Search

Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. (AL) has been proven to be effective in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, TCMSP, TCMID, OMIM, GeneCards, PharmMapper and SwissTargetPrediction were used to collect potential targets for AL against COVID-19. The online STRING analysis platform and Cytoscape were used for generating a (protein-protein interaction) PPI network. The Cytoscape and Autodock software were used for determining hub genes and key compounds. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed via DAVID database. A total of 84 common targets were obtained. The antiviral pathways were main pathways in traetment. 10 hub genes and key compounds were screened by CytoHubba. We found that AL2, AL6 and AL38 had lower binding energy with key proteins. Our study demonstrated that AL might be used to treat COVID-19 by improving the "cytokine storm", regulating some antiviral pathways, and inhibiting the key protein through which the SARS-CoV-2 invades the host cell. These findings give a pharmacological basis and support for treating COVID-19 with AL.

Background Datura Metel L. has been used to treat psoriasis in China for a long time. The effect of extracts from Datura Metel L. for Psoriasis has not been previously confirmed. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of extracts from Datura Metel L. for patients with psoriasis.Methods PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and other databases were searched from database inception until to September 1, 2021. A quality assessment and data extraction were performed by 2 independent reviews. We used a random-effects meta-analysis model to estimate the pooled curative effect, pooled odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence intervals. Results Nine studies were included in Meta‐analysis, including a total number of 1778 patients with psoriasis. The case cure rate of Datura Metel L. intravenous therapy was 0.48 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.62) and of Datura Metel L. oral therapy was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.68), respectively. The case effective rate of Datura Metel L. intravenous therapy was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.97) and of Datura Metel L. oral therapy was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88, 0.99), respectively. Conclusions The extracts from Datura Metel L. showed the potential to treat psoriasis, and intravenous therapy might be a promising treatment to cure psoriasis, which is likely affected by selection and publication bias, still need more high quality clinical studies.

Yu Gan Long (YGL) is a Chinese traditional herbal formula which has been reported to attenuate liver fibrosis for many years and we have explored its anti-fibrotic mechanism through blocking transforming growth factor (TGF-β) in the previous study. But the mechanisms associated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB remain obscure. In this study, we further investigated the mechanism of YGL reducing carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats. Our results showed that YGL suppressed CCl4-induced upregulation of collagen IV (Col IV), type HI precollagen (PCHI), hyaluronuc acid (HA) and laminin (LN), which are implicated in liver fibrosis. Also, YGL reduced the α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, which acts as the indicator of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, YGL decreased the serum levels of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) mitogen PDGF-BB and inflammation cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6. Markers involved in liver fibrosis, such as Ras, p-Raf-1, p-ERK1/2, p-JNK, p-P38, p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-JAKl, p-STAT3 were downregulated significantly after treatment with YGL. Our results indicated that YGL ameliorated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis by reducing inflammation cytokines production, and suppressing Ras/ERK, PI3K/AKT, and JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathways, which provided further evidence towards elucidation of the anti-fibrotic mechanism of YGL.

This study examined anti-cancer compounds present in the chloroform extract of the Chinese medicine formula Shenqi San (CE-SS). Silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20, octadecylsilyl (ODS) column chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to separate the compounds from CE-SS. The structural formulas of the separated compounds were determined using 1D 1H and 13C experiments as well as high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HRESIMS). The corresponding results were compared with the reported literature data. A total of six compounds were separated and their structures were identified on the basis of corresponding spectroscopic and physico-chemical properties. They were Saikogenin F (I), Prosaikogenin D (II), Prosaikogenin F (III), β-sitosterol (IV), 3β,16β,23-trihydroxy-13,28-epoxyurs-11-ene-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (V), and methyl ursolic acid (VI). The separated compounds were evaluated in vitro for their inhibitory ability against the proliferation of A549 cells via MTT assay. Apoptosis was investigated using Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) by flow cytometry. Apoptosis-associated proteins were examined by Western blotting. All the compounds were observed to have inhibitory activities against the proliferation of A549 cells to different degrees. Flow cytometry showed that compound V increased the proportion of apoptotic A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Western blotting showed that compound V increased the expression of Bax, cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-9 and cleaved-poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), and decreased the expression of Bcl-2. These results indicated that compound V featured a significant inhibitory effect on A549 cells when compared with other compounds, and it may be considered a potential drug against cancers.

