Deep electroacupuncture of neurogenic spots attenuates immobilization stress-induced acute hypertension in rats.

Background: Our previous studies proved that neurogenic inflammatory spots (or neurogenic spots) have the same physiological features as acupuncture points and that neurogenic spot stimulation generates therapeutic effects in various animal models. However, it is unclear how deeply the neurogenic spots should be stimulated to generate therapeutic effects. Methods: The effects of acupuncture at various needle depths below the neurogenic spot were examined in a rat immobilization stress-induced hypertension (IMH) model. Electroacupuncture was applied to a neurogenic spot at depths of 1, 2, or 3 mm using a concentric bipolar electrode. Results: Electrical stimulation of the neurogenic spot at a 3-mm depth most effectively lowered blood pressure compared with controls and stimulation at 1- and 2-mm depths, which was inhibited by pretreatment with a local anesthetic lidocaine. Electrical stimulation of the neurogenic spot or injection of substance P (SP) at a 3-mm depth significantly excited the rostral ventrolateral medulla (rVLM) compared with superficial stimulation. Electrical stimulation applied at a 3-mm depth on neurogenic spots dominantly caused c-fos expression from rVLM and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) in IMH rats. Pretreatment with resiniferatoxin (RTX) injection into the neurogenic spot to ablate SP or calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) prevented the effects of 3-mm neurogenic spot stimulation on blood pressure in IMH rats. Conversely, artificial injection of SP or CGRP generated anti-hypertensive effects in IMH rats. Conclusion: Our data suggest that neurogenic spot stimulation at a 3-mm depth generated anti-hypertensive effects through the local release of SP and CGRP and activation of rVLM and vlPAG.

Characterization of bimetallic Fe/Ni nanoparticles supported by amphiphilic block copolymer and its application in removal of 1,1,1-trichloroethane in water.

The iron and nickel bimetallic nanoparticles supported by the block copolymer polystyrene-block-poly (acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA-nZVI-Ni) were synthesized successfully and were applied to assess the degradation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) in water. An optimal dose of Ni loading was 2 wt%, while an optimal mass ratio of PS-b-PAA to Ni/Fe, i.e., 0.5:1, at which the dechlorination efficiency was a maximum. The size of PS-b-PAA-nZVI-Ni nanoparticles (average size ~ 50 nm) was three times smaller than that of nZVI-Ni due to the prevention of agglomeration of the resultant zerovalent iron nanoparticles by PS-b-PAA. In the applying aspect, the pseudo-first-order rate constant (Kobs) of 1,1,1-TCA removal by PS-b-PAA-nZVI-Ni was 0.0142 min-1 within 240 min, which was approximately five times higher than nZVI. Meanwhile, PS-b-PAA-supported nZVI-Ni nanoparticles penetrated much deeper in quartz sand columns than nZVI-Ni nanoparticles, indicating PS-b-PAA had significant influence on nZVI transport. The findings from this study suggested that PS-b-PAA-nZVI-Ni, with its high reactivity, selective screening for 1,1,1-TCA, could be one significant potential for use as remedial agent to treat chlorinated solvents in water.

Efficient novel amphiphilic double shells layer coupled with nanoscale zero-valent composite for the degradation of trichloroethylene.

An efficient novel amphiphilic material composed of core-double shells nanocomposite (CDSN) with nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) as the core and PS100-b-PAA16 as inner shell and chitosan as outmost shell has been synthesized successfully. Its application to remove the trichloroethylene (TCE) in stimulated TCE solution with 7.3 ±â€¯0.3 mg/L dissolved oxygen was investigated. The results showed that CDSN after exposure to air for a month could still remove 92.6% of TCE as compared to 61.5% removal rate of NZVI in 360 min (the gram ratio of material: TCE equals to 10:1), exhibiting the great oxidation resistance performance. Specifically, dynamic research of the total removal divided into adsorption by shell layer and degradation by reducibility of NZVI at a predetermined interval was engaged to understand the complete mass transfer process of TCE. The results revealed that CDSN adsorbed 1.5 to 2 folds time TCE as compared to NZVI in the same initial pH = 8.5 aqueous solution. Importantly, CDSN could sustain fixed reactivity to remove about 94.8% of TCE from the start to end. NZVI exhibited greater removal capacity in first 180 min, but later it lost the reducibility and finial removal rate was 89%. The selective adsorption to protonated CDSN was strengthened to increase the removal of TCE at pH 3.5 while NZVI had a worse removal in pH 3.5 performance than pH 8.5.

Different Influences of Lipofection and Electrotransfection on In Vitro Gene Delivery to Primary Cultured Cortex Neurons.

BACKGROUND: Many pain states are linked to central nervous system (CNS) diseases involving the dysfunction of dendritic arborization, making restoration a promising therapeutic strategy. Transfection of primary cortex neurons offers the possibility to study mechanisms which are important for the restoration of proper arborization. Its progress is, however, limited at present due to the lack of suitable gene transfer techniques. OBJECTIVE: To obtain better insight into the transfection potential of currently used techniques, 2 non-viral transfection methods, lipofection and gene electrotransfer (GET), were compared. STUDY DESIGN: This is a comparison study performed on cultured cells. METHODS: The transfection efficiency and neuronal viability, as well as the neuronal dendritic arborization after lipofection or GET, were compared. Primary cultured cortex neurons were transfected with the pEGFP-N1 plasmid, either using Lipofectamine 2000 (2, 3, or 4µL) or with electroporation, with our previously optimized protocol (200V/25 ms). RESULTS: Transfection efficiency and cell viability were inversely proportional for lipofection. The appropriate ratio of Lipofectamine and plasmid DNA provides optimal conditions for lipofection. Although GET offered higher transfection efficiency, it could not induce complex dendritic arborization, which made it unsuitable for in vitro gene transfer into cortex neurons. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include species variability and translational applicability for CNS diseases and pain states related to potential toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, lipofection might be advantageous for in vitro application to primary cultured cortex neurons. Pain states, stress mediated pathogenesis, and certain CNS diseases might potentially utilize this important technique in the future as a therapeutic modality.