Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Technology: Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / The present work involves the interaction studies of chiral compounds with the Human Serum Albumin (HSA) protein using computational and experimental methods. The HSA protein has multiple binding sites that forms the basis for its exceptional ability to interact with many organic and inorganic molecules, which makes this protein an important regulator of intercellular fluxes and the pharmacokinetic behaviour of many drugs. This study was undertaken to evaluate the related pharmacokinetic and enantioselective binding parameters of the racemic catechin enantiomers with the HSA. Accordingly, this work involved a method development for the chiral separation of a racemic compound, by capillary electrophoresis-electrokinetic chromatography (CE-EKC) with a highly sulphated beta-cyclodextrin (HS--CD) as a chiral selector. The experimental work was supported by two molecular docking studies. The first included the mimicking of the host-guest interactions between a chiral selector and an enantiomeric compound. The second study included the estimation of the pseudo enantioselective (ES) binding of catechin to HSA. Overall, it was found that CE-EKC is the preferred method for the(±)-catechin binding to HSA protein evaluation. Moreover, the technique used in this work is not restricted to HSA or polyphenols, but can also be applied to other proteins and ligands that possess chirality. Furthermore, the molecular docking approaches also proved to be very useful for the evaluation of chiral recognition systems and for elucidation of the ligand-protein interactions.

BACKGROUND:Serum protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a matricellular secreted glycoprotein that performs several cellular functions and has been implicated in tumorigenesis in a variety of tumor types. The chemotherapeutic agent nanoparticle albumin-encapsulated (NAB)-paclitaxel has been postulated to exploit SPARC expression to target neoplastic cells. SPARC's role, and potentially the role of NAB-paclitaxel, in the highly heterogeneous class of soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) has not been investigated. Our objective was to explore the pattern of SPARC expression and its prognostic significance in STS.METHODS:27 tissue specimens representing various STS histologies were stained for SPARC expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Staining intensity was scored blindly. Survival was determined from patients' medical records and analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank with respect to SPARC expression level.RESULTS:Elevated SPARC expression was observed in 15/27 (56%) specimens. Overall patient survival segregated strongly based on levels of SPARC expression. Patients who expressed low-to-moderate levels of SPARC exhibited median survival of 22.1months, while the median survival of patients with moderate-to-high expression levels was 4.4months (log rank / p=0.0016).CONCLUSIONS:SPARC expression is elevated in a significant proportion of STS specimens analyzed in this study, but it does not appear to correlate with specific STS histologies. Given our limited sample size, we cannot draw definitive conclusions regarding association of SPARC with STS subtype. Overall survival segregates strongly by degree of SPARC expression, with elevated expression being adverse. If validated in a larger study, our results suggest that trials in STS with agents potentially targeting SPARC, such as NAB-paclitaxel, should be stratified by SPARC expression level.

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this thesis was to investigate the role of nutrition during "early" HIV-infection in African women. METHODS: Data reported in this investigation formed part of two cross-sectional studies, the THUSA and Mangaung studies. The Mangaung study investigated women and, therefore, the sub-sample of the THUSA study was chosen accordingly. The data of the two studies were kept and analysed separately. The investigation consisted of 1040 women from the THUSA study, aged between 15 and 90 years of which 120 (11.5%) were HIV infected. The Mangaung study comprised of 488 women aged between 25 and 44 years of which 248 (51%) women were infected. Demographic data, anthropometric measurements, health outcome variables and habitual nutrient intakes by a quantified food frequency questionnaire were used. The SPSS statistical package (version 14.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 2005) was used to analyse data. Descriptive statistics were done expressing variables as means, medians, standard deviations (SD), standard errors (SE) and confidence intervals (CI). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to test for significance between the HIV-infected and non-infected groups in both studies. Partial correlations were done in the infected and non-infected groups to determine associations between dietary / nutrient intake, anthropometry and the biological health variables. In the THUSA study we controlled for age, education level, degree of urbanization and alcohol intake and in the Mangaung study for age, education level and alcohol intake. Nutrient intakes of both infected and non-infected women above and below median values as well as in the first and fourth quartile of total cholesterol (TC) and albumin distribution were compared to assess the role of nutrients in the observed decreases in TC and albumin of HIV-infected women. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The dietary intakes of the HIV-infected women in both the studies did not differ significantly from the non-infected women. Total serum cholesterol, albumin, fibrinogen and blood pressure were significantly lower in the HIV-infected women in both the THUSA and Mangaung studies. The non-infected THUSA women with lower serum cholesterol levels (than the median) had significantly lower intakes of percentage energy from fat (25.2 versus 26.4%, p ≤0.027), percentage energy from total protein (11.6 versus 12.1%, p≤0.000), animal protein (25.6 versus 27.7g, p≤0.005), and significantly higher intakes of plant protein (32.2 versus 29.4g, p≤0.002) and fibre (16.9 versus 15.89 p≤0.029). There were no significant differences observed in the nutrient intakes in the infected women with serum cholesterol levels above and below the median. In the Mangaung study no significant nutrient intake differences were observed in both of the HIV-infected and non-infected women with lower and higher than the median TC levels. In the THUSA study, higher intakes of fat (percentage energy) were close to significant (27.3 versus 24.5%, p≤0.053) in the infected women with higher (than the median) albumin levels. In the non-infected group with higher albumin levels, significant differences were observed in percentage energy from fat (26.6 versus 24.9%; p≤0.001) protein (12.2 versus 11.6%; p≤0.001) and carbohydrate (62.8 versus 65.2%; p≤0.000). Higher intakes of saturated fat (SATFAT) (17.7 versus 16.1g, p≤0.008), monounsaturated fats (MUFAT) (19.3 versus 17.4g, p≤0.004) as well as higher intakes of animal protein (28.5 versus 24.4g, p≤0.000) were observed in the group with higher than the median levels of serum albumin. In the Mangaung study the HIV-infected women (with higher than the median serum albumin levels), had significantly higher intakes of energy (13 275 versus 11 622 kJ, p≤0.022), polyunsaturated fatty acids (32.3 versus 17.3g, p≤0.036), dietary cholesterol (412.9 versus 344.5mg, p≤0.043) and plant protein (42.3 versus 35.3g, p≤0.008). No differences were observed in the non-infected women. The further analyses, comparing the dietary intakes in both studies of infected and non-infected women with TC and albumin levels in the first and fourth quartiles, showed that in the THUSA study, non-infected women with lower TC levels had significantly lower intakes of protein (% of total energy), total fat (% of total energy) and vitamin B12 and significantly higher intakes of total energy (TE), plant protein, total carbohydrate, % TE from carbohydrate, dietary fibre, added sugar and thiamine. In the infected women saturated fatty acids (SATFAT), calcium and the fat ratio (polyunsaturated/saturated ratio) differed significantly between women with TC levels in the first and the fourth quartile. A significant higher intake of riboflavin was seen in the non-infected women from Mangaung with TC levels in the fourth quartile, while significant higher intakes of energy, total protein, animal protein, total fat, SATFAT, MUFAT, total carbohydrate, phosphorus, chromium and iodine was seen in the infected women with TC levels in the fourth quartile. These results suggest that a more "westernized" diet with higher intakes of energy, and animal derived foods (SATFAT and calcium) could have protected against the detrimental decreases in TC observed in HIV infection. Significant differences were observed in the intakes in the non-infected THUSA women who had serum albumin in the first and fourth quartiles. lntakes in percentage energy from protein and fat, animal protein, total fat, SATFAT, MUFAT, calcium, zinc, vitamin C and fat ratio, were significantly lower in the women with albumin levels in the first quartile. Significantly higher carbohydrate intakes were observed in the women who had serum albumin levels in the first quartile. In the Mangaung study, significant differences were seen in the intakes between infected women who had serum albumin levels in the first and fourth quartiles. lntakes of total energy, protein, fat, MUFAT, SATFAT, carbohydrate, magnesium, zinc, chromium, biotin, pantothenic acid and iodine were significantly lower in the infected women with serum albumin levels in the first quartile. In the non-infected women significantly lower intakes of calcium were observed in the group who had serum albumin levels in the first quartile compared to those who had serum albumin levels in the fourth quartile. These