Validation of an FT-IR microscopy method for the monitorization of microplastics in water for human consumption in Portugal: Lisbon case study.

The growing anthropogenic contamination of natural water by microplastics (MPs) confirms the urgent need to preserve this precious resource. MPs are part of the group of contaminants of emerging concern, and the occurrence studies in surface water and water for human consumption (WHC) are mandatory for environmental and human health risk assessment. This study aims to optimize and validate a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method coupled with optical microscopy (micro-FTIR) in transmission mode to monitor MPs in WHC. Water sample (250 mL; without sample pre-treatment) was filtered through 5 µm silicon filters. The infrared spectra identification was performed by OMNIC mathematical correlation, using various spectra libraries for polymers (including the in-house IR spectra library), a background reading on a clean silicon filter, and an aperture of 100 µm × 100 µm. The validated method showed good accuracy, with an average recovery for representative polymers of 91%, a relative standard deviation of 13%, and a reporting limit (RL) of 44 MPs/L. Sixty WHC samples from the Lisbon water supply system showed MPs ranging from 0 (< RL) to 934 MPs/L, with an average value of 309 MPs/L. The most representative polymers were polyethylene (PE, 76.8%), polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 6.9%), polypropylene (PP, 6%), polystyrene (PS, 4%), and polyamide (PA,4%). In terms of size, the microplastic particles had an average length and width of 76 µm and 39 µm, respectively.

Gastric schwannoma: Two case reports and review of the literature.

Gastric schwannomas are rare, slow-growing tumors whose clinical presentation is nonspecific. These are mostly benign, with a low probability of malignant transformation and an excellent prognosis. We present 2 cases of gastric schwannomas with distinct clinical features and imaging patterns, whose therapeutic approach differed. Case 1 is a 73-year-old woman with a voluminous subepithelial lesion in the greater gastric curvature, with predominantly endoluminal growth. Clinically the patient presented with nonspecific abdominal complaints and underwent complete surgical excision. Case 2 is a 69-year-old woman with an exophytic lesion adjacent to the gastric antrum, diagnosed incidentally and managed conservatively, with imaging follow-up, for the last 5 years and stable ever since. This article aims to focus on this rare disease, illustrating its main imaging findings, particularly in magnetic resonance imaging, along with pathological correlation, as well as reviewing the literature, discussing the differential diagnosis, and exploring clinical management and prognosis.

Effect of lipid oxidation on the channel properties of Cx26 hemichannels: A molecular dynamics study.

Intercellular communication plays a crucial role in cancer, as well as other diseases, such as inflammation, tissue degeneration, and neurological disorders. One of the proteins responsible for this, are connexins (Cxs), which come together to form a hemichannel. When two hemichannels of opposite cells interact with each other, they form a gap junction (GJ) channel, connecting the intracellular space of these cells. They allow the passage of ions, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), and signaling molecules from the interior of one cell to another cell, thus playing an essential role in cell growth, differentiation, and homeostasis. The importance of GJs for disease induction and therapy development is becoming more appreciated, especially in the context of oncology. Studies have shown that one of the mechanisms to control the formation and disruption of GJs is mediated by lipid oxidation pathways, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate how lipid oxidation influences the channel properties of Cx26 hemichannels, such as channel gating and permeability. Our results demonstrate that the Cx26 hemichannel is more compact in the presence of oxidized lipids, decreasing its pore diameter at the extracellular side and increasing it at the amino terminus domains, respectively. The permeability of the Cx26 hemichannel for water and RONS molecules is higher in the presence of oxidized lipids. The latter may facilitate the intracellular accumulation of RONS, possibly increasing oxidative stress in cells. A better understanding of this process will help to enhance the efficacy of oxidative stress-based cancer treatments.

The pro- and anti-tumoral properties of gap junctions in cancer and their role in therapeutic strategies.

Gap junctions (GJs), essential structures for cell-cell communication, are made of two hemichannels (commonly called connexons), one on each adjacent cell. Found in almost all cells, GJs play a pivotal role in many physiological and cellular processes, and have even been linked to the progression of diseases, such as cancer. Modulation of GJs is under investigation as a therapeutic strategy to kill tumor cells. Furthermore, GJs have also been studied for their key role in activating anti-cancer immunity and propagating radiation- and oxidative stress-induced cell death to neighboring cells, a process known as the bystander effect. While, gap junction (GJ)-based therapeutic strategies are being developed, one major challenge has been the paradoxical role of GJs in both tumor progression and suppression, based on GJ composition, cancer factors, and tumoral context. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of action, regulation, and the dual characteristics of GJs in cancer is critical for developing effective therapeutics. In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of GJs structure, function, and paradoxical pro- and anti-tumoral role in cancer. We also discuss the treatment strategies to target these GJs properties for anti-cancer responses, via modulation of GJ function.

