Fluoxetine attenuates neuroinflammation in early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage: a possible role for the regulation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation is closely associated with functional outcome in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients. Our recent study demonstrated that fluoxetine inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and attenuated necrotic cell death in early brain injury after SAH, while the effects and potential mechanisms of fluoxetine on neuroinflammation after SAH have not been well-studied yet. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-three male SD rats were subjected to the endovascular perforation model of SAH. Fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) was administered intravenously at 6 h after SAH induction. TAK-242 (1.5 mg/kg), an exogenous TLR4 antagonist, was injected intraperitoneally 1 h after SAH. SAH grade, neurological scores, brain water content, Evans blue extravasation, immunofluorescence/TUNEL staining, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot were performed. RESULTS: Fluoxetine administration attenuated BBB disruption, brain edema, and improved neurological function after SAH. In addition, fluoxetine alleviated the number of Iba-1-positive microglia/macrophages, neutrophil infiltration, and cell death. Moreover, fluoxetine reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, downregulated the expression of TLR4 and MyD88, and promoted the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65, which were also found in rats with TAK-242 administration. Combined administration of fluoxetine and TAK-242 did not enhance the neuroprotective effects of fluoxetine. CONCLUSION: Fluoxetine attenuated neuroinflammation and improved neurological function in SAH rats. The potential mechanisms involved, at least in part, TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

[Influence of Biochar on Greenhouse Gases Emissions and Physico-chemical Properties of Loess Soil].

Biochar is known to be a good soil amendment to improve soil physical and biochemical characteristics, to increase crop yield, and to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from soils. In this study, five addition levels of apple tree branches-derived biochar (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 t·hm-2) were used in field plot test. The effects of biochar on soil temperature, soil aggregates, NO3--N, NH4+-N, microbial biomass carbon and greenhouse gas fluxes were investigated during the whole pepper growth season. The results showed that biochar amendment increased the temperature moderation capability of soil and increased the content of soil macro-aggregates, especially the content of aggregates with sizes >5 mm, 5-2 mm and 1-0.5 mm. As compared with the control, the contents of NO3--N, NH4+-N and microbial biomass carbon increased by 4.9%-33.9%, 9.1%-41.1% and 11.8%-38.5% with the increase of biochar content respectively. Biochar amendment increased CO2 emissions and CH4 uptake by 6.73%-23.35% and 3.62%-14.17%, respectively. N2O emissions and global warming potential (GWP) decreased at biochar levels of 20 and 40 t·hm-2 and increased when the biochar levels were 60 and 80 t·hm-2 as compared with the control. The results suggested that as a soil conditioner, biochar improved soil quality, soil fertility and function of agriculture soil on carbon sequestion and decreased emission cut. In addition, the choice of biochar level is very important.

Transplantation of Flk-1+ human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells promotes behavioral recovery and anti-inflammatory and angiogenesis effects in an intracerebral hemorrhage rat model.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been successfully used for the treatment of experimental intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, the neuroprotective mechanisms through which MSCs improve neurological functional recovery are not fully understood. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that treatment with MSCs inhibits inflammation after ICH and reduces subsequent brain injury. Adult rats subjected to stereotaxic injection of collagenase VII were transplanted with a subpopulation of human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBMSCs), termed fetal liver kinase (Flk)-1(+) hBMSCs, or saline into the ipsilateral brain parenchyma 1 day after ICH. Significant recovery of behavior was noted in the Flk-1(+) hBMSC-treated rats beginning 3 days after ICH compared with the control group. Brain water content was significantly decreased in the ipsilateral hemispheres of the Flk-1(+) hBMSC-treated rats when compared with the controls 3 days after ICH. The relative hemorrhage volume was reduced 55 days after Flk-1(+) hBMSC treatment. However, this change was not statistically significant. Flk-1(+) hBMSCs significantly inhibited the proliferation of rat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (rPBMCs) induced in a mixed lymphocyte reaction. Consistently, we found a significant anti-inflammatory effect of Flk-1(+) hBMSCs on the ICH brain, including a decrease in neutrophil infiltration and microglial activation in the peri-ICH area, and downregulation of inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. In addition, Flk-1+ hBMSC treatment significantly increased vascular density in the peri-ICH area, and transplanted Flk-1(+) hBMSCs were found to be incorporated into the cerebral vasculature 55 days after transplantation. Overall, these data suggest an essential role for Flk-1(+) hBMSCs in reducing inflammatory infiltration, promoting angiogenesis, and improving functional recovery after ICH in rats.

Positive and negative photoion spectroscopy study of monochlorothiophenes.

Photolysis dynamics of monochlorothiophenes (2- and 3-chlorothiophenes) is investigated using positive and negative photoion mass spectrometry combined with the synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet radiation. A dozen of the daughter cations are observed in the time-of-flight mass spectra, and their appearance energies are determined by the photoion efficiency spectroscopy measurements. At the energetic threshold, the concerted process rather than a stepwise reaction for C(4)H(3)SCl(+) → C(2)HSCl(+) + C(2)H(2) and the ring-open isomers of the dehydrogenated thiophene cations (C(4)H(3)S(+) and C(4)H(2)S(+)) formed in C(4)H(3)SCl(+) → C(4)H(3)S(+) + Cl and C(4)H(2)S(+) + HCl are proposed on the basis of the B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,3pd) calculations. The chlorine anion (Cl(-)) is observed as the product of the photoion-pair dissociations in the energy range of 10.70-22.00 eV. A set of valence-to-Rydberg state transitions 12a' → np (n = 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.) and several series of vibrational excitations are tentatively assigned in the Cl(-) spectrum of 2-chlorothiophene in the lower energy range of 10.90-12.00 eV.

