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Freshwaters in China are affected by point and non-point sources of pollution. The Wujiang District (Suzhou City, China) has a long history of canals, rivers, and lakes that are currently facing various water quality issues. In this study, the water quality of four rivers and a lake in Wujiang was assessed to quantify pollution and explore its causes. Seventy-five monthly samples were collected from these water bodies (five locations/samples per area) from August to October 2020 and were compared with nine control samples collected from a water protection area. Fifteen physicochemical, microbiological, and molecular–microbiological parameters were analyzed, including nutrients, total and fecal coliforms, and fecal markers. Significant monthly variation was observed for most parameters at all areas. Total phosphorus, phosphates, total nitrogen, ammonium–nitrogen, and fecal coliforms mostly exceeded the acceptable limits set by the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection. The LiPuDang Lake and the WuFangGang River were the most degraded areas. The studied parameters were correlated with urban, agricultural, industrial, and other major land use patterns. The results suggest that fecal contamination and nutrients, associated with certain land use practices, are the primary pollution factors in the Wujiang District. Detailed water quality monitoring and targeted management strategies are necessary to control pollution in Wujiang’s watersheds.

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Background and Purpose Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome plays a critical therapeutic potential in the colonic inflammatory responses. The Timosaponin BⅡ (TBII) isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Anemarrhena asphodeloides has outstanding anti-inflammatory effects in a variety of diseases. Here, we investigated the protective effects of TBII against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice. Experimental Approach Wild-type (WT) and NLRP3 knockout (NLRP3-/-) mice were applied to evaluate the protective effects of TBII in DSS-induced mice colitis. The role of TBII in LPS+ATP-induced cell model was evaluated by inhibiting or overexpressing NLRP3. RNA-seq, ELISA, western blots, immunofluorescence staining and the expression analysis by qPCR were performed to examine the alterations of colonic NLRP3 expression in colon tissues and cells, respectively. Key Results In mice with DSS-induced ulcerative colitis, TBII treatment repaired the intestinal mucosal barrier and alleviated colonic inflammation. RNA-seq analysis and levels of protein expression demonstrated that TBII could prominently inhibit NLRP3 signaling. TBII-mediated NLRP3 inhibition was associated with the alleviation of intestinal permeability and the inflammatory response via blocking the communication between epithelial cells and macrophages. However, pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 or NLRP3 overexpression significantly impaired TBII-mediated the anti-inflammatory effect. Mechanistically, TBII-mediated NLRP3 inhibition may be partially associated with the suppression of NF-κB. Conclusion and Implications TBII exerted a prominent protective effects against colitis via impeding the crosstalk between epithelial cells and macrophages, partially in the NLRP3-mediated the inhibitory mechanism. These beneficial effects could make TBII as a promising drug for relieving colitis.