Esterification of free fatty acid from simulated waste cooking oil using ionic liquid as catalyst

Ionic liquid is a catalyst which is homogeneous (liquid phase) catalyst. Ionic liquid has been recognize as a potential catalyst in esterification of free fatty acid from waste cooking oil which contain high amount of free fatty acid due to the triglyceride hydrolysis during frying due to its properties which is adjustable by adjusting its combination of cation and anion. It also recognize as a substitution of sulphuric acid in biodiesel synthesis. In this project, different combination of cation and anion has been tested by four types of ionic liquid which involve the uses of pyridinium, 1-methyl-3 butylimidazolium (BMIM), 1 -ethyl-3 -methylimidazole (EMIM) as cation and the uses salicylate, sulphate, as an anion. The four types of catalyst can be considered as novel catalyst since no other researchers tried this combination of cation and anion. All this catalyst is characterize first using IR, CHNS and HNMIR spectrometer. Then the catalytic performance test is done for all the catalyst in the esterification reaction of free fatty acid in simulated waste cooking oil. As the result of the catalytic performance only BMIM SCL showed the conversion with only 30% conversion

Are the Cognitive Alterations Present in Children Born From Preeclamptic Pregnancies the Result of Impaired Angiogenesis? Focus on the Potential Role of the VEGF Family

Evidence from clinical studies has proposed that children born from preeclamptic women have a higher risk of suffering neurological, psychological, or behavioral alterations. However, to date, the mechanisms behind these outcomes are poorly understood. Here, we speculate that the neurodevelopmental alterations in the children of preeclamptic pregnancies result from impaired angiogenesis. The pro-angiogenic factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PlGF) are key regulators of both vascular and neurological development, and it has been widely demonstrated that umbilical blood of preeclamptic pregnancies contains high levels of soluble VEGF receptor type 1 (sFlt-1), a decoy receptor of VEGF. As a consequence, this anti-angiogenic state could lead to long-lasting neurological outcomes. In this non-systematic review, we propose that alterations in the circulating concentrations of VEGF, PlGF, and sFlt-1 in preeclamptic pregnancies will affect both fetal cerebrovascular function and neurodevelopment, which in turn may cause cognitive alterations in post-natal life

Potential role of A2B adenosine receptors on proliferation/migration of fetal endothelium derived from preeclamptic pregnancies

To investigate the functionality of A2B adenosine receptor (A2BAR) and the nitric oxide (NO) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway in the endothelial cell proliferation/migration during preeclampsia, we used human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) isolated from normal pregnancies n=15 or pregnancies with preeclampsia n=15. Experiments were performed in presence or absence of the nonselective adenosine receptor agonist NECA, the A2BAR selective antagonist MRS-1754, and the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NAME. Results indicated that cells from preeclampsia exhibited a significant higher protein level of A2BAR and logEC for NECA-mediated proliferation than normotensive pregnancies. The stimulatory effect of NECA (10 M, 24 h) on cell proliferation was prevented by MRS-1754 (5 nM) coincubation only in cells from normotensive pregnancies. Nevertheless, L-NAME (100 M, 24 h) reduced the NECA-induced cell proliferation/migration in HUVEC from normal pregnancy; however in preeclampsia only NECA-induced cell proliferation was reduced by L-NAME. Moreover, NECA increased protein nitration and abundance of VEGF in cells from normal pregnancy and effect prevented by MRS-1754 coincubation. Nevertheless, in preeclampsia NECA did not affect the protein level of VEGF. In conclusion HUVECs from preeclampsia exhibit elevated protein level of A2BAR and impairment of A2BAR-mediated NO/VEGF signaling pathway

RESULTADOS CLÍNICOS Y PERINATALES DE LOS EMBARAZOS CON HIPERTENSIÓN ARTERIAL EN UN HOSPITAL DE REFERENCIA DE LA VIII REGIÓN DE CHILE