Vacuum ultraviolet negative photoion spectroscopy of chloroform.

Negative ions Cl(-), Cl(2)(-), CCl(-), CHCl(-), and CCl(2)(-) are observed in vacuum-ultraviolet ion-pair photodissociations of chloroform (CCl(3)H) using the Hefei synchrotron radiation facility, and their ion production efficiency curves are recorded in the photon energy range of 10.00-21.50 eV. Two similar spectra of the isotope anions (35)Cl(-) and (37)Cl(-) indicate the following: Besides the strong bands corresponding to the electron transitions from valence to Rydberg orbitals converging to the ionic states, some additional peaks can be assigned with the energetically accessible multibody fragmentations; a distinct peak at photon energy 14.55 eV may be due to a cascade process (namely, the Cl(2) neutral fragment at the highly excited state D'2(3)Π(g) may be produced in the photodissociation of CCl(3)H, and then the Cl(-) anions are produced in the pulsed-field induced ion-pair dissociations of Cl(2) (D'2(3)Π(g))); two vibrational excitation progressions, nν(2)(+) and nν(2)(+) + ν(3)(+), and nν(4)(+) and nν(4)(+) + ν(2)(+), are observed around C̃ (2)E and D̃ (2)E ionic states, respectively. The enthalpies of the multibody fragmentations to Cl(2)(-), CCl(-), CHCl(-), and CCl(2)(-) are calculated with the thermochemistry data available in the literature, and these multibody ion-pair dissociation pathways are tentatively assigned in the respective anion production spectra.

Does the incoming oxygen atom influence the geometries and the electronic and magnetic structures of Co(n) clusters?

The small-sized Co(n)O (n = 1-5) clusters with different spin states have been systematically investigated by using the density-functional approach. The total energies, equilibrium geometries, and magnetic properties are discussed. Equilibrium geometries and the relative stabilities in terms of the calculated fragmentation energies are discussed, manifesting that the remarkable stable small-sized cluster corresponds to the Co(2)O isomer, and that the O atom prefers the surface-capped pattern on Co(n) (n > 2) clusters and bonds with three Co atoms simultaneously. Furthermore, the calculated averaged atomic magnetic moments of Co(n)O (n = 1-5) clusters exhibit that the septet Co(2)O structure has the biggest averaged atomic magnetic moment of 2.0 mu(B)/atom, it is interesting that the oxygen capped Co(n) (n = 1-5) clusters retain the magnetic properties of bare transition metal (TM) Co(n) clusters. In addition, the distribution of electron density of the HOMO states for the most stable Co(n)O clusters mainly localizes around Co(n) atoms while the distribution around O atom is very low, and their shapes of the HOMO and bonding properties between bare Co(n) clusters and Co(n)O clusters are obviously different. The calculated electron affinities and experimental results (J. Phys. Chem. A 2002, 106, 4891) show that the incoming oxygen atom causes a minor influence on the electronic properties of Co(n) clusters. Comparisons of the calculated ionization potentials (IPs) for CoO and Co(2)O clusters with available experimental measurements are made.

[Occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic viral hepatitis patients with non-A to E hepatitis virus infection].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the status of occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic viral hepatitis patients with non-A to E hepatitis virus infection and explore the diagnostic value of fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) technique for occult hepatitis B virus infection. METHODS: The amount of HBV-DNA in serum and liver tissue from 57 patients with non-A to E hepatitis virus infection who were diagnosed as chronic viral hepatitis by Menghini method liver biopsy were detected by using FQ-PCR technique, then the relation between the viral load of HBV DNA in liver tissue and hepatic inflammatory activity were analyzed. RESULTS: Thirteen (22.81%), 22 (38.60%) patients were positive for HBV DNA in serum and liver tissue, respectively. The positive rate and the level of HBV DNA quantity in liver tissue were significantly higher than those in serum; HBV DNA was found positive in both serum and liver tissue in 13 cases, negative in both serum and liver tissue in 35, positive in liver tissue but negative in serum in 9, and in none of the cases HBV DNA was positive in serum but negative in liver tissue (P < 0.01). The logarithmic value of HBV DNA from 13 patients in liver tissue and in serum was respectively: (6.62 +/- 1.21) copies/g vs.(4.03 +/- 1.06) copies/ml, P < 0.01. The hepatic lesions of all HBV DNA positive patients were active pathologic changes, but the level of HBV DNA in liver tissue was not significantly correlated with the grade of hepatic inflammation activity (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Occult HBV infection is the etiology of part of the chronic viral hepatitis patients with non-A-E hepatitis virus infection. Missed diagnosis will occur if diagnosis of hepatitis B is only based on detection of serum HBV markers. It is useful for improvement of the diagnostic level of HBV infection via detection of HBV DNA quantitatively in serum especially in liver tissue of chronic viral hepatitis patients with non-A-E hepatitis virus infection by using FQ-PCR technique. The chronic viral hepatitis patients with occult HBV infection should be also given effective anti-viral therapy.

[Electron temperature of Al plasma estimated with Ar].

Protected with Ar, it would induce atom Ar breakdown to ablate aluminum target with a pulsed Nd: YAG laser beam. Further more, a lot of Ar+ ionic characteristic lines radiation appeared accompanying the aluminum plasma emission. In this work, based on the Ar+ ionic characteristic lines radiation, we analyzed time-resolved behavior of four Ar+ ionic characteristic lines Ar II 385.057, Ar II 386.853, Ar II 404.291 and Ar II 407.201 nm, respectively. Electron temperature of aluminum plasma in the stage of ionic lines emission was approximately calculated. As a result, in this stage, the electron temperature ranged from 15 000 to 22000 K, and decreased successively with the delay time increasing. Compared with other similar works, we found that our results agreed with many similar estimations.