Comparison of thermal characteristics of degenerated and inflamed human collagen structures with differential scanning calorimetry

Collagen is the primary structural protein of the human body and the main component of connective tissue. In the form of elongated fibrils, collagen is mostly found in fibrous tissues such as tendon, ligament, and skin. We have already demonstrated that pathologic changes of human collagen structures could be monitored by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), besides the classical histological methods. The aim of the study was to find whether there is a consistent increase or decrease of the thermal parameters, if we compare the changes of calorimetric enthalpy and denaturation temperature of (1) group: degenerative with (2) group: inflamed collagen structures. The degenerative samples were collected from ruptured Quadriceps, Achilles, patellar and anterior cruciate ligament, and degenerated joint capsule of the shoulder. The inflamed tissue samples were collected from palmar aponeurosis in Dupuytren disease, transverse carpal ligament in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and transverse ligament of the first dorsal compartment in De Quervain disease. The thermal denaturation of human samples was monitored by a SETARAM Micro DSC-II calorimeter. All the experiments were performed between 0 and 100 °C. The heating rate was 0.3 K min^?1. DSC scans clearly demonstrated significant differences between the two groups, proving that the thermal stability of the degenerative and inflamed pathologic collagens is significantly different. In cases of degenerative samples, the enthalpy decreased, while the melting temperature showed an increase. On the contrary, inflamed samples demonstrated a significant increase in the enthalpy and the melting temperature decreased. Our results indicate that DSC may be a clinically relevant method in the diagnosis of different collagen diseases.     

Features of Laser-Induced Modification of Sclera and Cornea

Results are presented from studying collagen degradation in scleral and corneal tissues upon CW IR laser irradiation at a wavelength of 1.56 μm and powers of 1.4 and 7 W. The exposure time is such that the radiometrically determined maximum tissue temperature ranges from 55 to 70°C. It is shown that at a power of 1.4 W, laser-induced collagen denaturation in sclera and cornea starts at 55 and 60°C, respectively. When the power is increased to 7 W, the temperature of denaturation onset rises by 2°C. These findings are discussed from the viewpoint of the joint photothermal and photomechanical effects of laser irradiation.     

Protein denaturation in dosage forms measured by differential scanning calorimetry

The stability of beta-galactosidase dosage forms was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that the observed enthalpy of thermal denaturation was approximately in proportion to remaining enzyme activity, and denaturation temperature was related to protein stability. These results suggest that DSC can be used to determine native proteins in dosage forms and to clarify the factors affecting protein stability. The DSC method seems to be more convenient than conventional activity assay methods, and useful to follow protein denaturation during the manufacturing process and storage of dosage forms.     

牛血清IgG热化学变性和热变性的研究

使用差示扫描量热仪(DSC)和荧光光谱法研究了在pH 7.4时牛血清IgG (bIgG)热变性, 热化学变性和等温化学变性过程(变性剂为尿素和盐酸胍), 首次报道了bIgG在热化学变性和等温化学变性过程中的相关热力学参数. DSC和荧光光谱实验结果表明, bIgG的热变性和热化学变性过程都是较复杂的不可逆过程, 这个过程可被看作一个三态变构过程. DSC实验表明在热化学变性过程中bIgG的变性温度和焓变值会随着环境中的变性剂浓度的升高而降低. 使用荧光光谱法对bIgG在尿素或盐酸胍存在下的等温化学变性过程进行了研究, 结果显示bIgG的化学变性过程也是一个较复杂的非二态过程. 实验数据分析表明, 变性剂尿素和盐酸胍与bIgG之间主要是依靠氢键相互作用的, 而热变性过程中bIgG的凝集是由于bIgG热变性时结构改变后暴露出的疏水结构互相作用造成的. 实验结果还表明单纯的热变性只能导致bIgG的不完全变性, 而即使是在高浓度变性剂存在时的bIgG热化学变性, 尿素和盐酸胍分别导致的bIgG热化学变性的去折叠态也是不同的.     

溶菌酶热变性的DSC研究

用差示扫描量热法研究了固体溶菌酶的热变性以及水溶液中不同变性剂与浓度对溶菌酶变性的影响. 结果表明, 溶剂水的存在及变性剂尿素和盐酸胍的加入使溶菌酶的变性温度降低, 变性焓减小; 同时, 在一定的浓度范围内, 溶菌酶的变性温度和变性焓随变性剂浓度的增大而降低. 盐酸胍的变性效果较尿素强, 这是由于盐酸胍与蛋白质分子间除了氢键作用外还存在着静电作用.     

Effect of venous wall immobilization on the thermal degradation of collagen

The results from a comparative study of the thermal denaturation of collagen in the venous walls of reference samples and samples with varicose disease are presented. Changes in the organization of collagen network of the tissue matrix are detected via thermal analysis and multiphoton microscopy with recording of the second harmonic generation (SHG). It is established that the collagen network of venous walls degrades in varicose disease. It is shown that the disordering of the tertiary structure of collagen molecules is reflected in a 40% drop in the enthalpy of protein denaturation compared to reference (ΔH _D = 12.4 ± 4.9 J/g dry residue). The disorganization of fiber structures is recorded on SHG images. It is shown that upon the hydrothermal heating of sequestered samples of venous walls, the complete degradation of the tissue network occurs at 75°C. However, it is noted that upon the mechanical immobilization of samples of both types, the stability of collagen increases and complete denaturation is observed at temperatures above 84°C. It is suggested that the number of available conformations of polypeptide chains in the random coil state falls under tension, lowering ΔS _D and raising the temperature of the denaturation of protein.     

