Neuroinflammation has been known as an important pathogenetic contributor of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Pterostilbene is a natural compound which has neuroprotective activity. However, the effect of pterostilbene on amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced neuroinflammation has not been clarified. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of pterostilbene on Aβ-induced neuroinflammation in microglia. The results indicated that pterostilbene attenuated Aβ -induced cytotoxicity of BV-2 cells. Aβ induced NO production and iNOS mRNA and protein expression, while pterostilbene inhibited the induction. The expression and secretion levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were enhanced by Aβ treatment, whereas pterostilbene decreased them. Aβ activated NLRP3/caspase-1 inflammasome, which was inactivated by pterostilbene. In addition, the inhibitor of caspase-1 Z-YVAD-FMK attenuated the Aβ -induced neuroinflammation in BV-2 cells. In conclusion, pterostilbene attenuated the neuroinflammatory response induced by Aβ in microglia through inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1 inflammasome pathway, indicating that pterostilbene might be an effective therapy for AD.

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Efficient conversion of carbon dioxide (CO 2) into energy-bearing compounds using abundant solar energy is a promising technique that simultaneously responds to the concerns on global warming and energy shortage. The purpose of this study was to find a photocatalyst that can efficiently utilize sunlight for an efficient reduction of CO 2 to energy-bearing carbon monoxide (CO). Silver phosphate/titanium dioxide (Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2) hetero-structured photocatalysts with different mole ratios of Ag 3 PO 4 to TiO 2 were synthesized by a facile precipitation method, and for the first time used for photocatalytic CO 2 reduction by water vapor (H 2 O). When the mole ratio of Ag3PO4 to TiO 2 was 0.15, the as-synthesized photocatalyst exhibited the highest CO 2 reduction activity under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiation, with the productivity of CO reaching as high as 74.84 μmolÁg −1 within a 3-h experiment. This is 3.5 and 11.7 times higher than that for the bare Ag 3 PO 4 and TiO 2 , respectively. The characterization results indicate that a heterojunction was formed between Ag 3 PO 4 and TiO 2 , which significantly promoted the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction reactions through facilitating the separation and migration of the photogenerated charge carriers. This study verified that the Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 catalyst can effectively utilize solar energy for reduction of CO 2 to CO.