Identification and Function of Acid-sensing Ion Channels in RAW 264.7 Macrophage Cells

Activation of acid-sensing ion channels （ASICs） plays an important role in neuroinflammation. Macrophage recruitment to the sites of inflammation is an essential step in host defense. ASIC1 and ASIC3 have been reported to mediate the endocytosis and maturation of bone marrow derived macrophages. However, the expression and inflammation-related functions of ASICs in RAW 264.7 cells, another common macrophage, are still elusive. In the present study, we first demonstrated the presence of ASIC 1, ASIC2a and ASIC3 in RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line by using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）, Western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments. The non-specific ASICs inhibitor amiloride and specific homomeric ASICla blocker PcTxl reduced the production of iNOS and COX-2 by LPS-induced activating RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, not only amiloride but also PcTxl inhibited the migration and LPS-induced apoptosis of RAW 264.7 cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that ASICs promote the inflammatory response and apoptosis of RAW 264.7 cells, and ASICs may serve as a potential novel target for immunological disease therapy.

Basics on the use of acid-sensing ion channels' inhibitors as therapeutics

Since the discovery of acid-sensing ion channels in 1997, their importance in the health of neurons and other non-neuronal cells has gained significant importance. Acid-sensing ion channels play important roles in mediating pain sensation during diseases such as stroke, inflammation, arthritis, cancer, and recently migraine. More interestingly, acid-sensing ion channels may explain the sex differences in pain between males and females. Also, the ability of acid-sensing ion channel blockers to exert neuroprotective effects in a number of neurodegenerative diseases has added a new dimension to their therapeutic value. The current failure rate of ～45% of new drugs(due to toxicity issues) and saving of up to 7 years in the life span of drug approval makes drug repurposing a high priority. If acid-sensing ion channels' blockers undergo what is known as "drug repurposing", there is a great potential to bring them as medications with known safety profiles to new patient populations. However, the route of administration remains a big challenge due to their poor penetration of the blood brain and retinal barriers. In this review, the promise of using acid-sensing ion channel blockers as neuroprotective drugs is discussed.

Does closure of acid-sensing ion channels reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury in the rat brain?

Acidosis is a common characteristic of brain damage. Because studies have shown that permeable Ca2＋-acid-sensing ion channels can mediate the toxic effects of calcium ions, they have become new targets against pain and various intracranial diseases. However, the mechanism associated with expression of these channels remains unclear. This study sought to observe the expression characteristics of permeable Ca2＋-acid-sensing ion channels during different reperfusion inflows in rats after cerebral ischemia. The rat models were randomly divided into three groups： adaptive ischemia/reperfusion group, one-time ischemia/reperfusion group, and severe cerebral ischemic injury group. Western blot assays and immunofluorescence staining results exhibited that when compared with the one-time ischemia/reperfusion group, acid-sensing ion channel 3 and Bcl-x/I expression decreased in the adaptive ischemia/reperfusion group. Calmodulin expression was lowest in the adaptive ischemia/reperfusion group. Following adaptive reperfusion, common carotid artery flow was close to normal, and the pH value improved. Results verified that adaptive reperfusion following cerebral ischemia can suppress acid-sensing ion channel 3 expression, significantly reduce Ca2＋ influx, inhibit calcium overload, and diminish Ca2＋ toxicity. The effects of adaptive ischemia/reperfusion on suppressing cell apoptosis and relieving brain damage were better than that of one-time ischemia/reperfusion.

Cooperative activation of sodium channels for downgrading the energy efficiency in neuronal information processing

The Hodgkin–Huxley model assumes independent ion channel activation,although mutual interactions are common in biological systems.This raises the problem why neurons would favor independent over cooperative channel activation.In this study,we evaluate how cooperative activation of sodium channels affects the neuron’s information processing and energy consumption.Simulations of the stochastic Hodgkin–Huxley model with cooperative activation of sodium channels show that,while cooperative activation enhances neuronal information processing capacity,it greatly increases the neuron’s energy consumption.As a result,cooperative activation of sodium channel degrades the energy efficiency for neuronal information processing.This discovery improves our understanding of the design principles for neural systems,and may provide insights into future designs of the neuromorphic computing devices as well as systematic understanding of pathological mechanisms for neural diseases.

