Nanoscale surface of carbon nanotube fibers for medical applications: Structure and chemistry revealed by TOF-SIMS analysis

Surface structure and related chemistry understanding is a vital element in the design of high biocompatible materials since adsorption and adhesion of biological components are involved. These features are even more important in the case of nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) fibers. In our preliminary work we synthesised CNTs based fibers for medical applications. This new hybrid system combines polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with CNTs and polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), a biodegradable copolymer. The surface properties of this material are investigated in order to guarantee a biocompatible response. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) was found to be an ideal tool for fiber characterisation owing to its capacity to provide chemical specificity combined with detection limits beyond the reach of techniques previously used. Complementary morphological information is provided by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The corroboration of both data enables us to define the chemistry and structure of this new formulation.     

Cellular adhesion and proliferation on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): Benefits in the electroactivity of the conducting polymer

Cell adhesion and proliferation in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), an electroactive polythiophene derivative generated by anodic polymerization, has been investigated. Results show that epithelial cells Hep-2 present significant activity on the surface of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) electrodeposited on stainless steel electrodes, no sign of cytotoxicity being detected for this conducting polymer. Indeed, seeded and cultured cells bound better to poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) than to uncoated stainless steel, the latter substrate being used as a control. Furthermore, the electrochemical characteristics of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) covered with cells was determined in different biological media using cyclic voltammetry experiments. Results reveal a significant increase in the electroactivity of this material when it is covered with a cellular monolayer. The overall of the results evidences not only the biocompatibility of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) with Hep-2 cells but also their electrocompatibility.     

医用聚氯乙烯膜的等离子体表面改性

用两种不同气氛的辉光放电等离子体工艺对医用软质聚氯乙烯（ＰＶＣ）膜进行了表面改性研究。结果表明，聚合性气氛的等离子体改性效果明显优于非聚合性气氛。平整致密的聚合膜对ＰＶＣ增塑剂——邻苯二甲酸二辛酯的迁移和扩散起了阻挡作用，也使膜表面亲水性和表面张力极性成份增大，液固相界面张力减小，生物相容性得以改善。     

Immobilization and direct electrochemistry of cytochrome <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">c</Emphasis> at a single-walled carbon nanotube-modified electrode

A single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-modified electrode was fabricated and characterized by SEM and ac impedance techniques. The direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c (Cyt c), which was adsorbed on the surface of the SWNT, was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The results from cyclic voltammetry and infrared spectroscopy indicated that Cyt c remained in its original structure and did not undergo structural change after its immobilization on the SWNT. Further results demonstrated that the SWNT had promotional effects on the direct electron transfer of Cyt c and also indicated that the immobilized Cyt c retained its electrocatalytic activity to the reduction of H₂O₂. This modified electrode might be used in development of new biosensors and the biofuel cells.     

Synthesis and investigation of structural,optical, magnetic,and biocompatibility properties of nanoferrites AFeO2

Sol-gel method has been used for the synthesis of biocompatible superparamagnetic nanoferrites of AFeO₂ (A = Li, Na, K, Ca). Structural study of the nanoferrites reveals that LiFeO₂ exhibits cubic phase on the other hand NaFeO₂, KFeO₂, CaFeO₂ nanoparticles possess orthorhombic phase. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggests that synthesized nanoferrites are nano-sized with spherical morphology. Optical properties confirm that nanoferrites emit and absorb light in a visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. International Commission on Illumination (CIE) study discloses that the nanoparticles can be used to produce light of various colors. Magnetic study reveals that the nanoferrites exhibit superparamagnetic nature with high values of saturation magnetization 40.26 emu/g, 41.69 emu/g, 57.16 emu/g, and 43.66 emu/g, respectively for LiFeO_2, NaFeO₂, KFeO₂, and CaFeO₂. Biocompatibility study of the nanoferrites has been performed using Sulforhodamine B (SRB) and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The reason behind the observed properties and behavior has been discussed.     

新型生物相容性大分子磁共振成像造影剂的性质研究

将天冬氨酸与亮氨酸反应,合成了天冬氨酸-亮氨酸共聚物(PL),通过乙二胺将钆-1,4,7,10-四氮杂环十二烷-1,4,7,10-四乙酸(Gd-DOTA)连接到PL上,制备了大分子磁共振成像造影剂PL-A2-DOTA-Gd,通过核磁碳谱、凝胶色谱等方法对其结构进行了表征,利用细胞毒性实验、溶血性实验、体外弛豫效率测定以及体内动物磁共振成像等方法对其性能进行了评估。研究表明,PL-A2-DOTA-Gd的细胞毒性远低于临床应用的造影剂Gd-DOTA,且其弛豫效率(15.3 L/(mmol·s))是Gd-DOTA(5.8 L/(mmol·s))的2.6倍。大分子磁共振成像造影剂PL-A2-DOTA-Gd具有良好的血液相容性,对昆明小鼠的肝脏信号的增强效果约为Gd-DOTA的3.1倍,且能在较长时间内保持良好稳定的增强效果。     

聚乳酸类医用生物降解材料的研究进展

聚乳酸由于其突出的优点如生物相容性好、降解产物对人体无毒而倍受重视,并且在生物医学领域的应用中获得了很好的效果。本文对聚乳酸的合成及在医学方面的应用作了总结和评述,并对其在生物医学领域的应用前景作了进一步展望。     

纳米抗癌药物载体的研究进展

与传统抗癌药物相比,纳米抗癌药物载体具有可在体内实现长循环,于癌症组织处富集,在体内缓慢可控释放,药物利用率高,药效高,并且生物相容性与可降解性良好的优点。目前已经实现包括纳米微粒、纳米胶束、树枝状大分子等多种结构的纳米抗癌药物载体的设计,选用的药物载体材料也涵盖多种聚酯以及蛋白质多肽等生物相容性良好的材料。     

PVC‐Based Ion‐Selective Electrodes with Enhanced Biocompatibility by Surface Modification with “Click” Chemistry

We report here on plasticized ion‐selective poly(vinyl chloride) membranes with increased biocompatibility by means of a copper(I)‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition (‘click chemistry’) on the surface of finished membranes. We aimed for increasing the hydrophilicity of the surface and the application of NO releasing molecules. Employing the first principle, sodium selective membranes based on azide‐substituted PVC were modified with different length poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains. For the second, cysteine groups were used as a nitrous oxide releasing substance. Surface modification was confirmed by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Potentiometric measurements in undiluted whole blood showed an increased sensor stability in comparison to unmodified PVC. Membrane surfaces after 18 h contact with blood were analyzed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and revealed a reduced level of blood cell adsorption on membranes modified with tetraethylene glycol (TEG) and PEGs. In contrast, cysteine modified membranes did not exhibit improved fouling resistance, suggesting that nitric oxide release by itself is not a sufficiently efficient mechanism.     

有机硅弹性体表面生物相容性的研究进展

生物材料表面的生物相容性一直是生物材料研究领域倍受关注的问题.本文综述了对有机硅弹性体进行改性以提高其表面生物相容性的研究进展,介绍了各种常用的化学改性方法如本体接枝、等离子体处理、光化学诱导接枝、臭氧活化接枝以及硅氢加成反应、原子转移自由基聚合反应在有机硅弹性体表面改性中的应用.对改性后的有机硅弹性体表面抗非特异性蛋白质和血小板的能力等方面进行了评述,并进一步分析了有机硅弹性体表面化学改性的发展趋势和研究重点.