Rheological behavior of camphene-based coal fly ash, alumina and mixed powder suspension have been investigated in terms of solid loading and type of additives (dispersant, binder/dispersant, binder/dispersant/surfactant). A freeze casting technique was processed to fabricate porous mullite/alumina layered composite with a gradient in porosity and pore size.
In this work, a camphene/coal fly ash slurry system with an appropriate addition of Al2O3 was used. In case of freeze casting method, Unidirectional aligned dendritic
macropore channels were developed by controlling the solidification direction of the camphene solvent. The pore morphology was influenced by the starting solids loading and sintering temperature. After sintering at 1500oC, rod-shaped mullite crystals formed in the presence of relatively large amount of liquid phase. The compressive strength of
monolithic specimen greatly decreased when the porosity increased. However, the layered composites with a graded porosity exhibited improved compressive strength with minor decrease in porosity, probably due to the formation of residual compressive stress and relatively dense glass phase in the outer layer. substantia nigra (SN) and striatum (ST).

Methods : Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were administered intraperitoneally with 30 mg/kg of MPTP at 24-h intervals for 5 days. Acupuncture stimulation at GB34 or SI3 was performed once a day for 12 days consecutively from the first MPTP injection. After the last acupuncture stimulation, pole test was performed to assess the effect of the acupuncture stimulations. Dopaminergic neuronal survival in the SN and the ST and dopamine transporter (DAT) and caspase-3 expression in the ST were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Phosphorylations of Akt in the SN and the ST were measured by Western blotting.

Results : MPTP administration caused behavioral impairment and dopaminergic neuronal death in the SN and the ST. It also decreased DAT expression and increased caspase-3 expression in the ST. Acupuncture stimulation at GB34 alleviated these MPTP-induced impairments. Moreover, MPTP suppressed Akt phosphorylation in the SN and the ST, whereas acupuncture stimulation at GB34 alleviated the phosphorylation in the SN.

Conclusions : These results indicate that acupuncture stimulation at GB34 can inhibit MPTP-induced dopaminergic neuronal death and alleviate the Akt phosphorylation in the SN, suggesting a possible role for acupuncture in the treatment of PD.