Effects of apolipoprotein B-100 on the metabolism of a lipid microemulsion model in rats

In previous studies, it was shown that lipid microemulsions resembling LDL (LDE) but not containing protein, acquire apolipoprotein E when injected into the bloodstream and bind to LDL receptors (LDLR) using this protein as ligand. Aiming to evaluate the effects of apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 on the catabolism of these microemulsions, LDE with incorporated apo B-100 (LDE-apoB) and native LDL, all labeled with radioactive lipids were studied after intraarterial injection into Wistar rats. Plasma decay curves of the labels were determined in samples collected over 10 h and tissue uptake was assayed from organs excised from the animals sacrificed 24 h after injection. LDE-apo B had a fractional clearance rate (FCR) similar to native LDL (0.40 and 0.33, respectively) but both had FCR pronouncedly smaller than LDE (0.56, P<0.01). Liver was the main uptake site for LDE, LDE-apoB, and native LDL, but LDE-apoB and native LDL had lower hepatic uptake rates than LDE. Pre-treatment of the rats with 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol, known to upregulate LDLR, accelerated the removal from plasma of both LDE and LDE-apoB, but the effect was greater upon LDE than LDE-apoB. These differences in metabolic behavior documented in vivo can be interpreted by the lower affinity of LDLR for apo B-100 than for apo E, demonstrated in in vitro studies. Therefore, our study shows in vivo that, in comparison with apo E, apo B is a less efficient ligand to remove lipid particles such as microemulsions or lipoproteins from the intravascular compartment. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of remazol turquoise blue and toxicological assessment of its oxidation products

The ability of photoelectrocatalytic oxidation to degrade the commercially important copper-plitalocyanine dye, remazol turquoise blue 15 (RTB) was investigated. The best experimental condition was optimized, evaluating the performance of Ti/TiO2 thin-film electrodes prepared by sol-gel method in the decolourization of 32 mg L-1 RTB dye in 0.5 mol L-1 Na2SO4 pH 8 and applied potential of +1.5 V versus SCE under UV irradiation. Spectrophotometric measurements, high performance liquid chromatography, dissolved organic carbon (TOC) evaluation and stripping analysis of yielding solution obtained after 3 h of photoelectrolysis leads to 100% of absorbance removal from wavelength of 250-800 nm, 79.6% of TOC reduction and the releasing of up to 54.6% dye-bound copper (0.85 mg L-1) into the solution. Both, original and oxidized dye solution did not presented mutagenic activity with the strains TA98 and WOO of Salmonella in the presence and absence of S9 mix at the tested doses. Nevertheless, the yielding photoelectrocatalytic oxidized solution showed an increase in the acute toxicity for Vibrio fischeri bacteria, explained by copper liberation during treatment. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spectroscopic and electrochemical characterization of polyaniline and a ruthenium complex, mer-[RuCl3(dppb)(py)], in the form of Langmuir-Blodgett films

Langmuir monolayers and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films have been produced from polyaniline and a biphosphinic ruthenium complex, referred to as Rupy. Strong, repulsive interaction between the two components led to a nonlinear change in area per molecule and surface potential with the concentration of Rupy in the mixed film. Molecular interaction was also denoted in the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of the Y-type LB transferred films. The Raman spectra of mixed PANI-Rupy films indicated that the degree of oxidation of PANI increased linearly with the concentration of Ropy. With PANI being increasingly oxidized by presence of Rupy, the electroactivity of the mixed films decreased with the amount of Rupy, to become undetectable when the mixed LB film is 501 mol in Rupy. The presence of Rupy caused the electrical properties of the mixed LB films to be less sensitive to environmental changes. The electrical capacitance of a mixed film changed only by 15% when the sample was taken from vacuum to air, whereas the change was 215% for a pure PANI LB film.

Morphology of Aortic Arch in Rabbits with Atherosclerosis Treated with Resveratrol

Objective: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with the production of oxidative species. The phenoliccompound, resveratrol, seems to have cardioprotective activities preventing the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins.In this study we investigated the effect of resveratrol on prevention of induced atheromatosis, through the morphological study of the segment of aortic arch in White New Zealand rabbits.Study design: 20 rabbits were divided into four groups which received the following diet for 60 days: control group (CT) normal ration; resveratrol group (R) normal ration and resveratrol (3 mg/kg/day); cholesterol group (CL) 1.5% of cholesterol added to the ration; group cholesterol plus resveratrol (CR) 1.5% of cholesterol added to the ration and resveratrol (3 mg/kg/day). The analysis of the atherosclerotic lesions were performed by the means of appropriate histological techniques.Results and conclusions: The animals belonging to group CL showed atherosclerotic lesions with tunica intima thickening due to the presence of foam cells, placed in several disorganized layers, and extracellular lipid droplets in subendothelial conjunctive tissue.We also observed the invasion of foam cells in the beginning of tunica media. In animals belonging to group CR there were changes in the subendothelial of tunica intima, although in a minor degree of development as for the number of foam cells layers and extracellular lipid droplets. An invasion of foam cells in tunica media was observed in this group. We haven't seen any changes in tunica adventitia in any of the studied groups. There were not evident histological changes in any of the analised tunicas for groups CT and RConclusions: This study may help demonstrate that the phenolic compound, resveratrol, works as a preventive agent in the development of atherosclerotic lesions.

Heme-Dependent and Independent Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Activators and Vasodilation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of processing conditions on the nucleation and growth of indium-tin-oxide nanowires made by pulsed laser ablation

Indium-tin oxide nanowires were deposited by excimer laser ablation onto catalyst-free oxidized silicon substrates at a low temperature of 500 degrees C in a nitrogen atmosphere. The nanowires have branches with spheres at the tips, indicating a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth. The deposition time and pressure have a strong influence on the areal density and length of the nanowires. At the earlier stages of growth, lower pressures promote a larger number of nucleation centers. With the increase in deposition time, both the number and length of the wires increase up to an areal density of about 70 wires/mu m(2). After this point all the material arriving at the substrate is used for lengthening the existing wires and their branches. The nanowires present the single-crystalline cubic bixbyite structure of indium oxide, oriented in the [100] direction. These structures have potential applications in electrical and optical nanoscale devices.

Resveratrol toxicity: Effects on risk factors for atherosclerosis and hepatic oxidative stress in standard and high-fat diets

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Sol-gel synthesis of mesoporous CaCu3Ti4O12 thin films and their gas sensing response

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Nanocomposites of Styrene-Butadiene Rubber and Synthetic Anatase Obtained by a Colloidal Route and Their Photooxidation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Electrochemistry of organometallic compounds. Part II. Oxidations of alkyl and aryl derivatives of bis(salicylaldehyde)ethylenediimine cobalt(III) in dimethylformamide

The influence of the axial organic ligand R on the electrochemical oxidation of the compounds [RCoIII(salen)DMF)], where salen is bis(salicylaldehyde)ethylenediimine, and R CH3, C2H5, n-C3H7, n-C4H9, s-C4H9, i-C4H9, CH2Cl, CF3CH2, c-C6H11CH2, c-C6H11, C6H5, C6H5CH2, p-CH3C6H4CH2, and p-NO2C6H4CH2, was studied by means of cyclic voltametry in dimethylformamide (DMF), 0.2 M in tetraethylammonium perchlorate (TEAP), at 25 and -20°C, with a platinum disc working electrode. The above-mentioned compounds can be classified according to their electrochemical behavior. (a) The complexes with R CH3, C2H5, n-C3H7, n-C4H9, c-C6H11CH2, and C6H5 undergo a reversible one-electron oxidation in the 10-50 V s-1 potential scan range. At slower scan rates, the oxidized product decomposes chemically. At -20°C, this chemical step is slow, and a reversible one-electron electrochemical oxidation is observed. (b) The compounds with R CH2Cl, C6H5CH2, p-CH3C6H4CH2 and p-NO2C6H4CH2 undergo a quasi-reversible one-electron oxidation at room temperaure. At -20°C, the electrochemical process becomes more complex. A following chemical reactions is coupled to the quasi-reversible one-electron transfer. Two reduction peaks are observed. (c) The compounds with R i-C4H9, s-C4H9, and c-C6H11 undergo a reversible one-electron oxidation at -20°C. At room temperature, the irreversible chemical reaction following the electron transfer step is too fast to allow the isolation of the electrochemical step. (d) At -20°C, the derivatives with R C2H5, c-C6H11 CH2 and c-C6H11 are adsorbed at the electrode surface. Evidence indicates that the reagent in these reactions is the pentacoordinated species [RCoIII(salen)]. A linear free-energy relationship between E1/2 (for reversible processes) and the Taft polar parameters o* was obtained with a slope of ρ* = 0.25 ± 0.03. As expected, the benzyl derivatives which present mesomeric effects do not fit this polar correlation. The rated of the electrochemical oxidation is also affected by the nature of the ligand R. For the ligands which are strong electron-withdrawing groups and for the benzyl derivatives, the rate of the electrochemical oxidation of the metal ion decreases at room temperature. At lower temperatures, it is suggested that the oxidation to the CoIV-R species is followed by a chemical reaction in which this complex is partly transformed into a CoIII(R*) species, which is reduced at a much more cathodic potential than the Co(IV) species. © 1979.