Locus Coeruleus Acid-Sensing Ion Channels Modulate Sleep–Wakefulness and State Transition from NREM to REM Sleep in the Rat

The locus coeruleus(LC) is one of the essential chemoregulatory and sleep–wake(S–W) modulating centers in the brain. LC neurons remain highly active during wakefulness, and some implicitly become silent during rapid eye movement(REM) sleep. LC neurons are also involved in CO_2-dependent modulation of the respiratory drive. Acid-sensing ion channels(ASICs) are highly expressed in some brainstem chemosensory breathing regulatory areas, but their localization and functions in the LC remain unknown. Mild hypercapnia increases the amount of non-REM(NREM) sleep and the number of REM sleep episodes, but whether ASICs in the LC modulate S–W is unclear. Here, we investigated the presence of ASICs in the LC and their role in S–W modulation and the state transition from NREM to REM sleep. Male Wistar rats were surgically prepared for chronic polysomnographic recordings and drug microinjections into the LC. The presence of ASIC-2 and ASIC-3 in the LC was immunohistochemically characterized.Microinjections of amiloride(an ASIC blocker) and APETx2(a blocker of ASIC-2 and-3) into the LC significantly decreased wakefulness and REM sleep, but significantly increased NREM sleep. Mild hypercapnia increased the amount of NREM and the number of REM episodes. However, APETx2 microinjection inhibited this increase in REM frequency. These results suggest that the ASICs of LC neurons modulate S–W, indicating that ASICs could play an important role in vigilance-state transition. A mild increase in CO_2 level during NREM sleep sensed by ASICs could be one of the determinants of state transition from NREM to REM sleep.

Protein and RNA expression of acid-sensing ion channels 2 and 3 in myocardial ischemia rats induced by isoproterenol

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the impact of electro-acupuncture at the Neiguan(PC 6) acupoint on protein and RNA expression of acid-sensing ion channel 2(ASIC2) and ASIC3 in myocardial ischemia rats.METHODS:Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used,weighing(230 ± 50) g.The rats were randomized into a normal group A,model group B,Neiguan(PC 6) group C,Lieque(LU 7) group D,and A-shi points group E.There were 10 rats in each group.Rats were continuously administered 85 mg/kg intravenous isoproterenol daily to establish the model.Successfully modeled rats in groups C,D,and E were given electro-acupuncture treatment.Each group of rats was sacrificed with chloral hydrate(1 mL/100 g) intraperitoneal injection.The left ventricular myocardium was extracted and placed at- 70 ℃ until use.Western blot analysis and real-time PCR were performed to assay protein and RNA expressions of ASIC2 and ASIC3,respectively.Fold changes in RNA expression were quantified with the 2~^(-△△Ct) method.Blood samples were drawn from the aorta abdominalis and tested for creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS:Myocardial ischemia rats given electro-acupuncture at the Neiguan(PC 6) acupoint had significantly lower protein and RNA expression of ASIC2 and ASIC3,and CK-MB and LDH levels,compared with model rats(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION:Electro-acupuncture at the Neiguan(PC 6) acupoint can not only decrease the protein and RNA expression of ASIC2 and ASIC3,but also inhibit the opening of ASICs and reduce the cardiomyocyte damage in myocardial ischemia rats.

