scholarly journals Printable microscale interfaces for long-term peripheral nerve mapping and precision control

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Otchy ◽  
Christos Michas ◽  
Blaire Lee ◽  
Krithi Gopalan ◽  
Jeremy Gleick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Nerves ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Implantable Devices ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Current Steering ◽  
Channel Current ◽  
Bioelectronic Medicine ◽  
Small Animal Models ◽  
High Degree

ABSTRACTThe nascent field of bioelectronic medicine seeks to decode and modulate peripheral nervous system signals to obtain therapeutic control of targeted end organs and effectors. Current approaches rely heavily on electrode-based devices, but size scalability, material and microfabrication challenges, limited surgical accessibility, and the biomechanically dynamic implantation environment are significant impediments to developing and deploying advanced peripheral interfacing technologies. Here, we present a microscale implantable device – the nanoclip – for chronic interfacing with fine peripheral nerves in small animal models that begins to meet these constraints. We demonstrate the capability to make stable, high-resolution recordings of behaviorally-linked nerve activity over multi-week timescales. In addition, we show that multi-channel, current-steering-based stimulation can achieve a high degree of functionally-relevant modulatory specificity within the small scale of the device. These results highlight the potential of new microscale design and fabrication techniques for the realization of viable implantable devices for long-term peripheral interfacing.

Abstract 228: Alterations of Cardiac Morphology and Function Caused by Cardio-Thoracic Surgery in Small Animal Models of Heart Disease

2013 ◽  
Vol 113 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Nordbeck ◽  
Leoni Bönhof ◽  
Karl-Heinz Hiller ◽  
Sabine Voll ◽  
Paula Arias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Right Ventricular ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Cardiac Morphology ◽  
Small Animal Models ◽  
And Function

Background: Surgical procedures in small animal models of heart disease, such as artificial ligation of the coronary arteries for experimental myocardial infarction, can evoke alterations in cardiac morphology and function. Such alterations might induce artificial early or long term effects in vivo that might account for a significant bias in basic cardiovascular research, and, therefore, could potentially question the meaning of respective studies in small animal models of heart disease. Methods: Female Wistar rats were matched for weight and distributed to sham left coronary artery ligation or untreated control. Cardiac parameters were then investigated in vivo by high-field MRI over time after the surgical procedure, determining left and right ventricular morphology and function. Additionally, the time course of several metabolic and inflammatory blood parameters was determined. Results: Rats after sham surgery showed a lower body weight for up to 8 weeks after the intervention compared to healthy controls. Left and right ventricular morphology and function were not different in absolute measures in both groups 1 week after surgery. However, there was a confined difference in several cardiac parameters normalized to the body weight (bw), such as myocardial mass (2.19±0.30/0.83±0.13 vs. 1.85±0.22/0.70±0.07 mg left/right per g bw, p<0.05), or enddiastolic ventricular volume (1.31±0.36/1.21±0.31 vs. 1.14±0.20/1.07±0.17 µl left/right per g bw, p<0.05). Vice versa, after 8 weeks, cardiac masses, volumes, and output showed a trend for lower values in the sham operated rats compared to the controls in absolute measures (782.2±57.2/260.2±33.2 vs. 805.9±84.8/310.4±48.5 mg, p<0.05 for left/right ventricular mass), but not normalized to body weight. Matching these findings, blood testing revealed prolonged metabolic and inflammatory changes after surgery not related to cardiac disease. Conclusion: There is a small distinct impact of cardio-thoracic surgical procedures on the global integrity of the organism, which in the long term also includes circumscribed repercussions on cardiac morphology and function. This impact has to be considered when analyzing data from respective studies and transferring the findings to conditions in patients.

scholarly journals Skin Immunology and Rejection in VCA and Organ Transplantation

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 251-259
Author(s):  
D. A. Leonard ◽  
K. R. Amin ◽  
H. Giele ◽  
J. E. Fildes ◽  
Jason K. F. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Lymph Nodes ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Immune Protection ◽  
Small Animal Models ◽  
Skin Immunology ◽  
Discrete Populations

