Miniature Gigahertz Acoustic Resonator and On-Chip Electrochemical Sensor: An Emerging Combination for Electroanalytical Microsystems.

Performance of electroanalytical lab-on-a-chip devices is often limited by the mass transfer of electroactive species toward the electrode surface, due to the difficulty in applying external convection. This article describes the powerful signal enhancement attained with a 2.54 GHz miniature acoustic resonator integrated with an electrochemical device in a miniaturized cell. Acoustic resonator and an on-chip gold thin-film three-electrode electrochemical cell were arranged facing each other inside a structured poly(methyl methacrylate) chamber. Cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric responses of 1 mM ferrocene-methanol were recorded under resonator's actuation at powers ranging from 0 to 1 W. Finite element analysis was carried out to study the sono-electroanalytical process. Acoustic resonator's actuation greatly enhances the mass transport of electroactive species toward the electrode surface. The diffusion limited cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric currents increase around 10 and 20 times, respectively, with an input power of 1 W compared to those recorded under stagnant conditions. The improvement in electroanalytical process is mainly associated with acoustic resonator's vibration induced fluid streaming. The advantages of a miniaturized acoustic resonator, including the submillimeter small size, amenability for mass fabrication, cost effectiveness, low energy consumption, as well as outstanding enhancement of coupled electrochemical processes, will enable the production of highly sensitive compact electroanalytical devices.

Phase separation of a nonionic surfactant aqueous solution in a standing surface acoustic wave for submicron particle manipulation.

Acoustic manipulation of submicron particles in a controlled manner has been challenging to date because of the increased contribution of acoustic streaming, which leads to fluid mixing and homogenization. This article describes the patterning of submicron particles and the migration of their patterned locations from pressure nodes to antinodes in a non-ionic surfactant (Tween 20) aqueous solution in a conventional standing surface acoustic wave field with a wavelength of 150 µm. Phase separation of the aqueous surfactant solution occurs when they are exposed to acoustic waves, probably due to the "clouding behavior" of non-ionic surfactant. The generated surfactant precipitates are pushed to the pressure antinodes due to the negative acoustic contrast factor relative to water. Compared with the mixing appearance in pure water media, the patterning behavior of submicron particles with a diameter of 300 nm dominated by acoustic radiation force is readily apparent in an aqueous solution with 2% volumetric concentration of Tween 20 surfactant, thanks to the suppression effect of acoustic streaming in inhomogeneous fluids. These submicron particles are first pushed to acoustic pressure nodes and then are migrated to antinodes where the surfactant precipitates stay. More attractively, the migration of acoustically patterned locations is not only limited to submicron particles, but also occurs to micrometer-sized particles in solutions with higher surfactant concentrations. These findings open up a novel avenue for controllable acoustic manipulation.

Pulvis Fellis Suis extract attenuates ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation in murine model of asthma.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pulvis Fellis Suis (PFS), named with "Zhu Danfen" in China, has been extensively used for the therapy of enteritis, acute pharyngitis, whooping cough and asthma in folk medicine. Although PFS shows anti-inflammatory activities, its effect on airway inflammation in asthma has not been studied. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore the protective effect of PFS ethanol extract against airway inflammation in asthmatic mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Allergic asthma in mice was sensitized and challenged by OVA. Mice were administered in oral with PFS daily at doses of 100, 200 and 400mg/kg on days 21-27. Inflammatory cell counts and classification in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analyzed. Histopathological evaluation of the lung tissue was performed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and periodic acid-schiff (PAS) staining. The IgE level in serum was measured by using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). ELISA was also used to detect the levels of Th1/Th2 cytokine and eotaxin in BALF. RESULTS: Histological results revealed that PFS could ameliorate OVA-induced histological changes by attenuating inflammatory cell infiltration, mucus hypersecretion and goblet cell hyperplasia in the lung. Treatment with different doses of PFS significantly decreased the elevated inflammatory cell numbers in BALF and IgE production in serum. PFS treatment reduced the production of Th2 cytokine IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and promoted Th1 cytokine IFN-γ production in BALF. In addition, PFS also decreased the levels of eotaxin and TNF-α in BALF. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that PFS has a markedly anti-inflammatory effect on OVA-induced allergic asthma in mice, and could be a promising protective agent recommended for allergic asthma patients.

