Search

Real-time and non-invasive assessment of tissue health is crucial for maximizing the potential of microphysiological systems (MPS) for drug-induced nephrotoxicity screening. Although impedance has been widely considered as a measure of the barrier function, it has not been incorporated to detect cell detachment in MPS with top and bottom microfluidic channels separated by a porous membrane. During cell delamination from the porous membrane, the resistance between both channels decreases, while capacitance increases, allowing the detection of such detachment. Previously reported concepts have solely attributed the decrease in the resistance to the distortion of the barrier function, ignoring the resistance and capacitance changes due to cell detachment. Here, we report a two-channel MPS with integrated indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes capable of measuring impedance in real time. The trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and tissue reactance (capacitance) were extracted from the impedance profiles. We attributed the anomalous initial increase observed in TEER, upon cisplatin administration, to the distortion of tight junctions. Cell detachment was captured by sudden jumps in capacitance. TEER profiles illuminated the effects of cisplatin and cimetidine treatments in a dose-dependent and polarity-dependent manner. The correspondence between TEER and barrier function was validated for a continuous tissue using the capacitance profiles. These results demonstrate that capacitance can be used as a real-time and non-invasive indicator of confluence and will support the accuracy of the drug-induced cytotoxicity assessed by TEER profiles in the two-channel MPS for the barrier function of a cell monolayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima, the effects of low-dose irradiation, especially internal exposure, are at the forefront of everyone's attention. However, low-dose radiation induced various stimulating effects such as activation of antioxidative and immune functions. In this study, we attempted to evaluate the quantitative effects of the activation of antioxidative activities in kidney induced by radon inhalation on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced renal damage. Mice were subjected to intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of CCl4 after inhaling approximately 1000 or 2000 Bq/m3 radon for 24 h, or immediately after i.p. injection of α-tocopherol (100, 300, or 500 mg/kg bodyweight). In case of renal function, radon inhalation at a concentration of 2000 Bq/m3 has the inhibitory effects similar to α-tocopherol treatment at a dose of 300-500 mg/kg bodyweight. The activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in kidneys were significantly higher in mice exposed to radon as compared to mice treated with CCl4 alone. These findings suggest that radon inhalation has an antioxidative effect against CCl4-induced renal damage similar to the antioxidative effects of α-tocopherol due to induction of antioxidative functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the creep deformation mechanism of a single-crystal high-entropy superalloy (HESA) with the spherical γ′ precipitates at 760 °C. Before the creep tests, long-term aging tests at 760 °C without load were conducted, which showed Ostwald ripening of the secondary γ′ precipitates up to 50 h. The creep tests revealed that in the range of 500 and 600 MPa at 760 °C, the creep deformation mechanism of HESA was independent of applied stress in both the primary and secondary creep regions. The deformation mechanism of HESA was further investigated under the condition of 760 °C and 520 MPa by performing creep interrupted tests and microstructural analysis. Scanning electron microscope observation showed elongated γ′ precipitates along the applied stress axis near the ruptured surface. This could have been caused by the multi-slip around <100> preceded by the lattice rotation into <100> along the tensile axis, which was confirmed by the electron backscatter diffraction analysis. Transmission electron microscope observation of the creep interrupted and ruptured specimens showed bypass and climb motion of dislocations in the 2-h interrupted, shearing of the γ′ precipitates by the paired straight dislocations in the 50-h interrupted, and shearing of the γ′ precipitates by both the straight and the curved paired dislocations in the ruptured specimens, respectively. The secondary γ′ precipitates do not affect creep behavior as long as the deformation mechanism is a bypass and climb motion of dislocations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]