Objetivo: Conocer los resultados clínicos, bioquímicos y perinatales asociados al síndrome de hipertensión del embarazo (SHE) en el Hospital Herminda Martín de Chillan. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de registros clínicos (n=416) con diagnóstico de SHE en el periodo 2006 a 2008. Los registros disponibles fueron divididos en tres grupos de acuerdo al nivel de presión arterial: Grupo I (n=124) <140/90 mmHg; Grupo II (n=98) ³ 140-159/³ 90-109 mmHg y Grupo III (n=41)³ 160/110 mmHg. Adicionalmente, un subgrupo (n=85) fue dividido considerando el percentil de distribución del nivel de ácido úrico materno en: SHE con niveles bajos (<p25), medios (p25-p75) o altos (>p75). Se analizaron y compararon los grupos estudiados y se correlacionó las variables estudiadas con los resultados perinatales. Resultados: La prevalence de SHE fue de 3,8%. Las mujeres del grupo II y III muestran peores resultados clínicos y neonatales que las mujeres del grupo I. El índice de masa corporal (IMC), la presión arterial materna y el nivel de ácido úrico están relacionados negativamente con la antropometría neonatal. Además, la antropometría neonatal fue menor en las mujeres con niveles más altos de ácido úrico, situación que no obedece a la severidad de la hipertensión o el IMC materno. Conclusión: La presencia de SHE esta asociada a mayor morbilidad materna y neonatal. Este estudio permitió detectar deficiencias (e.L, falta de cumplimiento en criterio diagnóstico) y hacer recomendaciones sobre probables marcadores de riesgo perinatal (e.L, nivel de ácido úrico)

Cerebral Biomarkers and Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity in Preeclampsia

Cerebral complications in preeclampsia contribute substantially to maternal mortality and morbidity. There is a lack of reliable and accessible predictors for preeclampsia-related cerebral complications. In this study, plasma from women with preeclampsia (n = 28), women with normal pregnancies (n = 28) and non-pregnant women (n = 16) was analyzed for concentrations of the cerebral biomarkers neurofilament light (NfL), tau, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B. Then, an in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model, based on the human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line (hCMEC/D3), was employed to assess the effect of plasma from the three study groups. Transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) was used as an estimation of BBB integrity. NfL and tau are proteins expressed in axons, NSE in neurons and S100B in glial cells and are used as biomarkers for neurological injury in other diseases such as dementia, traumatic brain injury and hypoxic brain injury. Plasma concentrations of NfL, tau, NSE and S100B were all higher in women with preeclampsia compared with women with normal pregnancies (8.85 vs. 5.25 ng/L, p &lt; 0.001; 2.90 vs. 2.40 ng/L, p &lt; 0.05; 3.50 vs. 2.37 mu g/L, p &lt; 0.001 and 0.08 vs. 0.05 mu g/L, p &lt; 0.01, respectively). Plasma concentrations of NfL were also higher in women with preeclampsia compared with non-pregnant women (p &lt; 0.001). Higher plasma concentrations of the cerebral biomarker NfL were associated with decreased TEER (p = 0.002) in an in vitro model of the BBB, a finding which indicates that NfL could be a promising biomarker for BBB alterations in preeclampsia.De två sista författarna delar sistaförfattarskapet.</p

Gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with increased pro-migratory activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1

<div><p>Placentas from gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are often hypervascularized; however, participation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors in this placental adaptation is unclear. We aimed to test whether changes in phosphorylation of tyrosine 951 or tyrosine 1175 (pY951 or pY1175) of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (KDR) are associated with the proangiogenic state observed in placentas from GDM. We obtained placental samples from women with normal pregnancies (n = 24) or GDM (n = 18). We measured the relative expression of markers for endothelial cell number (CD31, CD34), VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (Flt-1), KDR, pY951 and pY1175 of KDR in placental homogenate. Immunohistochemistry of placental blood vessels were performed using CD34. Proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) obtained from normal pregnancy and GDM were determined in absence or presence of conditioned medium (CM) harvested from GDM or normoglycemic HUVEC cultures. GDM was associated with more CD31 and CD34 protein compared to normal pregnancy. High number, but reduced area of placental blood vessels was found in GDM. Reduced Flt-1 levels (mRNA and protein) are associated with reduced KDR mRNA, but higher KDR protein levels in placentas from GDM. No significant changes in Y951-or Y1175-phosphorylation of KDR in placentas from GDM were found. GDM did not alter proliferation of HUVECs, but enhanced migration. Conditioned medium harvested from GDM HUVEC cultures enhanced KDR protein amount, tube formation capacity and cell migration in HUVEC isolated from normoglycemic pregnancies. The data indicate that GDM is associated with reduced expression of Flt-1 but high pro-migratory activation of KDR reflecting a proangiogenic state in GDM.</p></div

Primers used for RT-PCR.

<p>Primers used for RT-PCR.</p