Th17/1-Biased Inflammatory Environment Involved in the Response of Epithelial Cells to Antigen Stimuli in Nasal Polyps.

Several studies showed that IL-17A was significantly increased in nasal polyps (NPs). However, the source and characteristics of IL-17A-producing cells in NPs were not fully understood. We isolated mononuclear cells from NPs and uncinate tissues and analyzed them using flow cytometry.

Alterations of synaptic plasticity in aged rats: Evidence of functional and morphological studies.

Background: The aging-related disease and associated neurodegenerative complications, such as cognitive impairment, has received increasing attention.

Objective: The aim of this study was to show changes in cognitive behavior and molecular related the synaptic plasticity in aged-induced cognitive deficits rats.

Methods: We used novel object recognition testing and morphological staining as well as western blot to detect changes in cognitive behavior and molecular related the synaptic plasticity.

Allicin attenuates tunicamycin-induced cognitive deficits in rats via its synaptic plasticity regulatory activity.

Objectives: To illuminate the functional effects of allicin on rats with cognitive deficits induced by tunicamycin (TM) and the molecular mechanism of this process.

Materials And Methods: 200-250 g male SD rats were divided into three groups at random: control group (n=12), TM group (5 μl, 50 μM, ICV, n=12), and allicin treatment group (180 mg/kg/d with chow diet, n=12). After 16 weeks of allicin treatment, the learning ability and memory were tested using novel object recognition (NOR) testing on rats with 72 hr TM treatment (5 μl, 50 μM, ICV); meanwhile, the variation of field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) in the Schaffer Collateral (SC)-CA1 synapse was detected by extracellular electrophysiological recordings and the morphology of dendritic spine was observed by Golgi staining as well as detecting several synaptic plasticity-related proteins by Western blot.

[Design and preliminary experiment of an intelligentized physiologic pulsatile flow cardiac support system].

A patent cardiac support system which is used as a bridge treatment for acute myocardial infarction has been designed and tested in vitro and in two dogs in vivo. This is an easy-to-use intelligentized pulsatile flow cardiopulmonary bypass device to replace the function of heart. The device consists of two identical pumps and perfusion chambers, a sensing and control system, a gas exchanger between the vein and pump, two one way valves between pump and veins or arteries.