Piper nigrum is an important aromatic plant, and its fruits (black and white pepper) are commonly used as food additives and spices. However, its stems were disposed as wastes. This research comprehensively investigated bioactive alkaloids of the stems, eight new dimeric amide alkaloids and eight known compounds were obtained. All obtained compounds showed excellent anti-inflammatory activity. Additionally, the dimeric amide alkaloids enhanced the anticancer effect of paclitaxel against cervical cancer cells. These results demonstrate that the stems of P. nigrum could be the sustainable source of bioactive alkaloids for development and utilization in the food and health fields.

Objective 14-Deoxycoleon U is a natural abietane-type diterpene and exerts an inhibitory effect on tumor cells proliferation, which suggests that 14-Deoxycoleon U may be a potent anti-cancerous lead compound for lung cancer treatment. This study was to evaluate potential of 14-Deoxycoleon U to treat lung adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Methods In the present study, the cell viability and apoptosis morphology of 14-Deoxycoleon U-treated A549 and LLC cells were explored using cell counting kit-8 assay and Hoechst 33258 staining. Then, the protein expressions about apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, autophagy and cell cycle were measured using Western blot. The autophagosome formation of 14-Deoxycoleon U-treated A549 cells was visualized using a confocal microscopy. LLC lung adenocarcinoma model was established. Results The results indicated that 14-Deoxycoleon U significantly inhibited A549 and LLC cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner via caspase-dependent apoptosis. Furthermore, apoptosis of both cells was mediated by 14-Deoxycoleon U-induced ER stress. In addition, 14-Deoxycoleon U-induced A549 and LLC cell autophagy, thus promoting their death. Moreover, 14-Deoxycoleon U-induced cell cycle arrest in both cells via inhibition of cyclin D3, cyclin-dependent kinase 6, CDC2 and up-regulation of p21. In vivo results showed that administration of 14-Deoxycoleon U significantly suppressed LLC growth and adverse effects of 14-Deoxycoleon U on organs might be lower than of adriamycin. Conclusion Overall, our results demonstrated that 14-Deoxycoleon U represses in vitro and in vivo growth of lung adenocarcinoma through ER stress-mediated apoptosis accompanied by autophagy and cell cycle arrest.

In Uygur medicine, Huganbuzure granule (HBG) is one of the classical prescriptions for liver protection. However, its role in immune liver injury remains unknown. This study evaluates the effect of HBG on concanavalin-A- (ConA-) induced immune liver injury and investigates its protective underlying mechanism. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into five groups (n = 24 mice per group): control, ConA, 1.6 g/kg HBG + ConA, 3.2 g/kg HBG + ConA, and 6 mg/kg prednisolone + ConA. HBG was intragastrically administrated once daily for ten consecutive days, prior to ConA (20 mg/kg) injection. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in mouse serum were measured after ConA injection. Moreover, liver-related mRNA levels were evaluated by qPCR. The detection of liver-related proteins was assessed by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Compared with the ConA group, HBG reduced the mRNA expression of IL-17A and IFN-γ and the protein expression of T-bet and ROR-γt. In addition, HBG increased the mRNA expression of IL-4 and TGF-β and protein expression of GATA3 and Foxp3, indicating that HBG regulated the balance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg. Furthermore, HBG alleviated immune liver injury by reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting apoptosis, and decreasing the expression of p-JNK, p-ERK, p-p38, p-JAK1, p-STAT1, p-STAT3, and IRF1. Our data suggested that HBG attenuated ConA-induced immune liver injury by regulating the immune balance and inhibiting JAK1/STATs/IRF1 signaling, thereby reducing apoptosis induced by JNK activation. The findings indicate that HBG may be a promising drug for immune liver injury.

Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (PC), a fungus, has been used for more than 2000 years as a food and medicine in China. It has a very good therapeutic effect for functional dyspepsia (FD). However, the material basis and mechanism of PC on FD were not reported.To investigate the function and potential mechanisms of PC including its three extracts (triterpenoid, PCT; water-soluble polysaccharide, PCWP; acidic polysaccharide, PCAP) on FD.The study explored the therapeutic effect of PC and its three extracts on FD in rats for the first time and discussed its mechanisms based on brain-gut peptides, immunity and repair of the gastrointestinal mucosa.The chemical components of PC extracts were analyzed and quantified using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and gel permeation chromatography coupled with size exclusion chromatography (GPC/SEC). The FD rat models were established using weight-loaded forced swimming and alternate-day fasting for 42 days. After 14 days of treatment, the effect and mechanisms were investigated using ELISA, histopathology, immunohistochemistry as well as Western blot.Seventy-seven triterpenoids in PCT were identified. PCWP was primarily composed of component A (Mw: 3.831 × 10PC extracts showed therapeutic effects on FD rats, and the mechanism of action involved multiple pathways. PCAP, which is often discarded in traditional applications, was effective. Our study provides new ideas for the application and development of PC extracts.

