Search

Abstract Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) is used to treat osteoarthritis (OA) as a viscosupplement, yet it only provides short-term benefit because HA is cleaved by hyaluronidase and cleared out of the joint after several days. Therefore, we developed a new polymer biolubricant based on poly-oxanorbornane carboxylate to enhance joint lubrication for a prolonged time. Rheological and biotribological studies of the biolubricant reveal viscoelastic properties and coefficient of friction equivalent and superior to that of healthy synovial fluid, respectively. Furthermore, in an ex vivo bovine cartilage plug model, the biolubricant exhibits superior long-term reduction of friction and wear prevention compared to saline and healthy synovial fluid. ISO 10993 biocompatibility tests demonstrate that the biolubricant polymer is non-toxic. In an in vivo rat medial meniscal tear OA model, where the performance of the leading HA viscosupplement (Synvisc-one®) is comparable to the saline control, treatment with the biolubricant affords significant chondroprotection compared to the saline control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of glycolipid surfactants derived from Tris(hydroxymethyl)acrylamidomethane (THAM) and bearing hydrocarbon or perfluorocarbon tails and an acryloyl group attached to their polar head was prepared to explore the aqueous behavior of the supramolecular systems they form. The dispersion of surfactants was achieved in water under ultrasonication conditions. Hydrocarbon compounds give heterogeneous vesicular assemblies. In the case of perfluorocarbon derivatives homogeneous vesicles were obtained. However after 1-day storage, all these systems fuse. To stabilize these vesicles, polymerization by ultra violet (UV) irradiation was carried out. During this reaction, a precipitation in water was observed for the hydrocarbon surfactants, whereas fluorocarbon structures provide stable vesicles without any alteration of their size. According to these results, the polymerization process was achieved, in the case of hydrocarbon glycolipid, in the presence of different cosurfactants bearing a single hydrocarbon tail or a polyhydroxylated head and a cholesterol terminus. In such conditions, homogeneous stable vesicles were prepared. Moreover, the THAM derived telomers bearing a cholesterol terminus were able to stabilize and reduce the size of vesicles formed with synthetic glycolipid surfactants. The drug encapsulation ability of these systems was investigated by measurement of the release kinetics of a fluorescent dye, carboxyfluorescein (CF), before and after polymerization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The biophysical properties of fungal cell walls are determined by the composition, level and structural arrangement of their polysaccharides. A small amount of glucosamine in the cell wall (1–3%) forms chitin, which is a β(1→4) linear homopolymer of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). Chitin synthetase activity is often analysed by radioactivity using [14C] GlcNAc. In this study, a fluorescent method was developed for assessing chitin synthetase activity using N-dansyl N-acetyl glucosamine as chitin synthetase substrate. The technique is based on the preparation of the fluorophore N-acetyl glucosamine and its subsequent decrease due to its polymerisation by chitin synthetase. The resulting decrease of fluorescence can be measured by spectrofluorometery. This method is suitable and adaptable for chitin synthetase assays. Results are parallel to those obtained by radioactivity method described in literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]