Gastrodia elata powder capsule enhances anti-epileptic effect of carbamazepine by decreasing P-gp expression

Purpose: To investigate the influence of Gastrodia elata powder capsule (GC) or gastrodin (GTD) on the anti-epileptic effect of carbamazepine (CBZ) on penicillin (PG)-induced epilepsy in rats. Methods: A total 116 rats were used in this study. Rats in the control group (n = 8) were injected with normal saline (NS) in place PG. Epilepsy was induced in the remaining 108 rats on the first day via PG injection. The rats were then divided randomly into six groups (18 rats per group): PG group, CBZ group, CBZ + GC group, CBZ + GTD group, GC group, and GTD group, which were given (p.o.) NS, CBZ (100 mg/kg), CBZ (100 mg/kg.) + GC (350 mg/kg), CBZ (100 mg/kg) + GTD (100 mg/kg), GC (350 mg/kg), and GTD (100 mg/kg), respectively, once a day for 15 days. The behavioral characteristics of the rats were observed and used to assess the anti-epileptic effect of the test drugs. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot assays were employed for the determination of the effect of CBZ, GC and GTD on the expression levels of P-gp. Results: CBZ significantly reduced the symptoms of epilepsy, while GC and GTD enhanced the antiepileptic effect of CBZ, and reversed the CBZ-induced increases in the protein expressions of mrd1a and P-gp (p < 0.05). Conclusion: GC reverses CBZ drug resistance, probably through downregulation of P-gp expression. This finding indicates that GC is a potential anti-epilepsy drug, but it merits further studies

The Extending of Observing Altitudes of Plasma and Ion Lines During Ionospheric Heating

Source at https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JA024809. The ultrahigh-frequency observation during an ionospheric heating experiment on 11 March 2014 at the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association Tromsø site illustrated a remarkable extension of observing altitudes of the enhanced plasma line and the ion line, implying that the enhanced ion acoustic wave and Langmuir wave should satisfy the Bragg condition within the extending altitude range. An analysis shows that the dependence of the wave number of the traveling ion acoustic wave on the profiles of enhanced electron temperature and ion mass, as are expected from the dispersion relation of the ion acoustic wave, leads to the extension of observing altitudes of the enhanced ion line. In addition, the altitude extension of the enhanced plasma line is dependent mainly on the profile of the electron density, although it is not independent of the profile of the electron temperature. Considering a small gradient profile of electron density, however, the enhanced electron temperature, as well as the thermal conduction along the magnetic field, may lead to the altitude extension of the enhanced plasma line

Simultaneous detection of flare-associated kink oscillations and extreme-ultraviolet waves

Kink oscillations, which are frequently observed in coronal loops and prominences, are often accompanied by extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves. However, much more needs to be explored regarding the causal relationships between kink oscillations and EUV waves. In this article, we report the simultaneous detection of kink oscillations and EUV waves that are both associated with an X2.1 flare on 2023 March 03 (SOL2023-03-03T17:39). The kink oscillations, which are almost perpendicular to the axes of loop-like structures, are observed in three coronal loops and one prominence. One short loop shows in-phase oscillation within the same period of 5.2 minutes at three positions. This oscillation could be triggered by the pushing of an expanding loop and interpreted as the standing kink wave. Time lags are found between the kink oscillations of the short loop and two long loops, suggesting that the kink wave travels in different loops. The kink oscillations of one long loop and the prominence are possibly driven by the disturbance of the CME, and that of another long loop might be attributed to the interaction of the EUV wave. The onset time of the kink oscillation of the short loop is nearly same as the beginning of an EUV wave. This fact demonstrates that they are almost simultaneous. The EUV wave is most likely excited by the expanding loop structure and shows two components. The leading component is a fast coronal wave, and the trailing one could be due to the stretching magnetic field lines.Comment: accepted for publication in the Science China Technological Science

Observational signatures of electron-driven chromospheric evaporation in a white-light flare

