Growth of a Novel Nanostructured ZnO Urchin: Control of Cytotoxicity and Dissolution of the ZnO Urchin.

The applications of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires (NWs) in implantable wireless devices, such as diagnostic nanobiosensors and nanobiogenerators, have recently attracted enormous attention due to their unique properties. However, for these implantable nanodevices, the biocompatibility and the ability to control the behaviour of cells in contact with ZnO NWs are demanded for the success of these implantable devices, but to date, only a few contrasting results from their biocompatibility can be found. There is a need for more research about the biocompatibility of ZnO nanostructures and the adhesion and viability of cells on the surface of ZnO nanostructures. Here, we introduce synthesis of a new nature-inspired nanostructured ZnO urchin, with the dimensions of the ZnO urchin's acicula being controllable. To examine the biocompatibility and behaviour of cells in contact with the ZnO urchin, the Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cell line was chosen as an in vitro experimental model. The results of the viability assay indicated that, compared to control, the number of viable cells attached to the surface of the ZnO urchin and its surrounding area were reduced. The measurements of the Zn contents of cell media confirmed ZnO dissolution, which suggests that the ZnO dissolution in cell culture medium could lead to cytotoxicity. A purposeful reduction of ZnO cytotoxicity was achieved by surface coating of the ZnO urchin with poly(vinylidene fluorid-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), which changed the material matrix to slow the Zn ion release and consequently reduce the cytotoxicity of the ZnO urchin without reducing its functionality.

Influence of nanoparticle-membrane electrostatic interactions on membrane fluidity and bending elasticity.

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of electrostatic interactions between the nanoparticles and the membrane lipids on altering the physical properties of the liposomal membrane such as fluidity and bending elasticity. For this purpose, we have used nanoparticles and lipids with different surface charges. Positively charged iron oxide (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles, neutral and negatively charged cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles were encapsulated in neutral lipid 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and negatively charged 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine lipid mixture. Membrane fluidity was assessed through the anisotropy measurements using the fluorescent probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. Though the interaction of both the types of nanoparticles reduced the membrane fluidity, the results were more pronounced in the negatively charged liposomes encapsulated with positively charged iron oxide nanoparticles due to strong electrostatic attractions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results also confirmed the presence of significant quantity of positively charged iron oxide nanoparticles in negatively charged liposomes. Through thermally induced shape fluctuation measurements of the giant liposomes, a considerable reduction in the bending elasticity modulus was observed for cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. The experimental results were supported by the simulation studies using modified Langevin-Poisson-Boltzmann model.

Formation of Nanocones on Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite by Oxygen Plasma.

Improvement in hemocompatibility of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) by formation of nanostructured surface by oxygen plasma treatment is reported. We have showed that by appropriate fine tuning of plasma and discharge parameters we are able to create nanostructured surface which is densely covered with nanocones. The size of the nanocones strongly depended on treatment time. The optimal results in terms of material hemocompatibility were obtained after treatment with oxygen plasma for 15 s, when both the nanotopography and wettability were the most favorable, since marked reduction in adhesion and activation of platelets was observed on this surface. At prolonged treatment times, the rich surface topography was lost and thus also its antithrombogenic properties. Chemical composition of the surface was always more or less the same, regardless of its morphology and height of the nanocones. Namely, on all plasma treated samples, only a few atomic percent of oxygen was found, meaning that plasma caused mostly etching, leading to changes in the surface morphology. This indicates that the main preventing mechanism against platelets adhesion was the right surface morphology.

Interaction between dipolar lipid headgroups and charged nanoparticles mediated by water dipoles and ions.

In this work, a theoretical model describing the interaction between a positively or negatively charged nanoparticle and neutral zwitterionic lipid bilayers is presented. It is shown that in the close vicinity of the positively charged nanoparticle, the zwitterionic lipid head groups are less extended in the direction perpendicular to the membrane surface, while in the vicinity of the negatively charged nanoparticle, the headgroups are more extended.This result coincides with the calculated increase in the osmotic pressure between the zwitterionic lipid surface and positively charged nanoparticle and the decrease of osmotic pressure between the zwitterionic lipid surface and the negatively charged nanoparticle.Our theoretical predictions agree well with the experimentally determined fluidity of a lipid bilayer membrane in contact with positively or negatively charged nanoparticles. The prospective significance of the present work is mainly to contribute to better understanding of the interactions of charged nanoparticles with a zwitterionic lipid bilayer, which may be important in the efficient design of the lipid/nanoparticle nanostructures (like liposomes with encapsulated nanoparticles), which have diverse biomedical applications, including targeted therapy (drug delivery) and imaging of cancer cells.

Electric-field controlled liposome formation with embedded superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles.