Electrochemistry of organometallic compounds. Part III. Oxidations of methyl derivatives of organocobalt(III) complexes with delocalized electronic structure in dimethylformamide

The influence of the equatorial ligand on the electrochemical oxidation of the compounds [H3CCo(chel)B], where chel is bis (dimethylglyoximato), (DH)2; bis(salicylaldehyde)ethylenediimine, salen; bis(salicylaldehyde) o-phenylenediimine, salophen; bis(salicylaldehyde)cyclohexylenediimine, salcn; bis(acetylacetone) ethylenediimine, bae; and where B is pyridine when chel is (DH2), and dimethylformamide (DMF) when chel represents a Schiff base (salen, salcn, salophen and bae), was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry in DMF, 0.2 M in tetraethylammonium perchlorate, between 25 and -25°C, with a platinum disk working electrode. Absorption spectra in the visible and near ultraviolet regions for these compounds in DMF at 25°C were obtained. The complexes exhibit a reversible one-electron oxidation, at -20°C with scan rates >0.5 V s-; chemical reactions following electron transfer are not detected under these conditions. At slower potential or higher temperatures, the oxidized product decomposes chemically in a solvent-assisted (or nucleophile-assisted) reaction, yielding products which are electroactive in the applied potential range. The behavior of the [H3CCo (DH2)py] derivative is better described as a quasi-reversible charge transfer followed by an irreversible chemical reaction. Experimental evidence suggests that in the case of the [H3CCo(bae)] derivative at -20°C, the reactive -species is pentacoordinated and weakly adsorbed at the electrode surface. The value of E 1 2 and the energies of the first two absorption bands in the visible spectra reveal the ability of the studied complexes to donate and to delocalize electronic charge. © 1982.

Electrochemistry of organometallic compounds. Part IV. Oxidations of benzylic derivatives and p-substituted benzylic derivatives of bis(dimethylglyoximato) and bis(salicylaldehyde)o-phenylenediimine cobalt(III) in dimethylformamide

The electrochemical oxidation of some p-substituted benzylic derivatives of Co(III) dimethylglyoximato and Co(III)bis(salicylaldehydc)o-phenylenediimine in dimethylformamide. 0.2 M in tetraethyammonium perchlorate, on a platinum electrode, at several temperatures, is described as an ECE type, the first electrochemical step being a quasi-reversible one-electron charge transfer at room temperature. At temperatures around -20°C, or lower, the influence of the irreversible chemical decomposition of the oxidized species, via a solvent or other nucleophilic-assisted reaction, is negligible. It is suggested that at low temperatures the oxidation to the formally CoIV-R species is followed by an isomerization reaction in which this complex is partially transformed in a CoIII-(R) species or a s π-complex which undergoes an electroreduction at less positive potentials than those corresponding to the reduction of the CoIV-R species. © 1982.

Characterization of the colloidal products of pentacarbonyliron oxidation

Pentacarbonyliron was oxidized with H2O2, in organic solvents, to give colloidal sols. The aqueous-ethanolic sol is highly stable and undergoes thermally-reversible coagulation. Its solid phase was found to be a non-crystalline Fe (III) hydroxoacetate which is transformed to α-Fe2O3 when heated to 300°C. Iron-bound acetate groups are assumed to have a major role in the sol stability, by preserving the amorphous solid phase. Dry hydroxoacetate particles were heated under vacuum; scanning electron microscopy revealed that these particles coalesce and grow, as in a sintering process but at low temperatures (100-250°). © 1987.

The electrochemistry of ferrocene in non-aqueous solvents

the electrochemical oxidation of ferrocene on Pt in dimethylformamide, ethanol, propylene carbonate and their aqueous solutions was studied at 25°C. The concentration of the supporting electrolyte, NaClO4, was varied from 0.1 to 0.5 M. The results show that the electrode process may be described as a quasi-reversible one-electron charge transfer, followed by slow decomposition of the oxidized species. © 1987.

High temperature X-ray diffraction study of the U4O9 formation on UO2 sintered plates

The surface oxidation of UO2 sintered plates at 170-275 ° C was studied in situ by high temperature X-ray diffractometry. At very low oxygen concentration, UO2 is oxidized to U4O9, while at 300°C and argon-20 vol% oxygen it is oxidized up to U3O7. X-ray diffraction profiles of the UO2, U4O9 and U3O7 phases were well characterized during the transformations. The activation energy for the transformation of UO2 to U4O9, obtained from X-ray diffraction data, was found to be 117 ± 9 kJ/mol and 90 ± 14 kJ/mol for the β-(311) and α-(200) reflections, respectively. © 1991.