Decolorization of a chromophore molecule with immobilized horseradish peroxidase / Descoloração de uma molécula de cromóforo com peroxidase de rábano imobilizada

The enzymes can modify some effluent characteristics in order to increase the degradability, or the bioconversion of liquid  effluents. The oxireductases, laccases and peroxidases have been used due their high potentiality in many environmental treatments of natural and synthetic organic compounds as dyes, phenols and polyphenolics molecules. The performance of immobilized horseradish peroxidase on aminopropyl glass beads was investigated in this work in a decolorization reaction of methylene blue colorant. The experiments were conducted in batch conditions during 3 hours, with different aqueous solutions of peroxide hydrogen (H2O2) concentration solutions (2-10 mg/L), methylene blue (ME)  (5-20 mg/L) and the pH in the range from 4 to 8, according an experimental design proposed by the software STATISTICA®. After 3 hours of treatment the reduction of  the color was 60% when comparing to the original color and 50% when the immobilized enzymes were reused in five sequential batch treatment cycles for a 10 mg/L of H2O2 solution, 20 mg/L of ME  and pH 8.0.  Working in continuous process with two microreactors in series the system showed a good performance with 97% of decolorization in the first 15 minutes. After 1 hour of continuous treatment the percentage of the color removing was around 70%.

Can Adipokine FAM19A5 Be a Biomarker of Metabolic Disorders?

Agnieszka Wesołek-Leszczyńska,1,2 Katarzyna Pastusiak,1 Paweł Bogdański,1,* Monika Szulińska1,* 1Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland; 2Doctoral School, Poznan University Of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Agnieszka Wesołek-Leszczyńska, Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 82/84 Szamarzewskiego Street, Poznań, 60-569, Poland, Tel +48  721  947 738, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: One of the most critical functions of adipose tissue is the production of adipokines, ie, numerous active substances that regulate metabolism. One is the newly discovered FAM19A5, whose older name is TAFA-5.Purpose: The study aimed to review the literature on the FAM19A5 protein.Methods: The review was conducted in December 2023 using the PubMed (Medline) search engine. Sixty-four papers were included in the review.Results: This protein exhibits the characteristics of an adipokine with positive features for maintaining homeostasis. The results showed that FAM19A5 was highly expressed in adipose tissue, with mild to moderate expression in the brain and ovary. FAM19A5 may also inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration through the perivascular adipose tissue paracrine pathway. Serum levels of FAM19A5 were decreased in obese children compared with healthy controls. There are negative correlations between FAM19A5, body mass index, and fasting insulin. Serum FAM19A5 level is correlated with type 2 diabetes, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, glutamic pyruvic transferase, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, and mean shoulder pulse wave velocity. FAM19A5 expression was reduced in mice with obesity. However, the data available needs to be clarified or contradictory.Conclusion: Considering today’s knowledge about FAM19A5, we cannot consider this protein as a biomarker of the metabolic syndrome. According to current knowledge, FAM19A5 cannot be considered a marker of metabolic disorders because the results of studies conducted in this area are unclear.Keywords: fat tissue, metabolic syndrome, adipokines, adipocytes, obesit

Bat pluripotent stem cells reveal unique entanglement between host and viruses

Bats have evolved features unique amongst mammals, including flight, laryngeal echolocation, and certain species have been shown to have a unique immune response that may enable them to tolerate viruses such as SARS-CoVs, MERS-CoVs, Nipah, and Marburg viruses. Robust cellular models have yet to be developed for bats, hindering our ability to further understand their special biology and handling of viral pathogens. To establish bats as new model study species, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a wild greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) using a modified Yamanaka protocol. Rhinolophids are amongst the longest living bat species and are asymptomatic carriers of coronaviruses, including one of the viruses most closely related to SARS-CoV-2. Bat induced pluripotent stem (BiPS) cells were stable in culture, readily differentiated into all three germ layers, and formed complex embryoid bodies, including organoids. The BiPS cells were found to have a core pluripotency gene expression program similar to that of other species, but it also resembled that of cells attacked by viruses. The BiPS cells produced a rich set of diverse endogenized viral sequences and in particular retroviruses. We further validated our protocol by developing iPS cells from an evolutionary distant bat species Myotis myotis (greater mouse-eared bat) non-lethally sampled in the wild, which exhibited similar attributes to the greater horseshoe bat iPS cells, suggesting that this unique pluripotent state evolved in the ancestral bat lineage. Although previous studies have suggested that bats have developed powerful strategies to tame their inflammatory response, our results argue that they have also evolved mechanisms to accommodate a substantial load of endogenous viral sequences and suggest that the natural history of bats and viruses is more profoundly intertwined than previously thought. Further study of bat iPS cells and their differentiated progeny should advance our understanding of the role bats play as virus hosts, provide a novel method of disease surveillance, and enable the functional studies required to ascertain the molecular basis of bats’ unique traits.N

Copolymerization of L-lactide with trimethylene carbonate initiated with friendly zinc complexes (II)

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki kopolimeryzacji L-laktydu z cyklicznym 1,3 trimetylenowęglanem (TMC). Proces kopolimeryzacji prowadzono w stopie z użyciem kilku różnych związków cynku jako inicjatorów. Otrzymano z dużą wydajnością, w relatywnie krótkim czasie wysokocząsteczkowe kopolimery o założonych składach. Podobnie jak i w kopolimeryzacjach prowadzonych z innymi inicjatorami, konwersja trimetylenowęglanu przebiegała znacznie wolniej od konwersji laktydu. Zaobserwowano relatywnie niską intensywność transestryfikacji międzycząsteczkowej. Otrzymane kopolimery charakteryzowały się multiblokową strukturą łańcucha.The article presents the results of copolymerization of L-lactide with cyclic 1,3-trimethylene carbonate (TMC). The ring opening copolymerization was conducting in bulk with the use of several different zinc compounds as initiators. As a result, high molecular mass copolymers with the expected composition were obtained with high yield and in relatively short time. Likewise the copolymerizations carried out with the other initiators, conversion of trimethylene carbonate proceeded much slower than conversion of lactide. Relatively low intensity of intermolecular transesterification was observed. The obtained copolymers characterized multiblock microstructure

Synthesis and properties of bioresorbable and highly flexible 1,3-trimethylene carbonate/ε-caprolactone copolymers

Ethyl etoxy zinc (II) has been prepared and emerged as very effective initiators for ring-opening polymerization of 1,3-trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and its copolymerization with ε-caprolactone (CL) to produce high molar mass polymers. The copolymerization of TMC and CL was performed in bulk at 120°C. The obtained copolymers were characterized by multiblock microstructure. The highest reactivity rate was demonstrated by trimethylene carbonate in comparison with ε-caprolactone monomer. The thermal and mechanical properties of the copolymers were strongly dependent on the monomer composition. Preliminary tests of monomers copolymerization using reactive extrusion yielded positive result

The obtaining of new high elastic bioresorbable aliphatic carbonate copolymers

Szereg bioresorbowalnych, liniowych kopolimerów węglanu 1,3-trimetylenu (TMC) z węglanem 2,2- dimetylotrimetylenu (DTC) syntezowano poprzez polimeryzację z otwarciem pierścienia (ROP) prowadzoną w stopie. Kopolimery otrzymano w obecności jednowodnego acetyloacetonianu cynku (II), jako inicjatora. Związek ten, o niskiej toksyczności okazał się bardzo efektywnym inicjatorem przedstawionych reakcji. Otrzymane kopolimery scharakteryzowane zostały metodami spektroskopii 1H and 13C NMR, a także metodą DSC, TGA i GPC. Zbadano wpływ składu komonomerów na termiczne i mechaniczne właściwości otrzymanych kopolimerów. Następnie wytypowano najlepszy materiał spośród syntezowanych kopolimerów, z którego uformowano elastyczne, porowate podłoże do hodowli komórek.A series of bioresorbable, linear copolymers of 1,3-trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and 2,2-dimethyl-trimetylene carbonate (DTC) were synthesized by bulk ring-opening polymerization (ROP). Copolymers were prepared in the presence of zinc acetylacetonate monohydrate (II) as initiator. This low toxic compound occurred to be a very effective initiator of presented reactions. The resulting copolymers were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, DSC, TGA and GPC measurements. The influence of the monomer composition on the thermal and mechanical properties of the obtained copolymers was investigated. Afterwards, from synthesized copolymers the best material was selected for manufacturing highly flexible, porous scaffolds for cell culture