Ischemic postconditioning protects against ischemic brain injury by up-regulation of acid-sensing ion channel 2a

Ischemic postconditioning renders brain tissue tolerant to brain ischemia,thereby alleviating ischemic brain injury.However,the exact mechanism of action is still unclear.In this study,a rat model of global brain ischemia was subjected to ischemic postconditioning treatment using the vessel occlusion method.After 2 hours of ischemia,the bilateral common carotid arteries were blocked immediately for 10 seconds and then perfused for 10 seconds.This procedure was repeated six times.Ischemic postconditioning was found to mitigate hippocampal CA1 neuronal damage in rats with brain ischemia,and up-regulate acid-sensing ion channel 2a expression at the m RNA and protein level.These findings suggest that ischemic postconditioning up-regulates acid-sensing ion channel 2a expression in the rat hippocampus after global brain ischemia,which promotes neuronal tolerance to ischemic brain injury.

Potassium and calcium channels in different nerve cells act as therapeutic targets in neurological disorders

The central nervous system, information integration center of the body, is mainly composed of neurons and glial cells. The neuron is one of the most basic and important structural and functional units of the central nervous system, with sensory stimulation and excitation conduction functions. Astrocytes and microglia belong to the glial cell family, which is the main source of cytokines and represents the main defense system of the central nervous system. Nerve cells undergo neurotransmission or gliotransmission, which regulates neuronal activity via the ion channels, receptors, or transporters expressed on nerve cell membranes. Ion channels, composed of large transmembrane proteins, play crucial roles in maintaining nerve cell homeostasis. These channels are also important for control of the membrane potential and in the secretion of neurotransmitters. A variety of cellular functions and life activities, including functional regulation of the central nervous system, the generation and conduction of nerve excitation, the occurrence of receptor potential, heart pulsation, smooth muscle peristalsis, skeletal muscle contraction, and hormone secretion, are closely related to ion channels associated with passive transmembrane transport. Two types of ion channels in the central nervous system, potassium channels and calcium channels, are closely related to various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy. Accordingly, various drugs that can affect these ion channels have been explored deeply to provide new directions for the treatment of these neurological disorders. In this review, we focus on the functions of potassium and calcium ion channels in different nerve cells and their involvement in neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, epilepsy, autism, and rare disorders. We also describe several clinical drugs that target potassium or calcium channels in nerve cells and could be used to treat these disorders. We concluded that there are few clinical drugs that can improve the pathology these diseases by acting on potassium or calcium ions. Although a few novel ion-channelspecific modulators have been discovered, meaningful therapies have largely not yet been realized. The lack of target-specific drugs, their requirement to cross the blood–brain barrier, and their exact underlying mechanisms all need further attention. This review aims to explain the urgent problems that need research progress and provide comprehensive information aiming to arouse the research community's interest in the development of ion channel-targeting drugs and the identification of new therapeutic targets for that can increase the cure rate of nervous system diseases and reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions in other systems.

Effect of Activation of the Ca2+-Permeable Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a on Acid-Induced Vascular Endothelial Cell Injury of Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Children

Acidosis in local environment plays a critical role in cell injury. One key mediator of acidosis-induced cell injury is the acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), particularly ASIC1a. Herein, we investigated the role of ASIC1a in acid-induced vascular endothelial cell injury of Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) children. Acid-induced ASIC1a, Calpain and Calcineurin expression in vascular endothelial cells pretreated with IgA1 isolated from HSP were detected by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot methods, respectively. Cell cytotoxicity was measured by interleukin-8 and nitric oxide production with ELISA. The results showed acid-induced ASIC1a, Calpain and Calcineurin expression in cells increased, especially at PH6.5. The cytotoxicity of vascular endothelial cells was increased by extracellular acidosis. Moreover non-specific or specific blockers of ASIC1a, Amiloride and PcTX-1 could remarkably decrease these parameters. These findings show that increased [Ca2+]i, mediated via ASIC1a, might contribute to acid-induced vascular endothelial cell injury of HSP.

