scholarly journals An efficient autometallography approach to localize lead at ultra-structural levels of cultured cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 211-221
Author(s):  
Han Song ◽  
Gang Zheng ◽  
Xue-Feng Shen ◽  
Zai-Hua Zhao ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Understanding the precise intracellular localization of lead (Pb) is a key in deciphering processes in Pb-induced toxicology. However, it is a great challenge to trace Pb in vitro, especially in cultured cells. We aimed to find an innovative and efficient approach to investigate distribution of Pb in cells and to validate it through determining the subcellular Pb content. We identified its ultra-structural distribution with autometallography under electron microscopy in a choroidal epithelial Z310 cell line. Electron microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS) was employed to provide further evidence of Pb location. In addition, Pb content was determined in the cytosol, membrane/organelle, nucleus and cytoskeleton fractions with atomic absorption spectroscopy. Pb was found predominantly inside the nuclear membranes and some was distributed in the cytoplasm under low-concentration exposure. Nuclear existence of Pb was verified by EDS under electron microscopy. Once standardized for protein content, Pb percentage in the nucleus fraction reached the highest level (76%). Our results indicate that Pb is accumulated mainly in the nucleus of choroid plexus. This method is sensitive and precise in providing optimal means to study the ultra-structural localization of Pb for in vitro models. In addition, it offers the possibility of localization of other metals in cultured cells. Some procedures may also be adopted to detect target proteins via immunoreactions.

Author(s):  
Ann Chidester Van Orden ◽  
John L. Chidester ◽  
Anna C. Fraker ◽  
Pei Sung

The influence of small variations in the composition on the corrosion behavior of Co-Cr-Mo alloys has been studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), and electrochemical measurements. SEM and EDX data were correlated with data from in vitro corrosion measurements involving repassivation and also potentiostatic anodic polarization measurements. Specimens studied included the four alloys shown in Table 1. Corrosion tests were conducted in Hanks' physiological saline solution which has a pH of 7.4 and was held at a temperature of 37°C. Specimens were mechanically polished to a surface finish with 0.05 µm A1203, then exposed to the solution and anodically polarized at a rate of 0.006 v/min. All voltages were measured vs. the saturated calomel electrode (s.c.e.).. Specimens had breakdown potentials near 0.47V vs. s.c.e.


Author(s):  
N.K.R. Smith ◽  
K.E. Hunter ◽  
P. Mobley ◽  
L.P. Felpel

Electron probe energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis (XRMA) offers a powerful tool for the determination of intracellular elemental content of biological tissue. However, preparation of the tissue specimen , particularly excitable central nervous system (CNS) tissue , for XRMA is rather difficult, as dissection of a sample from the intact organism frequently results in artefacts in elemental distribution. To circumvent the problems inherent in the in vivo preparation, we turned to an in vitro preparation of astrocytes grown in tissue culture. However, preparations of in vitro samples offer a new and unique set of problems. Generally, cultured cells, growing in monolayer, must be harvested by either mechanical or enzymatic procedures, resulting in variable degrees of damage to the cells and compromised intracel1ular elemental distribution. The ultimate objective is to process and analyze unperturbed cells. With the objective of sparing others from some of the same efforts, we are reporting the considerable difficulties we have encountered in attempting to prepare astrocytes for XRMA.Tissue cultures of astrocytes from newborn C57 mice or Sprague Dawley rats were prepared and cultured by standard techniques, usually in T25 flasks, except as noted differently on Cytodex beads or on gelatin. After different preparative procedures, all samples were frozen on brass pins in liquid propane, stored in liquid nitrogen, cryosectioned (0.1 μm), freeze dried, and microanalyzed as previously reported.


Author(s):  
Eva-Maria Mandelkow ◽  
Ron Milligan

Microtubules form part of the cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells. They are hollow libers of about 25 nm diameter made up of 13 protofilaments, each of which consists of a chain of heterodimers of α-and β-tubulin. Microtubules can be assembled in vitro at 37°C in the presence of GTP which is hydrolyzed during the reaction, and they are disassembled at 4°C. In contrast to most other polymers microtubules show the behavior of “dynamic instability”, i.e. they can switch between phases of growth and phases of shrinkage, even at an overall steady state [1]. In certain conditions an entire solution can be synchronized, leading to autonomous oscillations in the degree of assembly which can be observed by X-ray scattering (Fig. 1), light scattering, or electron microscopy [2-5]. In addition such solutions are capable of generating spontaneous spatial patterns [6].In an earlier study we have analyzed the structure of microtubules and their cold-induced disassembly by cryo-EM [7]. One result was that disassembly takes place by loss of protofilament fragments (tubulin oligomers) which fray apart at the microtubule ends. We also looked at microtubule oscillations by time-resolved X-ray scattering and proposed a reaction scheme [4] which involves a cyclic interconversion of tubulin, microtubules, and oligomers (Fig. 2). The present study was undertaken to answer two questions: (a) What is the nature of the oscillations as seen by time-resolved cryo-EM? (b) Do microtubules disassemble by fraying protofilament fragments during oscillations at 37°C?