Yu Gan Long (YGL) is a Chinese traditional herbal medicine that has been used in the treatment of liver fibrosis for many years in clinical practice. However, its anti-hepatofibrotic mechanism has not been studied yet. In this study, the effect and mechanism of YGL in reducing liver fibrosis was demonstrated in vivo. Our results showed that liver fibrosis biomarkers collagen IV (Col IV), type III precollagen (PCIII), hyaluronuc acid (HA) and laminin (LN), were increased after CCl4 treatment and decreased by YGL. Among the liver fibrosis indicators, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was decreased by YGL in the CCl4-treated rats, while MMP2 and MMP9 was upregulated followed by TIMP1 downregulation. Proteins involved in liver fibrosis such as p-Smad2, p-Smad3 and Smad4 were down-regulated, while Smad7 protein was up-regulated by YGL after CCl4-induced liver damage. YGL also suppressed the increase of TGF-β1, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-4 and IL-17 A induced by CCl4 treatment, while promoted IFN-γ expression. Finally, the transcription factors ROR-γt and GATA3 were decreased, while T-bet was increased after YGL treatment. These results suggested that YGL attenuated CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis by accelerating the extracellular matrix degradation, blocking the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway and modulating the balance among IL-4, IL-17 A and IFN-γ, demonstrating YGL protective effect and its potential mechanisms in treating liver fibrosis.

Twenty-one eudesmane-type sesquiterpenes, including five new compounds, were isolated from the roots of Inula helenium. The structures of the new compounds (1–5) were determined by extensive spectroscopic data interpretation, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and ECD calculations. Six compounds can synergistically enhance cisplatin effect against ovarian cancer cells, the structure − activity relationship for the synergistic effect of these compounds with cisplatin was revealed for the first time, which provides useful clues to develop novel sensitizers to overcome drug resistance in cancer. In addition, fifteen sesquiterpenes exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity, which provided promising candidates for development of anti-inflammatory agent.

Objective 14-Deoxycoleon U is a natural abietane-type diterpene and exerts an inhibitory effect on tumor cells proliferation, which suggests that 14-Deoxycoleon U may be a potent anti-cancerous lead compound for lung cancer treatment. This study was to evaluate potential of 14-Deoxycoleon U to treat lung adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Methods In the present study, the cell viability and apoptosis morphology of 14-Deoxycoleon U-treated A549 and LLC cells were explored using cell counting kit-8 assay and Hoechst 33258 staining. Then, the protein expressions about apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, autophagy and cell cycle were measured using Western blot. The autophagosome formation of 14-Deoxycoleon U-treated A549 cells was visualized using a confocal microscopy. LLC lung adenocarcinoma model was established. Results The results indicated that 14-Deoxycoleon U significantly inhibited A549 and LLC cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner via caspase-dependent apoptosis. Furthermore, apoptosis of both cells was mediated by 14-Deoxycoleon U-induced ER stress. In addition, 14-Deoxycoleon U-induced A549 and LLC cell autophagy, thus promoting their death. Moreover, 14-Deoxycoleon U-induced cell cycle arrest in both cells via inhibition of cyclin D3, cyclin-dependent kinase 6, CDC2 and up-regulation of p21. In vivo results showed that administration of 14-Deoxycoleon U significantly suppressed LLC growth and adverse effects of 14-Deoxycoleon U on organs might be lower than of adriamycin. Conclusion Overall, our results demonstrated that 14-Deoxycoleon U represses in vitro and in vivo growth of lung adenocarcinoma through ER stress-mediated apoptosis accompanied by autophagy and cell cycle arrest.