Involvement of Acid-sensing Ion Channel 1a in Functions of Cultured Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

In the retina, pH fluctuations may play an important role in adapting retinal responses to different light intensities and are involved in the fine tuning of visual perception. Acidosis occurs in the subretinal space （SRS） under pathological conditions such as age-related macular degeneration （AMD）. Although it is well known that many transporters in the retinal pigment epithelium （RPE） cells can maintain pH homeostasis efficiently, other receptors in RPE may also be involved in sensing acidosis, such as acid-sensing ion channels （ASICs）. In this study, we investigated whether ASICla was ex- pressed in the RPE cells and whether it was involved in the function of these cells. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to analyze the ASICla expression in ARPE-19 cells during oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide （H202）. Furthermore, inhibition or over-expression of ASICla in RPE cells was obtained using inhibitors （amiloride and PCTxl） or by the transfection of cDNA encod- ing hASICla. Cell viability was determined by using the MTT assay. The real-time RT-PCR and West- ern blotting results showed that both the mRNA and protein of ASICla were expressed in RPE cells. In- hibition of ASICs by amiloride in normal RPE cells resulted in cell death, indicating that ASICs play an important physiological role in RPE cells. Furthermore, over-expression of ASICla in RPE cells pro- longed cell survival under oxidative stress induced by H2O2. In conclusion, ASICla is functionally expressed in RPE cells and may play an important role in the physiological function of RPE cells by pro-tecting them from oxidative stress.

Constructing an ion‐oriented channel on a zinc electrode through surface engineering

The inherent shortcomings of a zinc anode in aqueous zinc‐ion batteries(ZIBs)such as zinc dendrites and side reactions severely limit their practical application.Herein,to address these issues,an ion‐oriented transport channel constructed by graphdiyne(GDY)nanowalls is designed and grown in situ on the surface of a zinc electrode.The vertically stacked GDY nanowalls with a unique hierarchical porous structure and mechanical properties form a nanomesh‐like interface on the zinc electrode,acting as an ion‐oriented channel,which can efficiently confine the segmented growth of zinc metal in microscopic regions of hundreds of nanometers.In those microscopic regions,the uniform domain current density is effortlessly maintained compared with a large surface area,thereby inhibiting zinc dendrites effectively.Besides,due to the presence of the ion‐oriented channel,the modified zinc anode demonstrates long‐term stable zinc plating/stripping performance for more than 600 h at 1 mAh cm^(−2)in an aqueous electrolyte.In addition,full‐cells coupled with MnO2 show high specific capacity and power density,as well as excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 82%after 5000 cycles at 1 A g^(−1).This work provides a feasible and accessible surface engineering approach to modify the electrode interface for confined and dendrite‐free zinc deposition in aqueous ZIBs.

Role of ion channels in gastrointestinal cancer

In their seminal papers Hanahan and Weinberg described oncogenic processes a normal cell undergoes to be transformed into a cancer cell.The functions of ion channels in the gastrointestinal(GI)tract influence a variety of cellular processes,many of which overlap with these hallmarks of cancer.In this review we focus on the roles of the calcium(Ca^2+),sodium(Na^+),potassium(K^+),chloride(Cl^-)and zinc(Zn^2+)transporters in GI cancer,with a special emphasis on the roles of the KCNQ1 K+channel and CFTR Cl-channel in colorectal cancer(CRC).Ca^2+is a ubiquitous second messenger,serving as a signaling molecule for a variety of cellular processes such as control of the cell cycle,apoptosis,and migration.Various members of the TRP superfamily,including TRPM8,TRPM7,TRPM6 and TRPM2,have been implicated in GI cancers,especially through overexpression in pancreatic adenocarcinomas and down-regulation in colon cancer.Voltage-gated sodium channels(VGSCs)are classically associated with the initiation and conduction of action potentials in electrically excitable cells such as neurons and muscle cells.The VGSC NaV1.5 is abundantly expressed in human colorectal CRC cell lines as well as being highly expressed in primary CRC samples.Studies have demonstrated that conductance through NaV1.5 contributes significantly to CRC cell invasiveness and cancer progression.Zn2+transporters of the ZIP/SLC39A and ZnT/SLC30A families are dysregulated in all major GI organ cancers,in particular,ZIP4 up-regulation in pancreatic cancer(PC).More than 70 K+channel genes,clustered in four families,are found expressed in the GI tract,where they regulate a range of cellular processes,including gastrin secretion in the stomach and anion secretion and fluid balance in the intestinal tract.Several distinct types of K+channels are found dysregulated in the GI tract.Notable are hERG1 upregulation in PC,gastric cancer(GC)and CRC,leading to enhanced cancer angiogenesis and invasion,and KCNQ1 down-regulation in CRC,where KCNQ1 expression is associated with enhanced disease-free survival in stage II,III,and IV disease.Cl-channels are critical for a range of cellular and tissue processes in the GI tract,especially fluid balance in the colon.Most notable is CFTR,whose deficiency leads to mucus blockage,microbial dysbiosis and inflammation in the intestinal tract.CFTR is a tumor suppressor in several GI cancers.Cystic fibrosis patients are at a significant risk for CRC and low levels of CFTR expression are associated with poor overall disease-free survival in sporadic CRC.Two other classes of chloride channels that are dysregulated in GI cancers are the chloride intracellular channels(CLIC1,3&4)and the chloride channel accessory proteins(CLCA1,2,4).CLIC1&4 are upregulated in PC,GC,gallbladder cancer,and CRC,while the CLCA proteins have been reported to be down-regulated in CRC.In summary,it is clear,from the diverse influences of ion channels,that their aberrant expression and/or activity can contribute to malignant transformation and tumor progression.Further,because ion channels are often localized to the plasma membrane and subject to multiple layers of regulation,they represent promising clinical targets for therapeutic intervention including the repurposing of current drugs.

