Asunto(s)
Infecciones Bacterianas/diagnóstico , Infecciones Bacterianas/prevención & control , Micosis/diagnóstico , Micosis/prevención & control , Nanoestructuras , Nanotecnología/métodos , Bacterias/aislamiento & purificación , Infecciones Bacterianas/microbiología , Biotecnología , Técnicas de Laboratorio Clínico/métodos , Hongos/aislamiento & purificación , Humanos , Técnicas de Diagnóstico Molecular/métodos , Micosis/microbiología , Nanoestructuras/químicaRESUMEN
Polymeric nanoparticles covalently functionalized with derivatized D-mannose molecules were synthesized and characterized. These nanoparticles have an average size of approximately 160 nm in diameter, thus bearing a large number of surface-tethered mannose moieties for multivalent interactions with adhesins on bacterial cells. Specifically, the mannosylated nanoparticles bind strongly with Escherichia coli, allowing the convenient visualization of adhesion interactions under a conventional electron microscope. Since a single nanoparticle is capable of binding more than one cell, the adhesion interactions result in significant nanoparticle-mediated cell agglutination according to electron microscopy imaging. Potential applications of the mannosylated nanoparticles in the inhibition of enteropathogenic infections are discussed.
Asunto(s)
Aglutinación/fisiología , Adhesión Bacteriana/fisiología , Escherichia coli/fisiología , Manosa/química , Nanoestructuras/química , Adhesinas de Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Aglutinación/efectos de los fármacos , Adhesión Bacteriana/efectos de los fármacos , Escherichia coli/efectos de los fármacos , Escherichia coli/ultraestructura , Manosa/farmacología , Microscopía Electrónica de Transmisión , Estructura Molecular , Nanoestructuras/ultraestructura , Nanotecnología/métodosRESUMEN
We modified commercially available 50-ml syringes to allow their use as breath-collection chambers for mice. By drilling holes at the flanged end and applying 3-way valves to the opposite (tip) end, a syringe can be ventilated, then quickly and simply converted to a closed chamber for collection of breath samples. We evaluated the influence of sample collection time on CO2 content of breath samples and found that 30 sec was required to obtain a CO2 concentration of 3 to 5%. We believe this is an economic, simple, and safe alternative to conventional breath-collection chambers.