Intestinal anti-inflammatory effect of the rhizome extracts of Menispermum dauricum DC. on trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid induced ulcerative colitis in mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Menispermum dauricum DC., commonly known as "Bei Dou Gen" (BDG) in China, has been used extensively in folk medicine to treat inflammatory diseases, especially intestinal inflammations such as enteritis and dysentery, and in pharyngitis, tonsillitis, rheumatism and bronchitis. Although previous studies showed that BDG has anti-inflammatory activities, its effects on ulcerative colitis (UC) have not yet been explored. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the intestinal anti-inflammatory effect of the rhizome extracts of Menispermum dauricum DC. on UC model induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UC in mice was induced by colonic administration with TNBS. BDG (100, 200 and 400mg/kg/day) and sulfasalazine (500mg/kg/day) were administered orally for 7 consecutive days. The inflammatory degree was assessed by gross appearance, macroscopic and histological analysis, and accumulation of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Pro-inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6, were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. The expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: Treatment with different doses of BDG significantly ameliorated macroscopic damage and histological changes, reduced the accumulation of MPO activity, depressed serum and colonic tissue levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, administration of BDG effectively reduced COX-2 overexpression in colon. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated for the first time that BDG possessed marked intestinal anti-inflammatory effect in TNBS induced colitis in mice, which might be related to the reduction of up-regulated productions and expressions of pro-inflammatory mediators, suggesting that it may have beneficial use for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Anti-inflammatory effect of taurocholate on TNBS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice.

Taurocholate is a natural conjugated bile acid. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of taurocholate in TNBS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice. The colitis were induced by rectal administration of TNBS. After 24h, the experimental animals were treated with sulfasalazine (SASP, 500mg/kg/day) and taurocholate (20, 40 and 60mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days. The anti-inflammatory effects of taurocholate for colitis were assessed by body weight, colonic weight and length, macroscopic scores, and histopathological examinations. In addition, the colonic tissue levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, interleukin (IL)-1ß, interferon (IFN-γ) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were also determined to assess the effect of taurocholate. Compared with the model group, treatment with taurocholate (20, 40 and 60mg/kg) significantly inhibited the body weight loss, improved colonic weight and length, and decreased macroscopic and histopathological scores. Furthermore, the activity accumulation of MPO and the colonic tissue levels of IL-1ß, IFN-γ and TNF-α were also decreased by administration of taurocholate. All the findings of this study suggested that taurocholate has the anti-inflammatory effect in ulcerative colitis in mice and indicated it as a good candidate to treat inflammatory bowel disease.

Tauroursodeoxycholate improves 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced experimental acute ulcerative colitis in mice.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic nonspecific inflammatory disease of unknown cause. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of tauroursodeoxycholate in 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced experimental colitis in mice. After the induction of colitis for 24h, the mice were administrated orally with tauroursodeoxycholate (20, 40 and 60mg/kg) and sulfasalazine (500mg/kg) by gavage for 7 consecutive days. The inhibition effects were evaluated by the body of weight change, survival rate, macroscopical and histological evaluations. Besides, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, interleukin (IL)-1ß, interferon (IFN)-γ and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in colon tissue were also determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Treatment with different doses of tauroursodeoxycholate (20, 40 and 60mg/kg) significantly improved the body weight change, decreased the macroscopic and histopathological scores. Compared with the model group, the accumulation of MPO activity, the colonic tissue levels of IL-1ß, IFN-γ and TNF-α were significantly reduced in the tauroursodeoxycholate treated groups. Moreover, tauroursodeoxycholate assuaged the symptoms of colitis. These results suggested that tauroursodeoxycholate has an anti-inflammatory effect in TNBS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice.