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First-pass elimination of salicylamide in man following oral and rectal administration.

In order to study the avoidance of hepatic first-pass elimination following rectal administration, 500 mg of salicylamide (SAM) were given orally and rectally to man. Plasma SAM concentrations were measurable following oral administration, but following rectal administration SAM concentrations were either very low or not detectable. The mean excretion of SAM sulphate (SAMS) and SAM glucuronide (SAMG) in the urine following oral and rectal administration was 71.3 per cent and 45.6 per cent respectively. Increasing the oral and rectal dose (1500 mg of SAM, solution) showed that the mean AUC values were 911 and 144 micrograms min ml-1, respectively. The mean urinary excretion of SAMS plus SAMG following oral and rectal administration was 82.0 and 75.6 per cent respectively; the mean plasma elimination half-lives were 31 and 40 min, respectively, while the mean urinary elimination half-lives were 63 and 73 min, respectively.

Administration, Oral↗

Oxidation states and CO ligand exchange kinetics in a self-assembled monolayer of a triruthenium cluster studied by in situ infrared spectroscopy.

Oxidation states and CO ligand exchange kinetics in a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of an oxo-centered triruthenium cluster [Ru(3)(mu3-O)(mu-CH3COO)6(CO)(L1)(L2)] (L1 = [(NC5H4)CH2NHC(O)(CH2)10S-]2, L2 = 4-methylpyridine) have been extensively investigated on the surface of a gold electrode in aqueous and nonaqueous solutions. The SAM exhibits three consecutive one-electron transfers and four oxidation states, which have been characterized by electrochemistry, in situ infrared spectroscopy, and in situ sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy measurements. The original electron-localized state of the Ru cluster center was changed to electron delocalization states by oxidation or reduction of the central Ru ions. These changes are revealed by the IR absorptions of the CO ligand and the bridging acetate ligands of the triruthenium cluster in the SAM. The IR absorptions of the two kinds of ligands are strongly dependent on the oxidation state of the Ru cluster center. One-electron oxidation of the central Ru ion in the SAM triggers a CO ligand liberation process. Solvent molecules may then occupy the CO site to result in a CO-free SAM. One-electron reduction of this CO-free SAM in a CO-saturated solution leads to re-coordination of the CO ligand into the SAM. Both processes can be precisely controlled by tuning the electrode potential. The kinetics of the CO exchange cycle in the SAM, including liberation and coordination, has been investigated by in situ IR and SFG measurements for the first time. The CO exchange cycle is significantly dependent on the temperature. The reaction rate greatly decreases with decreasing solution temperature, which is an important factor in the CO ligand exchange process. The activation energies of both CO liberation and coordination have been evaluated from the reaction rate constants obtained at various temperatures.

Journal Article↗

S-adenosyl-L-methionine prevents and reverses erythrocyte membrane alterations in cirrhosis.

Transmethylation is an important means of altering the biological activity of a wide variety of compounds. In human and experimental CCl4-liver cirrhosis the intrahepatic content of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), an active methyl donor, and the SAM-transmethylase activity are markedly reduced. Previously, it has been reported that SAM administration preserves hepatocyte plasma membrane Na+/K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-ATPase activities in cirrhotic rats. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the effect of SAM administration on the membrane lipid composition and the ATPase activity on erythrocytes derived from CCl4-cirrhotic rats. Male Wistar rats were used in these experiments. In group 1, cirrhosis was induced by i.p. administration of CCl4. Animals of group 2 received, in addition to CCl4, three daily doses of SAM (20 mg kg-1, i.m.). Group 3 consisted of cirrhotic animals that, after 8 weeks of CCl4 treatment, received SAM (20 mg kg-1, i.m., three times daily) for 4 weeks without discontinuation of CCl4. Group 4 included animals treated with SAM alone. Seventy-two hours after the end of treatment the rats were anaesthetized, blood was collected by heart puncture and the erythrocyte plasma membranes were isolated. The Na+/K(+)- and (Ca2+ +Mg2+)-ATPase activities and the cholesterol (CH) and phospholipid (PL) contents were determined in the plasma membranes. The Na+/K(+)- and Ca(2+)-ATPase activities were both significantly decreased (twofold) in the CCl4-treated group as compared to controls. Administration of SAM completely prevented this fall in both ATPases. In group 4, the Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity was partially restored but the Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was completely restored.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Protein adsorption and human osteoblast-like cell attachment and growth on alkylthiol on gold self-assembled monolayers.

Protein adsorption and growth of primary human osteoblasts on self-assembled monolayers of alkylthiols on gold (SAMs) with carboxylic acid and hydroxyl and methyl termini were investigated. Single-component SAMs and SAMs patterned by photolithographic techniques were used. Cell growth on patterned SAMs demonstrated preferences for one pattern region in all combinations of alkylthiols, with the hierarchical preference COOH > OH > CH(3). Patterned SAMs and immunochemistry were used to investigate adsorption of fibronectin and albumin with respect to different alkylthiol termini. Fibronectin adsorption from both pure solution and serum containing cell culture medium (SDMEM) followed the sequence COOH > OH > CH(3). Albumin adsorption from pure solution followed the sequence OH > COOH > CH(3); from SDMEM the sequence was CH(3) > OH > COOH. Cell attachment to SAMs with the above termini, after preadsorption with fibronectin, albumin, or mixtures of fibronectin and albumin, was measured. Attachment was maximal on COOH-terminated SAMs precoated with fibronectin. Attachment to COOH was significantly reduced only when fibronectin was omitted from the protein preadsorption solution. On OH and CH(3) SAMs increasing the proportion of albumin in the solution was sufficient to significantly reduce cell attachment. The distribution vinculin and the integrins alpha(5)beta(1) and alpha(v)beta(3) indicated that focal contact formation by cells varied with alkylthiol termini in the following sequence: COOH > OH > CH(3).

Actins↗

Using microcontact printing to pattern the attachment of mammalian cells to self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiolates on transparent films of gold and silver.

This paper describes a convenient methodology for patterning substrates for cell culture that allows the positions and dimensions of attached cells to be controlled. The method uses self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of terminally substituted alkanethiolates (R(CH2)11-15S-) adsorbed on optically transparent films of gold or silver to control the properties of the substrates. SAMs terminated in methyl groups adsorb protein and SAMs terminated in oligo(ethylene glycol) groups resist entirely the adsorption of protein. This methodology uses microcontact printing (microCP)-an experimentally simple, nonphotolithographic process-to pattern the formation of SAMs at the micrometer scale; microCP uses an elastomeric stamp having at its surface a pattern in relief to transfer an alkanethiol to a surface of gold or silver in the same pattern. Patterned SAMs having hydrophobic, methyl-terminated lines 10, 30, 60, and 90 microm in width and separated by protein-resistant regions 120 microm in width were prepared and coated with fibronectin; the protein adsorbed only to the methyl-terminated regions. Bovine capillary endothelial cells attached only to the fibronectin-coated, methyl-terminated regions of the patterned SAMs. The cells remained attached to the SAMs and confined to the pattern of underlying SAMs for at least 5-7 days. Because the substrates are optically transparent, cells could be visualized by inverted microscopy and by fluorescence microscopy after fixing and staining with fluorescein-labeled phalloidin.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

Neurons with different temporal firing patterns in the inferior colliculus of the little brown bat differentially process sinusoidal amplitude-modulated signals.

We examined how well single neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of an FM bat (Myotis lucifugus) processed simple tone bursts of different duration and sinusoidal amplitude-modulated (SAM) signals that approximated passively heard natural sounds. Units' responses to SAM tones, measured in terms of average spike count and firing synchrony to the modulation envelope, were plotted as a function of the modulation frequency to construct their modulation transfer functions. These functions were classified according to their shape (e.g., band-, low-, high-, and all-pass). IC neurons having different temporal firing patterns to simple tone bursts (tonic, chopper, onset-late, and onset-immediate) exhibited different selectivities for SAM signals. All tonic and 83% of chopper neurons responded robustly to SAM signals and displayed a variety of spike count-based response functions. These neurons showed a decreased level of time-locking as the modulation frequency was increased, and thereby gave low-pass synchronization-based response functions. In contrast, 64% of onset-immediate, 37% of onset-late and 17% of chopper units failed to respond to SAM signals at any modulation frequency tested (5-800 Hz). Those onset neurons that did respond to SAM showed poor time-locking (i.e., non-significant levels of synchronization). We obtained evidence that the poor SAM response of some onset and chopper neurons was due to a preference for short-duration signals. These data suggest that tonic and most chopper neurons are better-suited for the processing of long-duration SAM signals related to passive hearing, whereas onset neurons are better-suited for the processing of short, pulsatile signals such as those used in echolocation.

Animals↗

Primate frontal cortex: neuronal activity following attentional versus intentional cues.

We examined neuronal activity in three parts of the primate frontal cortex: the dorsal (PMd) and ventral (PMv) premotor cortex and a ventrolateral part of the dorsolateral prefrontal (PF) cortex. Two monkeys fixated a 0.2 degrees white square in the center of a video display while depressing a switch located between two touch pads. On each trial, a spatial-attentional/mnemonic (SAM) cue was presented first. The SAM cue consisted of one 2 degrees x 2 degrees square, usually red or green, and its location indicated where a conditional motor instruction would appear after a delay period. The stimulus event containing the motor instruction, termed the motor instructional/conditional (MIC) cue, could be of two general types. It might consist of a single 2 degrees x 2 degrees square stimulus identical to one of the SAM cues presented at the same location as the SAM cue on that trial. When the MIC cue was a single square, it instructed the monkey to move its forelimb to one of the two touch pads according to the following conditional rule: a green MIC cue meant that contact with the right touch pad would be rewarded on that trial and a red MIC cue instructed a movement to the left touch pad. Alternatively, the MIC cue might consist of two 2 degrees x 2 degrees squares, only one of which was at the SAM-cue location: in those cases, one square was red and the other was green. The colored square at the SAM cue location for that trial was the instructing stimulus, and the other part of the MIC cue was irrelevant. When, after a variable delay period, the MIC cue disappeared, the monkey had to touch the appropriate target within 1 s to receive a reward and could break visual fixation. The experimental design allowed comparison of frontal cortical activity when one stimulus, identical in retinocentric, craniocentric, and allocentric spatial location as well as all other stimulus parameters, had two different meanings for the animal's behavior. When a stimulus was the SAM cue, it led to either a reorientation of spatial attention to its location, or the storage of its location in spatial memory. By contrast, when it was the MIC cue, the same stimulus instructed a motor act to be executed after a delay period. For the majority of PMd neurons (55%), post-MIC cue activity exceeded post-SAM cue activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Effects of chronic administration of S-adenosyl-L-methionine on brain oxidative stress in rats.

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), used to treat liver diseases and as a coadjuvant in antidepressive medication, has neuroprotective effects in animal models. The aim of this study was to discover whether SAM has antioxidant effects in rat brain tissue. Ten male Wistar rats were killed by decapitation and the forebrains incubated with SAM for in vitro experiments. To study the effects of long-term administration, animals in four groups of ten rats each were given 10 mg SAM/kg per day s.c., and 40 other rats were given an equivalent volume of L-lysine (the commercial solvent for SAM). Treatment was started at the end of lactation, and animals were killed by decapitation after 15 days or 1, 6 or 22 months of treatment. The forebrain of each animal was used to test membrane lipid peroxidation by determining thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), glutathione level and enzyme activities related to glutathione (reduced form GSH, oxidized form GSSG) metabolism: GSH-peroxidase (GSHpx), GSSD-reductase (GSSGrd) and GSH-transferase (GSHtf). Chronic treatment with SAM decreased maximum forebrain production of TBARS by 46% compared with animals given L-lysine and increased glutathione levels by 50%, GSHpx activity by 115% and GSHtf activity by 81.4%. The results of in vitro experiments were qualitatively similar: lipid peroxidation was inhibited (13.1+/-1.3 nmol/mg protein in controls vs. 5.9+/-0.8 nmol/mg protein in samples incubated with 1000 micromol/l SAM) and glutathione levels were stimulated (0.97+/-0.06 micromol/g tissue in control samples vs. 1.55+/-0.08 micromol/g tissue in samples incubated with 1000 micromol/l SAM), as were GSHpx and GSHtf. No significant effect was seen in any of the experiments with L-lysine. We conclude that SAM has antioxidant effects in rat brain tissue both in vitro and ex vivo. The effect is seen both as inhibition of lipid peroxide production and as an enhancement of the endogenous glutathione antioxidant system.

