Liposome-induced exfoliation of graphite to few-layer graphene dispersion with antibacterial activity.

Few-layer graphene aqueous dispersions are obtained by exploiting liposomes as effective exfoliating agents for graphite. Raman measurements evidence the presence of non-oxidized double layer graphene as well as amphiphilic phospholipid molecules organized in bilayers in the samples. TEM analyses confirmed that the obtained homogeneous graphene nanosheets are embedded in the liposomal bilayer. The as-prepared graphene aqueous dispersion is stable for days and demonstrates significant antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) strains, with a reduction in the growth of S. aureus and E. coli as high as 60 and 78%, respectively.

Effects of thiobenzamide on the rat immune system.

Thiobenzamide (TB) is a thiono-containing compound endowed with liver-damaging properties and promoting ability on liver carcinogenesis. When administered in a single dose to normal as well as to adrenalectomized rats, this compound induced a striking thymus cortex involution without relevant effects on the morphological features of other lymphoid organs such as spleen and lymph nodes. The proximal TB metabolite TB-S-oxide (TBSO) shared these effects with the parent compound, whereas the terminal metabolite benzamide (BA) was ineffective. The effect of TB on thymus was found to be dose- and age-dependent. Furthermore, acute TB treatment 12h before priming with the T-dependent antigen sheep erythrocytes impaired the secondary antibody response. In addition, TB administration affected not only cell-mediated immunity (as evidenced by a decreased delayed hypersensitivity response) but also mitogen-induced proliferation of blood lymphocytes. On the contrary, the chemotactic response of polymorphonuclear leukocytes obtained from TB-treated rats was unchanged.