Ultrahigh-Strength Porous Ceramic Composites via a Simple Directional Solidification Process.

Porous ceramics possess great application potential in various fields. However, the contradiction between their pores and their strength have significantly hampered their applications. In this study, we present a simple directional solidification process that relies on its in situ pore forming mechanism to fabricate Al2O3/Y3Al5O12/ZrO2 porous eutectic ceramic composites with a highly dense and nanostructured eutectic skeleton matrix and a lotus-type porous structure. The flexural strength of this porous ceramic composite with a porosity of 34% is 497 MPa at ambient temperature, which is a new record of the strength of all current porous ceramics. This strength can remain at 324 MPa when the temperature increases up to 1773 K because of its refined lamellar structure and strong bonding interface. We demonstrate an interesting application of the directional solidification in efficiently preparing the ultrahigh-strength porous ceramic with high purity. The findings will open a window to the strength of porous ceramics.

Effects of Sodium Houttuyfonate on Pulmonary Inflammation in COPD Model Rats.

The anti-inflammatory effect of sodium houttuyfonate (SH), an herbal-originated drug that used in China clinically, was investigated on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) inflammatory model rats induced by combination usage of cigarette smoke (CS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The morphology of the lung tissue, the expression levels of cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), the protein levels of TLR4, NF-κB p65, and SIGIRR, and the mRNA levels of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB p65, and SIGIRR in lung tissues were investigated, respectively. After treated by SH (24.3 mg/kg), the abnormal morphology changes of lung tissues in COPD rats, such as neutrophil infiltration and airway obstruction, were considerably alleviated, as well as both proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1ß, significantly decreased in BALF. The mRNA level of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB p65 and protein expression of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in lung tissues decreased significantly after SH treatment, while both SIGIRR mRNA and protein levels increased significantly. These results suggest that SH markedly attenuated the pulmonary inflammation induced by CS and LPS and protected the lung tissue in COPD model rat. The anti-inflammatory effects were related to suppress the TLR4/NF-κB pathway dependent on MyD88. TIR8/SIGIRR might contribute to the protective effects of SH on pulmonary inflammation.