Ce travail de thèse a été motivé par la volonté de mesurer la transmission d’un faisceau électronique de basse énergie à travers un film. Ce type de mesures a été réalisé à l’aide du microscope électronique à projection MEP, dont l’utilisation est basée sur trois éléments clés : la pointe émettrice, l’objet, le système de détection. Les mesures effectuées permettent, sur un même objet, de déterminer la transmission en fonction de l’énergie cinétique des électrons incidents pour des énergies comprises entre quelques dizaines et plusieurs centaines d’électronvolts. Afin de mener à bien ces mesures, nous avons développé une procédure de fabrication de films ultra fins autosupportés. Leur caractérisation en MEB et MET a montré que cette procédure est fiable et qu’elle permet d’obtenir des films autosupportés de quelques nanomètres d’épaisseur sur des tailles latérales de quelques dizaines de micromètres. Nous nous sommes plus particulièrement penchés sur des films d’or nano poreux et sur des films continus de nickel. Cependant, des essais encourageants (Co, Au/Co/Au, oxyde d’aluminium, tétracontane) utilisant cette procédure indiquent que cette méthode de fabrication peut être étendue. Les mesures de transmission que nous avons réalisées sur l’or et le nickel ont permis d’accéder à des caractéristiques inhérentes au matériau. En effet, elles constituent une nouvelle méthode de détermination du potentiel interne U et du libre parcours moyen Λ. Nous démontrons donc à travers ce travail que la mesure de l’intensité transmise d’un faisceau cohérent d’électrons par un film ultra fin peut être réalisée à une échelle locale voire sur un cristallite unique. De plus, les films nano poreux constituent des objets agissant sur l’onde électronique aussi bien au niveau de l’amplitude que de la phase. Il nous est donc possible de moduler la fonction d’onde électronique par la maitrise de l’épaisseur et de la porosité du film. / This work of thesis was motivated by the will to measure the transmission of an electronic beam of low energy through a film. These measures were realized with the electron projection microscope, the use of which is based on three key elements: the tip, the object, the system of detection. The made measures allow, on the same object, to determine the transmission according to the kinetic energy of the incidental electrons for energies included between some tens and several hundreds of électronvolts. To bring to a successful conclusion these measures, we developed a procedure to fabricate freestanding ultra thin films. Their characterization by electronic microscopy showed that this procedure is reliable and that it allows to obtain freestanding films of some nanometers of thickness about side sizes of some tens of micrometers. We more particularly bent over golden nano porous films and over continuous nickel films. However, encouraging attempts (Co, Au/Co/Au, aluminum oxide, tétracontane) using this procedure indicate that this fabrication method can be spread. Transmission measurements realized on gold and nickel allowed to reach characteristics inherent to the material. Indeed, they constitute a new method of determination of the inner potential U and of inelastic mean free path Λ. We thus demonstrate through this work that the measure of the transmitted intensity of a coherent electrons beam by an ultra thin film can be realized in a local scale even on a unique cristallite. Furthermore, nano porous films constitute objects acting on the amplitude and the phase of the electronic wave. It is thus possible to modulate the wave electronic function by the control of the thickness and the porosity of the film.

<p>Ugljenične nanocevi (UNC) imaju sve veću primenu u elektronici, kompjuterskoj i optičkoj industriji, kao i u biomedicini. Dok proizvodnja jednoslojnih UNC nanocevi beleži sve veći rast poslednjih godina, rizik koji nosi izlaganje ovom nanomaterijalu ostaje nerazja&scaron;njen. Oskudni i često kontradiktorni podaci o toksičnim efektima jednoslojnih UNC ukazuju na potrebu za daljim ispitivanjima. U na&scaron;im istraživanjima ispitivane su promene u ćelijskom odgovoru kao i morfolo&scaron;ke promene nakon delovanja jednoslojnih ugljeničnih nanocevi na ćelijskoj liniji humanih fetalnih fibroblasta pluća MRC-5 i ćelijskoj liniji humanog adenokarcinoma pluća A549. U ovoj studiji kori&scaron;ćene su jednoslojne ugljenične nanocevi koje su sadržale rezidualne nečistoće poput gvožđa. Citotoksičnost jednoslojnih UNC (engl. single-walled carbon nanotubes &ndash; SWCNT) je ispitivana kolorimetrijskim MTT testom. Tokom 24 i 48h niske koncentracije jednoslojnih ugljeničnih nanocevi (&lt;250 &mu;g/mL) pokazale su nisku toksičnost na proliferaciju i vijabilnost u obe ispitivane ćelijske linije. Ipak, pri visokim koncentracijama UNC (250-750 &mu;g/mL) antiproliferativni efekat je bio blizu IC50 vrednostima. Na osnovu rezultata dobijenih MTT testom može se zaključiti da su maligne A549 ćelije osetljivije na delovanje jednoslojnih UNC u odnosu na normalne MRC-5 ćelije. Kombinacija ugljeničnih nanocevi sa prirodnim polifenolima (resveratrolom i proantocijanidolima) nije značajno uticala na citotoksičnost u MRC-5 ćelijama, za razliku od A549 ćelija gde je tretman kombinacijama umanjio toksičnost ugljeničnih nanocevi. Transmisionom elektronskom mikroskopijom ispitivan je efekat jednoslojnih ugljeničnih nanocevi na ćelijsku