Reassessment of capsaicin desensitization in the rodent spinal dorsal horn.

Capsaicin activates primary afferent transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in the spinal dorsal horn and induces exaggerated glutamate release. This capsaicin action is followed by a lasting refractory state referred to as "capsaicin desensitization", which is considered a presynaptic event. In this study, using whole-cell recordings and holographic photostimulation, we reassessed this notion by investigating presynaptic glutamate release and the postsynaptic glutamate response during capsaicin administration.

The tolerable upper intake level of manganese alleviates Parkinson-like motor performance and neuronal loss by activating mitophagy.

Manganese (Mn) is among the indispensable trace elements required by the human body, but high-dose Mn exposure can lead to Mn poisoning. Therefore, the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for Mn has been established for normal individuals in different countries. However, whether the UL of Mn is suitable for the patients of Parkinson's disease (PD) is unclear.

Therapeutic effects of Lingguizhugan decoction in a rat model of high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance.

Background: Lingguizhugan (LGZG) decoction is a widely used classic Chinese medicine formula that was recently shown to improve high-fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance (IR) in animal studies.

Aim: To assess the therapeutic effect of LGZG decoction on HFD-induced IR and explore the potential underlying mechanism.

Methods: To establish an IR rat model, a 12-wk HFD was administered, followed by a 4-wk treatment with LGZG.

[Development and verification of reference nucleic acid materials of H9N2 influenza viruses by real-time RT-PCR].

The HA gene of H9N2 influenza virus (A/chicken/Hunan/04.14 (H9N2)) was amplified and sequenced. The RNA was synthesized by in vitro transcription.