TEEG (3β,16β,23-trihydroxy-13,28-epoxyurs-11-ene-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside) is derived from the chloroform extract of the Chinese medicine formula Shenqi San (CE-SS). In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the anticancer effect and possible molecular mechanism underlying the action of TEEG against the human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line A549 in vitro. A549 cells were incubated with different concentrations of TEEG. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. Autophagy was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining. Autophagy-associated proteins were examined by Western blot analysis. TEEG markedly inhibited A549 cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Immunofluorescence staining showed that TEEG induced autophagy in A549 cells. The LC3-II : LC3-I conversion ratio and the expression of Beclin-1, Atg5, Atg7, and Atg12 increased with the concentration of TEEG. In addition, increased TEEG concentration enhanced the expression of Class III p-PI3K and reduced the expression of Class I p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-mTOR, and p-P70S6K. These results indicate that TEEG induces autophagy of A549 cells through regulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Asthma is characterized by airway inflammatory infiltration, which leads to airway remodeling and airway hyperreactivity. Coleus forskohlii (CFK) has been used to treat asthma, however, the mechanism involved is not clear. To explore the antiasthma mechanism of extracts of Coleus forskohlii (ECFK), guinea pigs were administered with a spray of phosphoric acid histamine, and rats were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA). Hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) were used to evaluate pathological changes in lung tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine cytokine levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were used to assess the expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), phosphorylation of p65 (p-p65), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1). After ECFK treatment, the asthma incubation period of guinea pigs was significantly prolonged. The H&E results showed that the number of eosinophils in the 12.8 g/kg ECFK group was significantly lower when compared with the control group. Moreover, ELISA results demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-17 in serum and BALF were significantly decreased, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IL-10 were increased after ECFK treatment. In addition, ECFK treatment resulted in downregulation of ICAM-1, p-p65, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 in lung tissue after being sensitized by OVA. In conclusion, our findings indicated that ECFK significantly alleviated OVA-induced inflammatory infiltration and airway remodeling in asthma. This study laid a theoretical foundation for the clinical use of ECFK.

To understand one of the autonomous tasks for self-driving car is to classify the vehicles. This paper presents a pipeline of Lidar point data's clustering and classifying, basically conducted by combining the grid-occupy segmentation and Support Vector Machine learning method. To improve the classification, a novel feature related to vehicle's plate intensity characteristic is investigated. After point cloud clustering, different classifiers were utilized to evaluate the accuracy and our proposed method produced better performance.

Melatonin, its agonists/antagonists were administered intrathecally (i.t.) before/after intradermal injection of capsaicin. Capsaicin produced an increase in the paw withdrawal frequency (PWF) in the presumed area of secondary mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia. Melatonin agonists in the absence of a capsaicin injection decreased the PWF significantly, whereas melatonin antagonists given intrathecally alone were ineffective in the absence of a capsaicin injection. Pre-treatment with a melatonin agonist i.t. caused a reduction in the PWF after capsaicin. In contrast, the PWF increased after capsaicin with pre-administration of a melatonin antagonist i.t. Combined pre-treatment with melatonin and a melatonin antagonist i.t. prevented the change in PWF induced by melatonin alone after capsaicin. Intrathecal post-treatment with a melatonin agonist reduced the enhanced PWF that followed an injection of capsaicin, but treatment with a combination of a melatonin agonist and its antagonist did not alter the responses. The PWF was unaffected when melatonin analogs were applied i.t. at the T6 level or were injected intramuscularly adjacent to the L4 vertebra. In spinal rats, the data showed comparable effects of melatonin analogs on capsaicin-induced secondary mechanical hyperalgesia. Animal motor function tested by 'activity box' showed that motion activity was not affected by i.t. melatonin or its antagonist. These results suggest that activation of the endogenous melatonin system in the spinal cord can reduce the generation, development and maintenance of central sensitization, with a resultant inhibition of capsaicin-induced secondary mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia.

The effects of exo- and endogenous cGMP on the resting activity (RA) of afferent crista fibers were studied in isolated preparations of the statocysts of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis and the squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana. Bath application of the membrane-permeable cGMP analogs 8-bromo-cGMP (B-cGMP) and N2,2′-o-dibutyryl 3′,5′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (dB-cGMP), and of the selective inhibitor of cGMP-phosphodiesterase zaprinast (ZAP), caused an inhibition of RA. The inhibitory effects of B-cGMP and dB-cGMP remained when the preparation was pre-treated with: (i) the guanylate cyclase inhibitors 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) or cystamine (CYS); (ii) the adenylate cyclase inhibitors nicotinic acid (NIC-A), 2′,3′dideoxyadenosine (DDA), or MDL-12330A (MDL); (iii) the guanylate cyclase inhibitor methylene blue (M-BLU) and the adenylate cyclase inhibitor MDL combined; or (iv) the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitors NG-nitric- l -arginine methyl ester HCl ( l -NAME) or NG-nitro- l -arginine ( l -NOARG). These data indicate that cGMP, as an intracellular messenger, has a tonic inhibitory effect on the RA of afferent crista fibers in cephalopod statocysts.

