Highly porous, low elastic modulus 316L stainless steel scaffold prepared by selective laser melting.

Recently, porous metallic materials have been extensively studied as candidates for use in the fabrication of scaffolds and augmentations to repair trabecular bone defects, e.g. in surroundings of joint replacements. Fabricating these complex structures by using common approaches (e.g., casting and machining) is very challenging. Therefore, rapid prototyping techniques, such as selective laser melting (SLM), have been investigated for these applications. In this study, we characterized a highly porous (87 vol.%) 316L stainless steel scaffold prepared by SLM. 316L steel was chosen because it presents a biomaterial still widely used for fabrication of joint replacements and, from the practical point of view, use of the same material for fabrication of an augmentation and a joint replacement is beneficial for corrosion prevention. The results are compared to the reported properties of two representative nonporous 316L stainless steels prepared either by SLM or casting and subsequent hot forging. The microstructural and mechanical properties and the surface chemical composition and interaction with the cells were investigated. The studied material exhibited mechanical properties that were similar to those of trabecular bone (compressive modulus of elasticity ~0.15GPa, compressive yield strength ~3MPa) and cytocompatibility after one day that was similar to that of wrought 316L stainless steel, which is a commonly used biomaterial. Based on the obtained results, SLM is a suitable method for the fabrication of porous 316L stainless steel scaffolds with highly porous structures.

Interaction of antitumor platinum complexes with human liver microsomal cytochromes P450.

Interaction of nine human hepatic cytochromes P450 (CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP3A4) with six platinum complexes was studied using pooled human microsomes. The compounds used were cisplatin, oxaliplatin, carboplatin, transplatin, and trans-[PtCl2(NH3) (Am)], where Am=2-methylbutylamine or sec-butylamine. No significant inhibition of all CYP activities by carboplatin was observed. With cisplatin and oxaliplatin, a minor inhibition of CYP2C9 enzyme (75% of control at 400 miromol/l of these complexes) was seen; cisplatin also inhibited slightly the CYP2B6 activity (85% of control). With respect to plasma levels of cisplatin obtained in clinical applications, these effects are probably not important. In contrast, clinically ineffective transplatin, inhibited the CYP2B6 as well as CYP2C9 activities significantly (to 50-35% of control at 100 micromol/l); also, an inhibition of CYP2E1 activity was found here (to 70% at 100 micromol/l). Two other derivatives of transplatin (new antitumor agents with trans geometry), inhibited CYP activities more strongly reaching nearly a complete inhibition of the respective CYP activities at concentration of 200 micromol/l. Half maximal inhibitory concentration values were found in the range of tens of micromol/l indicating that there is a possibility of potential interactions of these compounds with drugs metabolized by CYP3A4, CYP2E1, CYP2D6, CYP2C19, CYP2B6, CYP2A6, and CYP1A2. Interestingly, clinically non-significant inhibition was found with the CYP2C9 and CYP2C8 indicating low probability of interactions with, for example, warfarin. The results document that the new antitumor agents based on the transplatin should be more thoroughly tested for interactions with liver microsomal drug-metabolizing cytochromes P450.

Nitric oxide sensor based on carbon fiber covered with nickel porphyrin layer deposited using optimized electropolymerization procedure.

Electropolymerization regime of meso-tetrakis(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl) porphyrin is optimized to yield films possessing both electrocatalytical and permselective properties towards nitric oxide oxidation. The sensor composed of electrochemically oxidized carbon fiber, covered solely with nickel porphyrin derivative layer electropolymerized using our method, is characterized by high selectivity towards nitrite (1:600), ascorbate (1:8000) and dopamine (>1:80), determined by constant potential amperometry at 830 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl). Selectivity for ascorbate and dopamine as well as detection limit for NO (1.5 nM at S/N=3) is 5-10 times better than parameters usually reported for Nafion coated porphyrinic sensors. Nafion coating can further enhance selectivity properties as well as aids to the stability of the sensors' responses.