Direct Measurement of Negative Capacitance in Ferroelectric/Semiconductor Heterostructures.

Negative capacitance (NC) is now an attractive research topic owing to its potential applications. For better integration, investigation about the phenomenon and mechanism of NC in ferroelectric materials on semiconductor substrates is important. In this work, ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) films are deposited on the low-resistance Si(100) substrates to constitute Pt/BTO/p-Si/Pt samples with the metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor/metal (MFSM) structure, on which NC are directly measured at low frequencies with a large DC bias. Because of the unique asymmetric interface, the NC value is tunable by the polarity and magnitude of the DC bias. Analysis based on the impedance and ferroelectric characteristics reveals that, in addition to the displacement current related to the electric polarization, there is also relaxation current caused by interface charge injection and oxygen vacancy migration. This work provides another idea for studying miniaturized and low-energy devices utilizing NC, which is of great significance for the development of silicon-based ferroelectric devices.

Effects of schedule exercise therapy on chronic insomnia.

Schedule exercise therapy (SET) is a novel nonpharmacological intervention for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder (CID). The aim of this study was to explore the effects of SET on CID. Methods: One hundred and eighteen CID were recruited and randomized into medication (MED) or medication combined with SET (MSET) groups. Over 12 observational weeks, sleep and mood status were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). At the end of the observational period, the rates of clinically effective hypnotic use were calculated. At 12 weeks, the PSQI progressively decreased for all subjects combined (P < .001) as well as ISI (P < .001), ESS (P < .001), SDS (P < .001), and SAS (P < .001). The decreases in PSQI (P < .05), ISI (P < .05), SDS (P < .01), and SAS (P < .05) in the MSET group were significantly larger than those in the MED group, but not the same as those in the ESS group (P > .05). At the trial endpoint, the clinically effective rate was significantly higher (P < .05) and the hypnotic usage rate was lower (P < .05) in the MSET group than in the MED group. SET may be an effective treatment for insomnia in patients with CID.

Structural Distortion-Modulated Magnetic and Dielectric Properties in Nonstoichiometric Yb2-xTi2O7-δ Pyrochlore.

Rare-earth titanate pyrochlores have attracted considerable attention for their unique magnetic frustration. Among those compounds, Yb2Ti2O7, a candidate for quantum spin ice, has been extensively studied in its magnetic ground state. However, works on its dielectric property and structure-property relationship lag far more behind. Here, by preparing and investigating nonstoichiometric Yb2-xTi2O7-δ (x = 0-0.15) ceramics, we demonstrate that the samples with x ≤ 0.05 maintain a single-pyrochlore phase, but the nonstoichiometry arouses significant structural distortion and increased oxygen vacancy. As a result, the ferromagnetism, indicated by a positive Curie-Weiss temperature, decreases almost linearly with increasing x value. Remarkably composition-dependent low-temperature dielectric relaxations have been observed. In addition, through introducing nonstoichiometry, the relaxor degree of dielectric behavior is enhanced, and the dielectric curve shows an altered shape. The origin of this dielectric relaxation is attributed to the increased structural distortion reflected by the changed bond length/angle, since there is no phase transition in 90-300 K. Our work gives a comprehensive view on the structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties of Yb2Ti2O7, which is instructive for further work on pyrochlores.

Controllable Distribution and Reversible Migration of Charges in BiFeO3-Based Films on Si Substrates.

In ferroelectric-based integrated devices, there are usually buffer layers between ferroelectric films and semiconductor substrates. Here, Bix%FeO3-δ (x = 95, 100, and 105) (BFOx) films are prepared directly on n-Si substrates by the sol-gel method, and the variation of the hysteresis loops with Bi content and heat treatment is investigated. With the help of the dielectric measurement and the composition analysis, a PN heterojunction is believed to exist at the BFOx/Si interface. The Bi/Fe ratio determines not only the type and concentration of charged defects in the films but also the height of the interface barrier and its binding effect on mobile charges. Furthermore, the distribution and the migration of charges can be regulated reversibly by heat treatment. This work reveals the interaction between ferroelectric films and semiconductor substrates, providing an important reference for the design and application of ferroelectric/semiconductor heterostructures.