Abstract Purpose of Review Skin provides a window into the health of an individual. Using transplanted skin as a monitor can provide a powerful tool for surveillance of rejection in a transplant. The purpose of this review is to provide relevant background to the role of skin in vascularized transplantation medicine. Recent Findings Discrete populations of T memory cells provide distributed immune protection in skin, and cycle between skin, lymph nodes, and blood. Skin-resident TREG cells proliferate in response to inflammation and contribute to long-term VCA survival in small animal models. Early clinical studies show sentinel flap rejection to correlate well with facial VCA skin rejection, and abdominal wall rejection demonstrates concordance with visceral rejection, but further studies are required. Summary This review focuses on the immunology of skin, skin rejection in vascularized composite allografts, and the recent advances in monitoring the health of transplanted tissues using distant “sentinel” flaps.

Individual mechanisms underlying peripheral nerve damage when exposed to metallic mercury

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (12) ◽  
pp. 918-924
Author(s):  
Dina V. Rusanova ◽  
Oleg L. Lakhman ◽  
Galina M. Bodienkova ◽  
Irina V. Kudaeva ◽  
Natalya G. Kuptsova
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Nerve ◽  
Peripheral Nerves ◽  
Blood Circulation ◽  
The State ◽  
Contact Period ◽  
Peripheral Nerve Damage ◽  
Demyelinating Disorders ◽  
Peripheral Blood Circulation ◽  
Antibodies To Dna

Introduction. There is a lack of knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanisms that form peripheral nerve disorders in mercury lesions of professional origin. The study aims to reveal the mechanisms underlying peripheral nerve damage in the long-term post-contact period of chronic mercury intoxication (CMI). Materials and methods. Fifty-one people had the diagnosis of a long-term period of CMI. The post-contact period was 8.5±2.6 years. The authors compared the results with a control group of 26 healthy men who had no contact with toxic substances. Stimulating electroneuromyography was performed. We studied the body systems that could contribute to the formation of disorders in the peripheral nerves. Changes in peripheral hemodynamics were studied using reovasography. The content of autoantibodies, neuron-specific enolase, serotonin, histamine, catecholamines (epinephrine, dopamine), metanephrine, and neurotrophin-3 was reviewed. The content of ceruloplasmin, secondary products of lipid peroxidation processes, reduced glutathione, the activity of superoxide dismutase and the content of nitric oxide levels were determined. Results. The study established pathogenetic structural links of peripheral nerve disorders. The autoimmune process's role was to increase the range of antibodies to the MAG protein and increase the level of antibodies to DNA. Violations of elastic-tonic properties of peripheral vessels could be associated with the functional state of motor axons. The increased content of neurotransmitters is related to the state of peripheral blood circulation; the most pronounced changes were on the legs, which could contribute to the occurrence and maintenance of vasoconstriction. The role of oxidative stress in the formation of demyelinating disorders in patients' peripheral nerves in the long-term period of CRI is possible. Conclusion. Neuroimmunological processes has an essential role in the development of peripheral nerve demyelination was shown, which consists in an increase in the content of antibodies to the MAG protein expressed on Schwann cells of peripheral nerves and in an increase in the level of antibodies to DNA involved in the formation of demyelinating changes when exposed to metallic mercury. The revealed pathological changes in the state of the peripheral blood circulation, characterized by a violation of the vessels' elastic-tonic properties, leading to demyelination of motor axons in patients in the long-term period of CMI. The increased content of neurotransmitters in the examined is of great importance in the state of peripheral circulation. Pronounced changes in blood circulation are established on the lower extremities, which may be associated with the predominance of α-adrenergic receptors in the arterial bed and may contribute to the occurrence and maintenance of vasoconstriction in the legs. The relationship between changes in indicators of oxidative stress, consisting of a decrease in the value of superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione, and the formation of demyelinating disorders of peripheral nerves in patients in the long-term period of CMI has been proved.

