Optimized silicon reinforcement of carbon coatings by pulsed laser technique for superior functional biomedical surfaces fabrication

We report on the fabrication of silicon-reinforced carbon (C:Si) structures by combinatorial pulsed laser deposition to search for the best design for a new generation of multi-functional coated implants. The synthesized films were characterized from the morphological, structural, compositional, mechanical and microbiological points of view. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence, on top of the deposited layers, of spheroid particulates with sizes in the micron range. No micro-cracks or delaminations were observed. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction pointed to the existence of a C to Si compositional gradient from one end of the film to the other. Raman investigation revealed a relatively high sp³ hybridization of up to 80% at 40-48 mm apart from the edge with higher C content. Si addition was demonstrated to significantly increase C:Si film bonding to the substrate, with values above the ISO threshold for coatings to be used in high-loading biomedical applications. Surface energy studies pointed to an increase in the hydrophilic character of the deposited structures along with Si content up to 52 mN m^-1. In certain cases, the Si-reinforced C coatings elicited an antimicrobial biofilm action. The presence of Si was proven to be benign to HEp-2 cells of human origin, without interfering with their cellular cycle. On this basis, reliable C:Si structures with good adherence to the substrate and high efficiency against microbial biofilms can be developed for implant coatings and other advanced medical devices.

Structural and biological evaluation of lignin addition to simple and silver-doped hydroxyapatite thin films synthesized by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation

We report on thin film deposition by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation of simple hydroxyapatite (HA) or silver (Ag) doped HA combined with the natural biopolymer organosolv lignin (Lig) (Ag:HA-Lig). Solid cryogenic target of aqueous dispersions of Ag:HA-Lig composite and its counterpart without silver (HA-Lig) were prepared for evaporation using a KrF* excimer laser source. The expulsed material was assembled onto TiO2/Ti substrata or silicon wafers and subjected to physical-chemical investigations. Smooth, uniform films adherent to substratum were observed. The chemical analyses confirmed the presence of the HA components, but also evidenced traces of Ag and Lig. Deposited HA was Ca deficient, which is indicative of a film with increased solubility. Recorded X-ray Diffraction patterns were characteristic for amorphous films. Lig presence in thin films was undoubtedly proved by both X-ray Photoelectron and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy analyses. The microbiological evaluation showed that the newly assembled surfaces exhibited an inhibitory activity both on the initial steps of biofilm forming, and on mature bacterial and fungal biofilm development. The intensity of the anti-biofilm activity was positively influenced by the presence of the Lig and/or Ag, in the case of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida famata biofilms. The obtained surfaces exhibited a low cytotoxicity toward human mesenchymal stem cells, being therefore promising candidates for fabricating implantable biomaterials with increased biocompatibility and resistance to microbial colonization and further biofilm development.

Immunomodulatory effect of non-viable components of probiotic culture stimulated with heat-inactivated Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus on holoxenic mice

Background

Competition of probiotic bacteria with other species from the intestinal microbiota involves different mechanisms that occur regardless of probiotics’ viability. The objective of this paper was to assess the cytokine serum levels in holoxenic mice after oral administration of non-viable components (NVC) of Enterococcus faecium probiotic culture stimulated with heat-inactivated Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus in comparison to NVC of unstimulated E. faecium probiotic culture.

Methods

Probiotic E. faecium CMGb 16 culture, grown in the presence of heat-inactivated cultures of E. coli and B. cereus CMGB 102, was subsequently separated into supernatant (SN) and heat-inactivated cellular sediment (CS) fractions by centrifugation. Each NVC was orally administered to holoxenic mice (balb C mouse strain), in three doses, given at 24 hours. Blood samples were collected from the retinal artery, at 7, 14, and 21 days after the first administration of the NVC. The serum concentrations of IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) interleukins were assessed by ELISA method.

Results

After the oral administration of SN component obtained from the probiotic culture stimulated with heat-inactivated cultures of B. cereus CMGB 102 and E. coli O28, the serum concentrations of IL-12 were maintained higher in the samples collected at 7 and 14 days post-administration. No specific TNF-α profile could be established, depending on stimulated or non-stimulated probiotic culture, NVC fraction, or harvesting time.

Conclusion

The obtained results demonstrate that non-viable fractions of probiotic bacteria, stimulated by other bacterial species, could induce immunostimulatory effects mediated by cytokines and act, therefore, as immunological adjuvants.

