Polymeric nanoparticles enhance the sonodynamic activity of meso-tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin in an in vitro neuroblastoma model

PURPOSE: Sonodynamic therapy is a developing noninvasive modality for cancer treatment, based on the selective activation of a sonosensitizer agent by acoustic cavitation. The activated sonosensitizer agent might generate reactive oxygen species leading to cancer cell death. We investigated the potential poly-methyl methacrylate core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with meso-tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TPPS) have to function as an innovative sonosensitizing system, ie, TPPS-NPs. METHODS: Shockwaves (SWs) generated by a piezoelectric device were used to induce acoustic cavitation. The cytotoxic effect of the sonodynamic treatment with TPPS-NPs and SWs was investigated on the human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y. Cells were exposed for 12 hours to TPPS-NPs (100 μg/mL) and then to SWs (0.43 mJ/mm(2) for 500 impulses, 4 impulses/second). Treatment with SWs, TPPS, and NPs alone or in combination was carried out as control. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in SH-SY5Y cell proliferation after the sonodynamic treatment with TPPS-NPs and SWs. Indeed, there was a significant increase in necrotic (16.91% ± 3.89%) and apoptotic (27.45% ± 3.03%) cells at 48 hours. Moreover, a 15-fold increase in reactive oxygen species production for cells exposed to TPPS-NPs and SWs was observed at 1 hour compared with untreated cells. A statistically significant enhanced mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) expression of NRF2 (P<0.001) and a significant downregulation of TIGAR (P<0.05) and MAP3K5 (P<0.05) genes was observed in cells exposed to TPPS-NPs and SWs at 24 hours, along with a statistically significant release of cytochrome c (P<0.01) at 48 hours. Lastly, the sonosensitizing system was also investigated in an in vitro three-dimensional model, and the sonodynamic treatment significantly decreased the neuroblastoma spheroid growth. CONCLUSION: The sonosensitizing properties of TPPS were significantly enhanced once loaded onto NPs, thus enhancing the sonodynamic treatment’s efficacy in an in vitro neuroblastoma model

A chinrest-based approach to measure eye movements and experimental task engagement in macaques with minimal restraint

\ua9 2024 The AuthorsBackground: The use of Rhesus macaques in vision research is crucial due to their visual system\u27s similarity to humans. While invasive techniques have been the norm, there has been a shift towards non-invasive methods, such as facemasks and head molds, to enhance animal welfare and address ethical concerns. New Method: We present a non-invasive, 3D-printed chinrest with infrared sensors, adapted from canine research, allowing for accurate eye movement measurements and voluntary animal participation in experiments. Results: The chinrest method showed a 16% and 28% increase in average trial numbers for Monkey 1 and Monkey 2, respectively, compared to the traditional headpost method. The engagement was high, with monkeys performing over 500 trials per session and initiating a new trial after an average intertrial interval of approximately 1 second. The hit rate improved by about 10% for Monkey 1 in the chinrest condition, and the fixation precision, measured by the standard deviation of gaze positions, was significantly better in the chinrest condition, with Monkey 1 showing a reduction in fixation imprecision from 0.26\ub0 to 0.17\ub0 in the X-axis. Comparison with Existing Methods: The chinrest approach showed significant improvements in trial engagement and reduction in aborted trials due to fixation breaks, indicating less stress and potentially improved data quality compared to previous non-invasive methods. Conclusions: The chinrest method offers a significant advancement in primate cognitive testing by allowing for precise data collection while addressing animal welfare concerns, possibly leading to better scientific outcomes and a paradigm shift in primate research methodologies

From Pre‐Roman Bailo To Roman Baelo: Long‐Term Landscape Dynamics In The Straits Of Gibraltar

The Straits of Gibraltar have been historically an important maritime axis of connection between the Mediterranean and Atlantic areas of the Iberian Peninsula. For this reason, most of the archaeological research has focused on the coastal settlements, but its broader archaeological landscape remains mostly unknown. In this paper, we present recent intensive surveys in which a wide range of sites was detected, dating from the eighth century BC to the fourteenth AD. The ancient landscape is thus reconstructed over a long‐term perspective. Prior to the Roman expansion, the earlier Bailo‐La Silla del Papa was an urban central place that supported a dense network of subordinate settlements. Later on, the central settlement was transported from inland to the coastal town of Baelo Claudia, but the territorial structure remained based on a similar pattern.This study has been carried out as part of the Franco-German (Agence Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) project – ARCHEOSTRAITS. Espaces protohistoriques du détroit de Gibraltar: les territoires de la Silla del Papa et de Los Castillejos de Alcorrín (IXe – Ier siècle av. J.-C.) – led by D.Marzoli and P.Moret. In this article we have presented the analysis of the Atlantic sector, drawing on a study included in a Junta de Andalucía General Research Project led by P. Moret – La Silla del Papa (Tarifa, Cádiz): oppidum, necropolis and territory (2014-2019)

PP118—In vitro study of sonodynamic and photodynamic treatment on human cancer cell lines

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An Analysis of Ultrasound Stimulation Effects on C. Elegans Organisms Motility

This work aims at investigating ultrasound stimulation mechanisms on Caenorhabditis Elegans nematodes, which have a relatively small and well characterized nervous system, through global motility and motion tracking analyses. We carried out several experiments using a purposely developed, low-cost and portable setup on two different C. Elegans strains, i.e. PD8120 and CPV28 strains, the latter being already motility defective. The nematodes, placed within an agar substrate on a Petri dish in a small water tank, underwent ultrasound stimulation with repeated pulses at fixed time intervals for 5 minutes. Videos of the nematodes on the plate were recorded using a USB microscope, before, during and after the treatment. Then, they were analyzed with the INVAPP-Paragon algorithm for global motility evaluation and also by performing motion tracking of nematodes. The preliminary results obtained so far demonstrate that both types of insonified nematode populations show a decrease of motility, which can be visually observed and quantitatively measured. Overall, this suggests an inhibitory effect of ultrasonic stimulation on motion with the stimulation parameters here considered, which will be further investigated in future work on a higher and diversified number of cases, in order to better understand the underlying mechanisms