OBJECTIVE： Improvement in lung function was reported after acupuncture treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Because an immune response imba...OBJECTIVE： Improvement in lung function was reported after acupuncture treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Because an immune response imbalance could be seen in COPD, we hypothesize that electroacupuncture （EA） may play a role in regulating inflammatory cytokines and contribute to lung protection in a rat model of smoke-induced COPD. METHODS： A COPD model using male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to cigarette smoke was established. The rats were randomly divided into four groups （control, sham, COPD, and COPD plus EA）, and COPD model was evaluated by measuring pulmonary pathological changes and lung function. EA was applied to the acupuncture point Zusanli （ST36） for 30 min/d for 14 d in sham and COPD rats. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） was used to measure levels of tumor necrosis factor-a （TNF-a）, interleukin-113 （IL-113）, and malonaldehyde （MDA）. RESULTS： Compared with the control rats, COPD rats had significant changes in lung resistance （R,） and lung compliance （C,） （both P〈0.01）, bronchi and bronchiole airway obstruction （P〈0.01）, and levels of MDA, TNF-α, and IL-1β（P〈0.01）. There were no significant differences between the control and the sham groups. Compared with the COPD rats, the COPD plus EA rats had decreased R, and increased CL （both P〈0.05）, and reduced bronchi and bronchiole airway obstruction （P〈0.05, P〈0.01, respectively）, while levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and MDA in BALF were lowered （P〈0.05 and P〈0.01, respectively）. However, TNF-α and IL-1β levels of the EA group rats remained higher than those of the control group （P〈0.05）. CONCLUSION： EA at ST36 can reduce lung injury in a COPD rat model, and beneficial effects may be related to down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects may prolong the clinical benefit of EA.展开更多
Hard carbon(HC)has emerged as one of the superior anode materials for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs),with its electrochemical performance significantly influenced by the presence of oxygen functional groups and its closed...Hard carbon(HC)has emerged as one of the superior anode materials for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs),with its electrochemical performance significantly influenced by the presence of oxygen functional groups and its closed pore structure.However,current research on the structural adjustment of these oxygen functional groups and the closed pore architecture within HC remains limited.Herein,energy-efficient and contamination-free spark plasma sintering technology was employed to tune the structure of coconut-shell HC,resulting in significant adjustments to the content of carboxyl(decreasing from 5.71 at%to 2.12 at%)and hydroxyl groups(decreasing from 7.73 at%to 6.26 at%).Crucially,these modifications reduced the irreversible reaction of oxygen functional groups with Na^(+).Simultaneously,a substantial number of closed pores with an average diameter of 1.22 nm were generated within the HC,offering an ideal environment for efficient Na^(+)accommodation.These structural changes resulted in a remarkable improvement in the electrochemical performance of the modified HC.The reversible specific capacity of the modified HC surged from 73.89 mAh·g^(-1)to an impressive 251.97 m Ah·g^(-1)at a current density of 50 mA·g^(-1).Even at 400 mA·g^(-1),the reversible specific capacity increased significantly from 14.55 to 85.44 mAh·g^(-1).Hence,this study provides a novel perspective for designing tailored HC materials with the potential to develop high-performance SIBs.展开更多
Functional changes in synaptic transmission from the lateral entorhinal cortex to the dentate gyrus(LEC-DG)are considered responsible for the chronification of pain.However,the underlying alterations in fan cells,whic...Functional changes in synaptic transmission from the lateral entorhinal cortex to the dentate gyrus(LEC-DG)are considered responsible for the chronification of pain.However,the underlying alterations in fan cells,which are the predominant neurons in the LEC that project to the DG,remain elusive.Here,we investigated possible mechanisms using a rat model of complete Freund’s adjuvant(CFA)-induced inflammatory pain.We found a substantial increase in hyperpolarization-activated/cyclic nucleotide-gated currents(Ih),which led to the hyperexcitability of LEC fan cells of CFA slices.This phenomenon was attenuated in CFA slices by activating dopamine D2,but not D1,receptors.Chemogenetic activation of the ventral tegmental area-LEC projection had a D2 receptor-dependent analgesic effect.Intra-LEC microinjection of a D2 receptor agonist also suppressed CFA-induced behavioral hypersensitivity,and this effect was attenuated by pre-activation of the Ih.Our findings suggest that down-regulating the excitability of LEC fan cells through activation of the dopamine D2 receptor may be a strategy for treating chronic inflammatory pain.展开更多
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81070001,No. 30670771)the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(No.09JC1402100,No.07DZ19722- 3)+1 种基金the Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project (No.B112)the Shanghai MICCA1 Key Laboratory (No.06DZ22103)
文摘OBJECTIVE： Improvement in lung function was reported after acupuncture treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Because an immune response imbalance could be seen in COPD, we hypothesize that electroacupuncture （EA） may play a role in regulating inflammatory cytokines and contribute to lung protection in a rat model of smoke-induced COPD. METHODS： A COPD model using male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to cigarette smoke was established. The rats were randomly divided into four groups （control, sham, COPD, and COPD plus EA）, and COPD model was evaluated by measuring pulmonary pathological changes and lung function. EA was applied to the acupuncture point Zusanli （ST36） for 30 min/d for 14 d in sham and COPD rats. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） was used to measure levels of tumor necrosis factor-a （TNF-a）, interleukin-113 （IL-113）, and malonaldehyde （MDA）. RESULTS： Compared with the control rats, COPD rats had significant changes in lung resistance （R,） and lung compliance （C,） （both P〈0.01）, bronchi and bronchiole airway obstruction （P〈0.01）, and levels of MDA, TNF-α, and IL-1β（P〈0.01）. There were no significant differences between the control and the sham groups. Compared with the COPD rats, the COPD plus EA rats had decreased R, and increased CL （both P〈0.05）, and reduced bronchi and bronchiole airway obstruction （P〈0.05, P〈0.01, respectively）, while levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and MDA in BALF were lowered （P〈0.05 and P〈0.01, respectively）. However, TNF-α and IL-1β levels of the EA group rats remained higher than those of the control group （P〈0.05）. CONCLUSION： EA at ST36 can reduce lung injury in a COPD rat model, and beneficial effects may be related to down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects may prolong the clinical benefit of EA.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52062012)Guangdong Province Key Discipline Construction Project(No.2021ZDJS102)+2 种基金the Innovation Team of Universities of Guangdong Province(No.2022KCXTD030)the Special Fund for Science and Technology Innovation Cultivation of Guangdong University Students(No.pdjh2023b0549)the Student Academic Fund of Foshan University(No.xsjj202206kjb02)。
文摘Hard carbon(HC)has emerged as one of the superior anode materials for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs),with its electrochemical performance significantly influenced by the presence of oxygen functional groups and its closed pore structure.However,current research on the structural adjustment of these oxygen functional groups and the closed pore architecture within HC remains limited.Herein,energy-efficient and contamination-free spark plasma sintering technology was employed to tune the structure of coconut-shell HC,resulting in significant adjustments to the content of carboxyl(decreasing from 5.71 at%to 2.12 at%)and hydroxyl groups(decreasing from 7.73 at%to 6.26 at%).Crucially,these modifications reduced the irreversible reaction of oxygen functional groups with Na^(+).Simultaneously,a substantial number of closed pores with an average diameter of 1.22 nm were generated within the HC,offering an ideal environment for efficient Na^(+)accommodation.These structural changes resulted in a remarkable improvement in the electrochemical performance of the modified HC.The reversible specific capacity of the modified HC surged from 73.89 mAh·g^(-1)to an impressive 251.97 m Ah·g^(-1)at a current density of 50 mA·g^(-1).Even at 400 mA·g^(-1),the reversible specific capacity increased significantly from 14.55 to 85.44 mAh·g^(-1).Hence,this study provides a novel perspective for designing tailored HC materials with the potential to develop high-performance SIBs.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81901119 and 81901142)Special Project on Innovation and Generation of Medical Support Capacity,and the Natural Science Foundation of Tibet(XZ2019ZRG-119),China.
文摘Functional changes in synaptic transmission from the lateral entorhinal cortex to the dentate gyrus(LEC-DG)are considered responsible for the chronification of pain.However,the underlying alterations in fan cells,which are the predominant neurons in the LEC that project to the DG,remain elusive.Here,we investigated possible mechanisms using a rat model of complete Freund’s adjuvant(CFA)-induced inflammatory pain.We found a substantial increase in hyperpolarization-activated/cyclic nucleotide-gated currents(Ih),which led to the hyperexcitability of LEC fan cells of CFA slices.This phenomenon was attenuated in CFA slices by activating dopamine D2,but not D1,receptors.Chemogenetic activation of the ventral tegmental area-LEC projection had a D2 receptor-dependent analgesic effect.Intra-LEC microinjection of a D2 receptor agonist also suppressed CFA-induced behavioral hypersensitivity,and this effect was attenuated by pre-activation of the Ih.Our findings suggest that down-regulating the excitability of LEC fan cells through activation of the dopamine D2 receptor may be a strategy for treating chronic inflammatory pain.
