Deferoxamine alleviates ferroptosis in seawater immersion combined with traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, with its severity potentially exacerbated by seawater immersion. Ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, has been implicated in TBI pathogenesis. However, the specific occurrence and underlying mechanisms of ferroptosis in the context of TBI compounded by seawater immersion remain unclear.

The Function, Underlying Mechanism and Clinical Potential of Exosomes in Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a lethal malignancy worldwide. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles derived from the endosomal pathway of nearly all cells and can be found in body fluids. They can be considered an intercellular system in the human body that can mediate near- and long-distance intercellular communication due to their features and functions.

Comprehensive Modeling in Predicting Biodiesel Density Using Gaussian Process Regression Approach.

In this study, four Gaussian process regression (GPR) approaches by various kernel functions have been proposed for the estimation of biodiesel density as the functions of pressure, temperature, molecular weight, and the normal melting point of fatty acid esters. Comparing the actual values with GPR outputs shows that these approaches have good accuracy, but the performance of the rational quadratic GPR model is better than others. In this GPR model, RMSE = 0.

Managing cognitive load in simulations: exploring the role of simulation technologists.

Background: Facilitating simulation is a complex task with high cognitive load. Often simulation technologists are recruited to help run scenarios and lower some of the extraneous load. We used cognitive load theory to explore the impact of technologists on instructors, identifying sources of instructor cognitive load with and without technologists present.

Bacteroides fragilis polysaccharide A is necessary and sufficient for acute activation of intestinal sensory neurons.

Symbionts or probiotics are known to affect the nervous system. To understand the mechanisms involved, it is important to measure sensory neuron responses and identify molecules responsible for this interaction. Here we test the effects of adding Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1) and Bacteroides fragilis to the epithelium while making voltage recordings from intestinal primary afferent neurons.

Psychoactive bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1) elicits rapid frequency facilitation in vagal afferents.

Mounting evidence supports the influence of the gut microbiome on the local enteric nervous system and its effects on brain chemistry and relevant behavior. Vagal afferents are involved in some of these effects. We previously showed that ingestion of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1) caused extensive neurochemical changes in the brain and behavior that were abrogated by prior vagotomy.

Intestinal serotonin release, sensory neuron activation, and abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome.

Objectives: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) metabolism may be altered in gut disorders, including in the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We assessed in patients with IBS vs. healthy controls (HCs) the number of colonic 5-HT-positive cells; the amount of mucosal 5-HT release; their correlation with mast cell counts and mediator release, as well as IBS symptoms; and the effects of mucosal 5-HT on electrophysiological responses in vitro.

Luminal administration ex vivo of a live Lactobacillus species moderates mouse jejunal motility within minutes.

Gut commensals modulate host immune, endocrine, and metabolic functions. They also affect peripheral and central neural reflexes and function. We have previously shown that daily ingestion of Lactobacillus reuteri (LR) for 9 d inhibits the pseudoaffective cardiac response and spinal single-fiber discharge evoked by visceral distension, and decreases intestinal motility and myenteric AH cell slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) by inhibiting a Ca-activated K (IK(Ca)) channel.

Lactobacillus reuteri enhances excitability of colonic AH neurons by inhibiting calcium-dependent potassium channel opening.

Probiotics are live non-pathogenic commensal organisms that exert therapeutic effects in travellers' diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Little is known about mechanisms of action of commensal bacteria on intestinal motility and motility-induced pain. It has been proposed that probiotics affect intestinal nerve function, but direct evidence for this has thus far been lacking.

Lactobacillus reuteri ingestion prevents hyperexcitability of colonic DRG neurons induced by noxious stimuli.

Lactobacillus species ingestion can decrease autonomic responses and spinal fiber discharge to nociceptive colorectal distension (CRD), even in the absence of inflammation. The present study aimed to determine whether dorsal root ganglion (DRG) somas could be a locus where the antinociceptive probiotic may have an effect. Healthy rats were fed with Lactobacillus reuteri or vehicle control for 9 days whereupon they were anesthetized, and intermittent distal colonic CRD at 80 mmHg distension was either performed for 1 h or not.

In situ recording from gut pacemaker cells.

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) associated with the myenteric plexus of the small intestine are crucial players in gut physiology performing pacemaker functions and directing peristalsis and segmentation. ICC have been studied after chemical isolation and under culture conditions, but concerns that these methods affect the intrinsic properties have hindered progress in our understanding of ICC. To overcome this problem, we have developed a method to obtain electrophysiological recordings from ICC in situ.

Mast cell-dependent excitation of visceral-nociceptive sensory neurons in irritable bowel syndrome.

Background & Aims: Intestinal mast cell infiltration may participate to abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We assessed the effect of mast cell mediators released from the colonic mucosa of IBS patients on the activation of rat sensory neurons in vitro.

Characterization of myenteric sensory neurons in the mouse small intestine.

We recorded from myenteric AH/Dogiel type II cells, demonstrated mechanosensitive responses, and characterized their basic properties. Recordings were obtained using the mouse longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparation with patch-clamp and sharp intracellular electrodes. The neurons had an action potential hump and a slow afterhyperpolarization (AHP) current.

Vagal influences over mast cells.

The established microanatomical association of rat intestinal mucosal mast cells (IMMC) and mucosal nerves raises the possibility that there is crosstalk between mast cells and extrinsic nerves that connect to the CNS. The idea of mast cell-CNS interactions is supported by the demonstration that rat mast cell protease II (RMCPII), found predominantly in IMMC, can be conditionally released by pairing an audio-visual cue with antigen challenge. That the vagus nerve is involved in the IMMC-nerve axis was further demonstrated in a series of our studies showing that: (a) vagal afferents penetrate the small intestinal mucosa and contact IMMC; (b) vagotomy causes a reduction in IMMC density, suggesting a trophic relationship (typical of nerve-target interactions); and (c) stimulation of the cervical vagus causes an increase in histamine and serotonin in IMMC.

Structure-activity relationship of an alpha-toxin Bs-Tx28 from scorpion (Buthus sindicus) venom suggests a new alpha-toxin subfamily.

Scorpion venoms are among the most widely known source of peptidyl neurotoxins used for callipering different ion channels, e.g., for Na(+), K(+), Ca(+) or Cl(-).

Gastrointestinal dysmotility in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Background And Aims: Gut-origin bacterial translocation is one of the major causes of pancreatic necrotic tissue infection in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The gastrointestinal dysmotility is supposed to be the fundamental event in this process. To test this hypothesis, alteration of colonic transit time (CTT) in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) was investigated.

Growth hormone downregulated the excessive apoptosis of ileal intestinal epithelial cells in rats during the early course of acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

Introduction: Growth hormone (GH) has beneficial effects in protecting the intestinal barrier integrity of rats with acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP), and the balance between apoptosis and proliferation of intestinal epithelium is one of the key factors in maintenance of the intestinal barrier homeostasis.

Aim: To evaluate further the effect of GH on cell apoptosis of intestinal epithelium in rats with ANP.

Methodology: Seventy-two rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham operation (SO) group (n = 24); ANP group (n = 24); and ANP with GH treatment group (n = 24).