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PubMed2006

ZnO nanoparticle-modified infrared internal reflection elements for selective detection of volatile organic compounds.

In this study, we integrated zinc oxide nanomaterials, which possess a high surface-to-volume ratio and take part in specific interactions with organic functional groups, into infrared sensing devices to improve both the sensitivity and selectivity of the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). An annealing method was developed to modify ZnO nanoparticles directly onto the surface of an IR internal reflection element. The ZnO nanoparticles produced this way are spherical (diameters, approximately 20 nm). When this modified sensing element was used to detect VOCs, intense IR signals for compounds bearing polar functional groups were observed. The conditions for preparing the ZnO nanoparticles for IR sensing of VOCs were optimized by varying such factors as the volume of the coating zinc solution, the calcination temperature, and calcination time. After mapping the IR signals obtained with respect to these factors, the optimal IR signal from this modified IR sensing element occurred when using 100 microL of zinc solution and performing the calcination at 400 degrees C for at least 30 min. VOCs having different functional groups were used to characterize the behavior of the ZnO-modified sensing element; our results indicate that the selectivity of this device favors polar compounds. Based on detection of several polar VOCs, the results indicate that quantitative analysis is possible when using the ZnO nanoparticle-modified sensor; in some cases, the detection limit was below an injected sample volume of 0.5 nL (approximately 2.2 ppm), with a linear regression coefficient (R2) above 0.99 when up to 0.3 microL of sample (approximately 1400 ppm) was injected to a 100 mL of sample cell.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Chromatographic characterization of phosphonate analog EDTA-modified zirconia support for biochromatographic applications.

Zirconium dioxide (zirconia) has a great affinity for inorganic and organic phosphate. Previous work from this laboratory demonstrated the utility of phosphate-modified microparticulate zirconia as a support for protein separations. We have extended this investigation to include the study of ethylenediamine-N,N'-tetramethylphosphonic acid (EDTPA), a phosphonate analog of EDTA, as a surface modifier for zirconia. Our work explores the use of EDTPA-modified zirconia (PEZ) for its potential use as a high-performance inorganic cation-exchange support for the separation of proteins. The phosphate groups in EDTPA very effectively block the sites responsible for strong interactions of hard Lewis bases with zirconia's surface. Modification of zirconia with EDTPA provides a "biocompatible" stationary phase, resulting in high mass recoveries of proteins. We compare PEZ with inorganic phosphate-modified zirconia to show increased efficiency, as well as unique selectivities for chromatography of proteins on the chelator-modified surface. Finally, the selectivity, efficiency, and separation mechanism are reported. The studies show that PEZ is a useful high-performance ion-exchange support for the separation of cationic proteins and for modulating the sites responsible for the high affinity of zirconia toward certain classes of anions.

Adsorption↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Acridine- and cholesterol-derivatized solid supports for improved synthesis of 3'-modified oligonucleotides.

New solid supports are described which allow the direct synthesis of oligonucleotides bearing either cholesterol or acridine at the 3'-terminus. A stereochemically defined amino diol was prepared by reduction of N-Cbz-hydroxy-L-proline. This linker molecule was first acylated with the desired conjugate molecule, then protected as the dimethoxytrityl ether. The remaining secondary hydroxyl group was succinylated and immobilized on a controlled-pore glass support. 3'-Modified oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) were prepared from these supports by using standard phosphoramidite coupling and deprotection conditions. A cholesterol-modified support was prepared from cholesterol chloroformate and the amino diol linker. Two types of acridine-modified solid supports were prepared from acridine tetrafluorophenyl esters with linker arms of different length. In an alternative synthesis of 3'-derivatized ODNs, these active esters were also utilized for acylation of a 3'-amine-modified ODN. A thermal denaturation study was done to determine the effect of the different linker arms on hybridization to a complementary ODN target. Facile synthesis and purification of the 3'-modified ODNs makes these functionalized solid supports especially useful for preparation of oligonucleotides bearing these and other modifications.

Acridines↗
PubMed1993

Opposite stereoselective resistance to digestion by phosphodiesterases I and II of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-modified oligonucleotide adducts.

The deoxyribooligonucleotide 5'-d(CTCACATGTACACTCT) was reacted separately with the chiral diol epoxide isomers 7 beta, 8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha- epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(+)-anti-BPDE)] and 7 alpha, 8 beta-dihydroxy-9 beta, 10 beta-epoxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(-)-anti-BPDE)], to produce the modified oligonucleotides 5'-d(CTCACATGBPDETACACTCT). Adducts in which either (+)-anti-BPDE or (-)-anti-BPDE are covalently bound via their C10 positions by trans addition to the exocyclic amino group of the single G residues were isolated and purified by HPLC methods. Snake venom phosphodiesterase (SVPD, phosphodiesterase I), which hydrolyzes DNA from the 3'-OH terminus to the 5'-end, digests the (+)-trans-anti-BPDE-oligonucleotide adducts at a significantly faster rate than that of the sterically different (-)-trans-anti-BPDE-oligonucleotide adducts. However, using spleen phosphodiesterase (SPD, phosphodiesterase II), which hydrolyzes DNA in the 5'-->3' direction, the opposite stereoselective resistance to digestion is observed. Using shorter BPDE-modified oligonucleotides as standards, the enzyme stall sites have been defined by gel electrophoresis methods; the most digestion-resistant phosphodiester linkage is the 5'-d(...T-G*...)-3' bond in the case of (+)-trans-BPDE-modified oligonucleotide adducts for both enzymes, SVPD and SPD (the starred G denotes the site of BPDE modification). In the case of the (-)-trans-BPDE-modified oligonucleotide adducts, the phosphodiester bond on the 3'-side of the modified G [5'-d(...G*-T...)-3'] is most resistant to digestion by both enzymes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

7,8-Dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene 9,10-oxide↗
PubMed1991

Kinetic characterization of phospholipase A2 modified by manoalogue.

Manoalogue, a synthetic analogue of the sea sponge-derived manoalide, has been previously shown to partially inactivate the phospholipase A2 from cobra venom (Reynolds, L. J., Morgan, B. P., Hite, E. D., Mihelich, E. D., & Dennis, E. A. (1988) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 110, 5172) by reacting with enzyme lysine residues. In the present study, the inactivation of the phospholipases A2 from pig pancreas, bee venom, and cobra (Naja naja naja) venom by manoalogue was studied in detail. Manoalogue-treated enzymes were examined in the scooting mode on vesicles of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphomethanol. Here the native enzymes bound irreversibly to the vesicles and hydrolyzed all of the phospholipids in the outer monolayer without leaving the surface of the interface. All three manoalogue-treated enzymes showed reduced catalytic turnover for substrate hydrolysis in the scooting mode, and the modified enzymes did not hop from one vesicle to another. Thus, inactivation by manoalogue is not due to the decrease in the fraction of enzyme bound to the substrate interface. This result was also confirmed by fluorescence studies that directly monitored the binding of phospholipase A2 to vesicles. A chemically modified form of the pig pancreatic phospholipase A2 in which all of the lysine epsilon-amino groups have been amidinated was not inactivated by manoalogue, indicating that the modification of lysine residues and not the amino-terminus is required for the inactivation. Several studies indicated that the manoalogue-modified enzymes contain a functional active site. For example, studies that monitored the protection by ligands of the active site from attack by a alkylating agent showed that manoalogue-modified pig phospholipase A2 was capable of binding calcium, a substrate analogue, lipolysis products, and a competitive inhibitor. Furthermore, relative to native enzymes, manoalogue-modified enzymes retained significantly higher catalytic activities when acting on water-soluble substrates than when acting on vesicles in the scooting mode. Intact manoalogue had no affinity for the catalytic site on the enzyme as it did not inhibit the enzyme in the scooting mode and it did not protect the active site from alkylation. Pig pancreatic phospholipase A2 bound to micelles of 2-hexadecyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine was resistant to inactivation by manoalogue, suggesting that the modification of lysine residues on the interfacial recognition surface of the enzyme was required for inactivation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

NMR structural studies of a 15-mer DNA sequence from a ras protooncogene, modified at the first base of codon 61 with the carcinogen 4-aminobiphenyl.

Proton NMR studies were conducted on the complementary 15-mer duplex d(5'-TACTCTTCTTGACCT).(5'-AGGTCAAGAAGAGTA) (designated as unmodified 15-mer duplex) spanning a portion of the mouse c-Ha-ras protooncogene centered around codon 61. Identical studies were carried out on the same sequence, after specific modification with a reactive derivative of the carcinogen 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP), which resulted in incorporation of a single N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-4-aminobiphenyl (dG-C8-ABP) adduct in the noncoding strand (designated as ABP-modified 15-mer duplex). The adduct was located at the position corresponding to the first base of codon 61. The NMR data for the unmodified 15-mer duplex were fully consistent with a standard right-handed B-type DNA duplex conformation, with the possible exception of the frayed terminal base pairs. The ABP-modified 15-mer duplex was found to adopt one major conformation, although at least one additional conformation could be detected especially near room temperature. The major form, which exhibited strikingly similar NOE patterns as to those of the parent oligomer, both in H2O and D2O spectra, assumed a standard Watson-Crick base pairing throughout the entire length of the duplex, including the modification site and its flanking base pairs. Although some local perturbation of the helix could be detected in the vicinity of the modified guanosine, the NOE distance constraints established that the helix was globally right-handed and that the glycosidic torsion angles had the normal anti orientation, both at the modified base and its partner cytidine. Furthermore, the absence of strong NOE interactions between protons in the ABP moiety, which was rapidly rotating, and the nucleic acid protons was consistent with positioning of the arylamine moiety in the major groove of a weakly distorted double-helical structure. Although insufficient data prevented a detailed characterization of the minor conformer(s), the observation of significant shieldings for all the arylamine protons indicated a different orientation at the modified site in the minor contributor(s), possibly with extensive stacking between the ABP fragment and the neighboring bases.

Aminobiphenyl Compounds↗
PubMed1988

Properties of thrombin- and elastase-modified human antithrombin III.

Proteolytically modified forms of human antithrombin III have been prepared by reaction of native antithrombin with thrombin, human neutrophil elastase, or porcine pancreatic elastase. These forms have two chains disulfide linked and are of the same molecular weight as native antithrombin III. 1H NMR spectroscopy has been used to characterize these proteins and to compare them to one another and to native antithrombin III. The three modified proteins have very similar NMR spectra and histidine residues with identical pH titration parameters, and they undergo the same spectral changes upon binding heparin. They differ from native antithrombin III in all of these respects. In addition, the proteins are much more stable than native antithrombin III. The three modified proteins behave identically as a function of temperature; at 372 K, 44 K above the unfolding temperature for native antithrombin III, the proteins are still folded and possess approximately 70 unexchanged amide protons even after several hours. The unfolding of the heparin binding domain at low concentrations of deuteriated guanidine hydrochloride seen in native thrombin III is absent in the modified forms. It is concluded that the thrombin- and elastase-modified forms of antithrombin have identical structures when allowance is made for the slightly different sites of cleavage by the two types of elastase and by thrombin. This structure is very different from that of native antithrombin III.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Photochemically modified myeloperoxidase, with optical spectral properties analogous to those of lactoperoxidase, retains its original catalytic activity.

During the course of a reducing reaction using ketyl radicals generated from ketone photoreduction with ultraviolet light, a photoinduced chemical modification of the chromophore group in myeloperoxidase has been found. Light absorption and resonance Raman spectra for this modified enzyme indicated an iron porphyrin chromophore group. The alkaline pyridine hemochrome of the modified enzyme exhibited an optical spectrum closely related to that of iron protoporphyrin IX. The chromophore group of the modified myeloperoxidase was cleaved from the protein by methoxide. Proton magnetic resonance of the diamagnetic bis(cyanide) compound of the extracted heme group showed the presence of two vinyl and three methyl side chains associated with a porphyrin macrocycle. These data provide further insight into the structure of the active site in myeloperoxidase. The EPR spectral properties and enzymatic activities of the native myeloperoxidase are essentially conserved in the modified enzyme. Our present results indicate that the heme peripheral substituent is modified while the stereochemical structure surrounding the chromophore group is not altered by the photochemical modification.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Conformation of dinucleoside monophosphates modified with benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol 9,10-oxide as measured by circular dichroism.

The conformational properties of GpU modified with the reactive derivative of benzo[a]pyrene, (+/-)-7beta,8alpha-dihydroxy-9alpha,10alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, has been investigated utilizing circular dichroism spectroscopy. Binding of this carcinogen to the N2 of G residues in GpU resulted in the formation of four compounds (I to IV) representing two pairs of diastereoisomers. The molar ellipticity values of the modified dimers were approximately twofold higher than those of the modified guanosine monomers. These values were decreased appreciably when the spectra of the dimers were obtained at 80 degrees C or in methanol rather than at 25 degrees C in water, suggesting that under the latter conditions there is a stacking interaction between the carcinogen and the neighboring uridine residue. Based on these results, a conformation is proposed for modified GpU. It includes insertion of the benzo[a]pyrene moiety, by rotation of the modified guanine residue about its glycoside bond, coplanar to the neighboring uridine and perpendicular to the phosphodiester backbone.

Benzopyrenes↗
PubMed1978

Synthesis of modified nucleoside 3',5'-bisphosphates and their incorporation into oligoribonucleotides with T4 RNA ligase.

A simple procedure is described to prepare nucleoside 3'(2'),5'-bisphosphates from the corresponding nucleosides with the use of pyrophosphoryl chloride. This method is rapid, gives nearly quantitative yields and, most importantly, can be used for a variety of nucleosides with base and sugar modifications. Since 3',5'-bisphosphates are donors in the T4 RNA ligase reaction, a single residue can be enzymatically attached to the 3' end of oligoribonucleotides. By these procedures, five different ring-modified nucleosides and one sugar-modified nucleoside were incorporated onto the 3' end of (Ap)3C. In two cases, an additional step of synthesis with RNA ligase resulted in the modified nucleotide being located in an internal position in the oligonucleotide. Thus, a general method for the synthesis of oligoribonucleotides containing modified nucleosides is outlined. Since many of the modified nucleosides are fluorescent, oligomers containing them should be useful in a variety of physical and biochemical studies.

Coliphages↗
PubMed1978

Properties of D-amino acid oxidase covalently modified upon its oxidation of D-propargylglycine.

Upon oxidation of D-propargylglycine by D-amino acid oxidase, the enzyme is converted by covalent alkylation to catalytic species with different properties from those of native enzyme. At least five distinct modified enzyme species are present in the preparation, as determined by gel electro-focusing. Individual characterization of the components has not yet been attempted. The combined kinetic and spectral properties of the preparation have been studied. The modified enzymes have a marked preference for hydrophobic amino acids: the rates of oxidation decrease in the series D-phenylalanine, D-methionine, D-norleucine, D-norvaline, D-alpha-aminobutyrate, D-alanine. In addition, the observed Kms of the amino acids are increased, especially those of the smaller substrates (D-alanine and D-alpha-aminobutyrate). A primary kinetic isotope effect is observed upon oxidation of amino acids by the modified enzymes, evidence that this catalysis exhibits a different rate-determining step from catalysis by native enzyme. The modified apoenzyme exhibits intense absorbance at 318--320 nm, not present in native enzyme. This chromophore can be partially (75%) removed by treatment of the modified enzyme with hydrazine. However, the activity of native enzyme is not substantially restored by this process, suggesting the existence of superficial alkylations in addition to the modification responsible for the observed changes in kinetic parameters.

Alkynes↗
PubMed2002

Identification of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase subunits modified by the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal.

Bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) was inactivated by the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) in a time- and concentration-dependent manner with pseudo-first-order kinetics. Cytochrome c oxidase electron transport activity decreased by as much as 50% when the enzyme was incubated for 2 h at room temperature with excess HNE (300-500 microM). HNE-modified CcO subunits were identified by two mass spectrometric methods: electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI/MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). All of the experimentally determined molecular masses were in excellent agreement with published sequence values with an accuracy of approximately 1 part per 10000 mass units for subunits smaller than 20 kDa and approximately 1 part per 1000 mass units for the three subunits larger than 20 kDa. Both MS methods detected six CcO subunits with an increased mass of 156 Da after reaction with HNE (subunits II, IV, Vb, VIIa, VIIc, and VIII); this result indicates a single Michael-type reaction site on either a lysine or histidine residue within each subunit. Reaction of HNE with either subunit VIIc or subunit VIII (modified approximately 30% and 50-75%, respectively) must be responsible for CcO inhibition. None of the other subunits were modified more than 5% and could not account for the observed loss of activity. Reaction of HNE with His-36 of subunit VIII is most consistent with the approximately 50% inhibition of CcO: (1) subunit VIII is modified more than any other subunit by HNE; (2) the time dependence of subunit VIII modification is consistent with the percent inhibition of CcO; (3) His-36 was identified as the HNE-modified amino acid residue within subunit VIII by tandem MS analysis.

Aldehydes↗
PubMed1996

Photoreactivity of platinum(II) in cisplatin-modified DNA affords specific cross-links to HMG domain proteins.

Cisplatin-modified DNA forms specific complexes with proteins that contain the DNA binding motif known as the high-mobility group (HMG) domain. As a tool for investigating the role of these proteins in mediating the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin, a set of cisplatin analogs was prepared in which one of the ammine ligands was replaced with a photoreactive tethered aryl azide ligand. The ability of DNA modified by these platinum complexes to photo-cross-link to HMG1 was investigated. During this study, it was discovered that DNA modified with cisplatin itself can undergo photoinduced cross-linking to HMG1 when irradiated with 300 nm light. The covalent complexes resulting from this latter cross-linking reaction are completely reversed by the addition of sodium cyanide and can be degraded by proteinase K. These results confirm the presence of a protein-DNA cross-link and demonstrate that the platinum atom itself forms the point of attachment. By contrast, DNA modified with transdiamminedichloroplatinum(II), [Pt(dien)Cl]Cl, or [Pt(NH3)3Cl]Cl does not cross-link to HMG1 upon irradiation. The photochemistry was exploited to cross-link a 15-base pair oligonucleotide containing a single, site-specific cis-[Pt(NH3)2{d(GpG)-N7(1),-N7(2)}] intrastrand adduct to domain B of HMG1. Following proteolytic digestion of the resulting covalent complex, the site of attachment to the protein was determined by Edman degradation of the resulting peptide-DNA complex to be a single residue on HMG domain B, Lys-6. The data further suggest that this amino acid binds to platinum at a site made available by photolabilization of a purine ligand. These results afford the first structural information about the interaction of HMG domain proteins with cisplatin-modified DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Squaryl group as a new mimic of phosphate group in modified oligodeoxynucleotides: synthesis and properties of new oligodeoxynucleotide analogues containing an internucleotidic squaryldiamide linkage.

This paper describes the synthesis and properties of a new type of modified oligodeoxynucleotide containing a neutral but highly polarized squaryl group as a novel mimic of the phosphate group. A modified thymidine dimer derivative (TsqT) having a squaryldiamide linkage was synthesized in almost quantitative yield by a two-step substitution of diethyl squarate with 3'-amino-5'-O-(4,4'-dimethoxytrityl)-3'-deoxythymidine and 5'-amino-5'-deoxythymidine. The CD and UV studies of TsqT suggest that this dimer has basically a structure similar to that of TpT. The NMR studies of TsqT show a unique property, namely, that the squaryl group of TsqT is influenced by Mg2+ concentration. The ab initio calculations of TsqT showed a highly polarized structure resembling that of a phosphate group. This dimer structural motif was finally incorporated into oligodeoxynucleotides by use of the phosphoramidite approach. The hybridization affinity of these modified oligodeoxynucleotides for the complementary and mismatched oligodeoxynucleotides was studied in detail by using Tm experiments. Consequently, it turned out that in a matched duplex of 5'-d(CGCATsqTAGCC)-3'/5'-d(GGCTAATGCG)-3' the A-T base pairs at the modified site can be preserved, but instead thermal destabilization of the overall structure was observed. To estimate the structure of the duplex, two kinds of fluorescein chromophores (fluorescein (FL) and cyanine 3 (Cy3)) were introduced into the 5'-terminal site of 5'-d(GACGCATsqTAGCCGAT)-3' and 5'-d(ATCGGCTAATGCGTC)-3', respectively. The fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments using these functionalized oligodeoxynucleotides suggest that the matched duplexes have a bent structure at the modified site. This conclusion was also strongly supported by computational MM and MD simulations.

Amides↗
PubMed2006

A generalized two-point H-bonding model for catalytic stereoselective hydrogenation of activated ketones on chirally modified platinum.

The asymmetric hydrogenation of alpha-ketoesters on cinchona-modified supported platinum particles is a prototype reaction in heterogeneous chiral catalysis. The catalysis literature shows that the reaction is highly metal-specific, that it displays rate-enhancement with respect to the racemic reaction on the nonmodified surface, and that the observed stereoselectivity is a sensitive function of substrate and modifier structure. This set of observations has proven difficult to rationalize within the context of existing models for the mechanism of the Orito reaction. The most widely discussed mechanistic models are based on the formation of chemisorbed 1:1 complexes through H-bonding between the quinuclidine function of the cinchona modifier and the prochiral, keto-carbonyl, function of the substrate. Recent surface science studies, as well as advances in the area of C-H...O hydrogen bonding, suggest that chemisorption-induced polarization may lead to an aromatic-carbonyl H-bonding interaction between the aromatic anchor of the modifier and the coadsorbed substrate. By specifying that the aromatic C-H...O interaction is to the prochiral carbonyl and that it is accompanied by a H-bonding interaction between the ester carbonyl and the quinuclidine function, we show that it is possible to rationalize essentially all of the catalysis literature for the Orito reaction in terms of a single molecular mechanism. The generality of the proposed mechanistic model is demonstrated by addressing data from the literature for a representative range of substrates, modifiers, solvents, and metals. Results of catalytic tests on an asymmetric diketone substrate are presented in support of the model.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Hypolipidemic effects of modified psyllium preparations.

The hypolipidemic effects of two solid-state enzymatically modified psyllium preparations were compared to that of the original psyllium husks in hamsters. Hamsters were ad libitum fed 0.2 wt % cholesterol diets formulated to contain 12% cellulose or 5% cellulose plus 7% raw or enzymatically modified psyllium preparations. Psyllium additions to the diet did not significantly alter food consumption or the weekly mean hamster weight over the 5 weeks of feeding. However, the total weight gained over 35 days of feeding of modified psyllium Y-26-4, one of the modified psyllium preparations, was significantly lower, 48, 47, and 32% than that for the cellulose, raw psyllium, and modified psyllium Y-24-3 groups, respectively. At 35 days, psyllium feeding significantly reduced plasma total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 50-100% in comparison to cellulose feeding, with no significant differences between the psyllium preparations. Fecal dry weight was unaffected by dietary treatment. At days 29-31, fecal bile acid excretion was significantly increased by 30-70% with all three psyllium diets, with no significant differences between psyllium preparations. These results suggest that improving the functional properties of psyllium by solid-state enzymatic procedures, such that its incorporation into food products is feasible, does not alter psyllium-mediated hypolipidemic effects.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Surface characterization of argon-plasma-modified perfluorosulfonic acid membranes.

The perfluorosulfonic acid membranes which are used in direct methanol fuel cells were modified with argon plasma under various conditions, and the physicochemical and transport properties of the resulting membranes were investigated using various analytical techniques. The plasma treatment was found to change the surface morphology and physicochemical properties of the membranes. The surface roughness of the membranes was increased by the etching effect of plasma. From the FTIR and XPS analyses, the incorporation of new oxygen functionalities, such as the peroxide group, was confirmed. The breakage of both the sulfonic acid groups and ether linkages were also found to cause an increase in the equivalent weight of the modified skin layer of the membrane. The incident water contact angle of the modified membrane in a dry state decreased with an increased plasma treatment, because of the hydrophilic groups that developed on the membrane surface. The time-dependent water contact angle, however, increased in proportion to the extent of the plasma treatment, due to the reduced concentration of sulfonic acid groups. Although the equilibrium water uptake of the modified membrane was almost invariable because of the negligible thickness of the modified skin layer, the transport properties of the membrane such as methanol permeability and proton conductivity were significantly reduced.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Biological response modifiers and their potential use in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.

In recent years, a more detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of several inflammatory skin diseases, combined with the developments within biotechnology, has made it possible to design more selective response modifiers. Biological response modifiers hold the potential for greater effectiveness and fewer side-effects than the current systemic therapies now used for severe psoriasis, contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. In the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases, the immune system plays a pivotal role, and this is where biological response modifiers such as monoclonal antibodies, recombinant cytokines, or fusion proteins may be effective. Several biological response modifiers have already shown positive results in phase II/III clinical trials in skin diseases, and many new biological response modifiers are in progress.

Animals↗