Liposomes are one of the most promising biomaterial carriers to deliver DNA,(1) proteins, drugs and medicine in human bodies. However, artificially formed liposomes have to satisfy some crucial functions such as: (i) to efficiently carry drugs to targeted systems, (ii) to be biologically stable until they are removed from human body, (iii) to be biodegradable, and (iv) to be sufficiently small in size for effective drug delivery. Here, we report an efficient and novel method to simultaneously manufacture and incorporate super-paramagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (efficient target finder in the presence of external magnetic field) into the liposome's interior and its bilayer. In this technique, we use electric field to control the formation of liposomes and the incorporation of iron oxide nanoparticles. Our preparation procedure does not require any chemical or ultrasound treatments. Apart from that, we also provide further experimental investigations on the role of electric fields on the formation of liposomes using XPS(2) and the magnetic-optical microscope.

Morphological alterations of T24 cells on flat and nanotubular TiO2 surfaces.

AIM: To investigate morphological alterations of malignant cancer cells (T24) of urothelial origin seeded on flat titanium (Ti) and nanotubular TiO(2) (titanium dioxide) nanostructures. METHODS: Using anodization method, TiO(2) surfaces composed of vertically aligned nanotubes of 50-100 nm diameters were produced. The flat Ti surface was used as a reference. The alteration in the morphology of cancer cells was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A computational model, based on the theory of membrane elasticity, was constructed to shed light on the biophysical mechanisms responsible for the observed changes in the contact area of adhesion. RESULTS: Large diameter TiO(2) nanotubes exhibited a significantly smaller contact area of adhesion (P<0.0001) and had more membrane protrusions (eg, microvilli and intercellular membrane nanotubes) than on flat Ti surface. Numerical membrane dynamics simulations revealed that the low adhesion energy per unit area would hinder the cell spreading on the large diameter TiO(2) nanotubular surface, thus explaining the small contact area. CONCLUSION: The reduction in the cell contact area in the case of large diameter TiO(2) nanotube surface, which does not enable formation of the large enough number of the focal adhesion points, prevents spreading of urothelial cells.

Polarization induced water molecule dissociation below the first-order electronic-phase transition temperature.

Hydrogen produced from the photocatalytic splitting of water is one of the reliable alternatives to replace the polluting fossil and the radioactive nuclear fuels. Here, we provide unequivocal evidence for the existence of blue- and red-shifting O-H covalent bonds within a single water molecule adsorbed on the MgO surface as a result of asymmetric displacement polarizabilities. The adsorbed H-O-H on MgO gives rise to one weaker H-O bond, while the other O-H covalent bond from the same adsorbed water molecule compensates this effect with a stronger bond. The weaker bond (nearest to the surface), the interlayer tunneling electrons and the silver substrate are shown to be the causes for the smallest dissociative activation energy on the MgO monolayer. The origin that is responsible to initiate the splitting mechanism is proven to be due to the changes in the polarizability of an adsorbed water molecule, which are further supported by the temperature-dependent static dielectric constant measurements for water below the first-order electronic-phase transition temperature.

Reversible carrier-type transitions in gas-sensing oxides and nanostructures.

Despite many important applications of α-Fe(2)O(3) and Fe doped SnO(2) in semiconductors, catalysis, sensors, clinical diagnosis and treatments, one fundamental issue that is crucial to these applications remains theoretically equivocal--the reversible carrier-type transition between n- and p-type conductivities during gas-sensing operations. Herein, we present an unambiguous and rigorous theoretical analysis in order to explain why and how the oxygen vacancies affect the n-type semiconductors α-Fe(2)O(3) and Fe-doped SnO(2), in which they are both electronically and chemically transformed into a p-type semiconductor. Furthermore, this reversible transition also occurs on the oxide surfaces during gas-sensing operation due to physisorbed gas molecules (without any chemical reaction). We make use of the ionization energy theory and its renormalized ionic displacement polarizability functional to reclassify, generalize and explain the concept of carrier-type transition in solids, and during gas-sensing operation. The origin of such a transition is associated with the change in ionic polarizability and the valence states of cations in the presence of oxygen vacancies and physisorped gas molecules.

Virulence potential of Escherichia coli isolates from skin and soft tissue infections.

Escherichia coli strains frequently are isolated from skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI); however, their virulence potential has not yet been extensively studied. In the present study, we characterized 102 E. coli SSTI strains isolated mostly from surgical and traumatic wounds, foot ulcers, and decubitus. The strains were obtained from the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Phylogenetic backgrounds, virulence factors (VFs), and antibiotic resistance profiles were determined. Correlations between VFs and phylogenetic groups were established and analyzed with regard to patient factors. Further, the associations of the three most prevalent antibiotic resistance patterns with virulence potential were analyzed. Our results showed that the majority of the studied strains (64%) [corrected] belonged to the B2 phylogenetic group. The most prevalent VF was ompT (80%), while toxin genes cnf1 and hlyA were found with prevalences of 32 and 30%, respectively. None of the investigated bacterial characteristics were significantly associated with patient gender, age, type of infection, or immunodeficiency. The most prevalent antibiotic resistance pattern was resistance to ampicillin (46%), followed by resistance to tetracycline (25%) and fluoroquinolones (21%). Strains resistant to ciprofloxacin exhibited a significantly reduced prevalence of cnf1 (P < 0.05) and usp (P < 0.01). Our study revealed that E. coli isolates from SSTIs exhibit a remarkable virulence potential that is comparable to that of E. coli isolates from urinary tract infections and bacteremia.