Diabetes-induced changes in cardiac voltage-gated ion channels

Diabetes mellitus affects the heart through various mechanisms such as microvascular defects,metabolic abnormalities,autonomic dysfunction and incompatible immune response.Furthermore,it can also cause functional and structural changes in the myocardium by a disease known as diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM)in the absence of coronary artery disease.As DCM progresses it causes electrical remodeling of the heart,left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure.Electrophysiological changes in the diabetic heart contribute significantly to the incidence of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in diabetes mellitus patients.In recent studies,significant changes in repolarizing K+currents,Na+currents and L-type Ca^(2+)currents along with impaired Ca^(2+ )homeostasis and defective contractile function have been identified in the diabetic heart.In addition,insulin levels and other trophic factors change significantly to maintain the ionic channel expression in diabetic patients.There are many diagnostic tools and management options for DCM,but it is difficult to detect its development and to effectively prevent its progress.In this review,diabetes-associated alterations in voltage-sensitive cardiac ion channels are comprehensively assessed to understand their potential role in the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of DCM.

Differential Effect of Calcium-Activated Potassium and Chloride Channels on Rat Basilar Artery Vasomotion

Spontaneous, rhythmical contractions, or vasomotion, can be recorded from cerebral vessels under both normal physiological and pathophysiological conditions. We investigated the cellular mechanisms underlying vasomotion in the cerebral basilar artery （BA） of Wistar rats. Pressure myograph video microscopy was used to study the changes in cerebral artery vessel diameter. The main results of this study were as follows： （1） The diameters of BA and middle cerebral artery （MCA） were 314.5±15.7 μm （n=15） and 233.3±10.1 μm （n=12） at 10 mmHg working pressure （P〈0.05）, respectively. Pressure-induced vasomotion occurred in BA （22/28, 78.6%）, but not in MCA （4/31, 12.9%） from 0 to 70 mmHg working pressure. As is typical for vasomotion, the contractile phase of the response was more rapid than the relaxation phase; （2） The frequency of vasomotion response and the diameter were gradually increased in BA from 0 to 70 mmHg working pressure. The amplitude of the rhythmic con- tractions was relatively constant once stable conditions were achieved. The frequency of contractions was variable and the highest value was 16.7±4.7 （n=13） per 10 min at 60 mmHg working pressure; （3） The pressure-induced vasomotion of the isolated BA was attenuated by nifedipine, NFA, 181]-GA, TEA or in Ca2＋-free medium. Nifedipine, NFA, 18^-GA or Ca2＋-free medium not only dampened vasomotion, but also kept BA in relaxation state. In contrasts, TEA kept BA in contraction state. These results sug- gest that the pressure-induced vasomotion of the isolated BA results from an interaction between Ca2＋-activated C1- channels （CaCCs） currents and Kca currents. We hypothesize that vasomotion of BA depends on the depolarizing of the vascular smooth muscle cells （VSMCs） to activate CaCCs. Depolarization in turn activates voltage-dependent Ca2＋ channels, synchronizing contractions of adjacent cells through influx of extracellular calcium and the flow of calcium through gap junctions. Subsequent calcium-induced calcium release from ryanodine-sensitive stores activates Kca channels and hyperpo- larizes VSMCs, which provides a negative feedback loop for regenerating the contractile cycle.

Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase:ion pump,signal transducer,or cytoprotective protein,and novel biological functions

Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase is a transmembrane protein that has important roles in the maintenance of electrochemical gradients across cell membranes by transporting three Na^(+)out of and two K^(+)into cells.Additionally,Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase participates in Ca^(2+)-signaling transduction and neurotransmitter release by coordinating the ion concentration gradient across the cell membrane.Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase works synergistically with multiple ion channels in the cell membrane to form a dynamic network of ion homeostatic regulation and affects cellular communication by regulating chemical signals and the ion balance among different types of cells.Therefo re,it is not surprising that Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase dysfunction has emerged as a risk factor for a variety of neurological diseases.However,published studies have so far only elucidated the important roles of Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase dysfunction in disease development,and we are lacking detailed mechanisms to clarify how Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase affects cell function.Our recent studies revealed that membrane loss of Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase is a key mechanism in many neurological disorders,particularly stroke and Parkinson's disease.Stabilization of plasma membrane Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase with an antibody is a novel strategy to treat these diseases.For this reason,Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase acts not only as a simple ion pump but also as a sensor/regulator or cytoprotective protein,participating in signal transduction such as neuronal autophagy and apoptosis,and glial cell migration.Thus,the present review attempts to summarize the novel biological functions of Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase and Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase-related pathogenesis.The potential for novel strategies to treat Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase-related brain diseases will also be discussed.

General anesthesia mediated by effects on ion channels

Although it has been more than 165 years since the first introduction of modern anesthesia to the clinic, there is surprisingly little understanding about the exact mechanisms by which general anesthetics induce unconsciousness. As a result, we do not know how general anesthetics produce anesthesia at different levels. The main handicap to understanding the mechanisms of general anesthesia is the diversity of chemically unrelated compounds including diethyl ether and halogenated hydrocarbons, gases nitrous oxide, ketamine, propofol, benzodiazepines and etomidate, as well as alcohols and barbiturates. Does this imply that general anesthesia is caused by many different mechanisms? Until now, many receptors, molecular targets and neuronal transmission pathways have been shown to contribute to mechanisms of general anesthesia. Among these molecular targets, ion channels are the most likely candidates for general anesthesia, in particular γ-aminobutyric acid type A, potassium and sodium channels, as well as ion channels mediated by various neuronal transmitters like acetylcholine, amino acids amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolpropionic acid or N-methyl-D-aspartate. In addition, recent studies have demonstrated the involvement in general anesthesia of other ion channels with distinct gating properties suchas hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic- nucleotide-gated channels. The main aim of the present review is to summarize some aspects of current knowledge of the effects of general anesthetics on various ion channels.