scholarly journals Rationally repurposed nitroxoline inhibits preclinical models of Epstein–Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maite Ibáñez de Garayo ◽  
Wendi Liu ◽  
Nicole C. Rondeau ◽  
Christopher B. Damoci ◽  
JJ L. Miranda
Keyword(s):  
Epstein Barr Virus ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Preclinical Models ◽  
Bet Inhibitor ◽  
Barr Virus ◽  
Chelating Activity ◽  
Metal Chelating ◽  
Small Animal Models ◽  
Epstein Barr ◽  
Tract Infections

AbstractRepurposing of currently used drugs for new indications benefits from known experience with those agents. Rational repurposing can be achieved when newly uncovered molecular activities are leveraged against diseases that utilize those mechanisms. Nitroxoline is an antibiotic with metal-chelating activity used to treat urinary tract infections. This small molecule also inhibits the function of bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins that regulate oncogene expression in cancer. Lymphoproliferation driven by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) depends on these same proteins. We therefore tested the efficacy of nitroxoline against cell culture and small animal models of EBV-associated lymphoproliferation. Nitroxoline indeed reduces cell and tumor growth. Nitroxoline also acts faster than the prototype BET inhibitor JQ1. We suggest that this rational repurposing may hold translational promise.

scholarly journals History of IgA Nephropathy Mouse Models

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. 3142
Author(s):  
Batoul Wehbi ◽  
Virginie Pascal ◽  
Lina Zawil ◽  
Michel Cogné ◽  
Jean-Claude Aldigier
Keyword(s):  
Iga Nephropathy ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Murine Models ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Complement Components ◽  
Simple Description ◽  
Primary Glomerulonephritis ◽  
History Of ◽  
Small Animal Models

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis in the world. It was first described in 1968 by Jean Berger and Nicole Hinglais as the presence of intercapillary deposits of IgA. Despite this simple description, patients with IgAN may present very broad clinical features ranging from the isolated presence of IgA in the mesangium without clinical or biological manifestations to rapidly progressive kidney failure. These features are associated with a variety of histological lesions, from the discrete thickening of the mesangial matrix to diffuse cell proliferation. Immunofluorescence on IgAN kidney specimens shows the isolated presence of IgA or its inconsistent association with IgG and complement components. This clinical heterogeneity of IgAN clearly echoes its complex and multifactorial pathophysiology in humans, inviting further analyses of its various aspects through the use of experimental models. Small-animal models of IgAN provide the most pertinent strategies for studying the multifactorial aspects of IgAN pathogenesis and progression. Although only primates have the IgA1 subclass, several murine models have been developed in which various aspects of immune responses are deregulated and which are useful in the understanding of IgAN physiopathology as well as in the assessment of IgAN therapeutic approaches. In this manuscript, we review all murine IgAN models developed since 1968 and discuss their remarkable contribution to understanding the disease.

scholarly journals Survey-Based Analysis of Current Trends for Prescribing Gastrointestinal Protectants among Small-Animal General Practitioners in Portugal

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Rita Baptista ◽  
Ryane Englar ◽  
Berta São Braz ◽  
Rodolfo Oliveira Leal
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
Educational Strategies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Therapeutic Value

In both human and veterinary healthcare, gastrointestinal protectants (GIPs) are considered a staple of clinical practice in that they are prescribed by general practitioners (GPs) and specialists alike. Concerning GIP use, overprescription of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has become a growing concern among human healthcare providers. This trend has also been documented within veterinary practice, prompting the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) to publish a consensus statement in 2018 concerning evidence-based indications for GIP use. This observational cross-sectional study evaluated self-reported prescribing protocols among Portuguese GPs to determine whether there is adherence to the consensus guidelines. Respondents were Portuguese GPs recruited by social media posts in veterinarian online forums. Data were collected from 124 respondents concerning their GIPs of choice and their rationales for prescribing them. Data were mined for prescription patterns and protocols. Among GIPs, PPIs were prescribed more often. Rationales for use included gastrointestinal ulceration and erosion (GUE), prophylactic management of nonerosive gastritis, pancreatitis, reflux esophagitis, and steroid-induced ulceration. Once-daily administration of PPIs was the most frequent dosing regime among respondents. Ninety-six percent of PPI prescribers advocated that the drug be administered either shortly before or at mealtime. Forty-nine percent of respondents supported long-term use of PPIs. Fifty-nine percent of respondents acknowledged discontinuing PPIs abruptly. This study supports that Portuguese GPs commonly prescribe GIPs in accordance with ACVIM recommendations to medically manage GUE. However, misuse of GIPs does occur, and they have been prescribed where their therapeutic value is debatable. Educational strategies should target GPs in an effort to reduce GIP misuse.