Usnic acid-loaded biocompatible magnetic PLGA-PVA microsphere thin films fabricated by MAPLE with increased resistance to staphylococcal colonization

Due to their persistence and resistance to the current therapeutic approaches, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm-associated infections represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the hospital environment. Since (+)-usnic acid (UA), a secondary lichen metabolite, possesses antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive cocci, including S. aureus, the aim of this study was to load magnetic polylactic-co-glycolic acid-polyvinyl alcohol (PLGA-PVA) microspheres with UA, then to obtain thin coatings using matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation and to quantitatively assess the capacity of the bio-nano-active modified surface to control biofilm formation by S. aureus, using a culture-based assay. The UA-loaded microspheres inhibited both the initial attachment of S. aureus to the coated surfaces, as well as the development of mature biofilms. In vitro bioevalution tests performed on the fabricated thin films revealed great biocompatibility, which may endorse them as competitive candidates for the development of improved non-toxic surfaces resistant to S. aureus colonization and as scaffolds for stem cell cultivation and tissue engineering.

Functionalized magnetite silica thin films fabricated by MAPLE with antibiofilm properties

We report on the fabrication of magnetite/salicylic acid/silica shell/antibiotics (Fe(3)O(4)/SA/SiO(2)/ATB) thin films by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) to inert substrates. Fe(3)O(4)-based powder have been synthesized and investigated by XRD and TEM. All thin films were studied by FTIR, SEM and in vitro biological assays using Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa reference strains, as well as eukaryotic HEp-2 cells. The influence of the obtained nanosystems on the microbial biofilm development as well as their biocompatibility has been assessed. For optimum deposition conditions, we obtained uniform adherent films with the composition identical with the raw materials. Fe(3)O(4)/SA/SiO(2)/ATB thin films had an inhibitory activity on the ability of microbial strains to initiate and develop mature biofilms, in a strain- and antibiotic-dependent manner. These magnetite silica thin films are promising candidates for the development of novel materials designed for the inhibition of medical biofilms formed by different pathogenic agents on common substrates, frequently implicated in the etiology of chronic and hard to treat infections.

Chemical and biological evaluation of some new antipyrine derivatives with particular properties

Starting from 4-amino-antipyrine, six new compounds were synthesized and characterized. The new compounds contain moieties with particular properties, such are ionophore (benzo-15-crown-5), fluorescent (nitrobenzofurazan), stable free radical (nitroxide), or other types of biological active residues, like nitroderivatives, antipyrine or isoniazid residues. They were fully characterized by appropriate means ((1)H and (13)C NMR, IR, UV-Vis, fluorescence, EPR, elemental analysis) and some of their biological properties were evaluated. Hydrophobicity (R(M0), log P), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and antimicrobial properties are also presented and discussed.

Infiltrating growing pattern xenografts induced by glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma derived tumor stem cells

OBJECTIVE

The number of evidences regarding the role of tumor stem cells (TSC) in the initiation and progression of high-grade astrocytomas became more and more numerous in the last years. This issue has been intensively tested in glioblastoma, but little attention has been paid for anaplastic astrocytoma. The main objective of this paper was to study the morphological characteristics of the xenografts developed from glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma derived cancer stem cells.

METHODS

The authors of this study successfully isolated and partial characterized primary cultures of glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma derived TSC. Tumors stem cells have been stereotactically inoculated in nude mice brains and the xenografts have been studied using morphological and imunohistochemistry techniques.

RESULTS

The tumor xenografts which have been established in nude mice using TSC had different characteristics when compared with U87 xenografts previously developed by our group, and depend of the origin type of the tumors (glioblastoma versus anaplastic astrocytoma). The diffuse growing pattern and cells infiltration have been more pronounced in both anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma derived TSC xenografts compared with U87 line xenografts.

CONCLUSION

Our results support the hypothesis regarding the role of TSC in the infiltration process of glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma. The extensive infiltration growing patterns of these types of xenografts make them useful models for studying the invasion mechanisms in gliomas.

