Feasibility and effectiveness of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in awake mice.

AIMS: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is widely used to treat a variety of disorders because it is noninvasive, safe, and well tolerated by awake patients. However, long-term and repetitive taVNS is difficult to achieve in awake mice. Therefore, developing a new taVNS method that fully mimics the method used in clinical settings and is well-tolerated by awake mice is greatly important for generalizing research findings related to the effects of taVNS. The study aimed to develop a new taVNS device for use in awake mice and to test its reliability and effectiveness. METHODS: We demonstrated the reliability of this taVNS device through retrograde neurotropic pseudorabies virus (PRV) tracing and evaluated its effectiveness through morphological analysis. After 3 weeks of taVNS application, the open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were used to evaluate anxiety-like behaviors, and the Y-maze test and novel object recognition test (NORT) were used to evaluate recognition memory behaviors, respectively. RESULTS: We found that repetitive taVNS was well tolerated by awake mice, had no effect on anxiety-like behaviors, and significantly improved memory. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that this new taVNS device for repetitive stimulation of awake mice is safe, tolerable, and effective.

Effect of propofol and ciprofol on the euphoric reaction in patients with painless gastroscopy: A prospective randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To explore the effects of propofol and ciprofol on patient euphoric reactions during sedation in patients undergoing gastroscopy and to investigate potential factors that may influence euphoric reactions in patients. Methods: A total of 217 patients were randomly divided into two groups: the propofol group (P group, n = 109) and the ciprofol group (C group, n = 108). The patients in the P group were given 2 mg/kg propofol, and those in the C group were given 0.5 mg/kg ciprofol. The patients were assessed using the Addiction Research Center Inventory-Chinese Version (ARCI-CV) to measure euphoric reactions at three time points: preexamination, 30 min after awakening, and 1 week after examination. Anxiety, depression, and sleep status were evaluated using appropriate scales at admission and 1 week after the examination. The dream rate, sedative effects, vital sign dynamics, and adverse reactions were documented during the sedation process. Results: After 30 min of awakening, the P group and C group showed no statistically significant differences in the mean morphine-benzedrine group (MBG) score (8.84 vs. 9.09, P > 0.05), dream rate (42.2 % vs. 40.7 %, P > 0.05), or MBG score one week after the examination (7.04 vs. 7.05, P > 0.05). The regression analysis revealed that sex, dream status, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score, and examination time had notable impacts on the MBG-30 min score. No statistically significant differences were observed in sedative effects, anxiety, depression, or sleep status between the two groups (P > 0.05). The incidence of injection pain and severe hypotension was significantly lower in the C group (P < 0.05), and hemodynamics and SpO2 were more stable during sedation (P < 0.05). Conclusion: There was no significant difference between propofol and ciprofol in terms of euphoria experienced by patients after sedation in patients undergoing gastroscopy. Ciprofol has demonstrated addictive potential similar to that of propofol, warranting careful attention to its addictive potential during clinical application.