Formation of oil-particle aggregates with motor oil and kaolinite clay in cold and warm freshwater.

Motor oil is one of the most common pollutants in stormwater runoff in freshwater ecosystems. It can form aggregates with solids (creating oil particle aggregates, OPAs) which complicates the understanding of the fate and transport of motor oil, particularly in cold freshwater, conditions that have not been studied extensively. Laboratory and numerical experiments were conducted with kaolinite clay and three types of motor oil in both cold and warm freshwater, in which: (1) the interaction of clay particles with motor oil was experimentally investigated, in response to changes in oil viscosity, water temperature, and mixing intensity; (2) variability in particle size distribution of the formed OPAs was measured; and (3) a mechanistic OPA formation model was applied and results were compared with experimental data. The results showed that kaolinite clay and motor oil formed mostly droplet-type OPAs, lower-viscosity oil tended to form a wider size range of OPAs, and higher mixing intensity and higher water temperature produced larger numbers of smaller OPAs. Although there was a reasonably good match between the experimental data and the modeling results, more research is needed to further improve the modeling framework.

Regulating Th17/Treg Balance Contributes to the Therapeutic Effect of Ziyuglycoside I on Collagen-Induced Arthritis.

To investigate the therapeutic effect and primary pharmacological mechanism of Ziyuglycoside I (Ziyu I) on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. CIA mice were treated with 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg of Ziyu I or 2 mg/kg of methotrexate (MTX), and clinical manifestations, as well as pathological changes, were observed. T cell viability and subset type were determined, and serum levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) were detected. The mRNA expression of retinoid-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) and transcription factor forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3) in mouse spleen lymphocytes was ascertained by the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Molecular docking was used to detect whether there was a molecular interaction between Ziyu I and protein kinase B (Akt). The activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) in T cells was verified by Western blotting or immunofluorescence. Ziyu I treatment effectively alleviated arthritis symptoms of CIA mice, including body weight, global score, arthritis index, and a number of swollen joints. Similarly, pathological changes of joints and spleens in arthritic mice were improved. The thymic index, T cell activity, and RORγt production of Ziyu I-treated mice were significantly reduced. Notably, through molecular docking, western blotting, and immunofluorescence data analysis, it was found that Ziyu I could interact directly with Akt to reduce downstream mTOR activation and inhibit helper T cell 17 (Th17) differentiation, thereby regulating Th17/regulatory T cell (Treg) balance and improving arthritis symptoms. Ziyu I effectively improves arthritic symptoms in CIA mice by inhibiting mTOR activation, thereby affecting Th17 differentiation and regulating Th17/Treg balance.

Ziyuglycoside I attenuates collagen-induced arthritis through inhibiting plasma cell expansion.

ETHNOBOTANICAL RELEVANCE: With most of the anti-rheumatic drugs having severe adverse drug reactions and poor tolerance, the active components from natural herbs provides a repository for novel, safe, and effective drug development. Sanguisorba officinalis L. exhibits definite anti-inflammatory capacity, however, whether it has anti-rheumatic effects has not been revealed. AIM OF THE STUDY: In the present study, the effect of Ziyuglycoside I (Ziyu I), one of the most important active components in Sanguisorba officinalis L., was investigated in treating collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), illuminating its potential pharmacological mechanisms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: CIA mice were treated with 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg of Ziyu I or 2 mg/kg of MTX, and clinical manifestations as well as pathological changes were observed. T and B cell viability was determined using cell counting kit-8, plasma autoantibodies and cytokines were tested with ELISA, T and B cell subsets were identified by flow cytometry, Blimp1 expression was detected by RT-qPCR and in situ immunofluorescence. The expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) was detected by immunohistochemistry. ERK activation in B cells was verified through western blotting and immunofluorescence. Meanwhile, bioinformatics retrieval and molecular docking/molecular dynamics were used to predict the relationship between Blimp1, ERK and Ziyu I with the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of Ziyu I being evaluated in the ADMETlab Web platform. RESULTS: Ziyu I treatment effectively alleviated the joint inflammatory manifestation including arthritis index, global scores, swollen joint count and body weight of CIA mice. It improved the pathological changes of joint and spleen of arthritic mice, especially in germinal center formation. Ziyu I displayed a moderate regulatory effect on T cell activation, the percentage of total T and helper T cells, and tumor necrosis factor-α, but transforming growth factor-ß was not restored. Increased spleen index, B cell viability and plasma auto-antibody production in CIA mice were significantly reduced by Ziyu I therapy. Of note, we found that Ziyu I administration substantially inhibited the excessive expansion of plasma cells in spleen through preventing the expression of B lymphocyte induced maturation protein 1 (Blimp1) and AID in B cells. Ziyu I was predicted in silico to directly interact with ERK2, and reduce ERK2 activation, contributing to the depressed expression of Blimp1. Moreover, Ziyu I was predicted to have a favorable pharmacokinetic profile and low toxicity. CONCLUSION: Ziyu I effectively ameliorates CIA in mice by inhibiting plasma cell generation through prevention of ERK2-mediated Blimp1 expression in B cells. Therefore, Ziyu I is a promising candidate for anti-arthritic drug development.