In vivo evaluation of Vivere bovine pericardium valvular bioprosthesis with a new anti-calcifying treatment.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of chemical treatment with glutamic acid to avoid calcification of biological cardiac valves. The bovine pericardium (BP) tissues were fixed with 0.5% glutaraldehyde (BP/GA), followed by treatment with glutamic acid (BP/GA + Glu) for neutralization of the free aldehyde groups. Microscopic analysis showed that the wavy structure of collagen fibrils was preserved, but changes in elastin's integrity occurred. However, the treatment did not promote undesirable changes in the thermal and mechanical properties of the modified BPs. These samples were systematically studied in rat subcutaneous tissue: control (BP/GA) and anticalcificant (BP/GA + Glu). After 60 days, both groups induced similar inflammatory reactions. In terms of calcification, BP/GA + Glu remained more stable with a lower index (3.1 ± 0.2 µg Ca2+ /mg dry tissue), whereas for BP/GA it was 5.7 ± 1.3 µg Ca2+ /mg dry tissue. Bioprostheses made from BP/GA + Glu were implanted in the pulmonary position in sheep, and in vivo echocardiographic analyses revealed maintenance of valvar function after 180 days, with low gradients and minimal valve insufficiency. The explanted tissues of the BP/GA + Glu group had a lower average calcium content 3.8 ± 3.0 µg Ca2+ /mg dry tissue. The results indicated high anticalcification efficiency of BP/GA + Glu in both subcutaneous implant in rats and in the experimental sheep model, which is an advantage that should encourage the industrial application of these materials for the manufacture of bioprostheses.

Biocatalysts based on nanozeolite-enzyme complexes: Effects of alkoxysilane surface functionalization and biofuel production using microalgae lipids feedstock.

Nanozeolites with different crystallographic structures (Nano/TS1, Nano/GIS, Nano/LTA, Nano/BEA, Nano/X, and Nano-X/Ni), functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) and crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA), were studied as solid supports for Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) immobilization. Physicochemical characterizations of the surface-functionalized nanozeolites and nanozeolite-enzyme complexes were performed using XRD, SEM, AFM, ATR-FTIR, and zeta potential measurements. The experimental enzymatic activity results indicated that the nanozeolitic supports functionalized with APTMS and GA immobilized larger amounts of enzymes and provided higher enzymatic activities, compared to unfunctionalized supports. Correlations were observed among the nanozeolite surface charges, the enzyme immobilization efficiencies, and the biocatalyst activities. The catalytic performance and reusability of these enzyme-nanozeolite complexes were evaluated in the ethanolysis transesterification of microalgae oil to fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs). TLL immobilized on the nanozeolite supports functionalized with APTMS and GA provided the most efficient biocatalysis, with FAEEs yields above 93% and stability during five reaction cycles. Lower FAEEs yields and poorer catalytic stability were found for nanozeolite-enzyme complexes prepared only by physical adsorption. The findings indicated the viability of designing highly efficient biocatalysts for biofuel production by means of chemical modulation of nanozeolite surfaces. The high biocatalyst catalytic efficiency observed in ethanolysis reactions using a lipid feedstock that does not compete with food production is an advantage that should encourage the industrial application of these biocatalysts.

Metabolic Effects of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles on Cervical Carcinoma Cells and Nontumorigenic Keratinocytes.

The cytotoxic response, cellular uptake, and metabolomic profile of HeLa and HaCaT cell lines treated with cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4 NPs) were investigated in this study. Cell viability assays showed low cytotoxicity caused by the uptake of the nanoparticles at 2 mg/mL. However, metabolomics revealed that these nanoparticles impacted cell metabolism even when tested at a concentration that presented low cytotoxicity according to the cell viability assay. The two cell lines shared stress-related metabolic changes such as increase in alanine and creatine levels. A reduced level of fumarate was also observed in HeLa cells after treatment with the nanoparticles, and this alteration can inhibit tumorigenesis. Fumarate is considered to be an oncometabolite that can inhibit prolyl hydroxylase, and this inhibition stabilizes HIF1α, one of the master regulators of tumorigenesis that promotes tumor growth and development. In summary, this study showed that nanoparticle-treated HeLa cells demonstrated decreased concentrations of metabolites associated with cell proliferation and tumor growth. The results clearly indicated that treatment with these nanoparticles might cause a perturbation in cellular metabolism.