Case report: narcolepsy type 2 due to temporal lobe glioma.

RATIONALE: The orexin projection system includes the lateral hypothalamus, reticular activating structure, and ventrolateral preoptic nucleus, and this system is related to the pathogenesis of narcolepsy. Here, we report a case of narcolepsy type 2 caused by hippocampal glioma of the right temporal lobe. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 44-year-old male farmer complained of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) over the past 3 months and more. INTERVENTIONS: The lesion of the right anteromedial temporal lobe was removed and its pathological examination was carried out. OUTCOMES: General examination showed no abnormalities of his heart, lungs, or abdomen. Neurological examination showed no positive sign. The blood routine and biochemical examination were normal. He scored 7 on the Pittsburg sleep quality index, 16 on the Epworth sleepiness scale, 52 on the self-rating anxiety scale, and 48 on the self-rating depression scale. The multiple sleep latency test data showed 2 periods of sleep-onset rapid eyes movement period across 4 successive tests; the average sleep latency was under 8 minutes, and the rapid eyes movement latency was under 7 minutes. Lesion of glioma in hippocampus area of the right anteromedial temporal lobe was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and histological examination. After surgical removal of the glioma from the hippocampus area of the right anteromedial temporal lobe, the patient's EDS symptoms disappeared immediately. He scored 3 on the Epworth sleepiness scale. During our follow-up three months later, he remained well with no complications. DIAGNOSIS: We diagnosed the patient with narcolepsy type 2 according to the 3rd Edition of International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-3). CONCLUSION: The patient suffered from EDS and was diagnosed with narcolepsy type 2. The narcolepsy type 2 was linked to glioma of the hippocampus area. The hippocampus might be another part of regulating the sleep-arousal pathway, and the glioma secretion might interact with the orexin projection system.

Design of Two-Dimensional Multiferroics with Direct Polarization-Magnetization Coupling.

The recent discovery of two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetism in van der Waals materials has opened the door to the control of 2D magnetism by means of electric field. Here we demonstrate the magnetization reversal through switching polarization in a designed 2D multiferroic oxide by combining group theory analysis and first-principles calculation. We show that ferroelectricity can be induced by a specific octahedral rotation in a perovskite bilayer. Ferromagnetism can be introduced simultaneously by extending the guideline to the B-site ordered double-perovskite bilayer. We have found two coupling mechanisms between polarization and magnetization that enable the reversal of the in-plane magnetization by ferroelectric switching. Our work provides guidelines for the design of 2D multiferroics with intrinsic magnetoelectric coupling and helps to control the 2D magnetism by electric field.

Ectopic expression of a R2R3 MYB transcription factor of dove tree (Davidia involucrata) aggravates seed abortion in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Serious seed abortion of dove tree (Davidia involucrate Baill.) is one of the critical factors leading to the low fecundity of this species. Seed abortion is a complicated process and various factors have been verified to synergistically determine the fate of seeds. To reveal the mechanism of seed abortion in D. involucrata, we performed transcriptome analysis in normal and abortive seeds of D. involucrata. According to the transcriptome data, we noticed that most of the genes encoding a MYB transcription factor were predominantly expressed in abortive seeds. Among these, a gene named DiMYB1 was selected and its function was validated in this study. Overexpression of DiMYB1 resulted in obviously reduced viability of transgenic seeds and seedlings, and caused a significantly higher seed abortion rate. The vegetative growth of transgenic plants was hindered, resulting in an earlier flowering time. In addition, colour changes occurred in transgenic plants. Some transgenic sprouts, stems and pods appeared purple instead of green in colour. Our finding demonstrated that DiMYB1 participates in multiple plant developmental processes, especially in seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., which indicated the similar role of this gene in D. involucrata.

Hole Transfer Promoted by a Viscosity Additive in an All-Polymer Photovoltaic Blend.

