Interfacial rheology: An overview of measuring techniques and its role in dispersions and electrospinning

Interfacial rheological properties have yet to be thoroughly explored. Only recently, methods have been introduced that provide sufficient sensitivity to reliably determine viscoelastic interfacial properties. In general, interfacial rheology describes the relationship between the deformation of an interface and the stresses exerted on it. Due to the variety in deformations of the interfacial layer (shear and expansions or compressions), the field of interfacial rheology is divided into the subcategories of shear and dilatational rheology. While shear rheology is primarily linked to the long-term stability of dispersions, dilatational rheology provides information regarding short-term stability. Interfacial rheological characteristics become relevant in systems with large interfacial areas, such as emulsions and foams, and in processes that lead to a large increase in the interfacial area such as electrospinning of nanofibers.Medfazne reološke lastnosti so še dokaj neraziskane. Šele pred kratkim so razvili metode, s katerimi je mogoče z zadostno občutljivostjo in natančnostjo določiti viskoelastične lastnosti medfaze. Medfazna reologija opisuje odnos med deformacijo medfaze in silo, ki to deformacijo povzroči. Zaradi različnih deformacij medfazne plasti (strig in raztezanje, oziroma krčenje) se tudi medfazna reologija deli na strižno in dilatacijsko. Strižne reološke lastnosti medfaze se odražajo v dolgotrajni stabilnosti disperzij, medtem ko sedilatacijske predvsem v kratkotrajni stabilnosti. Poznavanje medfaznih reoloških lastnosti je pomembno v sistemih z velikimi medfaznimi površinami, kot so emulzije in pene ter pri procesih, kjer pride do velikega povečanja medfazne površine, kot je elektrostatsko sukanje nanovlaken

IgG in cervicovaginal mucus traps HSV and prevents vaginal Herpes infections

IgG is the predominant immunoglobulin in cervicovaginal mucus (CVM), yet how IgG in mucus can protect against infections is not fully understood. IgG diffuses rapidly through cervical mucus, slowed only slightly by transient adhesive interactions with mucins. We hypothesize this almost unhindered diffusion allows IgG to accumulate rapidly on pathogen surfaces, and the resulting IgG array forms multiple weak adhesive crosslinks to mucus gel that effectively trap (immobilize) pathogens, preventing them from initiating infections. Here, we report herpes simplex virus serotype 1 (HSV-1) readily penetrated fresh, pH-neutralized ex vivo samples of CVM with low or no detectable levels of anti-HSV-1 IgG, but was trapped in samples with even modest levels of anti-HSV-1 IgG. In samples with little or no endogenous anti-HSV-1 IgG, addition of exogenous anti-HSV-1 IgG, affinity purified from intravenous immunoglobulin, trapped virions at concentrations below those needed for neutralization and with similar potency as endogenous IgG. Deglycosylating purified anti-HSV-1 IgG, or removing its Fc component, markedly reduced trapping potency. Finally, a non-neutralizing IgG against HSV-gG significantly protected mice against vaginal infection, and removing vaginal mucus by gentle lavage abolished protection. These observations suggest IgG-Fc has a glycan dependent “muco-trapping” effector function that may provide exceptionally potent protection at mucosal surfaces

Evolutionary conservation of the antimicrobial function of mucus: a first defence against infection

Mucus layers often provide a unique and multi-functional hydrogel interface between the epithelial cells of organisms and their external environment. Mucus has exceptional properties including elasticity, changeable rheology and an ability to self-repair by reannealing, and is therefore an ideal medium for trapping and immobilising pathogens and serving as a barrier to microbial infection. The ability to produce a functional surface mucosa was an important evolutionary step, which evolved first in the Cnidaria, which includes corals, and the Ctenophora. This allowed the exclusion of non-commensal microbes and the subsequent development of the mucus-lined digestive cavity seen in higher metazoans. The fundamental architecture of the constituent glycoprotein mucins is also evolutionarily conserved. Although an understanding of the biochemical interactions between bacteria and the mucus layer are important to the goal of developing new antimicrobial strategies, they remain relatively poorly understood. This review summarises the physicochemical properties and evolutionary importance of mucus, which make it so successful in the prevention of bacterial infection. In addition, the strategies developed by bacteria to counteract the mucus layer are also explored