New semi-crystalline bioresorbable materials with shape-memory properties

W procesie terpolimeryzacji cyklicznych monomerów glikolidu, L-laktydu i trimetylenowęglanu (TMC), w obecności niskotoksycznego acetylacetonianu cyrkonu (IV) lub Zn(C2H5)(OC2H5) jako inicjatora, otrzymano z dobrą wydajnością bioresorbowalne trójpolimery wykazujące własność pamięci kształtu. W zależności od zastosowanej metody syntezy (jednostopniowa terpolimeryzacja w stopie, dwustopniowa terpolimeryzacja w stopie, terpolimeryzacja glikolidu, laktydu i wcześniej syntezowanego oligomeru TMC) czy w zależności od rodzaju zastosowanego inicjatora uzyskano terpolimery o zbliżonym składzie lecz o różnorodnej budowie łańcucha polimerowego, a co jest z tym związane o rożnej morfologii - od materiałów całkowicie amorficznych po materiały o dużym stopniu krystaliczności. Przedstawiono podstawowe własności otrzymanych polimerów, w tym zachowanie pamięci kształtu.On the course of the therpolymerization process of glycolide, L-lactide and trimethylene carbonate (TMC) cyclic monomers, using low-toxic zirconium (IV) acetylacetonate or Zn(C2H5)(OC2H5) as initiator, bioresorbable terpolymers characterized with shape memory properties were efficiently obtained. Depending on the preferred method of synthesis (single-stage terpolymerization in bulk, two-stage terpolymerization in bulk, terpolymerization of glycolide, lactide and previously synthesized TMC oligomer) or the type of the used initiator, we achieved to obtain terpolymers with similar composition but with varied polymer chain microstructure and consequently different morphology – from wholly amorphous to characterized with high degree of crystallinity. Elementary properties of the obtained polymers, including the shape-memory ability, are described herewith

In vitro evaluation of doxycycline released from biodegradable polymeric carrier on Desulfovibrio desulfuricans strain

Systemy miejscowego uwalniania leku stanowią obiecującą drogę leczenia chorób przyzębia współtowarzyszącą mechanoterapii. Uzasadnieniem dla ich zastosowania jest fakt, że osiągają one dno kieszonki dziąsłowej, które jest niedostępne dla narzędzi stomatologicznych. Przyszłość tychże systemów bardzo silnie związana jest z polimerowymi nośnikami leku. Celem prezentowanych badań było oszacowanie działania jakościowego wcześniej opracowanych systemów miejscowego uwalniania doksycykliny, opartego na polimerowym nośniku leku (bioresorbowalne kopolimery o wysokiej elastyczności: ε-kaprolaktonu z trimetylowęglanem oraz kopolimer glikolidu z ε-kaprolaktonem) na potencjalnie patogenny dla przyzębia szczep Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. Wykorzystana w badaniach doksycyklina została wybrana ze względu na swoje dodatkowe szczególne właściwości, które nie związane są z jej wpływem na bakterie, a bardzo pomocne w terapii chorób przyzębia. Wykonano badanie oceny wrażliwości szczepu i wyznaczono minimalne stężenie hamujące (MIC) dla doksycykliny. Ocenę skuteczności systemu in vitro przeprowadzono poprzez wystawienie szczepu Desulfovibrio desulfuricans na działanie doksycykliny uwalnianej z polimerowych nośników w kolejnych dobach badania. Każdego dnia badania dokonywano odczytu wzrostu kolonii bakteryjnych na płytkach z podłożem. Na podstawie przeprowadzonych badań stwierdzono szczególną przydatność systemu zawierającego 5% leku, formowanego z udziałem kopolimeru o składzie 80% mol. kaproilu i 20% mol. jednostek węglanowych. System ten zapewnia pełną skuteczność w walce z tą modelową dla chorób przyzębia bakterią w okresie 8 dni od wprowadzenia.Local drug delivery systems are promising route of drug administration in periodontal treatment, parallel to scaling and root planning (SRP). The concept of this form of treatment is justified by the fact that it reaches the area unavailable for dental instruments. The future of these systems is tightly connected with polymeric drug carriers. The aim of this study was evaluation of polymeric local doxycycline delivery system (designed and described earlier) and its antimicrobial effect on Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, potentially pathogenic to periodontal tissue. Doxycycline used in the study was chosen for its additional special non-antibiotic properties that may be very helpful in periodontal treatment. The presented and tested polymeric drug carriers were flexible bioresorbable copolymers of ε-CL/TMC and ε-CL/GL. Bacteria susceptibility to doxycycline has been estimated and doxycycline Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) has been fixed. The antimicrobial effect of examined systems has been tested by D.desulfuricans exposure to doxycycline released daily from copolymers. Bacterial colony growth on agar plates was examined each day of the study. On the basis of these investigations, 20%TMC/80% ε-CL copolymer has been reported to be the most suitable for the designed local drug device. It showed doxycycline release able to inhibit bacterial growth during 8 days of the experiment