results also suggest that a more "westernized” diet was associated with higher albumin levels in HIV-infected women. CONCLUSION: It is well known that nutrition has an integral part to play in the care of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Maintaining proper nutrition, weight and immune function is thought to delay disease progression, prolong the asymptomatic phase and improve survival. These analyses suggest that the "prudent" diet generally regarded as an optimal diet for prevention of non-communicable diseases, may not be the optimal diet for PLWHA. The overall analyses therefore suggest that a more "westernized" diet, higher in fat and protein could be more beneficial to asymptomatic HIV-infected women compared to that of a more "prudent" diet. As these studies were not primarily designed to investigate HIV and nutrition, the role of a higher energy, fat and animal protein intake ("western" diet) in asymptomatic HIV warrants urgent investigation. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Nutrition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This thesis is concerned with applying engineering principles to the use of polymeric nanoporous adsorbents for use in blood purification to obtain original knowledge. Styrene divinylbenzene copolymer nanoporous adsorbents offer a potential means to remove middle molecular (MM) sized molecules when in direct contact with blood. (Continues...).

Vários complexos de ródio Rh2(L)4 (L = acetato, propionato, butirato, trifluoroaceta-to e trifluoroacetamidato) ligam-se à albumina de soro humana (HSA) em relações mola-res de aproximadamente 8:1. Medidas de dicroísmo circular mostraram que os carboxila-tos mais lipossolúveis (butirato e trifluoroacetato) provocaram as maiores alterações na estrutura secundária da HSA. As constantes de Stern-Volmer para a supressão de fluo-rescência da HSA por esses complexos também foram maiores para os compostos mais lipofílicos. O amidato lipossolúvel, Rh2(tfc)4, apresentou supressão intermediária e não provocou alterações estruturais. Isto mostra que é possível projetar metalofármacos anti-tumorais que se ligam a proteínas de transporte em grande quantidade, sem provocar al-terações estruturais importantes. Esses complexos tiveram também suas afinidades em relação à HSA determinadas por espectrofotometria, observando-se no caso dos alquil-carboxilatos uma correlação inversa com suas lipossolubilidades, o que sugere uma com-petição entre coordenação axial ao metal e interação hidrofóbica do ligante. A difusão dos complexos livres ou ligados à proteína para células de Ehrlich in vitro parece primordial-mente governada pelo caráter hidrofóbico do complexo. O complexo Rh2(tfc)4 apresentou afinidade pela proteína (K = 214,1), além de partição celular tanto em ausência (32,1%) como na presença (48,6%) de HSA. Desta forma, o composto HSA:Rh2(tfc)4 teve sua a-ção antitumoral investigada em camundongos Balb-c portadores de ascite de Ehrlich, mostrando que a HSA pode ser um reservatório para o complexo de ródio. / Various divalent rhodium complexes Rh2(L)4 (L = acetate, propionate, butyrate, tri-fluoroacetate and trifluoroacetamidate) have been found to bind to non-defatted human serum albumin (HSA) at molar ratios about 8:1. The circular dichroism measurements showed that the more liposoluble carboxylates butyrate and trifluoroacetate caused the major alterations of the secondary structure of HSA. Stern-Volmer constants for the fluo-rescence quenching by these complexes were also higher for the lipophilic metal com-pounds. In the case of the rhodium carboxylates it was observed that their denaturating and quenching properties could be explained in terms of their liposolubilities: the higher their lipophilic characters, the higher their abilities to penetrate inside the protein frame-work leading to structural alterations, and the closer they could get to the Trp214 residue causing fluorescence quenching. The liposoluble amidate complex Rh2(tfc)4, presented an intermediate quenching and did not cause structural alterations in the protein, presumably not penetrating inside the peptidic backbone. This shows that it is possible to design new antitumor metal complexes which bind to a large extent to a transporter protein causing little structural damage. The affinities for human albumin of these five rhodium(II) comple-xes were determined by spectrophotometry. In the case of the alkylcarboxylates, an inver-se correlation of affinity with their liposolubilities was observed. Diffusion of the free or pro-tein-bound complexes into Ehrlich cells in vitro seems to be primarily governed by the hy-drophobic character of the complex. The complex Rh2(tfc)4 exhibited considerable affinity towards the protein (K = 214.1) as well as cell partition both in the absence (32.1%) and presence (48.6%) of HSA. The compound HSA:Rh2(tfc)4 has had its antitumoral action in tumor-bearing Balb-c mice investigated, showing that HSA can be a drug reservoir for the rhodium complex.

Healthy articular joints exhibit remarkable lubrication due in large part to the complex rheological and tribological behavior of the synovial fluid (SF) that lubricates the joints. Current approaches that seek to elucidate such remarkable lubrication usually focus on the roles of high molecular weight SF components such as lubricin and hyaluronic acid but frequently overlook the role of serum albumin (SA), although it represents 90% of the protein content of SF. In this thesis, we used the Surface Forces Apparatus to investigate in detail the structural and tribological response of SA thin films when sheared between model surfaces and subjected to a large range of shearing parameters. Our data indicate that, under shear, SA films reproduce closely the shear response previously reported for SF, i.e., film thickening and formation of numerous long-lived aggregates accompanied by low friction and efficient surface protection against damage. More specifically, our detailed investigation of shear parameters reveals that (i) strong anchoring of SA to surfaces promotes the formation of large rod-like shaped aggregates that enable rolling friction and keep surfaces far apart, preventing damage, (ii) aggregation mechanism is irreversible, which makes aggregates long-lived (though mobile) in the contact, and (iii) aggregate formation only occur when SA was sheared above a ‘critical’ amplitude Ac and a critical shear velocity Vc. Collectively, our results provide experimental evidence of the role of globular proteins, such as SA, in lubrication and establish a correlation between shearing parameters, formation and stability of aggregates, low friction and wear protection. Although our findings are based on experiments involving rigid, nonporous surfaces hence can hardly be generalized to compliant and porous cartilage surfaces, they are applicable to other rigid tribosystems such as artificial joints and will certainly advance our understanding of joint implants’ lubrication in SF mediated by protein aggregation, with implications for future design of artificial joints and therapeutic interventions.

One-dimensional nanostructures have offered unique advantages in many fields. Protein based nanotubes, in particular, are desirable for biomedical applications due to their ease of functionlization and intrinsic biocompatibility. Template-assisted methods are widely used to fabricate cylindrical nanostructures like carbon nanotubes, metal nanowires, polymer nanorods, etc. In the fabrication of protein nanostructures, the layer by layer (LbL) technique has long been applied to deposit protein multilayers on planar and spherical substrates. The success in each area led to the conclusion that the combination of these two techniques will potentially bring us the capability of fabricating protein nanotubes in a more controllable fashion. In this work, protein nanotubes have been successfully deposited inside nanoscopic pores by sequential filtration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution at pH 3.8 and pH 7.0 through the channels in the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. The morphologies of the obtained nanostructures have been examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Also, a simple analysis from UV/Vis spectroscopy has shown that the solutions used in our experiment will not significantly damage the bioactivity of BSA. Our future work will focus on strengthening the mechanical stability of the protein nanotubes and controlling their morphology more precisely.

"Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a mucosal infection caused by Candida species and represents one of the most common clinical problems in women of reproductive age (68,71). Annually in the United States there are approximately 13 million cases of VVC, resulting in 10 million gynecologic office visits per year (38). It is estimated that 75% of women will experience at least one episode in their lifetime, with a projected 50% of all women experiencing multiple episodes (23). Candida albicans is a dimorphic commensal organism of the urogenital and gastrointestinal tracts and has been identified as the main pathogenic agent in VVC, accounting for approximately 85-90% of patients with positive cultures (52). Despite extensive research, the invasive mechanism of vaginal yeast infections is not well understood. Traditionally it has been assumed that changes in the host vaginal environment promote the dimorphic transition from blastospore to hyphae, resulting in a shift from asymptomatic colonization to symptomatic vaginitis (28). In contrast to the normal, systemic immune response, which confers an aseptic environment for tissue and organs, immune responses at the mucosal level are designed to prevent tissue invasion and local disease while maintaining an indigenous flora that could be both beneficial and pathogenic (28). Since fungi are eukaryotic, the vital cellular mechanisms that are usually targeted by modern pharmacologic agents, such as DNA replication and protein translation, are either conserved or have a strong homology to their human orthologs. Obtaining a better understanding of natural fungal suppression mechanisms and molecules at the mucosal level may pave the way for the development of more efficacious drugs or preventative regiments. The mechanism by which the human immune system is able to resist fungal invasion at the vaginal mucosa is unknown. Our research was aimed at finding any host factors that might play a role in the suppression of or prevention of a fungal infection at the vaginal mucosa. In order to screen candidate molecules that might be important in this type of vaginal defense, we chose a pathogenic C. albicans strain, SC5314, to test fungal cell viability upon introduction of the candidate molecules. We have identified a host factor that exhibits strong fungicidal activity when organically extracted from both human and bovine serum albumins. Characterization of this factor through organic extractions and acetone separations reveal that this molecule is a non-polar lipid. Serum samples that have been thoroughly stripped of fatty acids and other lipophilic molecules show no apparent fungicidal activity in cell viability assays. Since the factor is extractable from both human and bovine serum albumins, it may be conserved among mammals. Identification and characterization of this molecule may play a pivotal role in understanding host-Candida interactions at the mucosal membrane interface. Due to its human origin, the use of this factor as an antifungal would be extremely advantageous in regards to FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines and ADMET (Adsorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, Toxicology) properties. "

Membrane chromatography is a promising process for the isolation, purification, and recovery of proteins, enzymes, and nuclear acids. Comparing with traditional beads column chromatography, membrane chromatography can faster, easier and cheaper to mass-produce. And also, it is easy to set up and scale up. In this thesis, we are trying to study the performance of membrane chromatography, and the mixture of HSA and chicken egg white is used as an example. We are investigating the purification of Human serum albumin (HSA) from chicken egg white in terms of precondition, dilution, purification method, product recovery, product purity and product cost. HSA, is a very important clinical protein. In order to obtain low cost, high efficiency and less risk HSA, recombinant DNA technology is used. Many kinds of host organism have been used to produce recombinant HSA (rHSA). In this thesis, a kind of ion-exchange membrane (Mustang Q membrane capsule) chromatography was used. The membrane capsule is disposable because it is designed for use in pharmaceutical production. For this project, a cleaning method was used which made the membrane capsule reusable. Washing with 4 mL 1 M NaCl and 4 mL NaOH was sufficient for this purpose. Since the egg white protein solution was very viscous, it needs to be diluted before loaded on FPLC. Dilute experiment was done to find the best dilution level. In this thesis, we found that 5 times dilution was best not only for high efficiency but also for FPLC operation. After getting the basic conditions, some purification experiments were done to find the optimal operation condition to purify HSA form chicken egg white protein solution by changing buffer pH, salt concentration in elution buffer and gradient used to elute proteins. The best purification condition for loading buffer is Tris-HCl buffer A (4.75g/L, pH 9.5) and the elution buffer is Tris-HCl buffer A + 0.2M NaCl. The purity of HSA recovered was 93% on the Mustang Q membrane capsule at 1 ml/min when the mixture of HSA and chicken egg white was diluted 10 times. And the yield was 85%. The impurity is probably ovoglobulin as suggested by the result of SDS-PAGE, whose molecular weight is close to 40kd. To characterize the separation capability of the Mustang Q membrane capsules, equilibrium adsorption and breakthrough curve studies were made using bovine serum albumin (BSA). 1mg/mL BSA solution was used to get the breakthrough curve with different flow rate ranging from 1 to 4 ml/min. With a flow rate is 1 ml/min, breakthrough curve were obtained with different concentrations of BSA ranging from 1 to 16 mg/mL. The dynamic binding capacity was found to be from 9.1 to 119.1 mg/mL. The equilibrium adsorption isotherm showed Langmuir isotherm behavior with dissociation constant and a maximum adsorption capability. According to the result of isotherm adsorption, a multi-plate mathematical model was used to get the theoretical breakthrough curve. By fitting the theoretical breakthrough curve to the experimental breakthrough curve, constants in the multi-plate model were obtained and were used to estimate the axial dispersion coefficient of the membrane capsule. The estimated axial dispersion coefficient of 2.45*10-6 cm2/s is very small which means that the axial ispersion is not significant. The adsorption process is therefore controlled by radial radius dispersion or film dispersion.