IL-17 in cutaneous lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND

Lupus erythematosus (LE) is a heterogeneous disease with broad clinical spectrum from cutaneous to visceral and systemic inflammation. IL-17 isoforms (IL-17A and IL-17F) are proinflammatory cytokines with unclear implications in lupus erythematosus pathogenesis. In this study we focused upon IL-17 in normal and modified lupus skin with a correlative study between local and serological expression.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

89 subjects were recruited and divided in 5 groups-10 patients with psoriasis (disease control group), 13 healthy controls, 26 with discoid chronic lupus (DLE), 23 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 17 with subacute lupus erythematosus (SCLE). Blood samples and skin punched-biopsy specimens were performed. Serum IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-23 concentrations were determined by ELISA. Skin IL-17A and CD4 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical expression of IL-17A was higher in DLE, SCLE and SLE patients than in negative control subjects (all p<0.05). Serum IL-17A concentrations were higher in DLE and SLE patients than in negative controls (p<0.05). Serum IL-17A levels were similar in SCLE and negative controls (p>0.05). Serum IL-17F concentrations were higher in DLE, SCLE and SLE patients than in healthy controls (all p<0.05). In DLE, SCLE, SLE patients and healthy controls we observed comparable levels of IL-23 (p>0.05). Serum anti Ro antibodies correlate with IL-17A+ lymphocytes from SCLE lesion and SLE normal skin (all p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

IL-17 isoforms (IL-17A and IL-17F) are implicated in SLE but also in DLE and SCLE immunopathogenesis.

Isolation and partial characterization of a new human glioblastoma cell line

Although significant progresses were made in the field of molecular biology of malignant cerebral gliomas, the prognostic of these tumors continues to be reserved. One of the therapeutic failure reasons is the incomplete knowledge regarding the origin of these tumors and cells features, which in fact represent an obstacle in developing a cell and molecular therapy guided against malignant cells responsible for the tumor development and for the therapeutic resistance. Initiation and characterization of glioblastoma cell lines represents an essential step in order to obtain a better in vitro and in vivo experimental model for glioblastoma. We describe here a new glioblastoma line, named T11, which was successfully isolated in our laboratories starting with a tumor sample obtained intraoperative from a 58 years-old female patient. The histopathological evaluation showed a grad IV WHO glioma (glioblastoma). The sample was prepared by manual fragmentation, followed by enzymatic digestions using different concentration of trypsin. The cell line has been cultivated for more than 150 passages. The characterization of the glioblastoma line consisted in the evaluation of cells proliferation capacity (growth curve), morphological features, karyotyping and identification of specific markers. We found that T11 expressed specific markers for glial progenitors and astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein-GFAP); oligodendrocites (A2B5; O4), and microglia (CD45, CD 11b). Cells were negative for neuronal lineage markers like beta3-tubulin and NCAM. In order to evaluate the differentiation grade of T11 cell line, the presence of stem cell markers (nestin, CD133) was explored. T11l cells expressed higher level of nestin and lower level of CD133 comparing with standard glioblastoma cell line U87. T11 cell line expressed VEGF and Bcl-2, but not EGFR and Mdrl and Bax. This new line has distinct and unique characteristics when compared with standard glioblastoma cell line (e.g., U87) and may become a new and useful in vitro model for glioblastoma.

Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) Gene in Bipolar I Disorder in the Romanian Population

Objective:

Since the discovery of the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene (TPH2) several studies reported association of TPH2 genetic variation with bipolar I disorder (BPI). Our objectives were to replicate in the Romanian population the recently described association of a rare functional SNP (rs17110563) and of a haplotype covering the 5′ region of TPH2 with BPI (Cichon et al., 2008) and to investigate the influence of the phenotypic traits age-of-onset, family history and parent-of-origin”, defined according to clinical criteria, on the degree of association between TPH2 and BPI.

Method:

Sixteen TPH2 SNPs were genotyped in a Romanian sample of 198 BPI patients and 180 controls screened for psychiatric disorders. Statistical analysis of the data was performed with Haploview3.32 and FAMHAP.

Results:

The functional SNP rs17110563 (encoding a Pro206Ser substitution) was present in Romanian BPI patients and absent in controls. SNPs located in the 5′-region (rs11178997, rs11178998, rs7954758), significantly associated with BPI in German patients were not associated with BPI in Romanian patients at single-marker level, but gave evidence for association at haplotypic level in a subgroup of patients with paternal transmission of BPI. Evidence for association was identified between haplotypes located in the 3′-region of TPH2 and BPI in the overall sample as well as in the subgroups of familial cases, the subgroup with paternal transmission, and the subgroup with AO≤25 years.

Conclusion:

Our data provide support for the involvement of TPH2 in the etiology of BPI.