Animals↗

Characterization of trypsin immobilized on the functionable alkylthiolate self-assembled monolayers: a preliminary application for trypsin digestion chip on protein identification using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on coinage metal provide versatile modeling systems for studies of interfacial electron transfer, biological interactions, molecular recognition and other interfacial phenomena. Recently the bonding of enzyme to SAMs of alkanethiols onto Au electrode surfaces was exploited to produce a bio-sensing system. In this work, the attachment of trypsin to a SAMs surface of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid was achieved using water soluble N-ethyl-N '-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxysuccinimide as coupling agent. The thickness of SAMs was determined by optical ellipsometer; contact angles of the modified Au surfaces were measured in air using a goniometer. The Second Harmony Generation data displays the last few percents of the alkylthiol molecules adsorbed and produced the complete monolayer by inducing the transition from a high number of gauche defects to an all-trans conformation. Using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-Transformed Infrared Reflection-Absorption and Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopes (FTIR-RAS and ATR), we examined the chemical structures of samples with different treatments. By matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), we demonstrated the digestion of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the trypsin-immobilized SAMs surface. Experimental results have revealed that the XPS C1s core levels at 286.3 and 286.5 eV (Amine bond), 288.1 eV (Amide bond) and 289.3 eV (Carboxylic acid) illustrate the immobilization of trypsin. These data were also in good agreement with FTIR-ATR spectra for the peaks valued at 1659.4 cm(-1) (Amide I) and 1546.6 cm(-1) (Amide II). Using MALDI-TOF MS observations, analytical results have demonstrated the BSA digestion of the immobilized trypsin on the functionalized SAMs surface. For such surfaces, BSA was digested on the trypsin-immobilized SAMs surface, which shows the enzyme digestion ability of the immobilized trypsin. The terminal groups of the SAMs structure can be further functionalized with biomolecules or antibodies to develop surface-base diagnostics, biosensors, or biomaterials.

Biosensing Techniques↗

Arachidonic acid metabolism in alveolar macrophages from actively sensitized guinea-pigs: effects of sensitization and specific allergen.

Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism, including mediator release and lipid turnover, was explored in [3H]AA-radiolabelled alveolar macrophages obtained from guinea-pigs actively sensitized to ovalbumin (sAM) and controls (cAM). The basal and allergen-induced AA metabolism of cAM and sAM were examined in the presence and absence of homologous serum obtained from the same control or sensitized animals. Basal AA metabolism of cAM and sAM involved the release of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase [3H]metabolites and free [3H]AA into the culture medium. However, in sAM, the production of free [3H]AA was significantly lower than in cAM. The allergen had no effect on the basal AA metabolism of cAM and sAM or on the metabolism of cAM and sAM cultured in the presence of control serum. In contrast, it increased the [3H]LTC4-D4 and free [3H]AA production of sAM cultured with sensitized serum but not those of cAM cultured with the same sensitized serum. In sAM, the allergen effect disappeared when the sensitized serum was heated for 1 h to 56 degrees C. Our results suggest that two factors, both induced by the active sensitization of guinea-pigs, one in the serum and one on the macrophages obtained from sensitized guinea-pigs, are required for the allergen to have an impact on the AA metabolism of alveolar macrophages in increasing the production of 5-lipoxygenase metabolites.

Allergens↗

S-adenosyl-L-methionine prevents ischemic neuronal death.

The effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) on neuronal degeneration induced by transient forebrain ischemia was studied in rats. Bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries for 30 min in a 4-vessel occlusion model caused degeneration of CA1 neurons of the hippocampus. When SAM-HCl or SAM sulphate tosylate (SAM-ST, 100 mg/kg as the free form of SAM, i.p.) was administered just after recirculation and every hour for 5 h after recirculation, the degeneration and loss of pyramidal cells were prevented. However, adenosine, a metabolite of SAM, and glycerol, which has the same osmotic pressure as the solution of SAM-ST, did not show any effects on the neuronal damage. The results showed that SAM has a beneficial effect on neuronal damage induced by ischemia.

Animals↗

S-adenosyl-L-methionine a counter to lead intoxication?

The effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) administration to both acute and chronic lead exposed mice was investigated. SAM was given s.c. at different doses and for different time intervals. The best results were obtained using 20 mg SAM/kg applied daily over a period of 20-22 days. Results obtained in both acute and chronic lead poisoning were quite similar. GSH concentration in blood and liver, reduced in intoxicated animals was increased after SAM administration reaching normal values. Blood, liver and kidney lead content notably increased at the beginning of SAM treatment and decreased rapidly in the group receiving SAM, attaining values near control levels in 2 weeks. A significant recovery of blood, liver, kidney, spleen and brain delta-aminolevulic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) initially reduced in poisoned animals, was clearly produced after SAM administration. A clear and direct correlation between the recovery of both ALA-D activity and GSH levels and the decreased concentration of lead in tissues was observed, reinforcing our proposal that enhancement of thiol content as a result of SAM administration would facilitate the detoxification process and lead removal, consequently reversing the inactivation of the enzyme. We conclude that SAM therapy is beneficial in the treatment of lead intoxication.

Acute Disease↗

Acute changes in 5-HT metabolism after S-adenosyl-L-methionine administration.

1. This study investigates S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) (10 mg/kg, i.p.)acute effects upon 5-HT metabolism in rat brain areas. 2. One hour after SAM injection 5-HT biosynthesis was increased in the corpus striatum (55%), the hippocampus (3-fold) (82% 2 hr after SAM injection) and decreased in the olfactory bulbs (34%). 3. 5-HT levels were: (a) increased in the corpus striatum (39%), the hippocampus (44%) and the frontal cortex (27%), and oppositely reduced in the olfactory bulbs (47%) 1 hr after SAM injection; (b) increased in the hippocampus (39%) and reduced in the olfactory bulbs (35%) 1.5 hr after SAM injection; (c) increased in the hippocampus (25%) 2 hr after SAM injection. 4. 5-HIAA levels were reduced in the olfactory bulbs 27% or 21% after 1 hr or 1.5 hr from SAM injection respectively. 5. These area-related changes in 5-HT biosynthesis and metabolism might suggest a possible neurochemical substrate for the antidepressant properties of SAM.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗

Betaine, ethanol, and the liver: a review.

Two of the most important biochemical hepatic pathways in the liver are those that synthesize methionine and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) through the methylation of homocysteine. This article reviews some recent findings in this laboratory, which demonstrate that ethanol feeding to rats impairs one of these pathways involving the enzyme methionine synthetase (MS), but by way of compensation increases the activity of the enzyme betaine:homocysteine methyl transferase (BHMT), which catalyzes the second pathway in methionine and SAM biosynthesis. It has been shown that despite the inhibition of MS, the enhanced BHMT pathway utilizes hepatic betaine pools to maintain levels of SAM. Subsequent to the above findings, it has been shown that minimal supplemental dietary betaine at the 0.5% level generates SAM twofold in control animals and fivefold in ethanol-fed rats. Concomitant with the betaine-generated SAM, ethanol-induced hepatic fatty infiltration was ameliorated. In view of the fact that SAM has already been used successfully in the treatment of human maladies, including liver dysfunction, betaine, shown to protect against the early stages of alcoholic liver injury as well as being a SAM generator, may become a promising therapeutic agent and a possible alternative to expensive SAM in the treatment of liver disease and other human maladies.

5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine S-Methyltran↗

Tumor uptake studies of S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-11C]methionine and L-[methyl-11C]methionine.

Tumor accumulation of S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-11C]methionine ([11C]SAM) was investigated in mice bearing mammary carcinoma (FM3A) and in rats bearing ascitic hepatoma (AH109A). After injection of [11C]SAM the blood clearance of 11C radioactivity was rapid. The 11C level was relatively high in both tumors. The uptake ratios of tumor to organ increased with time in several organs, especially in brain and muscle. In FM3A tumor tissue the 11C was incorporated with time into the acid-precipitable fraction and 38% of the 11C was detected in this fraction at 60 min after injection. This fraction reflects the amount of 11C-methyl group transferred into macromolecules in tumor tissue. In AH109A-bearing rats the metabolisms of [11C]SAM and L-[methyl-11C]methionine ([11C]Met), in vivo precursor of SAM, were compared. Tumor uptake of [11C]SAM was about two thirds of that of [11C]Met at 20 min after injection. At this time, for the [11C]SAM 27 and 8% of the 11C in the AH109A tissue were detected in the acid-precipitable and the lipid fractions, respectively. The corresponding figures for [11C]Met were 61% and 2%. In the liver considerable amounts of 11C were observed in the lipid fraction for both tracers. These results show that [11C]SAM has potential as a tracer for tumor localization with positron emission tomography (PET) and suggest that in tumor studies combining [11C]Met and PET, it should be taken into account that the 11C-labeled methyl group of [11C]Met is not only incorporated into protein but also other macromolecules and lipids via [11C]SAM.