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1919
Author(s):  
Elsayim Rasha ◽  
AlOthman Monerah ◽  
Alkhulaifi Manal ◽  
Ali Rehab ◽  
Doud Mohammed ◽  
...  

Recently, concerns have been raised globally about antimicrobial resistance, the prevalence of which has increased significantly. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC) is considered one of the most common resistant bacteria, which has spread to ICUs in Saudi Arabia. This study was established to investigate the antibacterial activity of biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) against KPC in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we used the aqueous extract of Acacia nilotica (L.) fruits to mediate the synthesis of ZnO-NPs. The nanoparticles produced were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, zetasizer and zeta potential analyses, X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antimicrobial activity of ZnO-NPs against KPC was determined via the well diffusion method, and determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), the results showed low MIC and MBC when compared with the MIC and MBC of Imipenem and Meropenem antibiotics. The results of in vitro analysis were supported by the results upon applying ZnO-NP ointment to promote wound closure of rats, which showed better wound healing than the results with imipenem ointment. The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs showed good potential for use against bacteria due to their small size, applicability, and low toxicity to human cells.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 825
Author(s):  
Saman Sargazi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Hajinezhad ◽  
Abbas Rahdar ◽  
Muhammad Nadeem Zafar ◽  
Aneesa Awan ◽  
...  

In this research, tin ferrite (SnFe2O4) NPs were synthesized via hydrothermal route using ferric chloride and tin chloride as precursors and were then characterized in terms of morphology and structure using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray power diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The obtained UV-Vis spectra was used to measure band gap energy of as-prepared SnFe2O4 NPs. XRD confirmed the spinel structure of NPs, while SEM and TEM analyses disclosed the size of NPs in the range of 15–50 nm and revealed the spherical shape of NPs. Moreover, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and BET analysis was carried out to estimate elemental composition and specific surface area, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized NPs were studied on normal (HUVEC, HEK293) and cancerous (A549) human cell lines. HUVEC cells were resistant to SnFe2O4 NPs; while a significant decrease in the viability of HEK293 cells was observed when treated with higher concentrations of SnFe2O4 NPs. Furthermore, SnFe2O4 NPs induced dramatic cytotoxicity against A549 cells. For in vivo study, rats received SnFe2O4 NPs at dosages of 0, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg. The 10 mg/kg dose increased serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine compared to the controls (P < 0.05). The pathology showed necrosis in the liver, heart, and lungs, and the greatest damages were related to the kidneys. Overall, the in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that SnFe2O4 NPs at high doses had toxic effects on lung, liver and kidney cells without inducing toxicity to HUVECs. Further studies are warranted to fully elucidate the side effects of SnFe2O4 NPs for their application in theranostics.


Author(s):  
M. Shah ◽  
D. Patel

Oxcarbazepine has low solubility and low oral bioavailability, so it’s a challenge to formulate suitable dosage form. In this present investigation, to improve the dissolution rate and solubility, skimmed milk is used as a carrier. Physical mixers were prepared using various drugs to carrier ratio and spray drying technology was used to develop solid dispersion with the carrier. Various techniques were used to characterize the solid dispersion immediately after they were made which includes differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infra- red spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and in-vitro dissolution profiles. The differential scanning calorimetry thermograms of raw drug indicated of its anhydrous crystalline nature. In thermograms of solid dispersion, the characteristic peak was absent suggesting the change from crystalline nature to amorphous form. X-ray diffraction confirmed those results. X-ray diffraction results of raw drug showed highly intense peak characteristic of its crystalline nature where solid dispersion showed less intense, more diffused peak indicating the change in crystalline form. Fourier transforms infra-red spectroscopy studies showed there was no interaction between drug and carrier. Scanning electron microscopy support the amorphous nature of mixer. The whole formulation showed distinct enhancement in the drug release behavior and solubility. The optimum oxcarbazepine to skimmed milk ratio 1:3 enhances the in-vitro drug release by 3.5 fold and also show distinct increase in solubility. It was concluded that for improvement of solubility of poorly water soluble oxcarbazepine, skimmed milk powder as a carrier can be utilize very well.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 6275
Author(s):  
Heng-Jui Hsu ◽  
Chia-Yu Wu ◽  
Bai-Hung Huang ◽  
Chi-Hsun Tsai ◽  
Takashi Saito ◽  
...  