Viscosity modifiers are widely applied to improve the mechanical compliance of organic optoelectronic devices. However, the effect of the viscosity additives on the charge dynamics remains poorly understood. Here, we report the observation of markedly different effects of a high-viscosity polymeric additive on the electron- and hole-transfer dynamics in all-polymer organic photovoltaic blends. By using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, we determine that hole transfer from charge-transfer excitations in the acceptor is markedly promoted while the electron transfer from local excitations in the donor remains nearly unchanged upon introduction of viscosity additives into the blends. We argue that the modification of dielectric screening is the mechanism underlying the effect of the additive on the charge dynamics. This finding suggests a new strategy for designing high-performance flexible organic photovoltaic devices by manipulating the dielectric environment.

Effect of electroacupuncture on relieving central post-stroke pain by inhibiting autophagy in the hippocampus.

INTRODUCTION: To explore the underlying mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment on central post-stroke pain (CPSP), and provide basic evidence for the EA treatment on CPSP. METHODS: Firstly, 40 male SD rats were successfully established with a model of CPSP, under the intervention of different EA frequencies (2 Hz and 15 Hz) and fluoxetine (5 ml/kg and 0.4 mg/ml), whose brain tissue was then removed for paraffin-embedded sectioning; secondly, LPS induced the primary brain cells in the hippocampus to cause inflammation model which were added NS398 (inhibitor of COX-2) and DKK-1 (inhibitor of ß-catenin) later. The lesion sites of brain tissue were observed by Nissl staining and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and autophagy-related proteins (LC3B, p62, LAMP-1), COX-2 and ß-catenin were detected by Western Blot and immunohistochemical staining. Finally, the correlation between LC3B, COX-2, and ß-catenin was calculated by multispectral quantification. RESULTS: (1) In the EA group (15 Hz), the number of Nissl bodies increased, autophagy-related protein LC3B-Ⅱ/Ⅰ, LAMP-1, COX-2, and ß-catenin was lowly expressed, p62 was highly expressed; (2) COX-2, ß-catenin and LC3B are positively correlated with each other (COX-2 & ß-catenin: r = 0.923; COX-2 & LC3B: r = 0.818; ß-catenin & LC3B: r = 0.801); (3) Nissl bodies of primary brain cells of the hippocampus under LPS were like animal experiments; after addition of DKK-1, high expression of ß-catenin and COX-2 induced by LPS was significantly down-regulated, and LC3B-II/I was significantly down-regulated, and p62 protein only had up-regulation trend; after addition of NS398, COX-2 and LC3B-II/I was significantly down-regulated. CONCLUSION: EA may inhibit autophagy in the hippocampus by reducing ß-catenin/COX-2 protein expression and effectively alleviating CPSP. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Previous studies have found that EA can reduce the expression of NK-1R in damaged rats by inhibition of COX-2 and ß-catenin loops, which controls the activation of glial cells in the damaged area and the apoptosis of neuronal cells, and alleviated pain. In the male SD rat model, we evaluated this effect that EA inhibits autophagy in the hippocampus by reducing ß-catenin/COX-2 protein expression in the brain tissue. In addition, we assessed expression levels of autophagy-related proteins and genes on the inflammatory primary brain cells model. From the experiment, we found EA may inhibit autophagy in the hippocampus by reducing ß-catenin/COX-2 protein expression. These findings provide a foundation for the interpretation of the mechanism of EA on relieving CPSP in clinical practice.

Dynamics and manipulation of ferroelectric domain walls in bismuth ferrite thin films.

Ferroelectric domain walls differ from domains not only in their crystalline and discrete symmetry, but also in their electronic, magnetic, and mechanical properties. Although domain walls provide a degree of freedom to regulate the physical properties at the nanoscale, the relatively lower controllability prevents their practical applications in nano-devices. In this work, with the advantages of 3D domain configuration detection based on piezoresponse force microscopy, we find that the mobility of three types of domain walls (tail-to-tail, head-to-tail, head-to-head) in (001) BiFeO3 films varies with the applied electrical field. Under low voltages, head-to-tail domain walls are more mobile than other domain walls, while, under high voltages, tail-to-tail domain walls become rather active and possess relatively long average lengths. This is due to the high nucleation energy and relatively low growth energy for charged domain walls. Finally, we demonstrate the manipulation of domain walls through successive electric writings, resulting in well-aligned conduction paths as designed, paving the way for their application in advanced spintronic, memory and communication nano-devices.