O Diabetes Mellitus (DM) é uma doença metabólica que implica em altas incidências de mortalidade e morbidade. A hiperglicemia crônica é responsável pelo surgimento de inúmeras complicações em longo prazo nestes pacientes. Atualmente, é recomendado por diretrizes internacionais que pacientes com DM sejam monitorados e manejados em seu tratamento a partir dos níveis de hemoglobina glicada (A1C). A A1C é formada por reações não enzimáticas de glicação na hemoglobina, refletindo a glicemia dos últimos 120 dias. A A1C possui forte associação com os desfechos clínicos no DM e apresenta uma excelente padronização de seus métodos analíticos. Contudo, diversas situações clínicas podem interferir falsamente em seus níveis e prejudicar a interpretação de seus resultados, como em anemias (carenciais ou hemolíticas), hemoglobinopatias, gravidez, doença renal crônica, etc. Por outro lado, a albumina glicada (AG) é uma frutosamina formada por glicações na albumina e reflete uma glicemia média de cerca de 2 a 3 semanas. A AG não é influenciada pela concentração de outras proteínas no plasma e também não sofre interferência pelas condições que afetam a A1C. Este marcador tem sido fortemente avaliado como uma ferramenta alternativa para a A1C, a partir da análise de seus níveis por um novo método enzimático descrito em 2002. Estudos tem demonstrado uma forte associação entre estes dois marcadores e grande semelhança em predizer as complicações do DM. Entretanto, a AG se mostra melhor para avaliar flutuações nos níveis de glicose e a resposta ao tratamento terapêutico. Neste trabalho, foi avaliado o desempenho analítico de dois kits enzimáticos de AG e realizado uma comparação entre os métodos, encontrando excelentes resultados. Ainda, foi determinado o intervalo de referência para os níveis de AG em brasileiros saudáveis. A forte correlação encontrada entre AG e A1C demonstra que a AG pode ser um teste útil para o controle glicêmico no DM, principalmente quando a A1C não é recomendada. / Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disease with high incidence rates of mortality and morbidity. Chronic hyperglycemia is responsible for several long-term complications in these patients. Currently, international guidelines recommend that glycemic monitoring in DM should be performed by glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels, to provide a correct clinical conduction. A1C is relative to non-enzymatic glycation reactions in hemoglobin and reflects the glucose levels from the last 120 days. It is well established the great association between A1C and clinical outcomes in DM, besides, its analytical methods present an excellent standardization. However, some conditions may influence and imply misinterpretation in A1C results, such as anemia, hemoglobinophaties, pregnancy, chronic renal disease, etc. On the other hand, glycated albumin (GA) is a fructosamine produced by glycation reactions in albumin and it reflects a mean glycemia at around 2 to 3 weeks. GA is not influenced by the concentrations of other plasma proteins, as well as by those conditions that interfere in A1C. GA has been strongly evaluated as an alternative marker to A1C, through its quantitative measurement by an enzymatic methodology described in 2002. Recent studies have demonstrated a high association between GA and A1C and a great similarity between these tests in predicting DM future complications. Nevertheless, GA has showed be better to assess the glucose fluctuations in blood and the response to treatment. This study evaluated the analytical performance of two GA enzymatic kits and also executed a methods comparison, and found excellent results. Also, we established the reference range for GA levels in healthy Brazilians. The high correlation found between GA and A1C indicates that GA could be a useful test for glycemic control in DM, especially when A1C is unreliable.