catalysts due to its abundant silicon and aluminum oxides, but its activity needs to be improved. In this study, a green and moderate approach for CFA activation was proposed, and a series of CFA-based catalysts were prepared for NO selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The results indicated that CFA could be well activated via mechanochemical activation with 3 h of milling duration in 1 mol/L of acetic acid, and 90% of NO removal was achieved over the CFA-based catalyst in 250 to 375 °C. Two activating mechanisms, i.e., the enhanced CFA fragmentation and the motivated Al dissolution, were revealed during the mechanochemical activation. The former facilitated the formation of mesopores and the exposure of Fe components in CFA fragments, which enhanced the capacity of oxygen storage over the as-activated catalyst. The latter motivated the formation of Si−OH groups, which promoted the migration of electrons and the dispersion of V species, thereby increasing the capacity of NH 3 adsorption over the as-obtained catalyst. Therefore, the performance of NO reduction was improved. The proposed activating approach could be a promising integration for CFA disposal and NO removal from inside coal-fired power plants.
Caulis Lonicerae, the dried stem of Lonicera japonica, has been confirmed to have antiinflammatory and antioxidant therapeutic effects. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the functional mechanism of glycosides extracted from Caulis Lonicerae on the inflammatory proliferation of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)-mediated fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from rats. Rat FLSs (RSC-364) co-cultured with lymphocytes induced by IL-1β were used as a cell model. Glycosides in a freeze-dried powder of aqueous extract from Caulis Lonicerae were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry. After treatment with glycosides, the inflammatory proliferation of FLS, induced by IL-1β, decreased significantly.Flow cytometry analysis showed that treatment with glycosides restored the abnormal balance of T cells by intervening in the proliferation and differentiation of helper T (Th) cells. Glycosides also inhibited the activation of Janus kinase signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways by suppressing the protein expression of key molecules in these pathways. Therefore, we concluded that the glycosides of Caulis Lonicerae can intervene in the differentiation of Th cells, suppressing the activation of JAK-STAT and NF-κB signaling pathways, contributing to the inhibitory effect on inflammatory proliferation of FLS co-cultured with lymphocytes induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Glucocorticoids inhibit angiogenesis in the femoral head, which fails to nourish the bone tissue and leads to osteonecrosis. Restoring angiogenesis is not only essential for vessel formation, but also crucial for osteogenesis. Poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) is commonly used in the bone tissue engineering field. Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) and osteopractic total flavone (OTF) promote angiogenesis and osteogenesis, respectively. We designed a sequentially releasing PLLA scaffold including PLLA loaded with OTF (inner layer) and PLLA loaded with PNS (outer layer). We assessed the osteogenic effect of angiogenesis in this scaffold by comparing it with the one-layered scaffold (PLLA embedded with OTF and PNS) in vivo. Results from the micro-CT showed that the data of bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume (BV), and percent bone volume (BV/TV) in the PO-PP group were significantly higher than those in the POP group (p < 0.01). Histological analyses show that the PO-PP scaffold exhibits better angiogenic and osteogenic effects compared with the one-layered scaffold. These might result from the different structures between them, where the sequential release of a bi-layer scaffold achieves the osteogenic effect of vascularization by initially releasing PNS in the outer layer. We further explored the possible mechanism by an immunohistochemistry analysis and an immunofluorescence assay. The results showed that the protein expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1(CD31) in the PO-PP scaffold were significantly higher than those in the POP scaffold (p < 0.01); the protein expressions of osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the PO-PP scaffold were significantly higher than those in the POP scaffold (p < 0.05). Upregulating the expressions of angiogenic and osteogenic proteins might be the possible mechanism.
Type 2 innate lymphocytes (ILC2s), promoting inflammation resolution, was a potential target for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. Our previous studies confirmed thatR.astragaliandR.angelicae sinensiscould intervene in immunologic balance of T lymphocytes.C.loniceraealso have anti-inflammatory therapeutic effects. In this study, the possible molecular mechanisms of the combination of these three herbs for the functions of ILC2s and macrophages contributing to the resolution of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were studied. Therefore, we usedR.astragali,R.angelicae sinensis, andC.loniceraeas treatment. The synovial inflammation and articular cartilage destruction were alleviated after herbal treatment. The percentages of ILC2s and Tregs increased significantly. The differentiation of Th17 cells and the secretion of IL-17 and IFN-γ significantly decreased. In addition, treatment by the combination of these three herbs could increase the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 secreted, active the STAT6 signaling pathway, and then contribute to the transformation of M1 macrophages to M2 phenotype. The combination of the three herbs could promote inflammation resolution of synovial tissue by regulating ILC2s immune response network. The synergistic effects of three drugs were superior to the combination ofR.astragaliandR.angelicae sinensisorC.loniceraealone.
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