Endothelin-1-mediated Brainstem Glial Activation Produces Asthmatic Airway Vagal Hypertonia Via Enhanced ATP-P2X4 Receptor Signaling in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

The occurrence of major asthma symptoms is largely attributed to airway vagal hypertonia, of which the central mechanisms remain unclear. This study tests the hypotheses that endothelin-1-mediated brainstem glial activation produces asthmatic airway vagal hypertonia via enhanced action of adenosine 5'-triphosphate on neuronal purinergic P2X4 receptors. A rat model of asthma was prepared using ovalbumin. Airway vagal tone was evaluated by the recurrent laryngeal discharge and plethysmographic measurement of pulmonary function. The changes in the brainstem were examined using ELISA, Western blot, luciferin-luciferase, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, enzyme activity assay and immunofluorescent staining, respectively. The results showed that in the medulla of rats, endothelin receptor type B and P2X4 receptors were primarily expressed in astrocytes and neurons, respectively, and both of which, along with endothelin-1 content, were significantly increased after ovalbumin sensitization. Ovalbumin sensitization significantly increased recurrent laryngeal discharge, which was blocked by acute intracisternal injection of P2X4 receptor antagonist 5-BDBD, knockdown of brainstem P2X4 receptors, and chronic intraperitoneal injection of endothelin receptor type B antagonist BQ788, respectively. Ovalbumin sensitization activated microglia and astrocytes and significantly decreased ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity in the medulla, and all of which, together with the increase of medullary P2X4 receptor expression and decrease of pulmonary function, were reversed by chronic BQ788 treatment. These results demonstrated that in rats, allergic airway challenge activates both microglia and astrocytes in the medulla via enhanced endothelin-1/endothelin receptor type B signaling, which subsequently causes airway vagal hypertonia via augmented adenosine 5'-triphosphate/P2X4 receptor signaling in central neurons of airway vagal reflex.

Large-Scale Membrane- and Lignin-Modified Adsorbent-Assisted Extraction and Preconcentration of Triazine Analogs and Aflatoxins.

The large-scale simultaneous extraction and concentration of aqueous solutions of triazine analogs, and aflatoxins, through a hydrocarbon-based membrane (e.g., polyethylene, polyethylene/polypropylene copolymer) under ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure is reported. The subsequent adsorption of analyte in the extraction chamber over the lignin-modified silica gel facilitates the process by reducing the operating time. The maximum adsorption capacity values for triazine analogs and aflatoxins are mainly adsorption mechanism-dependent and were calculated to be 0.432 and 0.297 mg/10 mg, respectively. The permeation, and therefore the percentage of analyte extracted, ranges from 1% to almost 100%, and varies among the solvents examined. It is considered to be vapor pressure- and chemical polarity-dependent, and is thus highly affected by the nature and thickness of the membrane, the discrepancy in the solubility values of the analyte between the two liquid phases, and the amount of adsorbent used in the process. A dependence on the size of the analyte was observed in the adsorption capacity measurement, but not in the extraction process. The theoretical interaction simulation and FTIR data show that the planar aflatoxin molecule releases much more energy when facing toward the membrane molecule when approaching it, and the mechanism leading to the adsorption.

Adsorption of triazine derivatives with humic fraction-immobilized silica gel in hexane: a mechanistic consideration.

A fraction of humic acid is collected under acidic conditions, then immobilized on silica gel and used as the adsorbent for various symmetrical triazine (s-triazine) derivatives in hexane. The enhanced hydrogen bonding between the analyte and humic fraction molecules, not the complexation interaction, is responsible for the adsorption observed in hexane, based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results. The percentage of adsorption in hexane for all s-triazine derivatives reaches nearly 100% in 1 h, independent of the type, position, and size of the substituent on the aromatic nitrogen heterocyclic ring. Other factors leading to the variation of the percentage of adsorption include the type of liquid phase and the additive of acidic or basic origin present in the matrix.

Controlled syntheses of cubic and hexagonal ZnIn2S4 nanostructures with different visible-light photocatalytic performance.

Cubic ZnIn(2)S(4) nanoparticles and hexagonal ZnIn(2)S(4) flower-like microspheres were controlled synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method by simply changing the metal precursors. The as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and UV-vis DRS. It was found that the metal precursors influenced the final ZnIn(2)S(4) polymorphs, i.e., metal nitrates led to the formation of cubic ZnIn(2)S(4), while metal chlorides resulted in the formation of the hexagonal phase. The formation processes of the cubic ZnIn(2)S(4) nanoparticles and hexagonal ZnIn(2)S(4) flower-like microspheres were investigated and the mechanism of the phase formation was proposed. Although both cubic and hexagonal ZnIn(2)S(4) polymorphs exhibited photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic performances over cubic and hexagonal ZnIn(2)S(4) were different.