Effect of transcranial electric stimulation on the adaptation state

The influence of transcranial electrostimulation was studied in medical students considering their adaptation response type (training, activation, stress), reactivity level, psycho-physiological and vegetative status. The transcranial electrostimulation was effective in subjects with the adaptation response involving training and activation, and had no effect when stress was combined with vagotonic prevalence. The transcranial electrostimulation assists to improvement of the students' psycho-physiological indexes and to increase of their reactivity level.     

Influence of renin on the effects of electric stimulation on the ventromedial hypothalamus

The influence of intraventricular injection of different doses of renin on the effects of electrical stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus was studied. Injection of renin (10 micrograms/kg) into the lateral ventricles of the brain of experimental animals elicited a prolonged elevation of arterial pressure and a decrease of the heart rate, while given in doses of 20 and 30 micrograms/kg it also provoked arrhythmias and ventricular extrasystoles, and a lowering of the threshold of ventromedial hypothalamus stimulation. It was found that under the central action of renin, a short-term stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus provoked ventricular extrasystoles.     

Effect of electric stimulation of auricular acupuncture points on H-reflex

The non-nociceptive H-reflex in the musculus soleus were recorded before and after auricular electroacupuncture (AEAP) in patients with vertebrogenic pain syndrome. Changes of the H-reflex on the side of the pain syndrome were observed after ipsi- and contralateral AEAP, the latter producing effect more often. Changes of H-reflex are mainly of facilitating character (71.4%) and, rarely, of inhibitory character (14.3%). In the part of patients AEAP produced distinct facilitation of M-response.     

Roles of electric field and fiber structure in cardiac electric stimulation.

This study investigated roles of the variation of extracellular voltage gradient (VG) over space and cardiac fibers in production of transmembrane voltage changes (DeltaV(m)) during shocks. Eleven isolated rabbit hearts were arterially perfused with solution containing V(m)-sensitive fluorescent dye (di-4-ANEPPS). The epicardium received shocks from symmetrical or asymmetrical electrodes to produce nominally uniform or nonuniform VGs. Extracellular electric field and DeltaV(m) produced by shocks in the absolute refractory period were measured with electrodes and a laser scanner and were simulated with a bidomain computer model that incorporated the anterior left ventricular epicardial fiber field. Measurements and simulations showed that fibers distorted extracellular voltages and influenced the DeltaV(m). For both uniform and nonuniform shocks, DeltaV(m) depended primarily on second spatial derivatives of extracellular voltages, whereas the VGs played a smaller role. Thus, 1) fiber structure influences the extracellular electric field and the distribution of DeltaV(m); 2) the DeltaV(m) depend on second spatial derivatives of extracellular voltage.     

A suggested role for secondary flow in the stimulation of the cochlear hair cell

The mammalian Corti organ and the reptilian basilar papilla are structures with a curved surface, which vibrate in a fluid medium. This paper is concerned with the role played by the geometric shape of these organs in cochlear hydrodynamics. In association with vibrating structures such as these organs, it can be expected that a stationary current will be initiated due to a nonlinear phenomenon in the boundary layer known as secondary flow. This phenomenon may explain the source of the mechanical nonlinearity in the cochlea.     

Multiple roles of Notch signaling in cochlear development

Notch signaling inhibits hair cell differentiation, based on studies on mice deficient in Notch signaling-related genes and its downstream genes. However, the precise mechanisms of this inhibition are unknown because it is difficult to control the timing and duration of the suppression of Notch signaling. Here, we developed a novel in vitro culture and analysis method for mouse fetal cochleae and examined the roles of Notch signaling by its reversible inhibition through the use of Notch signaling inhibitors of gamma-secretase and TNF-alpha-converting enzyme. Notch inhibition with Notch signaling inhibitor treatment increases the number of cochlear hair cells, as observed in gene deletion experiments. We elucidated that this increase is regulated by the dichotomy between hair cells and supporting cells from common progenitors. We also propose other roles of Notch signaling in cochlear development. First, Notch signaling arrests the cell cycle of the cochlear epithelium containing putative hair cells and supporting cell progenitors because Notch inhibition with inhibitor treatment increases the number of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells that can differentiate into hair cells or supporting cells. Second, Notch signaling is required for the induction of Prox1-positive supporting cells. Third, Notch signaling is required for the maintenance of supporting cells.