Curcuma longa Linn extract suppresses neuronal apoptosis induction by sevoflurane via activation of the ERK1/2 pathway

Purpose: To investigate Curcuma longa Linn against neuronal damage induced by exposure to sevoflurane during surgical procedures. Methods: A sealed box made of transparent glass was used for anaesthetic exposure of neurons. The neurons were exposed to Curcuma longa Linn at doses of 1.5, 3, 6 and 12 μM prior to viability assessment using MTT assay. The effect of Curcuma longa Linn treatment on protein expression was determined using western blotting. Results: Sevoflurane exposure led to significant and time-dependent reductions in neuronal proliferation, when compared to unexposed cells (p < 0.05). Curcuma longa Linn at doses of 1.5, 3, 6 and 12 μM significantly decreased sevoflurane-mediated neuronal apoptosis. It reduced cleaved caspase-3 and Bax levels in neurons. However, the Curcuma longa Linn-mediated inhibition of sevoflurane-induced neuronal apoptosis was significantly suppressed by VPC23019 (p < 0.05). The p- ERK1/2 level was dose-dependently up-regulated in neurons exposed to sevoflurane on treatment with Curcuma longa Linn. Moreover, VPC23019 reversed the upregulatory effect of Curcuma longa Linn on p-ERK1/2 expression in sevoflurane-exposed neurons (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Curcuma longa Linn reversed sevoflurane-induced neuronal apoptosis by elevating p- ERK1/2 expression. Therefore, Curcuma longa Linn exerts inhibitory effect on anaesthesia-induced apoptosis in neurons, and may be useful for the treatment of this condition.

Qingre Huoxue Decoction, A Traditional Chinese Herbal Formulation, Impacts Angiogenesis in Psoriasis-Like Skin Through the HIF-1α/Flt-1/VEGF Pathway

Background: Qingre Huoxue Decoction (QHD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation, could alleviate psoriasis in our previous studies. The present work aimed to assess QHD’s effects on psoriasis and the underpinning mechanism in cultured cells and experimental animals.Methods: The CCK-8 assay was carried out for cell viability assessment. HUVEC migration was assessed by transwell and wound healing assays. QHD-induced suppression of capillary tube formation in HUVECs was detected by tube formation assay. In addition, the imiquimod (IMQ)-induced male BALB/c mouse model of psoriasis was established to examine the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) after QHD administration. HIF-1α, Flt-1 and VEGF expression levels in vivo were assessed by immunoblot, qPCR and immunofluorescence. Results: The results showed that QHD dose-dependently reduced viability in HUVECs. In addition, QHD suppressed tube formation in HUVECs at levels below those needed to inhibit HUVECs. Upon QHD administration, HUVEC migration was markedly decreased; QHD effectively prevented the migratory ability of HUVECs, as determined by wound areas at 0h, 12h and 24h, respectively. Finally, QHD starkly downregulated HIF-1α, Flt-1 and VEGF in the IMQ-induced mouse model, at the protein and mRNA levels.Conclusions: In summary, QHD inhibits angiogenesis in cultured cells and mice. HIF-1α/Flt-1/VEGF signaling is important in angiogenesis and psoriasis development. These findings provide a rationale for developing QHD for clinical use against psoriasis.

A Viability Assessment of Two Commercially Available Sticking Adjuvants Added to a Bifenthrin-Based Barrier Treatment on Aedes taeniorhycnhus

ABSTRACT In an effort to reduce Aedes taeniorhynchus numbers in the northernmost community of Key Largo, FL (known as Ocean Reef), during the peak summer months, Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) has utilized a bifenthrin-based barrier application (Wisdom TC Flowable®) for several years. The FKMCD conducted a study comparing whether 2 aftermarket wetting/sticking adjuvants could improve the efficacy of the barrier treatments used to control Ae. taeniorhynchus. Maximum label rate was used for 3 separate solutions: Wisdom TC Flowable (1 fl oz/gal [7.81 ml/liter] water) with no additives (Wisdom), Wisdom with Lesco Spreader-Sticker® (0.08 fl oz [2.37 ml]), and Wisdom with Xtended Performance® (2.56 fl oz [75.71 ml]). All solutions were applied to 100-ft (approximately 3 m) sections of tree-lined roadways in Key Largo, FL, using a SR 420® Mistblower backpack sprayer (Stihl Corp.). Leaves were collected from each application area for 8 consecutive weeks. Leaves were used to perform leaf bioassays against local populations of Ae. taeniorhynchus adults, and mortality was recorded at 1, 4, and 24 h postexposure. This process was replicated 3 times. Treatments had variable mortality rates at 1, 4, and 24 h postexposure across 7 wk following application. Mortality rates for all mixtures decreased for all exposure times throughout the study. Overall, the Lesco Spreader-Sticker solution was the only combination with a positive significant difference in adult mortality after 24 h.

Market viability: a neglected concept in implementation science

This debate paper asserts that implementation science needs to incorporate a key concept from entrepreneurship—market demand—and demonstrates how assessing an innovation’s potential market viability might advance the pace and success of innovation adoption and sustainment. We describe key concepts, language distinctions, and questions that entrepreneurs pose to implementation scientists—many of which implementation scientists appear ill-equipped to answer. The paper concludes with recommendations about how concepts from entrepreneurship, notably market viability assessment, can enhance the translation of research discoveries into real-world adoption, sustained use, and population health benefits. The paper further proposes activities that can advance implementation science’s capacity to draw from the field of entrepreneurship, along with the data foundations required to assess and cultivate market demand.