Sodium Butyrate Protects N2a Cells against Aβ Toxicity In Vitro

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. Aβ plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. Sodium butyrate (NaB) is a short-chain fatty acid salt that exerts neuroprotective effects such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and cognitive improvement in central nervous system diseases. The aim of this study is to research the protective effects of NaB on neurons against Aβ toxicity and to uncover the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that 2 mM NaB had a significant improvement effect on Aβ-induced N2a cell injury, by increasing cell viability and reducing ROS to reduce injury. In addition, by acting on the GPR109A receptor, NaB regulates the expression of AD-related genes such as APP, NEP, and BDNF. Therefore, NaB protects N2a cells from Aβ-induced cell damage through activating GPR109A, which provides an innovative idea for the treatment of AD

Analysis of the protein level of NF-κB/p65 and phosphor- NF-κB/p65 in cytoplasm and nucleus and observation of the distribution of NF-κB/p65 within neurons.

<p>A, representative western blotting image and statistics of NF-κB/p65 and phosphor- NF-κB/p65 in cytoplasm. B, representative western blotting image and statistics of NF-κB/p65 and phosphor- NF-κB/p65 in nucleus. C, representative confocal images of NF-κB/p65. This result showed that ischemic postconditioning reversed abnormal higher level of NF-κB/p65 and phosphor- NF-κB/p65, and the translocation of NF-κB/p65 from cytoplasm to nucleus caused by transient ischemia. Scale bar: 30 µm</p

Measurement of cerebral infarction and evaluation of neurological function.

<p>A, representative images of TTC staining; B, statistics of infarct size. C, statistics of neurological scores.</p

Analysis of the expressional level of Bim and Bax.

<p>A, representative western blotting images of Bim, Bax and cleaved caspase-3. B, statistics of the protein level of Bim; C, statistics of the protein level of Bax. This result showed that ischemic postconditioning mitigated the up-regulated expression of Bim and Bax.</p

Detection of neuronal apoptosis.

<p>The representative images of TUNEL staining under microscope (x40) showed apoptotic cells exhibited brown nuclear or cytoplasmic staining (A, sham group; B, ischemia group; C, ischemic postconditioning group). D, brain region used for counting apoptotic neurons (White region). E, statistics of TUNEL positive cells. F, Western blotting of Caspase-3; G, statistics of the ratio of Cleaved Caspase-3 to Caspase-3. Scale bar: 20 µm.</p

Analysis of the phosphorylation of IκBα.

<p>A representative image of western blotting; B, statistics of the protein level of IκBα; C, statistics of the protein level of phosphorylated IκBα. This result showed that ischemic postconditioning inhibited transient ischemia-induced phosphorylation of IκBα.</p

Mosquito-Textile Physics: A Mathematical Roadmap to Insecticide-Free, Bite-Proof Clothing for Everyday Life

Garments treated with chemical insecticides are commonly used to prevent mosquito bites. Resistance to insecticides, however, is threatening the efficacy of this technology, and people are increasingly concerned about the potential health impacts of wearing insecticide-treated clothing. Here, we report a mathematical model for fabric barriers that resist bites from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes based on textile physical structure and no insecticides. The model was derived from mosquito morphometrics and analysis of mosquito biting behavior. Woven filter fabrics, precision polypropylene plates, and knitted fabrics were used for model validation. Then, based on the model predictions, prototype knitted textiles and garments were developed that prevented mosquito biting, and comfort testing showed the garments to possess superior thermophysiological properties. Our fabrics provided a three-times greater bite resistance than the insecticide-treated cloth. Our predictive model can be used to develop additional textiles in the future for garments that are highly bite resistant to mosquitoes