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma - Rare Presentation.

Teaching Point: Subcutaneous nodules sparing the dermis and without extracutaneous involvement is a rare presentation of the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Distribution of lipid aldehydes in phase-separated membranes: A molecular dynamics study.

It is well established that lipid aldehydes (LAs) are able to increase the permeability of cell membranes and induce their rupture. However, it is not yet clear how LAs are distributed in phase-separated membranes (PSMs), which are responsible for the transport of selected molecules and intracellular signaling. Thus, we investigate here the distribution of LAs in a PSM by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Our results reveal that LAs derived from mono-unsaturated lipids tend to accumulate at the interface between the liquid-ordered/liquid-disordered domains, whereas those derived from poly-unsaturated lipids remain in the liquid-disordered domain. These results are important for understanding the effects caused by oxidized lipids in membrane structure, properties and organization.

Unraveling the permeation of reactive species across nitrated membranes by computer simulations.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are involved in many biochemical processes, including nitro-oxidative stress that causes cancer cell death, observed in cancer therapies such as photodynamic therapy and cold atmospheric plasma. However, their mechanisms of action and selectivity still remain elusive due to the complexity of biological cells. For example, it is not well known how RONS generated by cancer therapies permeate the cell membrane to cause nitro-oxidative damage. There are many studies dedicated to the permeation of RONS across native and oxidized membranes, but not across nitrated membranes, another lipid product also generated during nitro-oxidative stress. Herein, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to calculate the free energy barrier of RONS permeation across nitrated membranes. Our results show that hydrophilic RONS, such as hydroperoxyl radical (HO2) and peroxynitrous acid (ONOOH), have relatively low barriers compared to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl radical (HO), and are more prone to permeate the membrane than for the native or peroxidized membranes, and similar to aldehyde-oxidized membranes. Hydrophobic RONS like molecular oxygen (O2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitric oxide (NO) even have insignificant barriers for permeation. Compared to native and peroxidized membranes, nitrated membranes are more permeable, suggesting that we must not only consider oxidized membranes during nitro-oxidative stress, but also nitrated membranes, and their role in cancer therapies.

Lipid Oxidation: Role of Membrane Phase-Separated Domains.

Lipid oxidation is associated with several inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, but many questions to unravel its effects on biomembranes are still open due to the complexity of the topic. For instance, recent studies indicated that phase-separated domains can have a significant effect on membrane function. It is reported that domain interfaces are "hot spots" for pore formation, but the underlying mechanisms and the effect of oxidation-induced phase separation on membranes remain elusive. Thus, to evaluate the permeability of the membrane coexisting of liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) domains, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we studied the membrane permeability of nonoxidized or oxidized homogeneous membranes (single-phase) and at the Lo/Ld domain interfaces of heterogeneous membranes, where the Ld domain is composed of either oxidized or nonoxidized lipids. Our simulation results reveal that the addition of only 1.5% of lipid aldehyde molecules at the Lo/Ld domain interfaces of heterogeneous membranes increases the membrane permeability, whereas their addition at homogeneous membranes does not have any effect. This study is of interest for a better understanding of cancer treatment methods based on oxidative stress (causing among others lipid oxidation), such as plasma medicine and photodynamic therapy.

Oxidative damage to hyaluronan-CD44 interactions as an underlying mechanism of action of oxidative stress-inducing cancer therapy.

Multiple cancer therapies nowadays rely on oxidative stress to damage cancer cells. Here we investigated the biological and molecular effect of oxidative stress on the interaction between CD44 and hyaluronan (HA), as interrupting their binding can hinder cancer progression. Our experiments demonstrated that the oxidation of HA decreased its recognition by CD44, which was further enhanced when both CD44 and HA were oxidized. The reduction of CD44-HA binding negatively affected the proliferative state of cancer cells. Our multi-level atomistic simulations revealed that the binding free energy of HA to CD44 decreased upon oxidation. The effect of HA and CD44 oxidation on CD44-HA binding was similar, but when both HA and CD44 were oxidized, the effect was much larger, in agreement with our experiments. Hence, our experiments and computations support our hypothesis on the role of oxidation in the disturbance of CD44-HA interaction, which can lead to the inhibition of proliferative signaling pathways inside the tumor cell to induce cell death.

How do nitrated lipids affect the properties of phospholipid membranes?

