Biodegradation of poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) tube stents in bile

The objective of this study was to evaluate degradation behavior and the feasibility of biodegradable polymeric stents in common bile duct (CBD) repair and reconstruction. Various molar ratios of lactide (LA) and glycolide (GA) in poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) were synthesized and processed into a circular tubing of similar to 10.0 mm outer diameter and a wall thickness of about 2.0 mm.

Feasibility of biodegradable PLGA common bile duct stents: An in vitro and in vivo study

The current study investigates the feasibility of using a biodegradable polymeric stent in common bile duct (CBD) repair and reconstruction. Here, poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA, molar ratio LA/GA = 80/20) was processed into a circular tube- and dumbbell-shaped specimens to determine the in vitro degradation behavior in bile. The morphology, weight loss, and molecular weight changes were then investigated in conjunction with evaluations of the mechanical properties of the specimen. Circular tube-shaped PLGA stents with X-ray opacity were subsequently used in common bile duct exploration (CBDE) and primary suturing in canine models. Next, X-ray images of CBD stents in vivo were compared and levels of serum liver enzymes and a histological analysis were conducted after stent transplantation. The results showed that the PLGA stents exhibited the required biomedical properties and spontaneously disappeared from CBDs in 4-5 weeks. The degradation period and function match the requirements in repair and reconstruction of CBDs to support the duct, guide bile drainage, and reduce T-tube-related complications.

INVESTIGATION ON MECHANISMS FOR THE ELECTROOXIDATION OF SOME BILE-PIGMENTS BY SPECTROELECTROCHEMISTRY

The electrooxidation behavior of bilirubin (BR), biliverdin (BV), purpurin (Pu), and choletelin (Ch in dimethylformamide (DMF) have been investigated bv voltammetry, in situ electron spin resonance (ESR) thin-layer spectroelectrochemistry and especially i

Enhancement of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization for the determination of free and glycine-conjugated bile acids in human serum

A highly sensitive and accurate method based on the precolumn derivatization of bile acids (BA) with a high ionization efficiency labeling reagent 1,2-benzo-3,4-dihydrocarbazole-9-ethyl-benzenesulfonate (BDEBS) coupled with LC/MS has been developed. After derivatization, BA molecules introduced a weak basic nitrogen atom into the molecular core structure that was readily ionized in commonly used acidic HPLC mobile phases. Derivatives were sufficiently stable to be efficiently analyzed by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI)-MS/MS in positive-ion mode. The MS/MS spectra of BA derivatives showed an intense protonated molecular ion at m/z [M + H](+). The collision-induced dissociation of the molecular ion produced fragment ions at [MH - H2O](+), [MH - 2H(2)O](+), [MH - 3H(2)O](+). The characteristic fragment ions were at m/z 320.8, 262.8, and 243.7 corresponding to a cleavage of N - CO, O - CO, and C - OCC, respectively, and bonds of derivatized molecules. The selected reaction monitoring, based on the m/z [M + H]+ -> [MH - H2O](+), [MH - H2O](+), [MH - 2H(2)O](+), [MH-3H(2)O](+), 320.8, 262.8, and 243.7 transitions, was highly specific for the BA derivatives. The LODs for APCI in a positive-ion mode, at an S/N of 5, were 44.36-153.6 fmol. The validation results showed high accuracy in the range of 93-107% and the mean interday precision for all standards was < 15% at broad linear dynamic ranges (0.0244-25nmol/mL). Good linear responses were observed with coefficients of > 0.9935 in APCI/MS detection. Therefore, the facile BDEBS derivatization coupled with mass spectrometric analysis allowed the development of a highly sensitive and specific method for the quantitation of trace levels of the free and glycine-conjugated BA from human serum samples.

肝脏中生物流体流动的多重介质渗流模型和数值模拟

本文采用生物渗流理论，建立了肝脏内不同生物流体流动的多重介质渗流模型，采用有限元法求解这种特殊的渗流问题，根据数值计算结果揭示了肝内血液、组织液以及胆汁等的流动规律，并探讨了肝脏血流动力学的一些问题。论文将肝脏内部与生物代谢功能有关的肝血窦和窦周间隙当作两重并存的多孔介质，血液在肝血窦中，以及组织液在窦周间隙中的流动均当作渗流处理，通过Starling公式考虑了两重介质之间的流量交换，从而建立了肝血窦-窦周间隙的双重介质模型。针对肝脏胆汁分泌功能，将肝脏内密布的毛血肝管网当作多孔介质，以受静压及渗透压驱动的流体跨壁流动表示肝汁从肝细胞向毛细肝管的分泌，肝汁在毛细胆管网中的流动作为渗流处理，从而建立了肝汁分泌与输运的双重介质模型。采用有限元法求解了生物流体的双重介质渗流问题，针对非牛顿渗流和两重介质的相互作用，本文发展了一种嵌套迭代方法，即采用直接迭代求解血液在肝血窦中的非线性渗流，采用交替迭代解决双重介质渗流中由跨壁流支引起的相互流体交换，直接迭代嵌套于交替迭代中。这种算法比较有效的解决了包含非牛顿渗流的双重介质渗流问题。根据生物多孔介质中微细管系统的构筑方式以及不同微细管系统之间的联系方式，论文提出将生物多孔介质划分为分级多孔介质和多重多孔介质两种主要类型。基于多相混合物的平均化的理论，论文推导了双重多孔介质中的动量守恒方程、质量守恒方程以及相应的渗流方程，建立了双重多孔介质渗流的平均化模型。基于分级多孔介质渗流的理论，论文将脏器中的血管树按管径分为不同级别的多孔介质，各级血管中和血液流动均作为渗流处理，从而提出了计算脏器整体血流的一种渗流方法。采用这种方法，在论文提出的肝血窦 - 窦周间隙双重介质渗流流模型的基础之上，初步研究了肝脏门静脉系统的血液动力学规律。采用本文提出的肝血窦 - 窦周间隙双重介质模型和胆汁分泌 - 流动的双重介质模型，得到了血液、组织液和胆汁在肝小叶中的压力分布和速度分布，并分析了肝血窦壁的跨壁流动模式，胆汁流量的影响因素，以及窦周间隙中组织液流量与肝血窦中血液流动及肝血窦壁渗透系数等因素的关系，揭示了肝脏内血液、组织液及胆汁等生物流体流动的一般规律。