We investigate observational signatures of explosive chromospheric evaporation during a white-light flare (WLF) that occurred on 2022 August 27. Using the moment analysis, bisector techniques, and the Gaussian fitting method, red-shifted velocities of less than 20 km/s are detected in low-temperature spectral lines of Ha, C I and Si IV at the conjugated flare kernels, which could be regarded as downflows caused by chromospheric condensation. Blue-shifted velocities of about 30-40 km/s are found in the high-temperature line of Fe XXI, which can be interpreted as upflows driven by chromospheric evaporation. A nonthermal hard X-ray (HXR) source is co-spatial with one of the flare kernels, and the Doppler velocities are temporally correlated with the HXR fluxes. The nonthermal energy flux is estimated to be at least (1.3+-0.2)*10^10 erg/s/cm^2. The radiation enhancement at Fe I 6569.2 A and 6173 A suggests that the flare is a WLF. Moreover, the while-light emission at Fe I 6569.2 A is temporally and spatially correlated with the blue shift of Fe XXI line, suggesting that both the white-light enhancement and the chromospheric evaporation are triggered and driven by nonthermal electrons. All our observations support the scenario of an electron-driven explosive chromospheric evaporation in the WLF.Comment: The manuscript was accepted for publication in ApJ, and it was a part of the ApJ Focus Issue "Early results from the Chinese Ha Solar Explorer (CHASE)

Role of Leptin in Mood Disorder and Neurodegenerative Disease

The critical regulatory role of leptin in the neuroendocrine system has been widely reported. Significantly, leptin can improve learning and memory, affect hippocampal synaptic plasticity, exert neuroprotective efficacy and reduce the risk of several neuropsychiatric diseases. In terms of depression, leptin could modulate the levels of neurotransmitters, neurotrophic factors and reverse the dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). At the same time, leptin affects neurological diseases during the regulation of metabolic homeostasis. With regards to neurodegenerative diseases, leptin can affect them via neuroprotection, mainly including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This review will summarize the mechanisms of leptin signaling within the neuroendocrine system with respect to these diseases and discuss the therapeutic potential of leptin

Effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate on bovine oocytes matured

Objective Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a major ingredient of catechin polyphenols and is considered one of the most promising bioactive compounds in green tea because of its strong antioxidant properties. However, the protective role of EGCG in bovine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) has not been investigated. Therefore, we aimed to study the effects of EGCG on IVM of bovine oocytes. Methods Bovine oocytes were treated with different concentrations of EGCG (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μM), and the nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation, cumulus cell expansion, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, total antioxidant capacity, the early apoptosis and the developmental competence of in vitro fertilized embryos were measured. The mRNA abundances of antioxidant genes (nuclear factor erythriod-2 related factor 2 [NRF2], superoxide dismutase 1 [SOD1], catalase [CAT], and glutathione peroxidase 4 [GPX4]) in matured bovine oocytes were also quantified. Results Nuclear maturation which is characterized by first polar body extrusion, and cytoplasmic maturation characterized by peripheral and cortical distribution of cortical granules and homogeneous mitochondrial distribution were significantly improved in the 50 μM EGCG-treated group compared with the control group. Adding 50 μM EGCG to the maturation medium significantly increased the cumulus cell expansion index and upregulated the mRNA levels of cumulus cell expansion-related genes (hyaluronan synthase 2, tumor necrosis factor alpha induced protein 6, pentraxin 3, and prostaglandin 2). Both the intracellular ROS level and the early apoptotic rate of matured oocytes were significantly decreased in the 50 μM EGCG group, and the total antioxidant ability was markedly enhanced. Additionally, both the cleavage and blastocyst rates were significantly higher in the 50 μM EGCG-treated oocytes after in vitro fertilization than in the control oocytes. The mRNA abundance of NRF2, SOD1, CAT, and GPX4 were significantly increased in the 50 μM EGCG-treated oocytes. Conclusion In conclusion, 50 μM EGCG can improve the bovine oocyte maturation, and the protective role of EGCG may be correlated with its antioxidative property

Global energetics of solar powerful events on 6 September 2017

Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are thought to be the most powerful events on the Sun. They can release energy as high as 10^32 erg in tens of minutes,and could produce solar energetic particles (SEPs) in the interplanetary space. We explore global energy budgets of solar major eruptions on 6 September 2017, including the energy partition of a powerful solar flare, the energy budget of the accompanied CME and SEPs. In the wavelength range shortward of 222 nm, a major contribution of the flare radiated energy is in the soft X-ray (SXR) 0.1-7 nm domain. The flare energy radiated at wavelengths of Ly-alpha and middle ultraviolet is larger than that radiated in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength, but it is much less than that radiated in the SXR waveband. The total flare radiated energy could be comparable to the thermal and nonthermal energies. The energies carried by the major flare and its accompanied CME are roughly equal, and they are both powered by the magnetic free energy in the AR NOAA 12673. Moreover, the CME is efficient in accelerating SEPs, and that the prompt component (whether it comes from the solar flare or the CME) contributes only a negligible fraction.Comment: accepted for publication in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysic