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The presence of pamidronate during local use of bisphosphonates (BP)-enriched bone cement was determined. The question was whether pamidronate implanted into the bone cement is eluted. The study was performed on 10 probes of BP-enriched bone cement located in 0.9% NaCl. The probes were incubated for 3 and 6 weeks. Ion-pair HPLC was used for the detection of pamidronate. Then, capillary electrophoresis was applied for quantitative analysis of pamidronate in the 3rd and 6th week after incubation. The presence of pamidronate, eluted from BP-enriched bone cement into 0.9% NaCl solution 3 and 6 weeks after incubation, was demonstrated. These results may explain the changes in the level of cytokine RANKL and bone turnover marker osteoprotegrin in rats’ serum treated with BP-enriched bone cement 3 and 6 weeks after surgery. The possibility of effective local use of BP-enriched bone cement in veterinary medicine was underlined. The results, and the former conducted research, point out that the clinical applications of BP-enriched bone cement in vivo may have some validity in the future.

SummaryA screening of wood-rotting basidiomycete fungi was conducted for glucose 1-oxidase (GOD) and laccase (LAC) production as well as for ligninolytic activity measured by a Rhemazol reaction. The results showed that genera rich in GOD are lignin degraders as well as effective producers of extracellular LAC. The fungi poor in GOD neither showed LAC, nor ligninolytic activity. The Björkman lignin and 3 phenolic compounds, hydroquinone and syringic and vanillic acids, were tested on the sequential activity of LAC and GOD. In the presence of LAC, quinoid intermediates formed from Björkman lignin and phenolic compounds were observed. The addition of GOD caused a diminution of the quinone level. During incubation of Björkman lignin with LAC and GOD depolymerization occurred, and in the experiments omitting GOD the quantities of low molecular products were markedly lower. Consequently, the consecutive ping-pong activity of LAC and GOD reduced the polymerization and improved the efficiency of depolymerization processes.

The extracellular laccase of white rot fungus Cerrena unicolor was purified from culture by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Toyopearl column and immobilized on silanized porous glass heads. During bonding procedure 94.35% protein and 100 % laccase activity were coupled to the support. Optimum pH for immobilized laccase compared to free enzyme was shifted from 5.5 to 5.7. The immobilized laccase was more resistant for thermal denaturation: at 70°C, the activity of immobilized enzyme was around 20 % higher than that of the free enzyme. It was also more stable during storage at 4°C. After about seven months the immobilized laccase retained 94.81 % of its initial activity, whereas free enzyme only 39.59 %. Nine water-miscible organic solvents tested in an anhydrous form caused an inhibitory effect on both laccase forms, but, in the mixture with water, the enzyme in all cases shows activity. It decreased, however, when the concentration of solvents increased. Among all solvents, the best results were obtained with ethylene glycol and methoxyethanol. When the reaction mixture contained 50 % of ethylene glycol, free and immobilized laccase retained 24 and 31 % respectively of their activity in the buffer. In the case of 50 % methoxyethanol these data were 6 and 36 %. Organic solvents shifted pH optima of both laccase forms to pH 6.0. The calculation from Lineweaver-Burk plot oxidizing capacity of laccase towards syringaldazine was slightly higher for the free enzyme than for immobilized one, 18.5 and 20.0 M/l respectively. These results show that Cerrena unicolor laccase both in free and immobilized form is able to catalyze the oxidation of syringaldazine in organic solvents. It may be usable in transformation of substrates insoluble or sparingly soluble in water. The immobilized laccase, as more stable and temperature resistant than free enzyme, seems to be more useful.