ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to investigate the protective effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on renal injury caused by acute stress in rats and explore the protective pathways of DEX on rat kidneys in terms of oxidative stress. METHODS: An acute restraint stress model was utilized, where rats were restrained for 3 hours after a 15-minute swim. Biochemical tests and histopathological sections were conducted to evaluate renal function, along with the measurement of oxidative stress and related pathway proteins. KEY FINDINGS: The open-field experiments validated the successful establishment of the acute stress model. Acute stress-induced renal injury led to increased NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) protein expression and decreased expression levels of nuclear transcription factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Following DEX treatment, there was a significant reduction in renal NOX4 expression. The DEX-treated group exhibited normalized renal biochemical results and less damage observed in pathological sections compared to the acute stress group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that DEX treatment during acute stress can impact the NOX4/Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling pathway and inhibit oxidative stress, thereby preventing acute stress-induced kidney injury. Additionally, DEX shows promise for clinical applications in stress syndromes.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants , Dexmedetomidine , Kidney , NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) , NADPH Oxidase 4 , NF-E2-Related Factor 2 , Oxidative Stress , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Signal Transduction , Animals , NADPH Oxidase 4/metabolism , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism , Dexmedetomidine/pharmacology , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Male , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Kidney/drug effects , Kidney/metabolism , Kidney/pathology , Rats , Signal Transduction/drug effects , NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)/metabolism , Acute Kidney Injury/drug therapy , Acute Kidney Injury/metabolism , Heme Oxygenase-1/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing)ABSTRACT
Superhydrophobic porous materials exhibit remarkable stability and exceptional efficacy in combating marine oil spills and containing oily water discharges. This work employed the multi-template high internal phase emulsion method to fabricate a multi-template porous superhydrophobic foam (MTPSF). The materials were characterized through SEM, IR spectroscopy, contact angle measurement, and an electronic universal testing machine. Moreover, the materials' oil-water separation capability, reusability, and compressibility were thoroughly evaluated. The obtained results demonstrate that the material displays a water contact angle of 143° and an oil contact angle of approximately 0°, thus exhibiting superhydrophobic and superoleophilic properties. Consequently, it effectively facilitates the separation of oil slicks and heavy oil underwater. Furthermore, the MTPSF conforms to the second kinetic and Webber-Morris models concerning the oil absorption process. MTPSF exhibits an outstanding oil absorption capacity, ranging from 39.40 to 102.32 g g-1, while showcasing reliable reusability, high recovery efficiency, and excellent compressibility of up to 55%. The above exceptional attributes render the MTPSF highly suitable for oil-water separation applications.
ABSTRACT
Color is an important indicator for evaluating the quality of natural rubber (NR). Light-colored standard rubbers are widely used in high-grade products and have high economic value. This paper first introduces the history and test standards of the standard light-colored rubber. The origin of color deepening in NR processing, color substances, and its biosynthetic pathway are reviewed. Then, the discoloration mechanism of NR is studied from the perspectives of enzymatic browning (caused by polyphenol oxidase and polyphenols) and non-enzymatic browning (including Maillard reaction and lipid oxidation). Finally, the strategies to control the discoloration of NR will be described.