What Makes On-Chip Microdevices Stand Out in Electrocatalysis?

Clean and sustainable energy conversion and storage through electrochemistry shows great promise as an alternative to traditional fuel or fossil-consumption energy systems. With regards to practical and high-efficient electrochemistry application, the rational design of active sites and the accurate description of mechanism remain a challenge. Toward this end, in this Perspective, a unique on-chip micro/nano device coupling nanofabrication and low-dimensional electrochemical materials is presented, in which material structure analysis, field-effect regulation, in situ monitoring, and simulation modeling are highlighted. The critical mechanisms that influence electrochemical response are discussed, and how on-chip micro/nano device distinguishes itself is emphasized. The key challenges and opportunities of on-chip electrochemical platforms are also provided through the Perspective.

Artemisinin and Artemisia annua leaves alleviate Eimeria tenella infection by facilitating apoptosis of host cells and suppressing inflammatory response.

Evasion strategies of intracellular parasites by hijacking cellular pathways, are necessary to ensure successful survival and replication. Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) has the ability to circumvent apoptosis of infected cells through increased expression of the transcriptional factor NF-κB and the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-xL during the development of second generation schizonts. Artemisinin (ART) and its original plant, the dried leaves of Artemisia annua (LAA) have been shown to be effective against avian coccidiosis, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We showed that E. tenella infection promoted the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and inhibited the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and cleaved caspase-3 at 60 h post infection (PI), with a higher ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax. Nevertheless, the expression trends of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 were reversed at 120 h and 192 h PI. ART treatment significantly abrogated Bcl-2 expression, whereas it promoted the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 at the three time points above. Additionally, ART remarkably suppressed the increased mRNA expressions of NF-κB and interleukin-17A in ceca during infection by E. tenella. Compared with the ART treatment, LAA treatment exerted more improvements in clinical symptoms, promoting apoptosis and suppressing inflammatory response. These alterations caused by ART and LAA treatments were consistent with the reduced clinical diarrhea and pathological improvements in chicken ceca. Collectively, these results indicate that the inhibitory effects of ART or LAA on E. tenella infection may work through facilitating the apoptosis of infected host cells and inhibiting the inflammatory response.

[Effect of Electroacupuncture and Manual Acupuncture on Colonic Inflammatory Injury, Cytokine Levels and Cell Apoptosis in Ulcerative Colitis Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) and manual acupuncture interventions on colonic inflammatory injury, cytokine level and cell apoptosis in ulcerative colitis (UC)rats, so as to reveal its mechanisms underlying improvement of UC. METHODS: A total of 32 SD rats were randomized into control, model, EA and manual acupuncture groups (8 rats/group). The UC model was established by intrarectally administration of 5% trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS)+ dehydrated alcohol. Both "Quchi" (LI 11) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) were punctured with filiform needles for 20 min in the manual acupuncture group or stimulated with EA (8 Hz/25 Hz, 2-4 mA, and duration of 20 min) in the EA group. The treatment was conducted once daily for consecutive 6 days. Changes of body weight and pathological state of colitis were observed. The contents of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1 ß, IL-6), anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10), homocysteine (Hcy) and myeloperoxidase (MPO, two oxygen free radicals associated substances) in the colon tissues were detected by ELISA, and the protein expression levels of Bcl-2,Bax,phosphorylated (p)-inhibitor of nuclear factor kappaB kinase α(IκBα) and p-p 65 (a subunit of nuclear factor) of colonic tissues were detected by Western blot, separately. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the body weight was decreased and the state of the swelling and hemorrhage of the colon got worsened in the model group, while the state of the swelling and hemorrhage of the colon was better in both EA and manual acupuncture groups, and the body weight was clearly increased from day 4 on in both treatment groups. The concentrations of colonic TNF-α, IL-1 ß, IL-6, IL-10, MPO and Hcy were all significantly higher in the model group than in the control group (P<0.01), but those of colonic TNF-α, IL-1 ß, IL-6 in both EA and manual acupuncture groups, those of MPO and Hcy in the EA group were significantly down-regulated following the intervention (P<0.05, P<0.01), and that of IL-10 was notably further increased in the manual acupuncture group (P<0.05). In addition, modeling-induced remarkable down-regulation of colonic Bcl-2/Bax, and marked up-regulation of expression of IκBα and p-p 65 proteins were significantly suppressed in both EA and manual acupuncture groups (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Both EA and manual acupuncture interventions Feb alleviate the colonic lesions in UC rats, which Feb be related to their functions in regulating levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, in balancing the expression of apoptosis-related protein and anti-apoptosis-related protein and in down-regulating the expression of the key nuclear transcription factors in the colonic tissue.