Upregulation of the lncRNA MEG3 improves cognitive impairment, alleviates neuronal damage, and inhibits activation of astrocytes in hippocampus tissues in Alzheimer's disease through inactivating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the expression of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) in rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to explore its potential mechanisms. METHODS: An AD rat model was induced by microinjection of Aß25-35 . On the first day after successful modeling, pcDNA3.1 plasmid and pcDNA3.1-MEG3 plasmid were continuously infused into the third ventricle through a micro-osmotic pump to interfere with the expression level of MEG3. The spatial learning ability and memory ability, the histopathological changes of hippocampus tissues, the ultrastructure of hippocampal neurons, astrocyte activation as well as the survival and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in each group was observed. The expression of apoptosis, PI3/Akt signaling pathway-related proteins, glial fibrillary acidic protein, inflammatory factors, malondialdehyde, glutathione-peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase levels were determined. The deposition of amyloid beta (Aß) in the hippocampus of rats by was observed by Aß immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Downregulated MEG3 was detected in the tissues of AD rats. In addition, upregulation of MEG3 contributed to an improvement of spatial learning ability and memory ability, inhibited the pathological injury and its apoptosis of hippocampal neurons, decreased Aß positive expression, inhibited oxidative stress injury and inflammatory injury as well as the activated astrocytes in AD rats via inactivation of the PI3/Akt pathway. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights that upregulation of the lncRNA MEG3 improves cognitive impairment, alleviates neuronal damage, and inhibits activation of astrocytes in hippocampus tissues in AD through inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

LncRNA SNHG12 as a potent autophagy inducer exerts neuroprotective effects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Long-non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 12(SNHG12) was reported to be highly up-regulated in brain microvascular endothelium after cerebral ischemia. Autophagy has been shown to have protective effects against cerebral ischemic insults. However, molecular mechanisms of SNHG12 in regulating autophagy during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remain unclear. Here, we established middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model in mice and adopted oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) SH-SY5Y cell model to mimic cerebral I/R injury in vitro. Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to measure infarct size. Bederson and Longa score systems were used to evaluate neurological behavioral and defects, respectively. CCK-8, EdU staining, flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining were performed to determine the biological function of SNHG12 on SH-SY5Y cell under OGD/R condition. The autophagy levels were determined by Western blotting and LC3B immunofluorescence. We found the expression of SNHG12 was up-regulated by cerebral I/R in mice andSH-SY5Y cell model after OGD/R. Up-regulated SNHG12 alleviated OGD/R-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury and induced autophagy activation, as indicated by an increased ratio of LC3 II/I and Beclin-1, decreased p62. On the contrary, down-regulation of SNHG12 exacerbated SH-SY5Y cell injury after OGD/R and inhibited autophagy. Furthermore, autophagy activator rapamycin or inhibitor 3-MA partially reversed the down-regulation or up-regulation of SNHG12 effect in OGD/R-inducedSH-SY5Y cell injury, respectively. Taken together, these findings suggest that SNHG12 as an autophagy inducer alleviates cerebral I/R injury, which might be a new therapeutic target of ischemic stroke.

Upregulation of miR-496 decreases cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by negatively regulating BCL2L14.