Biological membranes are under constant attack of free radicals, which may lead to lipid nitro-oxidation, producing a complex mixture of nitro-oxidized lipids that are responsible for structural and dynamic changes on the membrane. Despite the latter, nitro-oxidized lipids are also associated with several inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, the underlying mechanisms of which remain elusive. We perform atomistic molecular dynamics simulations using several isomers of nitro-oxidized lipids to study their effect on the structure and permeability of the membrane, as well as the interaction between the mixture of these products in the phospholipid membrane environment. Our results show that the stereo- and positional isomers have a stronger effect on the properties of the membrane composed of oxidized lipids compared to that containing nitrated lipids. Nevertheless, nitrated lipids lead to three-fold increase in water permeability compared to oxidized lipids. In addition, we show that in a membrane consisting of combined nitro-oxidized lipid products, the presence of oxidized lipids protects the membrane from transient pores. Is well stablished that plasma application and photodynamic therapy produces a number of oxidative species used to kill cancer cells, through membrane damage induced by nitro-oxidative stress. This study is important to elucidate the mechanisms and the molecular level properties involving the reactive species produced during that cancer therapies.

Parametrization and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Nitrogen Oxyanions and Oxyacids for Applications in Atmospheric and Biomolecular Sciences.

Nitrogen oxyanions and oxyacids are important agents in atmospheric chemistry and medical biology. Although their chemical behavior in solution is relatively well understood, they may behave very differently at the water/air interface of atmospheric aerosols or at the membrane/water interface of cells. Here, we developed a fully classical model for molecular dynamics simulations of NO3-, NO2-, HNO3, and HNO2 in the framework of the GROMOS 53A6 and 54A7 force field versions. The model successfully accounted for the poorly structured solvation shell and ion pairing tendency of NO3-. Accurate pure-liquid properties and hydration free energies were obtained for the oxyacids. Simulations at the water/air interface showed a local enrichment of HNO3 and depletion of NO3-. The effect was discussed in light of earlier spectroscopic data and ab initio calculations, suggesting that HNO3 behaves as a weaker acid at the surface of water. Our model will hopefully allow for efficient and accurate simulations of nitrogen oxyanions and oxyacids in solution and at microheterogeneous interface environments.

Molecular dynamics simulations of mechanical stress on oxidized membranes.

Biomembranes are under constant attack of free radicals that may lead to lipid oxidation in conditions of oxidative stress. The products generated during lipid oxidation are responsible for structural and dynamical changes which may jeopardize the membrane function. For instance, the local rearrangements of oxidized lipid molecules may induce membrane rupture. In this study, we investigated the effects of mechanical stress on oxidized phospholipid bilayers (PLBs). Model bilayers were stretched until pore formation (or poration) using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. We studied single-component homogeneous membranes composed of lipid oxidation products, as well as two-component heterogeneous membranes with coexisting native and oxidized domains. In homogeneous membranes, the oxidation products with -OH and -OOH groups reduced the areal strain required for pore formation, whereas the oxidation product with O group behaved similarly to the native membrane. In heterogeneous membranes composed of oxidized and non-oxidized domains, we tested the hypothesis according to which poration may be facilitated at the domain interface region. However, results were inconclusive due to their large statistical variance and sensitivity to simulation setup parameters. We pointed out important technical issues that need to be considered in future simulations of mechanically-induced poration of heterogeneous membranes. This research is of interest for photodynamic therapy and plasma medicine, because ruptured and intact plasma membranes are experimentally considered hallmarks of necrotic and apoptotic cell death.

Transport of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species across Aquaporin: A Molecular Level Picture.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane proteins that conduct not only water molecules across the cell membrane but also other solutes, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), produced (among others) by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). These RONS may induce oxidative stress in the cell interior, which plays a role in cancer treatment. The underlying mechanisms of the transport of RONS across AQPs, however, still remain obscure. We apply molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the permeation of both hydrophilic (H2O2 and OH) and hydrophobic (NO2 and NO) RONS through AQP1. Our simulations show that these RONS can all penetrate across the pores of AQP1. The permeation free energy barrier of OH and NO is lower than that of H2O2 and NO2, indicating that these radicals may have easier access to the pore interior and interact with the amino acid residues of AQP1. We also study the effect of RONS-induced oxidation of both the phospholipids and AQP1 (i.e., sulfenylation of Cys191) on the transport of the above-mentioned RONS across AQP1. Both lipid and protein oxidation seem to slightly increase the free energy barrier for H2O2 and NO2 permeation, while for OH and NO, we do not observe a strong effect of oxidation. The simulation results help to gain insight in the underlying mechanisms of the noticeable rise of CAP-induced RONS in cancer cells, thereby improving our understanding on the role of AQPs in the selective anticancer capacity of CAP.

