Effect of Heparin,Fucoidan and Other Polysaccharides on Adhesion of Enterohepatic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobacter</Emphasis> Species to Murine Macrophages

Helicobacter species have been isolated and cultured from both the gastric and enterohepatic niches of the gastrointestinal tract and are associated with a wide spectrum of diseases. Some members of the enterohepatic Helicobacter species (EHS), which include Helicobacter bilis, Helicobacter hepaticus and Helicobacter pullorum, are associated with chronic inflammatory and proliferative bowel inflammation, hepatitis and in experimental murine studies with hepatic cancer. The present study aimed to explore if polysulphated polysaccharides can prevent adhesion of EHS to the murine macrophage cell line J774A.1. A competitive binding assay showed that heparin and heparan sulphate at a concentration of 1.25 mg/ml reduced binding of H. hepaticus and H. pullorum to the host cells, but not H. bilis. Of the tested Helicobacter spp, the highest inhibition by heparin was demonstrated for H. pullorum (P < 0.01), the most hydrophilic strain. Partially or completely de-sulphated heparin derivatives lost the ability to inhibit adherence of EHS, indicating the importance of sulphated groups of heparin. The most efficient inhibitor of EHS binding to macrophages was fucoidan, which reduced bacterial adhesion of the three enterohepatic Helicobacter species to a greater extent than heparin, 60–90% inhibition vs 30–70% inhibition by heparin. Identification of receptors that EHS ligands bind to is important for understanding the development of infection and may provide a rational target to prevent infection and therapy.     

Selective Uptake of Cylindrical Poly(2‐Oxazoline) Brush‐AntiDEC205 Antibody‐OVA Antigen Conjugates into DEC‐Positive Dendritic Cells and Subsequent T‐Cell Activation

To achieve specific cell targeting by various receptors for oligosaccharides or antibodies, a carrier must not be taken up by any of the very many different cells and needs functional groups prone to clean conjugation chemistry to derive well‐defined structures with a high biological specificity. A polymeric nanocarrier is presented that consists of a cylindrical brush polymer with poly‐2‐oxazoline side chains carrying an azide functional group on each of the many side chain ends. After click conjugation of dye and an anti‐DEC205 antibody to the periphery of the cylindrical brush polymer, antibody‐mediated specific binding and uptake into DEC205⁺‐positive mouse bone marrow‐derived dendritic cells (BMDC) was observed, whereas binding and uptake by DEC205^? negative BMDC and non‐DC was essentially absent. Additional conjugation of an antigen peptide yielded a multifunctional polymer structure with a much stronger antigen‐specific T‐cell stimulatory capacity of pretreated BMDC than application of antigen or polymer–antigen conjugate.     

Contamination of therapeutic human immunoglobulin preparations with apolipoprotein H (β2‐glycoprotein I)

Polyclonal immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrates are important biological medicinal products and the assurance of their quality and safety is crucial. In our present approach we used proteomic methods to check the purity of commercial Ig products of different origin. The experimental setup included nonreducing 2DE or DIGE combined with MALDI‐TOF and the thrombin generation assay, a routine safety test for pharmaceutical Ig preparations, and was complemented by a specific immunoassay. 2DE patterns displayed contaminations with trace amounts of human apolipoprotein H (Apo‐H), transferrin, albumin, and its fragments. In contrast to the latter, Apo‐H is a protein that is active in the coagulation cascade, and thus a potential involvement in thromboembolic events in vivo cannot be excluded. It was found by 2DE and MALDI‐TOF to be a contaminant of several Ig preparations. Spiking experiments of Ig preparations with pure Apo‐H demonstrated an Apo‐H concentration dependent increase in thrombin generation assay values. Traces of Apo‐H are possibly also contributing to unwanted side effects, as already known for factor XIa. The significance of Apo‐H contaminations for these side effects might be verified by detailed analyses of pharmacovigilance data.     

Reactive uptake of N2O5 by aerosol particles containing mixtures of humic acid and ammonium sulfate

The kinetics of reactive uptake of N2O5 on submicron aerosol particles containing humic acid and ammonium sulfate has been investigated as a function of relative humidity (RH) and aerosol composition using a laminar flow reactor coupled with a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) to characterize the aerosol. For single-component humic acid aerosol the uptake coefficient, gamma, was found to increase from 2 to 9 x 10(-4) over the range 25-75% RH. These values are 1-2 orders of magnitude below those typically observed for single-component sulfate aerosols (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2003, 5, 3453-3463;(1) Atmos. Environ. 2000, 34, 2131-2159(2)). For the mixed aerosols, gamma was found to decrease with increasing humic acid mass fraction and increase with increasing RH. For aerosols containing only 6% humic acid by dry mass, a decrease in reactivity of more than a factor of 2 was observed compared with the case for single-component ammonium sulfate. The concentration of liquid water in the aerosol droplets was calculated using the aerosol inorganic model (for the ammonium sulfate component) and a new combined FTIR-DMA system (for the humic acid component). Analysis of the uptake coefficients using the water concentration data shows that the change in reactivity cannot be explained by the change in water content alone. We suggest that, due to its surfactant properties, the main effect of the humic acid is to reduce the mass accommodation coefficient for N2O5 at the aerosol particle surface. This has implications for the use of particle hygroscopicity data for predictions of the rate of N2O5 hydrolysis.     

