A combined treatment using medication and electrostimulation increases its effectiveness in comparison with one treatment alone. However, the organic integration of two strategies in one miniaturized system for practical usage has seldom been reported. This article reports an implantable electronic medicine based on bioresorbable microneedle devices that is activated wirelessly for electrostimulation and sustainable delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs. The electronic medicine is composed of a radio frequency wireless power transmission system and a drug-loaded microneedle structure, all fabricated with bioresorbable materials. In a rat skeletal muscle injury model, periodic electrostimulation regulates cell behaviors and tissue regeneration while the anti-inflammatory drugs prevent inflammation, which ultimately enhance the skeletal muscle regeneration. Finally, the electronic medicine is fully bioresorbable, excluding the second surgery for device removal.

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Objective. To investigate the clinical efficacy and possible mechanism of electroacupuncture in the treatment of premature ejaculation. Methods. 50 cases of premature ejaculation patients who met the diagnostic criteria were randomly divided into 2 groups with 25 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with electroacupuncture, and the control group was treated with Longdan Xiegan decoction. The treatment period was 4 weeks. Ejaculation latency (IELT), sexual satisfaction score of patients, sexual satisfaction score of partners, testosterone test, and drug safety assessment were performed in all 4 groups before and after treatment. Results. IELT was prolonged in all groups after treatment, the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05 ). At the same time, the IELT of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group after treatment. Life satisfaction scores of patients and spouses in 2 groups were improved after treatment compared with before treatment, the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05 ). After treatment, the satisfaction scores of patients and spouses in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05 ). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in serum testosterone levels among all groups ( P > 0.05 ). Serum testosterone levels in all groups were decreased after treatment compared with before treatment, with statistical significance ( P < 0.05 ). After treatment, the serum testosterone level of the observation group was lower than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05 ). During the treatment, the adverse reactions in each group disappeared after treatment, and no obvious abnormality was observed in the safety indicators. Conclusion. Electroacupuncture can improve the symptoms of premature ejaculation, which may be related to the regulation of serum testosterone by acupuncture.

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Enteromorpha polysaccharides (EP) extracted from green algae have displayed a wide variety of biological activities. However, their high molecular weight leads to a high viscosity and low solubility, and therefore, greatly restrains their application. To solve this problem, bacteria from the surface of Enteromorpha were screened, and an Alteromonas macleodii strain B7 was found to be able to decrease the molecular weight of EP in culture media. Proteins harvested from the supernatant of the A. macleodii B7 culture were subjected to native gel electrophoresis, and a band corresponding to the Enteromorpha polysaccharide lyase (EPL) was detected by activity staining. The enzyme identity was subsequently confirmed by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry as the putative α-amylase reported in A. macleodii ATCC 27126. The amylase gene (amySTU) from A. macleodii B7 was cloned into Escherichia coli, resulting in highlevel expression of the recombinant enzyme with EP-degrading activity. AmySTU was found to be cold-adapted; however, its optimal enzyme activity was detected at 40°C. The α-amylase was highly stable over a broad pH range (5.5-10) with the optimal pH at 7.5-8.0. The highest enzyme activity was detected when NaCl concentration was 2%, which dropped by 50% when the NaCl concentration was increased to 16%, showing an excellent nature of halotolerance. Furthermore, the amylase activity was not significantly affected by tested surfactants or the presence of some organic solvents. Therefore, the A. macleodii strain B7 and its α-amylase can be useful in lowering EP molecular weight and in starch processing.