Effect of accelerated thermal ageing on the thermal behaviour of the recently made parchments

To reveal the fire injuring of parchment, the changes in the thermal behaviour of some goat parchments, obtained from skins originating from different animals, as a result of thermal aging were determined by thermal analysis methods (DSC; simultaneous TG/DTG, DSC; micro hot table (MHT)). Thermal aging of parchments was revealed to bring about the decrease in shrinkage temperature, absolute value of enthalpy of denaturation in water and some changes in non-isothermal parameters characteristic for dehydration process in static air atmosphere. The results obtained by DSC analysis performed in N₂ and O₂ flows as well as those obtained by simultaneous TG/DTG, DSC analyses have shown that both softening (melting) process parameters and parameters of thermo-oxidative processes have not been changed by thermal ageing. The results obtained by thermal analysis methods were correlated with those obtained by microscopic investigation of parchment samples immersed in water and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The application of these microscopic techniques has revealed the morphology changes in the investigated parchments as a result of thermal degradation.     

Laser-induced modification of collagen in nucleus pulpose gel

The thermal behavior of collagen in intact and IR laser irradiated nucleus pulpose tissues was studied. The enthalpy of denaturation of the intact tissue was determined (53.1 ± 1.2 J/g of collagen). The denaturation of collagen during laser heating at temperatures below the characteristic melting point occurred under the influence of the photomechanical component of laser irradiation. Original Russian Text ? I.V. Andreeva, N.Yu. Ignat’eva, O.L. Zakharkina, V.V. Lunin, 2009, published in Zhurnal Fizicheskoi Khimii, 2009, Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 590–592.     

热处理对尼龙1010固态结晶和玻璃态热松驰的影响

本文用DSC首先论证淬火尼龙1010试样在DSC曲线上出现的放热峰是冷结晶峰,然后研究淬火尼龙1010在不同热处理条件下,冷结晶峰和玻璃态热松驰峰的变化规律。实验结果表明,等温结晶时间较短,试样的固态结晶速率较快;等温结晶时间较长,固态结晶速率较慢,这可能与在Tg区域等温所形成的新氢键有关。当升高等温温度时,固态结晶速率加快。在低于Tg的不同温度退火,玻璃态热松弛峰的峰高及热焓在281K达最大值,进而确定对玻璃态热松驰影响最敏感的温度区间是277～284K。     

Differential Scanning Calorimetry of Native Silk Feedstock

Native silk proteins, extracted directly from the silk gland prior to spinning, offer access to a naturally hydrated protein that has undergone little to no processing. Combined with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), it is possible to probe the thermal stability and hydration status of silk and thus investigate its denaturation and solidification, echoing that of the natural spinning process. It is found that native silk is stable between ?10 °C and 55 °C, and both the high‐temperature enthalpy of denaturation (measured via modulated temperature DSC) and a newly reported low‐temperature ice‐melting transition may serve as useful quality indicators in the future for artificial silks. Finally, compared to albumin, silk's denaturation enthalpy is much lower than expected, which is interpreted within a recently proposed entropic desolvation framework which can serve to unveil the low‐energy aquamelt processing pathway.     

Increase in scleral collagen stability during glycosylation with threose in vitro

A systematic study of changes in the physicochemical characteristics of scleral collagen in the course of glycosylation by threose, including their dependence on the time changes of transverse cross-linking, was performed. Glycosylation by threose leads to a significant increase in heat, proteolytic, and biomechanical stability of collagen in the scleral tissue and has been shown to be a useful approach for stabilizing scleral collagen. It was found that a fraction of collagen with a reduced denaturation temperature is, apparently, an intermediate in the reaction of glycosylation by threose. The most likely reason for its occurrence is the elongation of the side chains of amino acid residues of the protein in the early stages.     

Thermal denaturation of collagen analyzed by isoconversional method

An isoconversional method is proposed to be used for evaluating activation energy of protein denaturation. Applied to DSC data on collagen denaturation, the method yields an activation energy that decreases throughout the process. The Lumry-Eyring model gives an explanation for this decrease and affords estimates for the enthalpy of the reversible step and the activation energy of the irreversible step of denaturation. The reversible unfolding is detectable by multi-frequency temperature-modulated DSC.     

Thermal stability of collagen in intervertebral disc tissues

The thermal stability of collagen in intervertebral disc tissues was studied using differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that the melting of collagen in a native tissue was complete at 62–75°C (ΔH = 62.4 J/g) under heating excised annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus samples. On heating an intact structure up to 80°C, the denaturation of collagen did not occur. It was shown that the degradation of a proteoglycan component in the test tissues had no effect on the thermal stability of collagen.     

