[Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment-related diseases and traditional Chinese medicine intervention: a review].

Alzheimer's disease(AD), vascular dementia(VD), and traumatic brain injury(TBI) are more common cognitive impairment diseases characterized by high disability and mortality rates, imposing a heavy burden on individuals and their families. Although AD, VD, and TBI have different specific mechanisms, their pathogenesis is closely related to the nucleotide-binding oligome-rization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3). The NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in neuroinflammatory responses, mediating microglial polarization, regulating the reduction of amyloid ß-protein(Aß) deposition, neurofibrillary tangles(NFTs) formation, autophagy regulation, and maintaining brain homeostasis, and synaptic stability, thereby contributing to the development of AD, VD, and TBI. Previous studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) can alleviate neuroinflammation, promote microglial polarization towards the M2 phenotype, reduce Aß deposition and NFTs formation, regulate autophagy, and maintain brain homeostasis by intervening in NLRP3 inflammasome, hence exerting a role in preventing and treating cognitive impairment-related diseases, reducing psychological and economic pressure on patients, and improving their quality of life. Therefore, this article elucidated the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in AD, VS, and TBI, and provided a detailed summary of the latest research results on TCM intervention in NLRP3 inflammasome for the prevention and treatment of these diseases, aiming to inherit the essence of TCM and provide references and foundations for clinical prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment-related diseases with TCM. Meanwhile, this also offers insights and directions for further research in TCM for the prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment-related diseases.

[New method to assess phosphorus bioavailability in the sediments and soils].

A new method to assess phosphorus bioavailability in the sediments and soils was developed by using a homemade iron oxide/ cellulose acetate membrane(FeO/CAM). The results show that the amount of bioavailable phosphorus(FeO-P) desorbed from the sediment and soil increased with the shaking time,and FeO-P desorption would come to equilibrium after 16 ot 20h. With the increase of the ratio between soil mass and water volume, the quantity of the desorbed FeO-P would decrease and then went planar after 20 to 30g/L. The quantity of the desorbed FeO-P had no significant difference between the FeO/CAMs of 20 to 30cm2. The dynamics of FeO-P desorption from the sediments and soils would be accelerated by appropriately increasing the shaking frequency. In short, FeO/ CAMs overcome many disadvantages of iron oxide impregnated filter paper and are easy to be commercialized; therefore it may have a better future in the application to assessing phosphorus hioavailability in the sediments and soils.

Origins and mobility of phosphorus forms in the sediments of Lakes Taihu and Chaohu, China.

Phosphorus release from the sediment is generally an important factor for lake eutrophication. We have investigated phosphorus forms in surface sediments from Lake Taihu and Lake Chaohu by a chemical extraction method. The results showed that the concentrations of Fe/Al-bound phosphorus (Fe/Al-P) and organic phosphorus (Org-P) had significant correlations with those of amorphous Fe/Al oxides and organic matter in the sediments. Furthermore, Ca-bound phosphorus (Ca-P) concentrations were well related to total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations. The results also indicated that higher pH weakened the association of phosphates with the Fe/Al hydroxides and then resulted in Fe/Al-P release. The increase of pH was companied with autogenetic progresses of calcium carbonate and then elevated Ca-P concentrations in the sediments. In conclusion, external P loadings determine spatial distribution of P fractions, especially Fe/Al-P and Org-P, and partially contribute to additional Ca-P fractions in these highly human-disturbed lakes. The pH-induced phosphorus mobility in the sediments is very important for these lakes.