Neurological functions were seriously impaired by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury following ischemic stroke and its molecular mechanism is still not fully understood. MicroRNA-496 (miR-496) has been reported to be deregulated in several diseases but it still remains unknown about the function of miR-496 in cerebral I/R injury. Here, Middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) was performed to induce cerebral I/R injury in rats. Then, neurological deficits were assessed by Bederson and Longa score system. The 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining were used to evaluate the rat brain pathology. The oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) induced in vitro I/R injury was constructed in SH-SY5Y cells. The expression of miR-496 was determined using Real-time PCR. Bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter assay were utilized to confirm the target gene of miR-496. CCK-8, EdU staining, flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining were respectively utilized to measure cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis. The results showed the expression of miR-496 was found to be down-regulated by cerebral I/R in rats and OGD/R-inducedSH-SY5Y cell model. MiR-496 overexpression alleviated the OGD/R-induced injury in SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, pro-apoptosis factor Bcl-2-like protein 14 (BCL2L14) was predicted and verified as the direct target of miR-496 and suppressed by miR-496. Furthermore, BCL2L14 knockdown exhibited similar effects similar to those of miR-496 overexpression, and the restored BCL2L14expression reversed the protective effects of miR-496 on SH-SY5Y cells. In conclusions, our results suggest that miR-496 alleviates cerebral I/R injury possibly via inhibiting BCL2L14 expression.

The exchange bias behavior of BiFeO3 nanoparticles with natural core-shell structure.

The surface and interface effects of small antiferromagnetic nanostructures are important on the modulation of their magnetic properties. In this report, temperature and particle size dependent magnetic exchange bias effect was investigated in BiFeO3 (BFO) nanoparticles that possess natural core-shell structure. Nonmonotonic variation of exchange bias field, interesting surface spin-glass state and improved exchange bias training effect are only obtained in 18 nm BFO particles. Based on comparative experiments on particles with different sizes, we found that the surface spins and the interaction among them show great effect on the interfacial exchange coupling of the core-shell structure, and thus are responsible for the peculiar exchange bias behavior in small BFO nanoparticles. Our work provides the effect of surface spin state on the magnetic characteristics of nanomaterials and will favor their applications on spintronic devices.

Lipopolysaccharide Stimulated the Migration of NIH3T3 Cells Through a Positive Feedback Between ß-Catenin and COX-2.

How ß-catenin/COX-2 contribute to inflammation-induced fibroblasts migration remains poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used as a stimulus to accelerate the migration of NIH3T3 cells, which mimicked the tissue repair process. LPS treatment increased the cell migration in concentration-and time-dependent manner. And NS398, a COX-2 inhibitor, inhibited LPS-induced NIH3T3 cells migration. DKK-1, an antagonist of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, also inhibited that migration. However, TWS119, an inducer of ß-catenin via GSK-3ß, increased the cell migration. LPS or TWS119 treatment increased COX-2, ß-catenin, TGF-ß1, and HMGB-1 expressions, and that could be attenuated by NS398 or DKK-1 addition. LPS induced the PGE2 production, and PGE2 increased the expression and nuclear translocation of ß-catenin, while EP2 blocker, AH6809, alleviated those effects. TWS119 increased the luciferase activity in the COX-2 promoter. In conclusion, LPS stimulated the NIH3T3 fibroblasts migration through a positive feedback between ß-catenin and COX-2, in which PGE2, EP2, TGF-ß1, and HMGB-1 played as signal molecules.

Toward Understanding Non-coding RNA Roles in Intracranial Aneurysms and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a common and frequently life-threatening cerebrovascular disease, which is mostly related with a ruptured intracranial aneurysm. Its complications include rebleeding, early brain injury, cerebral vasospasm, delayed cerebral ischemia, chronic hydrocephalus, and also non neurological problems. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), comprising of microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play an important role in intracranial aneurysms and SAH. Here, we review the non-coding RNAs expression profile and their related mechanisms in intracranial aneurysms and SAH. Moreover, we suggest that these non-coding RNAs function as novel molecular biomarkers to predict intracranial aneurysms and SAH, and may yield new therapies after SAH in the future.

Improved magnetic and magnetoelectric properties in BaFe12O19 nanostructures.