Characterisation and evaluation of the environmental impact on historical parchments by differential scanning calorimetry

Our recent developments concerning the assessment of parchments deterioration using DSC are reported. Measurements performed on samples in excess water conditions, in static air and gas flow provided qualitative and quantitative information on parchment ageing and deterioration at microscopic and mesoscopic level, when assembly of fibres/fibrils is weakened, partially and eventually completely lost, and at molecular level, when triple helix uncoiling occurs. A damage ranking scale based on a large collection of DSC parameters obtained by investigating artificially aged samples was set up. Deconvolution of the DSC thermal denaturation peaks in excess water enabled evaluating and discriminating stability of parchments with similar damage levels. Further experimental evidences such as softening of the crystalline fraction of collagen, thermal-oxidation and collagen gelatinisation were detected by DSC measurements in gas flow and static air, and related to specific deterioration patterns. DSC measurement of wet samples provided an objective and reliable method for evaluating parchment shrinkage temperature overcoming the limitations of conventional methods.     

DSC analysis of human synovial fluid samples in the diagnostics of non-septic and septic arthritis

The synovial fluid analysis is an important method in diagnosing and managing septic arthritis. To reach a quick diagnosis, preferably faster than the microbiological cultures, could be a great advantage in the therapy. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has recently been found useful in the differential diagnosis of septic and non-septic periprosthetic conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a specific pattern in the different grades of arthritis, and the effect of three different bacterial strains inoculated in synovial fluid. The sensitivity of our method was also determined by using synovial fluid samples with the different bacterial concentrations. Authors developed a standardized, experimental model to assess the denaturation characteristics of non-septic and inoculated synovial fluid, infected by different bacterial strains. The thermal characteristics [maximal denaturation temperature (T _m) and calorimetric enthalpy change (ΔH _cal)] were monitored by SETARAM Micro DSC-II calorimeter. The denaturation scans clearly demonstrated specific, representative curves in the case of different grades of arthritis, as well as with each individual bacterial strain. Therefore, thermoanalyses of human synovial fluid samples by DSC could be a useful tool in the staging of osteoarthritis and the diagnostics of septic arthritis.     

Investigation on chemical cross-linked collagen phosphoric acid hydrolysates with cyanuric chloride by differential scanning calorimetry

The process of cross-linking of collagen phosphoric acid hydrolysates (CH) with cyanuric chloride (CY) was studied by the increase in the denaturation temperature using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This measurement gave indications concerning the efficiency of the treatment, i.e., the extent of cross-linking of the collagen hydrolysates. The optimal conditions for cross-linking were determined: CH/CY in a ratio 1:1, reaction time 1 h at temperature 50 °C. At these conditions cross-linked structural units with higher thermal stability were formed.     

Comparison of the results of thermal denaturation of β-lactoglobulin obtained by DSC and UV-spectroscopy

The thermal denaturation of β-lactoglobulin in the presence of urea and alkylurea solutions were measured. In the presence of a high concentration of urea this protein shows not only heat but also cold denaturation. For studying the effect of temperature two methods were used, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and UV-spectroscopy. DSC provides direct model-independent determination of the transition enthalpy in comparison with UV-spectroscopy, which gives only apparent or van't Hoff enthalpy of transition. The UV-melting curves were analyzed on the basis of a two-state approximation. The apparent standard enthalpies of thermal denaturation, ΔH _app. ^o , were compared with calorimetric ones.     

Reversible Melting of Thermally Fractionated Polyethylene

Different grades of linear low density polyethylenes (LLDPEs) have been quenched cooled step-wise and crystallised isothermally at (a series of increasing) temperatures in a DSC (thermal fractionated samples). These samples have been investigated by temperature modulated DSC (MDSC). The heat flow curves of the thermal fractionated materials were compared with those obtained from samples crystallised at a relatively slow cooling rate of 2 K min^-1(standard samples). The melting enthalpy obtained from the total heat flow of the thermal fractionated samples was 0-10 J g^-1higher than those of standard samples. The melting enthalpy obtained from the reversing heat flows was 13-31 J g^-1lower in the thermal fractionated samples than in the standard samples. The ratio of the reversing melting enthalpy to the total melting enthalpy increased with decreasing density of the PE. The melting temperature of the endotherms formed by the step-wise cooling was 9 K higher than the crystallisation temperature. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermomechanical analysis of merino wool yarns

Summary There is a difference in structure across the wool fibre which is usually referred to as bilateral. The endothermic denaturation doublet of keratins has been observed by different authors for a variety of keratins and measuring conditions and mainly interpreted by different theories. Merino wool yarns have been analyzed by the thermomechanical analysis and at low stress two thermal transitions before melting have been identified. These two thermal transitions are in accordance with the onset temperatures of the denaturation doublet shown by the DSC both at temperatures lower than the thermal degradation temperature determined by TG. The DSC of fibrillated fibres by abrasion showed not a denaturation doublet but just only a denaturation peak. The two transitions of the TMA and the modification of the DSC curve by abrasion seems to confirm that abrasion removes the component which denaturates at lower temperature.