The purinergic receptor P2X3 promotes facial pain by activating neurons and cytokines in the trigeminal ganglion.

The mechanism underlying allodynia/hyperalgesia caused by dental pulpitis has remained enigmatic. This investigation endeavored to characterize the influence of the purinergic receptor P2X3 on pain caused by experimental pulpitis and the mechanism involved. An experimental model of irreversible pulpitis was produced by the drilling and exposure of the dental pulp of the left upper first and second molars in rats, followed by measuring nociceptive responses in the oral and maxillofacial regions. Subsequently, neuronal activity and the expression of P2X3 and pertinent cytokines in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) were meticulously examined and analyzed. Histological evidence corroborated that significant pulpitis was produced in this model, which led to a distinct escalation in nociceptive responses in rats. The activation of neurons, coupled with the upregulated expression of c-fos, P2X3, p-p38, TNF-α and IL-1ß, was identified subsequent to the pulpitis surgery within the TG. The selective inhibition of P2X3 with A-317491 effectively restrained the abnormal allodynia/hyperalgesia following the pulpitis surgery and concurrently inhibited the upregulation of p-p38, TNF-α and IL-1ß within the TG. These findings suggest that the P2X3 signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in instigating and perpetuating pain subsequent to the induction of pulpitis in rats, implicating its association with the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and inflammatory factors.

Holistically Engineered Polymer-Polymer and Polymer-Ion Interactions in Biocompatible Polyvinyl Alcohol Blends for High-Performance Triboelectric Devices in Self-Powered Wearable Cardiovascular Monitorings.

The capability of sensor systems to efficiently scavenge their operational power from stray, weak environmental energies through sustainable pathways could enable viable schemes for self-powered health diagnostics and therapeutics. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) can effectively transform the otherwise wasted environmental, mechanical energy into electrical power. Recent advances in TENGs have resulted in a significant boost in output performance. However, obstacles hindering the development of efficient triboelectric devices based on biocompatible materials continue to prevail. Being one of the most widely used polymers for biomedical applications, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) presents exciting opportunities for biocompatible, wearable TENGs. Here, the holistic engineering and systematic characterization of the impact of molecular and ionic fillers on PVA blends' triboelectric performance is presented for the first time. Triboelectric devices built with optimized PVA-gelatin composite films exhibit stable and robust triboelectricity outputs. Such wearable devices can detect the imperceptible skin deformation induced by the human pulse and capture the cardiovascular information encoded in the pulse signals with high fidelity. The gained fundamental understanding and demonstrated capabilities enable the rational design and holistic engineering of novel materials for more capable biocompatible triboelectric devices that can continuously monitor vital physiological signals for self-powered health diagnostics and therapeutics.

Hierarchical Porous and High Surface Area Tubular Carbon as Dye Adsorbent and Capacitor Electrode.

Hierarchically porous tubular carbon (HPTC) with large surface area of 1094 m(2)/g has been successfully synthesized by selectively removing lignin from natural wood. No templates or chemicals are involved during the process. By further KOH activation, surface area of activated HPTC reaches up to 2925 m(2)/g. These materials show unprecedented high adsorption capacity toward organic dyes (methylene blue, 838 mg/g; methyl orange, 264 mg/g) and large electrochemical capacitance of >200 F/g. The sustainable feature of the wood precursor and demonstrated superior adsorption and energy storage properties allow promising applications of the processed materials in energy and environmental related fields.