The effects of bath applications of the nitric oxide (NO) donors sodium nitroprusside (SNP), diethylamine sodium (DEA), 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) on the resting activity (RA) of afferent crista fibers were studied in isolated statocysts of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. The NO donors had three different effects: inhibition, excitation, and excitation followed by an inhibition. The SNAP analog N-acetyl- dl -penicillamine (xSNAP; with no NO moiety) had no effect. When the preparation was pre-treated with the NO synthase inhibitor N G -nitric- l -arginine methyl ester HCl ( l -NAME), the NO donors were still effective. When the preparation was pre-treated with the guanylate cyclase inhibitors methylene blue (M-BLU) or cystamine (CYS), NO donors had only excitatory effects, whereas their effects were inhibitory only when pre-treatment was with the adenylate cyclase inhibitors nicotinic acid (NIC-A), 2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine (DDA), or MDL-12330A. When pre-treatment was with a guanylate and an adenylate cyclase inhibitor combined, NO donors had no effect; in that situation, the RA of the afferent fibers remained and the preparation still responded to bath applications of GABA. Selective experiments with statocysts from the squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana and the octopod Octopus vulgaris gave comparable results. These data indicate that in cephalopod statocysts an inhibitory NO–cGMP and an excitatory NO–cAMP signal transduction pathway exist, that these two pathways are the key pathways for the action of NO, and that they have only modulatory effects on, and are not essential for the generation of, the RA.

The effects of bath application of the nitric oxide (NO) precursor l -arginine ( l -ARG) on the resting activity (RA) of afferent crista fibers were studied in isolated statocysts of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis under various experimental conditions. l -ARG (threshold 10 −7 M) had three different effects: inhibition, excitation, and excitation followed by an inhibition; only the inhibitory effect of l -ARG was dose-dependent. d -Arginine ( d -ARG) had no effect. When the preparation was pre-treated with NO synthase inhibitors ( N G -Nitric- l -arginine methyl ester HCl ( l -NAME), N G -Nitro- l -arginine ( l -NOARG)), both the inhibitory and the excitatory effects of l -ARG significantly decreased at higher concentrations (10 −5 to −4 M), or were completely blocked at lower concentrations (10 −7 to −6 M), of l -ARG. When the preparation was pre-treated with guanylate cyclase inhibitors (1 H -[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), methylene blue (M-BLU), cystamine (CYS)), l -ARG had only excitatory effects, whereas its effects were only inhibitory when the preparation was pre-treated with adenylate cyclase inhibitors 2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine (DDA), MDL-12330A (MDL), nicotinic acid (NIC-A)). l -ARG had no effects when the pre-treatment was with a guanylate cyclase inhibitor and an adenylate cyclase inhibitor combined; in that situation, the RA of the afferent fibers remained. These data indicate that in cephalopod statocysts, a cGMP and a cAMP signal transduction pathway (presumably via the generation of NO) are responsible for the effects of l -ARG on the RA of crista afferent fibers. They also indicate that the l -ARG–cGMP pathway is the dominant pathway and is inhibitory, and that both pathways have only modulatory effects on, but are not essential for, the generation of the RA.

The effects of bath application of l -glutamate and of excitatory amino acid agonists and antagonists on the resting activity of afferent crista fibers were studied in isolated preparations of the statocyst of the cuttlefish, Sepia of ficinalis . l -Glutamate (threshold 10 −5 M) and its agonists quisqualate and kainate (thresholds 10 −6 M) increased the resting activity in a dose-dependent manner. Glutamine (threshold 10 −5 M) was also excitatory, while d -glutamate had no effect. Also, no obvious excitatory effects were seen for NMDA and l -aspartate, nor was any antagonistic effect seen for the selective NMDA-receptor antagonist d -2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid ( d -AP-5). The spider toxin Argiotoxin 636 (threshold 10 −11 M), 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (AP-4), glutamic acid diethyl ester (GDEE), γ- d -glutamylaminomethyl-sulfonic acid (GAMS), and kynurenic acid decreased the resting activity and effectively blocked or reversed the effect of l -glutamate and its non-NMDA agonists. Preliminary experiments with statocysts from the squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana and the octopod Octopus bimaculoides gave comparable results. All data show that in cephalopod statocysts l -glutamate, via non-NMDA receptors, has an excitatory effect on the activity of afferent fibers, an effect consistent with its possible function as a hair cell transmitter.

This paper reports an improved laser-addressed LCLV that employs scattering structure of smectic liquid crystal as display background. Its LC layer will not be easily electrically broken down. Full erasure can be achieved within 0.5 - 1 second. We also present a new method utilizing an insulative layer (inert insulative film) that is sandwiched between the LC layer and transparent electrode-absorbing layer. Such structure makes it possible to avoid decreasing LCLVs input sensitivity, which is caused by an increase of LC layer thickness, to improve bearing ability to high voltage and large current, and to achieve fast full erasure. Its highest breakdown voltage reaches 690 Vrms.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.