Modulatory effects of the fruits of Tribulus terrestris L. on the function of atopic dermatitis-related calcium channels,Orai1 and TRPV3

Objective: To examine the effects of Tribulus terrestris L.(T. terrestris) extract on the modulation of calcium channels to evaluate its use in topical agents for treatment of atopic dermatitis.Methods: The 70% methanol extract of T. terrestris was prepared. Human HEK293 T cells with over-expressed calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1(Orai1),transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, or transient receptor potential vanilloid 3(TRPV3)were treated with T. terrestris extract. Modulation of ion channels was measured using a conventional whole-cell patch-clamp technique.Results: T. terrestris extract(100 mg/m L) significantly inhibited Orai1 activity in Orai1-stromal interaction molecule 1 co-overexpressed HEK293 T cells. In addition, T. terrestris extract significantly increased the TRPV3 activity compared with 2-Aminoethyl diphenylborinate(100 mmol/L), which induces the full activation of TRPV3.Conclusions: Our results suggest that T. terrestris extract may have a therapeutic potential for recovery of abnormal skin barrier pathologies in atopic dermatitis through modulating the activities of calcium ion channels, Orai1 and TRPV3. This is the first study to report the modulatory effect of a medicinal plant on the function of ion channels in skin barrier.

Semi-interpenetrating-network all-solid-state polymer electrolyte with liquid crystal constructing efficient ion transport channels for flexible solid lithium-metal batteries

The development of the solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) can effectively address the hidden safety issues of commercially used liquid electrolytes.Nevertheless,the unsatisfactory room temperature ion conductivity and inferior mechanical strength for linear PEO-based SPEs are still the immense obstacles impeding the further applications of SPEs for large-scale commercialization.Herein,we fabricate a series of semi-interpenetrating-network (semi-IPN) polymer electrolytes based on a novel liquid crystal (C6M LC) and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) via UV-irradiation at the first time.The LCs not only highly improve the mechanical properties of electrolyte membranes via the construction of network structure with PEGDE,but also create stable ion transport channels for ion conduction.As a result,a free-standing flexible SPE shows outstanding ionic conductivity(5.93×10^(-5) S cm^(-1) at 30℃),a very wide electrochemical stability window of 5.5 V,and excellent thermal stability at thermal decomposition temperatures above 360℃ as well as the capacity of suppressing lithium dendrite growth.Moreover,the LiFePO_(4)/Li battery assembled with the semi-IPN electrolyte membranes exhibits good cycle performance and admirable reversible specific capacity.This work highlights the obvious advantages of LCs applied to the electrolyte for the advanced solid lithium battery.

Transient Receptor Potential Ion Channels in the Etiology and Pathomechanism of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a disabling condition of unknown cause having multi-system manifestations. Our group has investigated the potential role of transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels in the etiology and pathomechanism of this illness. Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) signaling is the primary intracellular calcium signaling mechanism in non-excitable cells and is associated with TRP ion channels. While the sub-family (Canonical) TRPC has been traditionally associated with this important cellular mechanism, a member of the TRPM sub-family group (Melastatin), TRPM3, has also been recently identified as participating in SOCE in white matter of the central nervous system. We have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TRP genes in natural killer (NK) cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in CFS/ME patients. We also describe biochemical pathway changes and calcium signaling perturbations in blood cells from patients. The ubiquitous distribution of TRP ion channels and specific locations of sub-family group members such as TRPM3 suggest a contribution to systemic pathology in CFS/ME.

Exercise-induced adaptation of neurons in the vertebrate locomotor system

Vertebrate neurons are highly dynamic cells that undergo several alterations in their functioning and physiologies in adaptation to various external stimuli.In particular,how these neurons respond to physical exercise has long been an area of active research.Studies of the vertebrate locomotor system’s adaptability suggest multiple mechanisms are involved in the regulation of neuronal activity and properties during exercise.In this brief review,we highlight recent results and insights from the field with a focus on the following mechanisms:(a)alterations in neuronal excitability during acute exercise;(b)alterations in neuronal excitability after chronic exercise;(c)exercise-induced changes in neuronal membrane properties via modulation of ion channel activity;(d)exercise-enhanced dendritic plasticity;and(e)exercise-induced alterations in neuronal gene expression and protein synthesis.Our hope is to update the community with a cellular and molecular understanding of the recent mechanisms underlying the adaptability of the vertebrate locomotor system in response to both acute and chronic physical exercise.