The Molecular Biological Mechanism of Hydrogen Therapy and Its Application in Spinal Cord Injury.

Hydrogen, which is a novel biomedical molecule, is currently the subject of extensive research involving animal experiments and in vitro cell experiments, and it is gradually being applied in clinical settings. Hydrogen has been proven to possess anti-inflammatory, selective antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects, thus exhibiting considerable protective effects in various diseases. In recent years, several studies have provided preliminary evidence for the protective effects of hydrogen on spinal cord injury (SCI). This paper provides a comprehensive review of the potential molecular biology mechanisms of hydrogen therapy and its application in treating SCI, with an aim to better explore the medical value of hydrogen and provide new avenues for the adjuvant treatment of SCI.

[Study on improvement and mechanism of tableting properties of porous Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma powders].

At present, there are many difficulties in the development and production of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) tablets. This work aimed to explore the feasibility of improving dissolution difficulty and large dosage of TCM tablets by co-spray drying TCM extract with a small amount of pore-foaming agent ammonium bicarbonate. A series of porous Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma powders were prepared by co-spray drying Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma with different amounts of ammonium bicarbonate, and their powder pro-perties and tablet properties were comparatively investigated. At the same time, Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma commercial tablets and raw material tablets were used as control drugs, the improvement degree of its compressibility and dissolution rate was investigated. The results showed that there were higher porosity, specific surface area and hollow spheroidal particles structure of powders via co-spray drying Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma with NH_4HCO_3. Compared to parent and commercial Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma tablets, the dissolution rates and compressibility of porous Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma tablets were significantly increasing. High compressibility could increase drug loading by reducing excipients in manufacturing of tablets and lower the dose of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma tablets.

Engineering electrospun multicomponent polyurethane scaffolding platform comprising grapeseed oil and honey/propolis for bone tissue regeneration.

Essential oils play an important role in reducing the pain and inflammation caused by bone fracture.In this study, a scaffold was electrospun based on polyurethane (PU), grape seed oil, honey and propolis for bone tissue-engineering applications. The fiber diameter of the electrospun PU/grape seed oil scaffold and PU/grape seed oil/honey/propolis scaffold were observed to be reduced compared to the pristine PU control. FTIR analysis revealed the existence of grape seed oil, honey and propolis in PU identified by CH band peak shift and also hydrogen bond formation. The contact angle of PU/grape seed oil scaffold was found to increase owing to hydrophobic nature and the contact angle for the PU/grape seed/honey oil/propolis scaffold were decreased because of hydrophilic nature. Further, the prepared PU/grape seed oil and PU/grape seed oil/honey/propolis scaffold showed enhanced thermal stability and reduction in surface roughness than the control as revealed in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. Further, the developed nanocomposite scaffold displayed delayed blood clotting time than the pristine PU in the activated prothrombin time (APTT) and partial thromboplastin time (PT) assay. The hemolytic assay and cytocompatibility studies revealed that the electrospun PU/grape seed oil and PU/grape seed oil/honey/propolis scaffold possess non-toxic behaviour to red blood cells (RBC) and human fibroblast cells (HDF) cells indicating better blood compatibility and cell viability rates. Hence, the newly developed electrospun nanofibrous composite scaffold with desirable characteristics might be used as an alternative candidate for bone tissue engineering applications.

The effects of centrally administered fluorocitrate via inhibiting glial cells on working memory in rats.

Although prefrontal and hippocampal neurons are critical for spatial working memory, the function of glial cells in spatial working memory remains uncertain. In this study we investigated the function of glial cells in rats' working memory. The glial cells of rat brain were inhibited by intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of fluorocitrate (FC). The effects of FC on the glial cells were examined by using electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings and delayed spatial alternation tasks. After icv injection of 10 microL of 0.5 nmol/L or 5 nmol/L FC, the EEG power spectrum recorded from the hippocampus increased, but the power spectrum for the prefrontal cortex did not change, and working memory was unaffected. Following an icv injection of 10 microL of 20 nmol/L FC, the EEG power spectra in both the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus increased, and working memory improved. The icv injection of 10 microL of 50 nmol/L FC, the EEG power spectra in both the prefrontal cortex and in the hippocampus decreased, and working memory was impaired. These results suggest that spatial working memory is affected by centrally administered FC, but only if there are changes in the EEG power spectrum in the prefrontal cortex. Presumably, the prefrontal glial cells relate to the working memory.

Aniracetam attenuates H2O2-induced deficiency of neuron viability, mitochondria potential and hippocampal long-term potentiation of mice in vitro.

Objective It is known that free radicals are involved in neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction, as seen in Alzheimer' s disease (AD) and aging. The present study examines the protective effects of aniracetam against H2O2-induced toxicity to neuron viability, mitochondria potential and hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). Methods Tetrazolium salt 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) was used to detect neuronal viability. MitoTracker Red (CMX Ros), a fluorescent stain for mitochondria, was used to measure mitochondria potential. Electrophysiological technique was carried out to record hippocampal LTP. Results H2O2 exposure impaired the viability of neurons, reduced mitochondria potential, and decreased LTP in the CA1 region of hippocampus. These deficient effects were significantly rescued by pre-treatment with aniracetam (10-100 mu mol/L). Conclusion These results indicate that aniracetam has a strong neuroprotective effect against H2O2-induced toxicity, which could partly explain the mechanism of its clinical application in neurodegenerative diseases.