morfologiju i preživljavanje. Intracelularni agregati ugljeničnih nanocevi primećeni su u obe ćelijske linije, čime je potvrđeno da ugljenične nanocevi ulaze u ćelije. Imajući u vidu da nanomaterijali poput ugljeničnih nanocevi indukuju oksidativni stres i njime posredovanu apoptozu, na protočnom citometru je određivano prisustvo ćelija u apoptozi i nekrozi. Tretman ćelija sa jednoslojnim ugljeničnim nanocevima nije doveo do značajnog porasta broja apoptotskih ili nekrotičnih ćelija, &scaron;to ide u prilog niskoj toksičnosti ovog nanomaterijala, odnosno ukazuje na alternativne mehanizme toksičnosti. Međutim kombinacija jednoslojnih ugljeničnih nanocevi sa antioksidantima, resveratrolom i proantocijanidolima indukuje veći procenat apoptoze i nekroze u odnosu na tretman samo sa nanocevima. Promene u ekspresiji gena praćene su lančanom reakcijom polimeraza (PCR). Komparativna analiza rezultata genske ekspresije MRC-5 i A549<br />ćelija nakon tretmana sa jednoslojnim ugljeničnim nanocevima pojedinačno i u kombinaciji sa antioksidantima ukazala je na kompleksnost i raznolikost biolo&scaron;kog odgovora ispitivanih ćelija. U na&scaron;em istraživanju ispitivana je i promena aktivnosti enzima antioksidativne za&scaron;tite i količine glutationa u ćeliji. Primena jednoslojnih ugljeničnih nanocevi u MRC-5 ćelijama dovodi po smanjenja specifične aktivnosti enzima SOD i GR, povećava specifičnu aktivnost GPx i ne utiče na promenu specifične aktivnosti GST i količine glutationa u ćeliji Primena jednoslojnih ugljeničnih nanocevi u A549 ćelijama dovodi po smanjenja specifične aktivnosti enzima SOD, ne utiče na promenu specifične aktivnost enzima GR, GST i GPx, i dovodi do povećanja količine glutationa u ćeliji. Ćelijska vijabilnost, morfolo&scaron;ke promene, redoks homeostaza i ekspresija ispitivanih gena bile su promenjene nakon tretmana sa jednoslojnim ugljeničnim nanocevima. Iako su dobijeni rezultati značajni za procenu toksičnosti ugljeničnih nanocevi, neophodna su dalja istraživanja koja treba da doprinesu boljem razumevanju toksičnih efekata ugljeničnih nanocevi.</p> / <p>Carbon nanotubes are being actively introduced in electronics, computer science, and optics as well as for various biomedical applications. While production of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) has escalated in recent years, the knowledge on risk associated with exposure remains unclear. Contradictory data on the toxic effects of single-walled carbon nanotubes highlights the urgent need for further studies. In this study we investigated the alterations in cellular response along with morphological changes induced by single-walled carbon nanotubes in human lung fibroblast cell line MRC-5 and adenocarcinoma human alveolar basal epithelial cells A549. In this study we used SWCNT containing large amounts of residual metallic impurities such is iron, and the iron concentration increased in dose dependent manner in cells exposed to SWCNT. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay and SWCNT showed little cytotoxic effect on the proliferation and viability of two cell lines tested at the concentrations used (&lt;250 &mu;g/mL) within 24 and 48h. However exposing both cell lines to high concentrations (250-750 &mu;g/mL) resulted in near IC50 values. Based on MTT test SWCNT were more cytotoxic to A549 cell line. Cytotoxicity of SWCNT in combination with natural polyphenols (resveratrol and proanthocyanidins) did not noticeably affect the cytotoxicity of SWCNT to MRC-5 cells. However introduction of polyphenols did reduce the cytotoxicity of SWCNT to A549 cells. Transmission electron microscopy was used to complement cytotoxicity assays and to investigate the pathological effect of internalized SWCNT on cell morphology and survival. Intracellular bundles of CNTs, possibly aggregated/agglomerated were observed in both cell lines, confirming internalization after 24h exposure. Since nanoparticles like carbon nanotubes are toxic mainly because they cause oxidative stress, often associated with an increased apoptosis we checked for apoptotic and necrotic cells using flow cytometry. Incubation with SWCNT did not result in pronounced apoptosis or necrosis supporting its low toxicity and possibly alternative mechanism of cell damage. However incubation with SWCNT in combination with resveratrol and proanthocyanidins induced higher levels of both apoptosis and necrosis than SWCNT alone. Changes in gene expression following exposure to SWCNT were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction PCR array which indicated complex and diverse change in expression of genes involved in apoptosis, cell proliferation and oxidative stress. Finally we investigated the modulation of the antioxidant enzyme system and the changes in the cytosolic levels of GSH. SWCNT reduced the specific activity of SOD and GR enzymes, increased GPx activity. No changes in intracellular levels of GSH were observed in MRC-5 cell line. Same treatment in A549 cell reduced the specific activity of SOD, had no effect on GR, GST and GPx activity, but increased intracellular levels of GSH. Cell viability, morphologic changes, redox homeostasis and gene expression were affected by the presence of SWCNT. Although our findings are useful in predicting human response against SWCNT exposure, further study is needed for better understanding of the effects of SWCNT.</p>