Protoporphyrin IX fluorescence photobleaching and the response of rat Barrett's esophagus following 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy

Barrett's esophagus (BE) can experimentally be treated with 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT), in which ALA, the precursor of the endogenous photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and subsequent irradiation with laser light are applied to destroy the (pre)malignant tissue. Accurate dosimetry is critical for successful ALA-PDT. Here, in vivo dosimetry and kinetics of PpIX fluorescence photobleaching were studied in a rat model of BE. The fluence and fluence rate were standardized in vivo and PpIX fluorescence was measured simultaneously at the esophageal wall during ALA-PDT and plotted against the delivered fluence rather than time. Rats with BE were administered 200 mg kg(-1) ALA (n = 17) or served as control (n = 4). Animals were irradiated with 633 nm laser light at a measured fluence rate of 75 mW cm(-2) and a fluence of 54 J cm(-2). Large differences were observed in the kinetics of PpIX fluorescence photobleaching in different animals. High PpIX fluorescence photobleaching rates corresponded with tissue ablation, whereas low rates corresponded with no damage to the epithelium. Attempts to influence tissue oxygenation by varying balloon pressure and ventilation were shown not to be directly responsible for the differences in effect. In conclusion, in vivo dosimetry is feasible in heterogeneous conditions such as BE, and PpIX fluorescence photobleaching is useful to predict the tissue response to ALA-PDT.     

Evaluation of screen-printed gold on low-temperature co-fired ceramic as a substrate for the immobilization of electrochemical immunoassays

Screen-printed gold (SPG, Dupont gold conductor 5734) on low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials (Dupont dielectric tape 951, mostly composed of alumina and silica) has been demonstrated to be a substrate for electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays. The effect of two different cleaning treatments and the extent of nonspecific adsorption on the SPG/LTCC and plain LTCC surfaces were also evaluated. LTCC materials hold promise for constructing a new generation of devices for microelectrochemical sensing and assays. Facile fabrication in three dimensions with integrated conducting elements makes them attractive. A standard sandwich immunoassay for a model analyte, mouse IgG, was used to evaluate the LTCC materials. After the assembly of components onto chips of SPG/LTCC and plain LTCC, p-aminophenol that was generated enzymatically by the enzyme label was detected electrochemically with a separate glassy carbon electrode. Cleaning SPG/LTCC with a piranha solution (7:1 vol/vol of concentrated H2SO4/30% H2O2), traditionally used for other gold surfaces prior to SAM assembly, resulted in a notable decrease in assay signal and an increase in nonspecific adsorption when compared to cleaning with water alone. Assay components assemble specifically on plain LTCC, with only a small percent attributed to NSA. Environmental scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal the tremendous chemical heterogeneity and complexity of both SPG/LTCC and plain LTCC surfaces and aid in the explanation of assay results. A 10% acetate Tween bovine serum albumin solution and an ethanolic solution of 4 mM 1-butanol eliminate assay signals originating from plain LTCC. The outcomes of these studies can now be used to achieve miniaturized electrochemical immunoassays on LTCC materials where both plain and SPG surfaces are present.     

Influence of triphenylphosphine on the activity of heterogeneous iridium,rhodium and platinum containing catalysts for the dehydrogenation of saturated hydrocarbons

A series of heterogeneous iridium containing catalysts was synthesized by the incipient wetness method. The support material was silica gel. The heterogeneous catalysts were able to dehydrogenate isopentane to isopentene with very high activities and selectivities. The use of external additives (e.g. PPh₃) in case of the heterogenized iridium complex IrH(CO)(PPh₃)₃ increased the conversion of isopentane up to 30%. Such a conversion rate has been predicted by model calculations of the thermodynamic equilibrium of the dehydrogenation reaction of isopentane.     

Raman Spectroscopic Study of the Phase Transition of Amorphous to Crystalline β‐Carbonic Acid

What's the matter? The laboratory Raman spectra for carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), both for the β‐polymorph and its amorphous state, are required to detect carbonic acid on the surface of the pole caps of Mars in 2009, when the Mars Microbeam Raman Spectrometer lands on the planet. The picture shows a martian crater with ice of unknown composition, possibly containing carbonic acid (image adapted from DLR, with permission from ESA, DLR, and FU Berlin –‐G. Neukum).

     

Analytical artefacts in the speciation of arsenic in clinical samples

Urine and blood samples of cancer patients, treated with high doses of arsenic trioxide were analysed for arsenic species using HPLC-HGAFS and, in some cases, HPLC-ICPMS. Total arsenic was determined with either flow injection-HGAFS in urine or radiochemical neutron activation analysis in blood fractions (in serum/plasma, blood cells). The total arsenic concentrations (during prolonged, daily/weekly arsenic trioxide therapy) were in the μg mL⁻¹ range for urine and in the ng g⁻¹ range for blood fractions. The main arsenic species found in urine were As(III), MA and DMA and in blood As(V), MA and DMA.With proper sample preparation and storage of urine (no preservation agents/storage in liquid nitrogen) no analytical artefacts were observed and absence of significant amounts of alleged trivalent metabolites was proven. On the contrary, in blood samples a certain amount of arsenic can get lost in the speciation procedure what was especially noticeable for the blood cells although also plasma/serum gave rise to some disappearance of arsenic. The latter losses may be attributed to precipitation of As(III)-containing proteins/peptides during the methanol/water extraction procedure whereas the former losses were due to loss of specific As(III)-complexing proteins/peptides (e.g. cysteine, metallothionein, reduced GSH, ferritin) on the column (Hamilton PRP-X100) during the separation procedure. Contemporary analytical protocols are not able to completely avoid artefacts due to losses from the sampling to the detection stage so that it is recommended to be careful with the explanation of results, particularly regarding metabolic and pharmacokinetic interpretations, and always aim to compare the sum of species with the total arsenic concentration determined independently.