Investigation of the influence of different physico-chemical parameters upon the susceptibility of planktonic and adherent Escherichia coli cells to beta-lactams and quinolones

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of different physico-chemical parameters on Escherichia coli susceptibility to ceftriaxone (CRO), cefotaxime (CTX), imipenem (IMP), and nalidixic acid (as marker for resistance by impermeability). The influence of chemical composition of culture medium was evaluated by the comparative assessment of inhibition growth diameters on different solid media: Mueller Hinton Medium (MH), Plate Count Agar Medium (PCA), MacConkey Medium (MC) and Eosin Methylen Blue Medium (EMB). In order to evaluate the differences in antibiotic susceptibility between the biofilm embedded and planktonic cells, an original, simple experimental model was used, by including the bacterial cells in an agar layer, mimicking the biofilm matrix. Our results demonstrated that the inhibition diameter zone was much larger on PCA, EMB and MC than on MH, considered as general standard medium for the antibiosusceptibility testings (CLSI). When bacterial cells were included in the agar matrix, the growth inhibition diameters obtained for different beta-lactams proved to be different of planktonic cells, i.e.: for CTX, a narrow inhibition diameter was obtained, demonstrating the low efficiency of this antibiotic in the treatment of biofilm associated infections, whereas the CRO proved the same efficiency against planktonic as well as to agar embedded bacteria. The different susceptibility results obtained for the cells embedded in the agar matrix by an adapted disk diffusion method are pleading for the necessity to assess new adapted standard methods and specific parameters in the purpose to determine the antibiotic resistance of bacterial cells isolated from biofilm associated infections.

Detection of human papillomavirus gene sequences in cell lines derived from laryngeal tumors

The role of Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) in laryngeal carcinomas has been studied with conflicting results. To evaluate the etiologic relationship between HPV infection and epithelial malignancy of the larynx we studied five laryngeal carcinoma cell lines obtained from patients undergoing surgery for laryngeal tumors. The paraffin embedded biopsy samples of the original tumor and different passages of the new established cell lines were investigated by PCR with consensus primers specific for HPV DNA. The findings indicate that HPV infection is associated with some larynx carcinomas. The positive association has been enhanced when a method of enrichment of epithelial cells from fresh tumor samples was used. All tumor cells enriched smears were positive for HPV DNA not only by PCR but also by in situ hybridization (ISH). Investigated by PCR, different passages of larynx tumor cell lines maintained expression of HPV DNA. At subsequent passages ISH gives constantly no signals suggesting a minimal amount of viral harbored sequences. In one cell line propagated more than 60 population doublings, the chromosomal frequency distribution shifted from modal number 46 at the 5(th) passage to 63 at the 60(th) passage. The mechanisms by which persistent HPV infection maintains continuous cell proliferation were discussed.

An outbreak of aseptic meningitis due to ECHO 30 virus in Romania during the 1999 summer

Between April-September 1999 an unusually high number of acute aseptic meningitis was reported in six North Eastern counties of Romania. At the end of 1999 summer the epidemic area extended in South Romania including the Capital City Bucharest. The total number of cases surpassed 5500. The majority of confirmed cases were young children under 15 years of age. More than 1800 cases were registered in the same interval in the neighboring Republic of Moldavia. We report the isolation of ECHO 30 virus from 12 CSF samples of 52 tested on RD and human diploid cells. A small case control study identified high seroneutralization titers confirming a recent ECHO 30 infection in 74% of patient's samples and in 54% of samples from control children tested. The time spent outdoors and poor hygiene practices were prominent risk factors for transmission.

Low rates of seroconversion after hepatitis B vaccination in orphanges with high prevalence of virus carriers

A serosurvey of Hepatitis B infection markers was conducted in two orphanages that adhered to Hepatitis B vaccination policy. In spite of comparable sizes (80-90 children per facility), housing conditions and infection control practices, the level of HbsAg endemicity was different in each unit in direct relation with the mean age of the children. The prevalence of HbsAg carriers and the interval spent in collectivity strongly affect the seroconversion rate after HB vaccination. Other elements that can explain the low seroconversion rate were: the proportion on fully vaccinated children, the number of vaccine administered doses and the delayed age at which childhood immunization schedule was initiated. In order to increase the protective antibody response, booster doses were administered to a limited number of nonseroconvertors or to children with a nonprotective level of anti-HBs antibody (< 10 UI). This intervention provides evidence of prompt rising in antibody titers, comparable with titers found in children with wild infection.