Animals↗

Automated localization of magnetoencephalographic interictal spikes by adaptive spatial filtering.

OBJECTIVE: Automated adaptive spatial filtering techniques can be applied to magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data collected from people with epilepsy. Source waveforms estimated by these methods have higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than spontaneous MEG data, allowing identification and location of interictal spikes. The software tool SAM(g(2)) provides an adaptive spatial filtering algorithm for MEG data that yields source images of excess kurtosis and provides source time-courses in voxels exhibiting high excess kurtosis. The sensitivity and specificity of SAM(g(2)) in epilepsy is unknown. METHODS: Interictal MEG data from 36 patients with intractable epilepsy were analyzed using SAM(g(2)), and results compared with equivalent current dipole (ECD) fit procedures. RESULTS: When SNR of interictal spikes was high (compared to background) with a clear single focus, in most cases there was good agreement between ECD and SAM(g(2)). With multiple foci, there was typically overlap but imperfect concordance between results of ECD and SAM(g(2)). CONCLUSIONS: SAM(g(2)) may in some cases be equivalent to manual ECD fit for localizing interictal spikes with single locus and good SNR. Further studies are required to validate SAM(g(2)) with multiple foci or poor SNR. SIGNIFICANCE: In some cases, SAM(g(2)) might eventually assist or replace manual ECD analysis of MEG data.

Algorithms↗

Staphylococcus aureus capsular material promotes osteoclast formation.

Osteomyelitis, which is most frequently due to infection by Staphylococcus aureus, commonly causes bone destruction. S. aureus is known to secrete a number of surface-associated proteins that are potent stimulators of bone resorption. The precise cellular and humoral mechanisms that mediate this stimulatory effect are uncertain. In this study, we have determined whether osteoclast formation and resorption is directly promoted by surface-associated proteins. Surface-associated material (SAM) obtained from a 24-hour culture of S. aureus was added to cultures of mouse and human monocytes. Human monocyte cultures were incubated in the presence and absence of a soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). In cultures where M-CSF, RANKL, and SAM were added together, osteoclast formation did not exceed that seen in cultures with M-CSF and RANKL. In keeping with this finding, SAM did not increase osteoclast formation and resorption when mouse monocytes were cocultured with RANKL-expressing osteoblasts. In the absence of RANKL, however, SAM was capable of inducing osteoclast formation in cultures of human monocytes. This finding was evidenced by the generation of vitronectin receptor and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatasepositive multinucleated cells that were capable of lacunar resorption. Inhibitors of RANKL-dependent (RANK:Fc, OPG) and RANKL-independent (anti-TNF-alpha, gp130, IL-8, TGF-beta) osteoclast formation did not inhibit SAM-induced osteoclast formation. SAM did not stimulate mature osteoclast resorption activity. These findings indicate that RANKL, which is present in the circulation as a soluble factor, does not play a role in osteoclast formation in the presence of S. aureus SAM and that S. aureus SAM contains a soluble factor that promotes osteoclast formation by a RANKL-independent mechanism.

Animals↗

Substrate effects in poly(ethylene glycol) self-assembled monolayers on granular and flame-annealed gold.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are surface coatings that efficiently prevent nonspecific adhesion of biomolecules to surfaces. Here, we report on SAM formation of the PEG thiol CH3O(CH2CH2O)17NHCO(CH2)2SH (PEG(17)) on three types of Au films: thermally evaporated granular Au and two types of Au films from hydrogen flame annealing of granular Au, Au(111), and Au silicide. The different Au surfaces clearly affects the morphology and mechanical properties of the PEG(17) SAM, which is shown by AFM topographs and force distance curves. The two types of SAMs found on flame-annealed Au were denoted "soft" and "hard" due to their difference in stiffness and resistance to scratching by the AFM probe. With the aim of nanometer scale patterning of the PEG(17), the SAMs were exposed by low energy (1 kV) electron beam lithography (EBL). Two distinctly different types of behaviour were observed on the different types of SAM; the soft PEG(17) SAM was destroyed in a self-developing process while material deposition was dominant for the hard PEG(17) SAM.

Biocompatible Materials↗