In this study, an electrochemical anodizing method was applied as surface modification of the 316L biomedical stainless steel (BSS). The surface properties, microstructural characteristics, and biocompatibility responses of the anodized 316L BSS specimens were elucidated through scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, and in vitro cell culture assay. Analytical results revealed that the oxide layer of dichromium trioxide (Cr2O3) was formed on the modified 316L BSS specimens after the different anodization modifications. Moreover, a dual porous (micro/nanoporous) topography can also be discovered on the surface of the modified 316L BSS specimens. The microstructure of the anodized oxide layer was composed of amorphous austenite phase and nano-Cr2O3. Furthermore, in vitro cell culture assay also demonstrated that the osteoblast-like cells (MG-63) on the anodized 316L BSS specimens were completely adhered and covered as compared with the unmodified 316L BSS specimen. As a result, the anodized 316L BSS with a dual porous (micro/nanoporous) oxide layer has great potential to induce cell adhesion and promote bone formation.


2006 ◽  
Vol 514-516 ◽  
pp. 985-989
Author(s):  
B.J.M. Leite Ferreira ◽  
M.G.G.M. Duarte ◽  
M. Helena Gil ◽  
Rui N. Correia ◽  
J. Román ◽  
...  

Two materials with potential application in bone tissue repair have been developed: 1) a non-biodegradable composite based in a new methacrylic-co-acrylic matrix; and 2) a biodegradable composite based in a chitosan (Ch) matrix. Both matrices were reinforced with glass-ceramic particles of composition (mol%) 70 SiO2 – 30 CaO. The in vitro bioactivity of composites was assessed by soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF) for periods of up to 7 days at 37º C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were used for deposit identification after different soaking periods. Calcium phosphate particulate deposits were detected after 3 days of immersion, followed by growth and maturation towards apatite.


Crystals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 225
Author(s):  
Ahmed M. Naglah ◽  
Mohamed A. Al-Omar ◽  
Abdulrahman A. Almehizia ◽  
Ahmad J. Obaidullah ◽  
Mashooq A. Bhat ◽  
...  

This article aimed to synthesis, spectroscopic, physicochemical characterizations, and catalytic studies on some ofloxacin (OFL) complexes with ruthenium(III) [Ru(III)] metal ions. The Ru(III)-OFL complex, [Ru(OFL)2(Cl)2]Cl and two mixed-ligand complexes, [Ru(OFL)(AA)(H2O)2]Cl2 derived from OFL as the primary ligand and amino acids [AA; either glycine (Gly) or alanine (Ala)] as the secondary ligands, were synthesized and characterized using microanalytical, spectroscopic, and physical techniques including element composition, molar conductivity, infrared, electronic spectra, thermal, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Transmittance electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. The element analysis data describe the formation of 1:2 [Ru(III):OFL] and 1:1:1 [Ru(III):OFL:AA] complexes. The octahedral geometry of the complexes was confirmed by their magnetic moment and diffused reflectance. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) measurements suggested that the ligands chelated with Ru(III) ions through the nitrogen atoms of the piperazine ring. In vitro antibacterial efficiency of the OFL compounds was evaluated by paper disc diffusion method. Significant antimicrobial activities were observed for some compounds of the series.


2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 854-855
Author(s):  
B. Sternberg-Papahadjopoulos ◽  
K. Hong ◽  
W. Zheng ◽  
D. Papahadjopoulos

Complexes formed during interaction of cationic liposomes with polynucleotides such as DNA (CLDC) self-assemble into a variety of polymorphic structures. They display bilayer (FIG. 1-5) and non-bilayer structures (FIG. 6). We have recorded bilayer structures such as spaghetti/meatball-type structures (FIG. I), map-pins (FIG. 2) spherical particles and invaginated liposomes (FIG. 3, 4) and oligolamellar structures (FIG. 5). The non-bilayer lipid arrangements include honeycombtype structure (Hn, FIG. 6) and cubic phase lipids.We have chosen mainly freeze-fracture electron microscopy (FIG. 1-3, 5,6) but also cryo-electron microscopy (FIG.4) for recording polymorphic structures, and for studying factors and conditions triggering the formation and stabilization of specific structure types. Furthermore, we took microscopically snapshots of the interaction of specific structure types with cultured cells. In order to find out the “active” structure in terms of transfection, we investigated the transfection activity both in vivo and in vitro of CLDC, and studied in parallel their morphology in serum as well as in cell medium.


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