The structural, magnetic and magnetoelectric properties were investigated for sol-gel prepared BaFe12O19 nanorods and plate-like nanoparticles. Based on comparative experiments with bulk ceramics, it is found that larger structural distortion is present in nanostructures, which could cause the enhancement of magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the off-center displacement of Fe3+ ions, and thus result in improved magnetic and magnetoelectric properties in BaFe12O19 plate-like nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the local (Fe2+-Fe3+) dipoles, which usually appear during a high temperature sintering process, can also contribute to the negative magnetoelectric effect of BaFe12O19 nanorods and a large room temperature magnetodielectric coefficient of about -13% is observed at 104 Hz and 9 kOe.

Development of functionalized hollow microporous organic capsules encapsulating morphine - an in vitro and in vivo study.

Microporous organic capsules with hollow interiors have received enormous attention due to their unusual encapsulation efficiency to confine chemicals within their hollow cavities and prompted controlled release by circumventing their ripening or poisoning. To this end, herein, we report the design and synthesis of carboxylic group functionalized hollow microporous organic capsules (HMOCs) using a facile emulsion polymerization technique that show extraordinary high encapsulation efficiency (up to 98%) of morphine·HCl and its promising prolonged release. The functionalized HMOCs are found to release the drug at a rate which is proportional to the amount of drug remaining in its interior. Due to the presence of hollow and porous morphologies, they possess high BET surface areas, i.e. up to 974 m2 g-1. Moreover, the in vivo results showed that functionalized HMOCs can offer slow release of active drug molecules and attenuate the level of writhing response over 72 h of intraperitoneal injection. The functionalized HMOCs, therefore, present a new class of potential drug delivery systems that can maintain the slow and prolonged release of analgesics by lowering the dosage and avoid frequent administration.

Induced core-shell structure and the electric properties of (K0.48Na0.52)0.95Li0.05Nb0.95Sb0.05O3 ceramics.

The relationship among dielectric anomaly, ferroelectric response, defects, and microstructures was established for (K0.48(1+x)Na0.52)0.95Li0.05Nb0.95Sb0.05O3 (x = 0.04, 0.00, -0.02, -0.04 and -0.08) ceramics. For x = -0.02 and -0.04, larger coercive fields and lower remnant polarizations were obtained; besides, an additional dielectric relaxation behavior was observed with the activation energy Ea being about 2.19 eV and 1.92 eV, respectively. Furthermore, the grain and grain boundary contributions to the capacitance were separated using impedance spectroscopy, which, combined with back-scattering characterization, firmly indicates the core-shell structure of K-deficient samples (x = -0.02 and -0.04). Unlike the cores, the shells possess a large amount of K+ vacancies (). This work paves a way for regulating the fine structure and more on the electrical properties of KNN-based materials.

Combination of early constraint-induced movement therapy and fasudil enhances motor recovery after ischemic stroke in rats.

PURPOSE: Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is a promising technique for the recovery of upper extremity movement in chronic stroke patients. However, the effectiveness of its use in acute ischemia has not been confirmed. Myelin-associated inhibitors, which have upregulated functions in tissues affected by acute focal infarction, limit axonal regeneration via activation of the Rho-Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) pathway. The present study examined whether early CIMT combined with the ROCK inhibitor fasudil promotes motor recovery after acute ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were trained to perform the skilled-reach test and then subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), producing a stroke affecting the preferred forelimb. Rats were assigned to one of four groups (N = 6/group): (nontreated) Control, CIMT, Fasudil, or CIMT+fasudil. CIMT and/or intraperitoneal infusion of fasudil were initiated 1 day postMCAO. Skilled reach and foot fault test data were collected once before and repeatedly over 4 weeks after the operation. Infarct volumes were calculated. RESULTS: All four groups showed similar forelimb impairment before treatment. The performance of CIMT alone group was similar to that of controls on both tests. Fasudil alone facilitated recovery in the foot-fault test, but not in the skilled-reach test. Rats in the CIMT+fasudil group demonstrated enhanced recovery in both tests, including better performance over time than the Fasudil group on the foot-fault test. Infarct size did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Early CIMT promotes motor recovery after acute ischemic stroke when it is administered with fasudil pharmacotherapy, but not without it.