ABSTRACT
The three-dimensional morphology of swordfish skin roughness remains poorly understood. Subsequently, its importance to the overall physiology and hydrodynamic performance of the swordfish is yet to be determined. This is at least partly attributable to the inherent difficulty in making the required measurements of these complex biological surfaces. To address this, here two sets of novel high-resolution measurements of swordfish skin, obtained using a modular optical coherence tomography system and a gel-based stereo-profilometer, are reported and compared. Both techniques are shown to provide three-dimensional morphological data at micron-scale resolution. The results indicate that the skin surface is populated with spiny roughness elements, typically elongated in the streamwise direction, in groups of up to six, and in good agreement with previously reported information based on coarser measurements. In addition, our data also provide new information on the spatial distribution and variability of these roughness features. Two approaches, one continuous and another discrete, are used to derive various topographical metrics that characterize the surface texture of the skin. The information provided here can be used to develop statistically representative synthetic models of swordfish skin roughness.
Subject(s)
Fishes , Skin , Animals , Surface PropertiesABSTRACT
The cytotoxicity of several Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes with various molecular structures and geometries, has been tested on LoVo and 2008 cells at 1-100 microM concentration for 24 h exposure. On the basis of 24 h results, the exposure time was prolonged to 48 and to 72 hours. The most potent complexes result [Cu(tren)(H2O)]2+ 2Cl-, E, [CoCl3(H2Meppz)], G, and [CoCl3(HMe2ppz)], H, (tren=tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, H2Meppz=1-methylpiperazin-1-ium, HMe2ppz=1,4-dimethylpiperazin-1-ium cations). Nevertheless, these complexes are able to induce cell growth reduction of about 50% at highest doses tested (1-100 microM ) and after 72 h exposure.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis , Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings/chemical synthesis , Organometallic Compounds/chemical synthesis , Piperazines/chemical synthesis , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Colonic Neoplasms/pathology , Female , Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings/chemistry , Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings/pharmacology , Humans , Molecular Structure , Organometallic Compounds/chemistry , Organometallic Compounds/pharmacology , Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology , Oxidation-Reduction , Piperazines/chemistry , Piperazines/pharmacology , Structure-Activity Relationship , Tumor Cells, Cultured/drug effectsABSTRACT
Some rigid analogues of flavone-8-acetic acid are described. Direct in vitro toxicity of the synthesised compounds was evaluated towards four tumoral cell lines and the ability of these compounds to stimulate mouse peritoneal macrophages in culture to become tumoricidal (indirect toxicity) was also studied. All compounds were able to induce direct cytotoxicity only at very high concentrations but showed a remarkable indirect activity. In particular compound 4d was able to significantly increase macrophage lytic properties and has been selected for further investigations.
