Search results for "polymers"
showing 10 items of 3567 documents
Characterization of the Epithelial Permeation Enhancing Effect of Basic Butylated Methacrylate Copolymer—In Vitro Studies
2008
Membrane destabilizing properties and increased efflux of doxorubicin from liposomes caused by basic butylated methacrylate copolymer (BBMC), better known under its commercial trade name EUDRAGIT E, have been described in the scientific literature. Here, we investigated the effect of BBMC on suspended and filter-grown Caco2 cells with respect to apical-to-basal transport and membrane permeabilization using transport assays, trypan blue exclusion assay, measurements of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), confocal laser scanning microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The effect of inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) by okadaic acid was investigated by measuring TEER,…
Relationship of Dibenzo[a, l]pyrene-DNA Binding to the Induction of p53, p21WAFIand Cell Cycle Arrest in Human Cells in Culture
2000
Abstract The tumor suppressor protein p53 plays an important role in recognition of DNA damage and induction of subsequent cell cycle arrest. One of its target genes encodes the p21 WAFI protein which is involved in the mediation of growth arrest after DNA damage has occured. The exceptionally potent carcino-genic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) dibenzo[a, l]pyrene (DB[a, l]P) and its ultimate metabolites, the fjord region (+)-syn- and (-)-anti-11,12-diol 13,14-epoxides (DB[a, l]PDE), were used in order to investigate DNA damage via adduct formation, subsequent induction of p53 and p21 WAFI , and cell growth behavior in human mammary carcinoma MCF-7 cells. Exposure of MCF-7 cells to 0…
Growth of human cells on polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membranes.
2004
A novel material of porous hollow fibers made of polyethersulfone (PES) was examined for its ability to support the growth of human cells. This material was made in the absence of solvents and had pore diameters smaller than 100 microm. Human cell lines of different tissue and cell types (endothelial, epithelial, fibroblast, glial, keratinocyte, osteoblast) were investigated for adherence, growth, spread and survival on PES by confocal laser microscopy after staining of the cells with Calcein-AM. Endothelial cell attachment and growth required pre-coating PES with either fibronectin or gelatin. The other cell types exhibited little difference in growth, spread or survival on coated or uncoa…
On the Interaction between 1D Materials and Living Cells
2020
One-dimensional (1D) materials allow for cutting-edge applications in biology, such as single-cell bioelectronics investigations, stimulation of the cellular membrane or the cytosol, cellular capture, tissue regeneration, antibacterial action, traction force investigation, and cellular lysis among others. The extraordinary development of this research field in the last ten years has been promoted by the possibility to engineer new classes of biointerfaces that integrate 1D materials as tools to trigger reconfigurable stimuli/probes at the sub-cellular resolution, mimicking the in vivo protein fibres organization of the extracellular matrix. After a brief overview of the theoretical models r…
Novel Lipid and Polymeric Materials as Delivery Systems for Nucleic Acid Based Drugs
2015
Nucleic acid based drugs (NADBs) are short DNA/RNA molecules that include among others, antisense oligonucleotides, aptamers, small interfering RNAs and micro-interfering RNAs. Despite the different mechanisms of actions, NABDs have the ability to combat the effects of pathological gene expression in many experimental systems. Thus, nowadays, NABDs are considered to have a great therapeutic potential, possibly superior to that of available drugs. Unfortunately, however, the lack of effective delivery systems limits the practical use of NABDs. Due to their hydrophilic nature, NABDs cannot efficiently cross cellular membrane; in addition, they are subjected to fast degradation by cellular and…
Polysaccharide nanocrystals as fillers for PLA based nanocomposites
2016
The development of green nanocomposites based on biopolymers and bio-based nanofillers has attracted over the recent years the attention of academic and industrial research. Indeed, these nanocomposites could replace some oil-derived polymers and thus helping to overcome environmental problems. In this regard, PLA as matrix and polysaccharide nanocrystals as fillers are the most promising components to obtain high-performance green bio-nanocomposites suitable for different applications, particularly for packaging and biomedical applications. Indeed, at present, due to its processability, mechanical and biological properties, as well as its commercial availability, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) po…
Nanoscale Chemical Interaction Enhances the Physical Properties of Bioglass Composites
2013
Bioglasses are favorable biomaterials for bone tissue engineering; however, their applications are limited due to their brittleness. In addition, the early failure in the interface is a common problem of composites of bioglass and a polymer with high mechanical strength. This effect is due to the phase separation, nonhomogeneous mixture, nonuniform mechanical strength, and different degradation properties of two compounds. To address these issues, in this study a nanoscale interaction between poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and bioactive glass was formed via silane coupling agent (3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (MPMA). A monolith was produced at optimum composition from this hybrid …
Chemical and catalytical properties of thermal polymers of amino acids (proteinoids)
1974
The significance of thermal polyamino acids (proteinoids) as abiotic predecessors of proteins is reviewed on the basis of new experimental results. Most proteinoids yield only 50% to 80% amino acid upon acid hydrolysis. They contain 40% to 60% less peptide links than typical proteins, whereas their average nitrogen content is like that of proteins. The arrangement of amino acid residues is nonrandom. The degree of nonrandomness is difficult to determine because unusual crosslinks disturb most of the sequencing methods typically applied in protein chemistry. The products obtained in a polymerization experiment are heterogeneous. They can be separated into a limited number of related fraction…
Mixed monolayers of natural and polymeric phospholipids: structural characterization by physical and enzymatic methods
1990
This study has focused on physical characterization and enzymatic hydrolysis of mixed monolayers of a natural phospholipid substrate and a polymerizable phospholipid analogue. Such a mixed system presents the possibility to stabilize model biomembranes, vary the molecular environment within the layer through polymerization and simultaneously examine these influences on monolayer structure. Phospholipase A2 was used here as a sensitive probe of the molecular environment within these mixed, polymerizable monolayers to complement information obtained from isotherm and isobar data. The results clearly show a strong influence of molecular environment on phospholipase A2 activity, even if differe…
Edible Arabinoxylan-Based Films. 1. Effects of Lipid Type on Water Vapor Permeability, Film Structure, and Other Physical Characteristics
2002
Arabinoxylans (AX) are natural fibers extracted from maize bran, an industrial byproduct. To promote this polymer as a food ingredient, development of edible coatings and films had been proposed. Indeed, composite arabinoxylan-based films were prepared by emulsifying a fat: palmitic acid, oleic acid, triolein, or a hydrogenated palm oil (OK35). Lipid effects on water vapor permeability (WVP), surface hydrophobicity (contact angles), lipid particle size, and mechanical properties were investigated. Results showed that OK35-AX emulsion films had the lowest WVP. Emulsified films presented a bimodal particle size distribution; however, the smallest particle mean diameter (0.54 microm) was obser…