Oxygen distribution in the fluid/gel phases of lipid membranes.

The interactions between oxygen and lipid membranes play fundamental roles in basic biological processes (e.g., cellular respiration). Obviously, membrane oxidation is expected to be critically dependent on the distribution and concentration of oxygen in the membrane. Here, we combined theoretical and experimental methods to investigate oxygen partition and distribution in lipid membranes of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) in a temperature range between 298 and 323 K, specifically focusing on the changes caused by the lipid phase and phase transition. Even though oxygen is known to be more concentrated in the center of fluid phase membranes than on the headgroup regions, the distribution profile of oxygen inside gel-phase bilayers remained to be determined. Molecular dynamics simulations now show that the distribution of oxygen inside DPPC bilayers dramatically changes upon crossing the main transition temperature, with oxygen being nearly depleted halfway from the headgroups to the membrane center below the transition temperature. In a parallel approach, singlet oxygen luminescence emission measurements employing the photosensitizer Pheophorbide-a (Pheo) confirmed the differences in oxygen distribution and concentration profiles between gel- and fluid-phase membranes, revealing changes in the microenvironment of the embedded photosensitizer. Our results also reveal that excited triplet state lifetime, as it can be determined from the singlet oxygen luminescence kinetics, is a useful probe to assess oxygen distribution in lipid membranes with distinct lipid compositions.

Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species at Phospholipid Bilayers: Peroxynitrous Acid and Its Homolysis Products.

Peroxynitrite is a powerful and long-lived oxidant generated in vivo. Peroxynitrous acid (ONOOH), its protonated form, may penetrate into phospholipid bilayers and undergo homolytic cleavage to nitrogen dioxide (·NO2) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH), causing severe nitro-oxidative damage. The membrane environment is thought to influence ONOOH reactions, but the mechanisms remain speculative. Most experimental techniques lack the level of resolution required to keep track of the motion of very reactive species and their interactions with the membrane. Here, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the permeation, interactions, and dynamics of ONOOH and its homolysis products in the phospholipid membrane environment. We started by developing an ONOOH model that successfully accounted for its conformational equilibria and solvation energies. Membrane permeation of ONOOH was accompanied by conformational changes. ONOOH exhibited a strong tendency to bind to and accumulate at the membrane headgroup region. There, ONOOH homolysis led to ·NO2 radicals, which in turn partitioned to the membrane interior. About one-third of the ·OH radicals readily escaped to the aqueous phase within 1 ns. However, a significant number of ·OH radicals became trapped at the lipid headgroup region for a longer period. The possible implications for membrane-based nitration and oxidation processes were discussed.

Photosensitized Membrane Permeabilization Requires Contact-Dependent Reactions between Photosensitizer and Lipids.

Although the general mechanisms of lipid oxidation are known, the chemical steps through which photosensitizers and light permeabilize lipid membranes are still poorly understood. Herein we characterized the products of lipid photooxidation and their effects on lipid bilayers, also giving insight into their formation pathways. Our experimental system was designed to allow two phenothiazinium-based photosensitizers (methylene blue, MB, and DO15) to deliver the same amount of singlet oxygen molecules per second to 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine liposome membranes, but with a substantial difference in terms of the extent of direct physical contact with lipid double bonds; that is, DO15 has a 27-times higher colocalization with ω-9 lipid double bonds than MB. Under this condition, DO15 permeabilizes membranes at least 1 order of magnitude more efficiently than MB, a result that was also valid for liposomes made of polyunsaturated lipids. Quantification of reaction products uncovered a mixture of phospholipid hydroperoxides, alcohols, ketones, and aldehydes. Although both photosensitizers allowed the formation of hydroperoxides, the oxidized products that require direct reactions between photosensitizer and lipids were more prevalent in liposomes oxidized by DO15. Membrane permeabilization was always connected with the presence of lipid aldehydes, which cause a substantial decrease in the Gibbs free energy barrier for water permeation. Processes depending on direct contact between photosensitizers and lipids were revealed to be essential for the progress of lipid oxidation and consequently for aldehyde formation, providing a molecular-level explanation of why membrane binding correlates so well with the cell-killing efficiency of photosensitizers.

Molecular Structure and Permeability at the Interface between Phase-Separated Membrane Domains.

