Antibacterial effects ofin situzinc oxide nanoparticles generated inside the poly (acrylamide-co-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) nanocomposite.

The present work reports the antibacterial activity againstPseudomonasaeruginosaof a nanocomposite made of zinc oxide nanoparticles dispersed in a poly(acrylamide-co-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) matrix (PAAm-Hema-ZnONPs). Thein situsynthesis of ZnONPs inside of the PAAm-Hema crosslinked network is described. Moreover, the physicochemical properties of the PAAm-Hema-ZnONPs nanocomposite are analyzed. The results confirm that the PAAm-Hema hydrogel provides an excellent scaffold to generate ZnONPs. The presence of ZnONPs inside the hydrogel was confirmed by UV-visible (band at 320 nm), by Infrared spectroscopy (peak at 470 cm-1), SEM, and TEM images. The presence of NPs in PAAm-Hema diminish the swelling percentage by 70%, and the Young modulus by 33.7%, compared with pristine hydrogel. The 75% of ZnONPs are released from the nanocomposite after 48 h of spontaneous diffusion, allowing the use of the nanocomposite as an antibacterial agent.In vitro, the agar diffusion test presents an inhibition halo againstP. aeruginosabacteria 50% higher than the unloaded hydrogel. Also, the PAAm-Hema-ZnONPs live/dead test shows 54% of dead cells more than the hydrogel. These results suggest that the easy, one-step way generated composites can be used in biomedical applications as antimicrobial agents.

Synergistic effect of polyaniline coverage and surface microstructure on the inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation.

Biofilm Formation is a survival strategy for microorganisms to adapt to their environment. Microbial cells in biofilm become tolerant and resistant to antibiotics and immune responses, increasing the difficulties for the clinical treatment of microbial infections. The surface chemistry and the micro/nano-topography of solid interfaces play a major role in mediating microorganism activity and adhesion. The effect of the surface chemical composition and topography on the adhesion and viability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied. Polymeric (polyethylene terephthalate) surfaces were covered with a conducting polymer (polyaniline, PANI) film by in-situ polymerization and microstructured by Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP). The viability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the different surfaces was investigated. The physicochemical properties of the surfaces were characterized by water contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Bacterial biofilms were imaged by atomic force and scanning electron microscopies. The bacterial viability decreased on PANI compared with the substrate (polyethylene terephthalate) and it decreased even more upon micro-structuring the PANI films. In addition, the biofilm reduction could be improved using polymers with different chemical composition and/or the same polymer with different topographies. Both methods presented diminish the bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. These findings present a high impact related to materials for biomedical engineer applications regarding medical devices, as prostheses or catheters.

Physiological parameters and biodistribution of 5,10,15,20-tetra (4-methoxyphenyl) porphyrin in rats.

Physiological parameters on hepatic and renal functionality and biodistribution, accumulation and elimination, in different organs of the 5,10,15,20-tetra (4-methoxyphenyl) porphyrin (TMP) were determined in Wistar rats. The transport of TMP by low-density (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) was also investigated. The photosensitizer is accumulated in the spleen, where its concentration is significantly increased 21 d post-injection; it also accumulates in the liver and in a lower proportion, in the duodenum, and poorly in brain and muscle. The urine and serum biochemical parameters reached normal values both in control and treated groups. The glomerular filtrate rate was not affected by the TMP treatment in any of the studied times. These results would indicate that the sensitizer does not modify the renal glomerular function. TMP is mainly eliminated from the organism via the bile-gut pathway. Considering the total amount of porphyrin bound to both lipoproteins (LDL and HDL) in comparison with the total value of the TMP in serum, it can be inferred that a large amount of the agent is transported by lipoproteins in the plasma. This study proves information about the behavior of TMP in vivo under dark conditions. The results can be used to design photodynamic treatments using this porphyrin model as the sensitizer.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of methoxyphenyl porphyrin derivatives as potential photodynamic agents.

A new meso-2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl porphyrin covalently linked to a 2',6'-dinitro-4'-trifluoromethylphenyl group by an amine bond 5 and its metal complex with Cd(II) 6 was prepared. The photodynamic activities of 5 and 6 were evaluated in vitro on Hep-2 cells. A considerable increase in the photocytotoxic effect was found for 6, which has higher singlet molecular oxygen, O(2)((1)Delta(g)), production.

Photodynamic studies of metallo 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl) porphyrin: photochemical characterization and biological consequences in a human carcinoma cell line.

The photodynamic activities of the free-base 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin (TMP) and their metal complexes with zinc(II) (ZnTMP), copper(II) (CuTMP) and cadmium(II) (CdTMP) have been compared in two systems: reverse micelle of n-heptane/sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate/water bearing photooxidizable substrates and Hep-2 human larynx carcinoma cell line. The quantum yields of singlet molecular oxygen, O2(1 delta g), production (phi delta) of TMP, ZnTMP and CdTMP in tetrahydrofuran, were determined yielding values of 0.65, 0.73 and 0.73, respectively, while O2(1 delta g) formation was not detected for CuTMP. In the reverse micellar system, the amino acid L-tryptophan (Trp) was used as biological substrate to analyze the O2(1 delta g)-mediated photooxidation. The observed rate constants for Trp photooxidation (kobsTrp) were proportional to the sensitizer quantum yield of O2(1 delta g). A value of approximately 2 x 10(7) s-1 M-1 was found for the second-order rate constant of Trp (krTry) in this system. The response of Hep-2 cells to cytotoxicity photoinduced by these agents in a biological medium was studied. The Hep-2 cultures were treated with 1 microM of porphyrin for 24 h at 37 degrees C and the cells exposed to visible light. The cell survival at different light exposure levels was dependent on phi delta. Under these conditions, the cytotoxic effect increases in the order: Cu-TMP << TMP < ZnTMP approximately CdTMP, correlating with the production of O2(1 delta g). A similar behavior was observed in both the chemical and biological media indicating that the O2(1 delta g) mediation appears to be mainly responsible for the cell inactivation.

Photodynamic activity of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin on the Hep-2 human carcinoma cell line: effect of light dose and wavelength range.

The photodynamic activity of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin (TMP) has been investigated in two systems: reverse micelles of n-heptane/sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/water-bearing photooxidizable substrates and on a Hep-2 human carcinoma cell line. The effect of variation in the light dose and wavelength range (360-800, 455-800, and 590-800 nm) was compared in both media. The aerobic singlet oxygen-mediated photooxidation of L-tryptophan (Trp) was used as a model of biological substrate in a micellar system. A considerable increase of the observed rate constants of Trp (k(Trp)(obs)) was noted, increasing the irradiated area of the TMP spectrum. In vitro, the survival curves of Hep-2 cells, treated with TMP, were markedly dependent on the light wavelength ranges used for irradiation. A linear behavior between k(Trp)(obs) and the photoinactivation rate of Hep-2 cells was found, indicating that the singlet oxygen (1O2 ) is the main species responsible for cell inactivation. These results contributed to an understanding of the photodynamic process yielded by this porphyrin in vitro and the sensitivity of Hep-2 cells to photodamage.