Interaction of negatively and positively capped gold nanoparticle with different lipid model membranes.

The use of functionalised gold nanoparticles in biomedical applications is expanding. Here we explore the interaction of gold nanoparticles with lipid membranes using readily available equipment and basic techniques to explore how the charge on the nanoparticles, and the nature of the lipid, influences the interaction. Gold nanoparticles were synthesised with two different surface functionalisations, negatively charged citrate groups and positively charged cetyltrimethylammonium groups from CTAB, to determine how surface charge affects the interaction of the nanoparticles with the Zwitterionic lipid POPC and the anionic lipid POPG. It was observed that the surface pressure/area isotherms of POPG monolayers on exposure to citrate capped nanoparticles were not shifted to higher molecular areas as much as those of POPC, suggesting that the anionic headgroups of the POPG lipid repel the anionic surface charge of the citrate capped nanoparticles to some extent limiting inclusion. In contrast, the surface pressure/area isotherms of the POPG monolayers exposed to CTAB capped nanoparticles are shifted to higher molecular areas more than for the POPC monolayers. The interaction of anionic nanoparticles with lipid bilayers was measured by the mass change of the bilayer deposited on the surface of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) exposed to nanoparticles in an aqueous phase flow. The QCM frequency changes show that bilayers of unsaturated phosophocholine lipids readily took up particles, whereas for the saturated lipid DPPC significant uptake was only observed when the bilayer was warmed to above its gel-to-fluid transition temperature, Tm. This is possibly due to an increase in the molecular mobility and bilayer bending modulus, κ, of the bilayer.

Changes to DPPC Domain Structure in the Presence of Carbon Nanoparticles.

DPPC (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine) is a disaturated lipid capable of forming closely packed monolayers at the air-liquid interface of the lung and allows the surface tension within the alveoli to reduce to almost zero and thus prevent alveolar collapse. Carbon nanoparticles are formed in natural and man-made combustion events, including diesel engines, and are capable of reaching the alveolar epithelium during breathing. In this work, we have used Brewster angle microscopy and neutron reflectivity to study the effect of differing concentrations of carbon nanoparticles on the structure of DPPC monolayer as the monolayer is subject to compression and expansion. The results show that the inclusion of carbon nanoparticles within a DPPC monolayer affects the formation and structure of the lipid domains. The domains lose their circular structure and show a crenated structure as well as a reduction in overall size of the domains. This change in structure is also evident following expansion of the lipid monolayer, suggesting that some carbon nanoparticles may remain associated with the monolayer. This observation could have an important implication regarding the removal of nanosized airborne pollutants from the human lung.

Simultaneous determination of neomycin sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate by capillary electrophoresis with indirect UV detection.

A simple and rapid capillary electrophoresis method, with indirect UV detection, for the simultaneous determination of neomycin sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate in pharmaceutical formulations was developed. Critical parameters such as pH, buffer composition and concentration, voltage and injection time have been studied to evaluate, how they affect responses, such as resolution and migration times. Separation was performed on a fused silica capillary with 50 microm i.d. and 27 cm total length at an applied voltage of 6 kV with a 15 mM phosphate run buffer (pH 5.0) containing 40 mM N-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)acetamide and 50 mM tetradecylammonium bromide (TTAB). The detection wavelength was set at 280 nm. Quantitative analysis was validated by testing the reproducibility of the method, giving a relative standard deviation less than 0.4 and 2.4% for the repeatability of migration time and corrected peak area, respectively. Accuracy was tested by spiking eye-ear formulations with standards and the recoveries of neomycin sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate were found to be between 97.44-103.18% and 96.85-101.68%, respectively. Linearity of neomycin sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate were obtained in the ranges of 17-682 and 24-608 microg/mL, respectively, with r(2) values above 0.999. The established TLC-densitometric method was applied to evaluate the proposed CE method, and comparable results were obtained by using CE with much shorter analysis time and a small quantity of solvents consumed. The developed method is also the first report on the simultaneous determination of neomycin sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate in pharmaceutical preparations by CE.

Simultaneous determination of anions in nanoliter volumes.

BACKGROUND: The study of renal tubular transport requires the ability to accurately measure ion concentrations in samples taken from single tubules. Sample collection and analysis are laborious, so methods allowing determination of multiple ion species in a small volume sample are advantageous. This article describes a method for the simultaneous analysis of anions at physiologic concentrations in nanoliter volumes of tubular fluid. METHOD: The analysis is performed using capillary zone electrophoresis. Diluted samples are moved along a capillary by bulk transport and separated according to charge and size. Peaks corresponding to anions are obtained by ultraviolet (UV) detection; peak area is proportional to ion concentration. RESULTS: The anions chloride, nitrate, citrate, phosphate, and bicarbonate were separated in less than 4 minutes, and iothalamate in less than 5 minutes. Simultaneous quantitative analysis was performed for chloride, phosphate, and bicarbonate, demonstrating detection limits of 12 fmol for chloride, 12 fmol for phosphate, and 72 fmol for bicarbonate. A comparison between this method and a flow-through microfluorimeter analysis of chloride showed good agreement between the two micro-methods. Illustrative data from proximal and distal tubular fluid samples obtained by micropuncture (volume 30-70 nL) are given, as are results from urine samples. RESULTS: Results for chloride, phosphate, and bicarbonate in control material are in close agreement with the certified values, while values in tubular fluid are in accordance with previously published results. CONCLUSION: This method provides a straightforward means of analyzing multiple anions in small volume biological samples.

The natriuretic effect of glibenclamide: evidence for a non-luminal site of action.

Inhibition of sodium reabsorption in the loop of Henle (LOH) contributes to the natriuretic effect of systemically administered glibenclamide. Although it has been suggested that the underlying mechanism involves inhibition of low-conductance potassium channels in the apical membrane of the thick ascending limb, these channels are relatively insensitive to glibenclamide ( K(i) ~200 micro M). In the present study we used capillary electrophoresis techniques to determine plasma and tubular fluid concentrations of glibenclamide in anaesthetised, glibenclamide-infused rats during maximal natriuresis. The plasma glibenclamide concentration was 158+/-29 micro M, whereas that in the tubular fluid entering the LOH was below detectable limits (10 micro M). In additional experiments, rats were infused intravenously with either glibenclamide or vehicle alone, while the LOH was perfused with a standard, glibenclamide-free solution. Loop sodium reabsorption ( J(Na)) was significantly reduced in the rats receiving the drug (vehicle: J(Na) 1.65+/-0.05 nmol/min, n=23; glibenclamide: J(Na) 1.34+/-0.07 nmol/min, n=36; P<0.01). In a further group of rats, glibenclamide was introduced directly into the LOH at a concentration known to inhibit the low-conductance potassium channel in vitro (250 micro M). However, J(Na) was unaffected. These data confirm that systemic glibenclamide inhibits sodium reabsorption in the LOH but argue strongly that it does not act from the luminal site.