Phase-separated membrane domains, also known as lipid rafts, are believed to play an important role in cell function. Although most rafts are sterol-enriched membrane regions, evidence suggests that living cells may also contain gel-like rafts. Interactions between gel and fluid domains have a large impact on membrane properties, as is the case with permeability. The membrane permeability may reach a peak at the main phase transition temperature, by far exceeding the values recorded at the fluid phase. It has been proposed that gel-fluid interfaces are leaky, but the effect has not yet been demonstrated at the molecular level. Here, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of phospholipid bilayers with coexisting gel-like and fluid domains. We found that the thickness mismatch between both phases, the membrane elasticity, and the lipid packing acted together to promote the formation of a thickness minimum at the gel-fluid interface. Free energy calculations showed that pore-mediated ionic permeation was strongly facilitated at the constriction region, whereas water permeation by simple diffusion was only marginally affected. Long-lived, peristaltic undulations were recorded at the bulk fluid phase near the main transition temperature. They gave rise to thickness minima that, although shallower than the interface constrictions, could also enhance permeability. Finally, we demonstrated that an interface constriction was also formed at the boundaries of regular, cholesterol-enriched lipid rafts. Our simulation results will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of biological processes such as transport, signaling, and cellular damage promoted by low temperature and dehydration.

Molecular simulations of the effects of phospholipid and cholesterol peroxidation on lipid membrane properties.

Non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation may change biomembrane structure and function. Here, we employed molecular dynamics simulations to study the effects of either phospholipid or cholesterol peroxidation individually, as well as the combined peroxidation of both components. When lipids were peroxidized, the generated OOH groups migrated to the membrane surface and engaged in H-bonds with each other and the phospholipid carbonyl ester groups. It caused the sn-2 acyl chains of phospholipid hydroperoxides to bend and the whole sterol backbone of cholesterol hydroperoxides to tilt. When phospholipids were kept intact, peroxidation of the sterol backbone led to a partial degradation of its condensing and ordering properties, independently of the position and isomerism of the OOH substitution. However, even in massively peroxidized membranes in which all phospholipids and cholesterol were peroxidized, the condensing and ordering properties of the sterol backbone were still significant. The possible implications for the formation of membrane lateral domains were discussed. Cholesterol peroxyl radicals were also investigated and we found that the OO groups did not migrate to the headgroups region.

Evidences for the action mechanism of angiotensin II and its analogs on Plasmodium sporozoite membranes.

Malaria is an infectious disease responsible for approximately one million deaths annually. Oligopeptides such as angiotensin II (AII) and its analogs are known to have antimalarial effects against Plasmodium gallinaceum and Plasmodium falciparum. However, their mechanism of action is still not fully understood at the molecular level. In the work reported here, we investigated this issue by comparing the antimalarial activity of AII with that of (i) its diastereomer formed by only d-amino acids; (ii) its isomer with reversed sequence; and (iii) its analogs restricted by lactam bridges, the so-called VC5 peptides. Data from fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that the antiplasmodial activities of both all-D-AII and all-D-VC5 were as high as those of the related peptides AII and VC5, respectively. In contrast, retro-AII had no significant effect against P. gallinaceum. Conformational analysis by circular dichroism suggested that AII and its active analogs usually adopted a ß-turn conformation in different solutions. In the presence of membrane-mimetic micelles, AII had also a ß-turn conformation, while retro-AII was random. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that the AII chains were slightly more bent than retro-AII at the surface of a model membrane. At the hydrophobic membrane interior, however, the retro-AII chain was severely coiled and rigid. AII was much more flexible and able to experience both straight and coiled conformations. We took it as an indication of the stronger ability of AII to interact with membrane headgroups and promote pore formation.

Parallel damage in mitochondrial and lysosomal compartments promotes efficient cell death with autophagy: The case of the pentacyclic triterpenoids.

The role of autophagy in cell death is still controversial and a lot of debate has concerned the transition from its pro-survival to its pro-death roles. The similar structure of the triterpenoids Betulinic (BA) and Oleanolic (OA) acids allowed us to prove that this transition involves parallel damage in mitochondria and lysosome. After treating immortalized human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT) with either BA or OA, we evaluated cell viability, proliferation and mechanism of cell death, function and morphology of mitochondria and lysosomes, and the status of the autophagy flux. We also quantified the interactions of BA and OA with membrane mimics, both in-vitro and in-silico. Essentially, OA caused mitochondrial damage that relied on autophagy to rescue cellular homeostasis, which failed upon lysosomal inhibition by Chloroquine or Bafilomycin-A1. BA caused parallel damage on mitochondria and lysosome, turning autophagy into a destructive process. The higher cytotoxicity of BA correlated with its stronger efficiency in damaging membrane mimics. Based on these findings, we underlined the concept that autophagy will turn into a destructive outcome when there is parallel damage in mitochondrial and lysosomal membranes. We trust that this concept will help the development of new drugs against aggressive cancers.