Growth Inhibition of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria by Zinc Oxide Hedgehog Particles.

Purpose: Nanomaterials for antimicrobial applications have gained interest in recent years due to the increasing bacteria resistance to conventional antibiotics. Wound sterilization, water treatment and surface decontamination all avail from multifunctional materials that also possess excellent antibacterial properties, eg zinc oxide (ZnO). Here, we assess and compare the effects of synthesized hedgehog-like ZnO structures and commercial ZnO particles with and without mixing on the inactivation of bacteria on surfaces and in liquid environments.

Inhibition of E. coli Growth by Nanodiamond and Graphene Oxide Enhanced by Luria-Bertani Medium.

Nanodiamonds (NDs) and graphene oxide (GO) are modern carbon-based nanomaterials with promising features for the inhibition of microorganism growth ability. Here we compare the effects of nanodiamond and graphene oxide in both annealed (oxidized) and reduced (hydrogenated) forms in two types of cultivation media-Luria-Bertani (LB) and Mueller-Hinton (MH) broths. The comparison shows that the number of colony forming unit (CFU) of is significantly lowered (45%) by all the nanomaterials in LB medium for at least 24 h against control.

Regulation of ASIC channels by a stomatin/STOML3 complex located in a mobile vesicle pool in sensory neurons.

A complex of stomatin-family proteins and acid-sensing (proton-gated) ion channel (ASIC) family members participate in sensory transduction in invertebrates and vertebrates. Here, we have examined the role of the stomatin-family protein stomatin-like protein-3 (STOML3) in this process. We demonstrate that STOML3 interacts with stomatin and ASIC subunits and that this occurs in a highly mobile vesicle pool in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons and Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Placebo-controlled chronic high-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus preserves dopaminergic nigral neurons in a rat model of progressive Parkinsonism.

Chronic high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) protects nigral dopaminergic neurons from neurodegeneration in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, these data are challenged by the lack of control for neuroprotective effects that might be related to tissue damage due to electrode insertion or STN-HFS. Here we report the first placebo-controlled study on continuous STN-HFS in a rat model of PD using an implantable microstimulation system.

Direct activation of the ion channel TRPA1 by Ca2+.

TRPA1 is an ion channel expressed by nociceptors and activated by irritant compounds such as mustard oil. The endogenous function of TRPA1 has remained unclear, a fact highlighted by ongoing debate over its potential role as a sensor of noxious cold. Here we show that intracellular Ca(2+) activates human TRPA1 via an EF-hand domain and that cold sensitivity occurs indirectly (and nonphysiologically) through increased [Ca(2+)](i) during cooling in heterologous systems.