scholarly journals Closed-loop neuromodulation will increase the utility of mouse models in Bioelectronic Medicine

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timir Datta-Chaudhuri
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Models ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Implantable Devices ◽  
Chronic Stimulation ◽  
Medicine Research ◽  
Bioelectronic Medicine ◽  
The Future ◽  
Technical Challenges

AbstractMouse models have been of tremendous benefit to medical science for the better part of a century, yet bioelectronic medicine research using mice has been limited to mostly acute studies because of a lack of tools for chronic stimulation and sensing. A wireless neuromodulation platform small enough for implantation in mice will significantly increase the utility of mouse models in bioelectronic medicine. This perspective examines the necessary functionality of such a system and the technical challenges needed to be overcome for its development. Recent progress is examined and the outlook for the future of implantable devices for mice is discussed.

Hate Crime and Place: The Spatial and Temporal Concentration of Bias-Motivated Crime in Washington, D.C.

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052098781
Author(s):  
Marin R. Wenger ◽  
Brendan Lantz
Keyword(s):  
Hate Crime ◽  
Hate Crimes ◽  
Temporal Perspective ◽  
Spatial Stability ◽  
Units Of Analysis ◽  
Crime Types ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Block Groups ◽  
Street Segments

Prior research suggests that many crime types are spatially concentrated and stable over time. Hate crime, however, is a unique crime type that is etiologically distinct from others. As such, examination of hate crime from a spatial and temporal perspective offers an opportunity to understand hate crime and the spatial concentration of crime more generally. The current study examines the spatial stability of hate crimes reported to the police in Washington, D.C., from 2012 through 2018 using street segments, intersections, and block groups as units of analysis. Findings reveal that hate crime is spatially concentrated, with less than 4% of street segments and intersections experiencing hate crime over the study period. Results reveal a high degree of spatial stability, both year-to-year and over the long term even when restricting the analysis to units that experienced at least one hate crime.

scholarly journals Influence of the Share of Renewable Energy Sources on the Level of Energy Security in EECCA Countries

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Trifonov ◽  
Dmitry Trukhan ◽  
Yury Koshlich ◽  
Valeriy Prasolov ◽  
Beata Ślusarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Security ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Structural Content ◽  
High Degree

In this study we aimed to determine the extent to which changes in the share of renewable energy sources, their structural complex, and the level of energy security in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) countries in the medium- and long-term are interconnected. The study was performed through modeling and determination of the structural characteristics of energy security in the countries. The methodology of the approach to modeling was based on solving the problem of nonlinear optimization by selecting a certain scenario. For the study, the data of EECCA countries were used. The ability of EECCA countries to benefit from long-term indirect and induced advantages of the transformation period depends on the extent to which their domestic supply chains facilitate the deployment of energy transformation and induced economic activity. This study provides an opportunity to assess the degree of influence of renewable energy sources on the level of energy security of countries in the context of energy resource diversification. The high degree of influence of renewable energy sources on energy security in the EECCA countries has been proven in the implementation of the developed scenarios for its increase. Energy security is growing. At the same time, its level depends not only on an increase in the share of renewable sources but also on the structure of energy resources complex of countries, and the development of various renewable energy sources. Therefore, today the EECCA countries are forced not only to increase the share of renewable energy sources but also to attach strategic importance to the structural content of their energy complex.

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