Density Gradient Ultracentrifugation of Nanotubes: Interplay of Bundling and Surfactants Encapsulation

Density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) has emerged as a promising tool to prepare chirality enriched nanotube samples. Here, we assess the performance of different surfactants for DGU. Bile salts (e.g., sodium cholate (SC), sodium deoxycholate (SDC), and sodium taurodeoxycholate (TDC)) are more effective in individualizing Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) compared to linear chain surfactants (e.g., sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)) and better suited for DGU. Using SC, a narrower diameter distribution (0.69-0.81 nm) is achieved through a single DGU step on CoMoCAT tubes, when compared to SDC and TDC (0.69-0.89 nm). No selectivity is obtained using SDBS. due to its ineffectiveness in debundling. We assign the reduce selectivity of dihydroxy bile salts (S DC and TDC) in comparison with trihydroxy SC to the formation of secondary micelles. This is determined by the number and position of hydroxyl ( OH) groups on the a-side of the steroid backbone. We also enrich CoMoCAT SWNT in the 0.84-0.92 nm range using the Pluronic F98 triblock copolymer. Mixtures of bile salts (SC) and linear chain surfactants (SOS) are used to enrich metallic and semiconducting laser-ablation grown SWNTs. We demonstrate enrichment of a single chirality, (6,5), combining diameter and metallic versus semiconductillg separation on CoMoCAT samples.

Chiral separation of binaphthol enantiomers in capillary electrophoresis

Binaphthol enantiomers could be baseline separated using cholic acid as chiral selector at the concentration of 20 mmol/L. The effects of cholic acid concentration and pH of the buffer on separation were studied. The influence of methanol, acetonitrile, iso-propyl alcohol were also studied.

STUDY ON THE REDOX PROCESS OF BILIRUBIN AND BILIVERDIN AT PLATINUM-ELECTRODE BY IN-SITU SPECTROELECTROCHEMISTRY

The electrochemical redox behavior of bilirubin (BR IValpha), biliverdin (BV IValpha) and their oxidized product bile-purpurin (Bi-Pu) have been studied by in situ spectroelectrochemical techniques, which reveals that the transformation of BR IValpha [GRA

IN-SITU UV-VISIBLE SPECTROELECTROCHEMICAL AND CIRCULAR DICHROIC ELECTROCHEMICAL STUDY OF BILIRUBIN AND BILIRUBIN PLUS HUMAN SERUM-ALBUMIN COMPLEX

The electro-oxidation of bilirubin (BR) in aqueous solution was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and in-situ thin-layer spectroelectrochemical techniques, It was found that both oxidation processes of BR are two electron transfer reactions. A mechanism

Influence of several non-nutrient additives on nonspecific immunity and growth of juvenile turbot, Scophthalmus maximus L.

The effects of three non-nutrient additives on nonspecific immunity and growth of juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.) were studied in this feeding experiment. The five treatments are basal diet alone, basal diets containing three different additives [0.4 g kg(-1) of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), 1.3 g kg (-1) of yeast cell wall and 0.8 g kg (-1) of bile acids] individually or in combination. Two hundred and twenty-five turbots (average initial weight 151.3 +/- 11.3 g) were randomly allotted in five treatments with three replicates within each treatment in a 72-day period. Comparing with basal diet group, activities of C3, C4, phagocyte, lysozyme, specific growth rate and feed conversion rate in yeast cell wall, XOS and the combined groups was enhanced significantly (P < 0.05); however, these parameters in bile acid groups were increased slightly (P > 0.05) except for phagocyte (P < 0.05); superoxide dismutase activity in additive groups was not significantly increased (P > 0.05) except for the combined group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation of yeast cell wall and XOS enhanced the nonspecific immunity of juvenile turbot. Synergistic or additive effect of the three additives was not observed.

Antihyperlipidemic effects of different molecular weight sulfated polysaccharides from Ulva pertusa (Chlorophyta)

Ulvan, a sulfated polysaccharide from Ulva pertusa, was degraded to yield two low molecular weight fractions U1 and U2. The molecular weights of ulvan and its fractions were determined and varied from 151.6 to 28.2 kDa. They were fed to rats on a hypercholesterolemic diet for 21 days to evaluate and compare the antihyperlipidemic actions. Ulvan-based diet significantly lowered the levels of serum total cholesterol (-45.2%, P < 0.05) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol, -54.1%, P < 0.05). While U1- and U2-based diets significantly elevated the levels of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol, +22.0% for U1, not significant; +61.0% for U2; P < 0.05) and reduced triglyceride (TG, -82.4% for U1, -77.7% for U2; P < 0.05) in rats as compared to control diet. In addition, consumptions of various ulvans significantly increased fecal bile acid excrement. The results indicated that ulvans with different molecular weights exhibited diverse effects on lipid metabolism. The high molecular weight ulvan was effective in serum total and LDL-cholesterol, whereas low molecular weight fractions were in TG and HDL-cholesterol. The fractions were considered to be more beneficial to hyperlipidemia associated with diabetes over ulvan. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.