Objective To explore the effect of hypoxic preconditioning on the activity and gene expressions of glu-cose transporters in the cultured rat hippocampal neurons and astrocytes under anoxic condition. Methods The cultured rat hippocampal neurons and astrocytes were treated for 6 days by intermittently exposing to hypoxic gas mixture (1% O_2, 10% CO_2, 89% N_2) for20 min each day. 24 h after the last hypoxic exposure, the cells were exposed to anoxic gas mixture (10% CO_2, 90% N_2) for 6 h, and the uptake rate of [~3H]-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG), the levels of glucose transporter GLUT1 and GLUT3 mRNAs and the cell survival rate were examined im-mediately after anoxic exposure. Results Neurons and astrocytes preconditioned with hypoxia showed higher 2-DG uptake rates and increased expressions of GLUT 1 mRNA in the astrocytes and GLUT 1 and GLUT 3 mRNA in the neurons. The preconditioned neurons also showed an increased tolerance to anoxia. Conclusion Hypoxic precon-ditioning up-regulates the activity and gene expressions of glucose transporters of hippocampal neurons and astro-cytes under anoxic condition.

This study was aimed to design a new, accurate and easy-to-use water bath cryo-jaw, and try to solve the problems met in small animals achilles tendon mechanical testing. The muscle-tendon-bony units were fixed in the clamps. SD rats achilles tendon were randomly divided into group A and B. Group A was tested by the newly designed water bath cryo-jaw, while group B was treated by non-water bath cryo-jaw. The mechanical tests revealed that non of the samples of the newly-designed water bath cryo-jaw in group A slipped and fell off, and the achilles tendons were in a physiologically active state, but one of the group B samples slipped and fell off, and the others had the frozen phenomenon obviously. The maximum stress, fracture displacement and Young's modulus of the rats in group A were significantly different compared to those in group B (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the new water bath cryo-jaw has more advantages than traditional ones. It exhibits a good simulation in vivo in the environmental conditions for testing the mechanical properties of the achilles tendon.
Achilles Tendon ; physiology ; Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Elastic Modulus ; Equipment Design ; In Vitro Techniques ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley