Biological properties of surface layers for ring of heart valve application

Oryginalna sztuczna komora wspomagania serca POLVAD opracowana w Polsce, została zastosowana dotychczas w leczeniu ponad 210 pacjentów. Najdłuższe wspomaganie serca za pomocą komory POLVAD trwało ponad rok. Dla protezy tej opracowywana jest innowacyjna zastawka dyskowa, z nisko profilowym pierścieniem wykonanym ze stopu tytanu. Dla zminimalizowania trombogenności pierścienia zastawki opracowano dyfuzyjne warstwy powierzchniowe: azotowaną typu TiN+Ti2N+αTi(N) i tlenoazotowaną typu TiO2+TiN+Ti2N+αTi(N), wytwarzane obróbką jarzeniową na potencjale plazmy. Trombogenność różnych kompozycji warstw została porównana w aspekcie aktywacji i adhezji płytek krwi do powierzchni biomateriału. Oceniono również wpływ metody sterylizacji biomateriału na intensywność adhezji trombocytów do jego powierzchni. Warstwy TiN oraz TiO2wykazały najniższą trombogenność, przy czym dla warstwy TiN korzystniejsza jest sterylizacja gazowa, podczas gdy dla warstwy TiO2- sterylizacja plazmowa.The original ventricular assist device POLVAD developed in Poland was used in over 210 patients so far. The longest POLVAD heart assistance excided one year. The innovative tilting disk valve with low profile ring made of titanium is developed for POLVAD. To minimize the valve ring thrombogenicity the diffusive surface layers were manufactured: nitriding TiN+Ti2N+αTi(N) and oxynitriding TiO2+TiN+Ti2N+αTi(N), in the glow discharge process on the plasma potential level. The thrombogenicity of different layers compositionwas compared regarding platelets activation and platelets adhesion to the material surface. The influence of material sterilization method on the platelets adhesion intensity was evaluated in addition. The nitriding TiN and oxynitriding TiO2layers have demonstrated the lowest thrombogenicity while the gas sterilization was the most profitable for nitriding layers – TiN and the plasma sterilization for oxynitriding layers – TiO2

Comparative and Developmental Anatomy of Cardiac Lymphatics

The role of the cardiac lymphatic system has been recently appreciated since lymphatic disturbances take part in various heart pathologies. This review presents the current knowledge about normal anatomy and structure of lymphatics and their prenatal development for a better understanding of the proper functioning of this system in relation to coronary circulation. Lymphatics of the heart consist of terminal capillaries of various diameters, capillary plexuses that drain continuously subendocardial, myocardial, and subepicardial areas, and draining (collecting) vessels that lead the lymph out of the heart. There are interspecies differences in the distribution of lymphatic capillaries, especially near the valves, as well as differences in the routes and number of draining vessels. In some species, subendocardial areas contain fewer lymphatic capillaries as compared to subepicardial parts of the heart. In all species there is at least one collector vessel draining lymph from the subepicardial plexuses and running along the anterior interventricular septum under the left auricle and further along the pulmonary trunk outside the heart and terminating in the right venous angle. The second collector assumes a different route in various species. In most mammalian species the collectors run along major branches of coronary arteries, have valves and a discontinuous layer of smooth muscle cells

In vitro and in vivo studies on biocompatibility of carbon fibres

In the present study we focused on the in vitro and in vivo evaluation of two types of carbon fibres (CFs): hydroxyapatite modified carbon fibres and porous carbon fibres. Porous CFs used as scaffold for tissues regeneration could simultaneously serve as a support for drug delivery or biologically active agents which would stimulate the tissue growth; while addition of nanohydroxyapatite to CFs precursor can modify their biological properties (such as bioactivity) without subsequent surface modifications, making the process cost and time effective. Presented results indicated that fibre modification with HAp promoted formation of apatite on the fibre surface during incubation in simulated body fluid. The materials biocompatibility was determined by culturing human osteoblast-like cells of the line MG 63 in contact with both types of CFs. Both tested materials gave good support to adhesion and growth of bone-derived cells. Materials were implanted into the skeletal rat muscle and a comparative analysis of tissue reaction to the presence of the two types of CFs was done. Activities of marker metabolic enzymes: cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) and acid phosphatase were examined to estimate the effect of implants on the metabolic state of surrounding tissues. Presented results evidence the biocompatibility of porous CFs and activity that stimulates the growth of connective tissues. In case of CFs modified with hydroxyapatite the time of inflammatory reaction was shorter than in case of traditional CFs

Effect of extraction and hydrolysis conditions on the determined content value of folic acid and folates in apple juice

Soki owocowe fortyfikowane witaminami mogą stać się wygodnym źródłem składników biologicznie aktywnych, w tym kwasu foliowego i naturalnie obecnych w owocach jego pochodnych, folianów. Związki te wykazują jednak niską stabilność chemiczną, co znacznie utrudnia ich oznaczanie. Na podstawie danych literaturowych i badań własnych można stwierdzić, że każdy materiał biologiczny wymaga zastosowania odmiennych warunków przeprowadzenia efektywnej ekstrakcji i hydrolizy badanych składników przed oznaczeniem ich metodą HPLC. Celem badań była ocena wpływu warunków ekstrakcji (pH buforu, czas/temperatura) i hydrolizy (ilość plazmy krwi szczura RP jako źródła koniugazy folianowej) na oznaczenie zawartości kwasu foliowego i folianów w badanym materiale. Największą zawartość kwasu foliowego (32,62 - 34,53 µg/100 ml soku) uzyskano, prowadząc ekstrakcję w buforze fosforanowym o pH = 7,0 w temp. 100 ºC przez 15 min. Największą natomiast zawartość formy metylowej (4,23 - 4,29 µg 5CH₃FH₄/100 ml soku) oznaczono, prowadząc ekstrakcję w buforze fosforanowym o pH=6,1, w temp. 100 ºC/15 min. Różny dodatek plazmy krwi szczura – przy tych samych warunkach ekstrakcji – nie wpłynął istotnie (α = 0,05) na wynik oznaczenia zarówno kwasu foliowego, jak i formy 5CH₃FH₄.Vitamin-fortified fruit juices may be a convenient source of biologically active compounds including the folic acid and folates, its derivatives, which naturally occur in fruits. However, those compounds show a low chemical stability, which makes the determination of their content very difficult. Based on the reference literature and the authors’ own study, it has been found that any biological material needs different conditions to be applied to the effective extraction and hydrolysis of its components prior to their determination using a HPLC method. The objective of the research was to determine the effect of different conditions of extraction (pH of buffer, time/temperature) and hydrolysis (RP - quantity of plasma in the blood of rats as a source of folate conjugase) on the content of folic acid and folates in the material analyzed. The highest content of folic acid (32.62 - 34.53 µg/ 100 ml juice) was determined when the extraction was performed using a phosphate buffer of pH = 7.0 at 100º C for 15 minutes. The highest content of methyl form (4.23 - 4.29 µg 5CH₃FH₄/ 100ml juice) was determined in the case of the extraction carried out in a phosphate buffer of pH=6.1 at 100º C for 15 minutes. Different amounts of plasma in the blood of rats added under the same conditions of extraction had not any significant effect (α =0.05) on the determined content values of both the folic acid and 5CH₃FH₄