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| Let photosynthetic algae provide oxygen to the tadpole brain |
Frogs live a "twin city" life in water and on land.
They use many breathing techniques throughout their lives-with the aid of their gills, lungs and skin
.
Now, German scientists have developed another method to help tadpoles "breath" by introducing algae into the tadpole's blood to provide oxygen for it
.
This method, published in "Intersection Science" on October 13, can provide enough oxygen to effectively rescue the neurons in the hypoxic tadpole brain
The corresponding author of the paper and Hans Straka of the University of Munich said: "Algae actually produces a lot of oxygen, which can restore nerve cells to life
.
To many people, this sounds like science fiction, but it's just a biological solution and biological principles.
Straka was studying the oxygen consumption in the brains of African clawed frog tadpoles.
A lunch conversation with a botanist inspired him to combine plant physiology with neuroscience: using the power of photosynthesis to provide oxygen to nerve cells
.
This idea does not seem far-fetched
.
In nature, seaweeds live harmoniously in sponges, corals and sea anemones, providing them with oxygen and even nutrients
In order to explore related possibilities, the research team injected green algae (Chlamydomonas) or cyanobacteria (polycystis) into the heart of tadpoles
.
With the heartbeat, the algae slowly pass through the blood vessels and finally reach the brain, turning the translucent tadpoles into bright green
After distributing the algae to the brain, the researchers separated the head of the tadpole and put it in an "oxygen bubble bath" containing essential nutrients.
These nutrients can preserve cell function, allowing the research team to monitor the nerves of the head Activity and oxygen level
.
When the researchers consumed the oxygen in the "bubble bath", the nerves in the tadpole's head ceased activity and fell silent
.
However, after irradiating the head with light, within 15 to 20 minutes, nerve activity restarted, which is twice as fast as supplementing oxygen without seaweed
"We have successfully proved that this method is very reliable and powerful
.
" Straka said, "Of course, this does not mean that you can finally apply it, but this is the first step to start other research
Although researchers believe that the discovery may one day bring new treatments to diseases caused by stroke or hypoxic environments (such as underwater and high altitude), algae is far from ready to enter the human blood circulation
.
The research team plans to observe whether the injected algae can survive in the tadpoles and continue to produce oxygen without causing a harmful immune response to the host
Straka also said that the research will be helpful to other laboratories that study isolated tissues or organoids
.
The introduction of oxygen-producing algae can allow these tissues to thrive and increase their survival rate, potentially reducing the need for live animals
"You must have new ideas to explore.
This is also one of the ways to promote the development of science
.
" Straka said, "If you are open-minded and think carefully, suddenly, you can see all the possibilities in one idea
.
"(Source: Feng Lifei, China Science News)
Related paper information: https://doi.
org/10.
1016/j.
isci.
2021.
103158
org/10.
1016/j.
isci.
2021.
103158
