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Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:33:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Diabetes Mellitus (DM) é uma síndrome metabólica complexa, causada pela secreção diminuída ou ausente de insulina pelas células beta pancreáticas, levando a hiperglicemia. A hiperglicemia promove a glicação de proteínas e, conseqüentemente, o aparecimento de produtos finais da glicação avançada (AGEs). Atualmente, os pacientes diabéticos são monitorados pela determinação dos níveis de glicemia e hemoglobina glicada (HbA1c). As complicações geradas pela hiperglicemia podem ser divididas em micro e macrovasculares, representadas por retinopatias, nefropatias, neuropatias e doenças cardiovasculares. A albumina (HSA) é a proteína sérica mais abundante no organismo humano e está sujeita à glicação. A protoporfirina XI (PpIX) é a molécula precursora da síntese do heme, componente estrutural da hemoglobina. Ensaios in vitro e em animais indicaram que a hiperglicemia promove uma diminuição de sua concentração em eritrócitos. A espectroscopia de fluorescência é uma técnica bastante utilizada na área biomédica. A autofluorescência corresponde à fluorescência intrínseca presente em algumas moléculas, estando esta associada à estrutura das mesmas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi utilizar a técnica de espectroscopia de fluorescência para mensurar os níveis de autofluorescência da PpIX eritrocitária e AGE-HSA em pacientes diabéticos e indivíduos saudáveis e compará-los com os níveis de glicemia e HbA1c. Este estudo foi realizado com 151 indivíduos (58 controles e 93 diabéticos). Os dados epidemiológicos de pacientes e controles foram obtidos nos prontuários médicos. Para os indivíduos controle, os valores de glicemia foram adquiridos dos prontuários médicos e os níveis de Hb1Ac obtidos pela utilização de kits comerciais. A determinação da autofluorescência da PpIX foi realizada com excitação de 405 nm e emissão de 632 nm. Para a determinação do AGE-HSA foi realizada excitação de 370 nm e emissão de 455 nm. Aproximadamente 50% dos diabéticos apresentaram lesões micro ou macrovasculares decorrentes da hiperglicemia. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas nos valores de intensidade de emissão de PpIX entre os grupos estudados (P=0,89). Na análise do AGE-HSA observou-se diferenças significativas dos valores de intensidade de emissão entre os dois grupos, sendo este valor 1,45 vezes maior para o grupo de indivíduos diabéticos (P<0,0001). Os pacientes com complicações diabéticas apresentavam intensidade de emissão de fluorescência 1,19 vezes maior que os indivíduos sem complicações decorrentes da doença (P= 0,01), mesmo não havendo diferenças significativas nos valores de HbA1c entre os dois grupos. Concluímos que a espectroscopia de fluorescência foi uma técnica eficaz na identificação da autofluorescência da PpIX e do AGE-HSA. A PpIX não foi um biomarcador eficiente para o acompanhamento do DM. A determinação dos níveis de autofluorescência do AGE-HSA foi eficiente para a discriminação entre os grupos e para o monitoramento da progressão da doença, podendo ser mais eficiente que a dosagem de HbA1c. A espectroscopia de fluorescência é uma técnica simples, rápida e de baixo custo para o acompanhamento de indivíduos diabéticos. / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Orientador: Ronei Jesus Poppi / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-13T00:09:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alves_JulioCesarLaurentino_M.pdf: 1206213 bytes, checksum: 33bf289d85e04218ef31b314138a5d44 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Neste trabalho foi desenvolvida uma metodologia para determinação simultânea da mistura farmacêutica de ácido acetilsalicílico (AAS), paracetamol e cafeína, através de fluorescência de excitação-emissão em fase sólida. Esta metodologia é aplicável mesmo na presença de interferentes e com sobreposição espectral dos componentes da mistura, sem prejuízo da boa reprodutibilidade e exatidão, obtendo erros menores que 5%. Para tanto utilizou-se os métodos quimiométricos de calibração de segunda ordem PARAFAC e UPLS, além do método de calibração de primeira ordem PLS2. Vantagens observadas em relação aos métodos de referência como o menor custo, a não necessidade de longo preparo da amostra e análise simples e rápida, além de não haver geração de resíduos, tornam esse método bastante atrativo, permitindo a determinação simultânea dos compostos na mistura estudada. Ainda, a fim de propor uma solução para o problema que foi observado durante o desenvolvimento dos modelos, relativo à mudança da matriz da amostra, utilizou-se transferência de calibração. Nesse estudo, a padronização de espectros através do método da Padronização Direta por Partes (PDS) foi aplicada a modelos UPLS construídos a partir dos espectros de fluorescência de excitação-emissão de amostras de misturas farmacêuticas com excipiente amido/celulose, e amostras utilizando como excipiente a lactose. Excelentes resultados de previsão foram obtidos, com erros relativos abaixo de 5%. Também, comprovou-se que os resultados de previsão obtidos a partir dos dados de transferência de calibração aplicados ao modelo UPLS, não apresentam diferença em relação a previsão de amostras idênticas às usadas no modelo de calibração / Abstract: In this work it was developed a methodology for determination of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), paracetamol and caffeine in pharmaceutical formulations using solidphase molecular fluorescence and second order calibration methods. This methodology is usefull even in the presence of unknown interferences and with spectral overlap of the components in the mixture. Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) and Unfolded Partial Least Squares (UPLS) were used for second order calibration models development. Errors below to 5% were obtained for all compounds using an external validation set. Advantages not included in the reference methods such as low cost, no need of sample preparation, simple and fast analysis and no generation of waste, make this method very attractive, allowing to the simultaneous determination of compounds with good reproducibility and accuracy. Also, to propose a solution for the problem observed during the models development, due to change of sample matrix, the transfer of calibration was used. In this study it was used the method of Piecewise Direct Standardization applied to UPLS models constructed from samples of pharmaceutical mixtures of acetilsalicilic acid (ASA), paracetamol and caffeine with starch/cellulose 1:1 as excipient and samples with lactose as excipient, for accomplishment of the calibration transfer procedures. The transfer of calibration through Piecewise Direct Standardization method (PDS) applied to the UPLS calibration models provided excellent prediction results for pharmaceutical mixture in diferent excipient with relative errors less than 5%. From the values of RMSEP obtained for the results of the models of reference and the models of calibration transference, it was evaluated through a F test, that there is no difference, with 99% of significance level, in the results obtained by two models / Mestrado / Quimica Analitica / Mestre em Química

D.Phil. (Chemistry) / The problem of maintaining good quality of water for domestic use and for aquatic life remains a challenge. Water sources are often contaminated with pollutants from natural sources such as volcanic eruptions and by human activities such as manufacturing industries, mining, water-purification processes, agricultural activities and a vast number of other activities. Water-purification processes used by municipal authorities are designed to remove most of the pollutants but some trace amounts will always remain and have been detected in drinking water and treated waste water reservoirs. These trace amounts pose a threat to human health and the well-being of aquatic life. The detection of these trace amounts of pollutants is often carried out by laboratory-based techniques that require sophisticated, expensive instruments and often require extensive sample preparation and pre-concentration. Simple, quick and in-field detection methods are necessary especially for remote small communities with limited or no access to laboratories. Optical detection systems offer hope as a solution to this problem. In this work newly developed fluorescence-based molecular sensors for the detection of pollutants in water were developed, characterised and tested for their sensing abilities towards organic and inorganic pollutants. The fluorescent probes for organic pollutants were designed based on the host-guest chemistry of the cyclodextrin molecule. Azo dye-modified β-cyclodextrins were synthesised and linked via ethylene glycol and epichlorohydrin to produce the sensors that were then tested for their sensing response towards chlorophenols and small aliphatic chlorinated alkanes which are often formed during the disinfection of water in the purification process. The sensor molecules were characterised by UV-Vis, FT-IR and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The amount of cyclodextrin in each sensor molecule was quantified using the anthrone method (67%) as well as by 1H-NMR spectroscopy (72%). To demonstrate the host-guest interaction of the sensor molecules, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used. ITC measurements showed that modifying β-cyclodextrin and using linkers did not alter its host-guest interaction with guest molecules as demonstrated by the stoichiometry, n, stability (or binding or association) constant (K) and thermodynamic parameters of the interaction. The sensor molecule linked via ethylene glycol showed selectivity towards 4- chlorophenol among the chlorophenols investigated and has the potential to be used in a sensor for the detection of 4-chlorophenol. The sensor molecule linked via epichlorohydrin showed sensitivity towards chloroform, a typical disinfection by-product. These experimental results showed that the sensor molecules could be used for quick on-field detection of chlorinated organic compounds in water. Sensor molecules for inorganic pollutants were based on the complex formation of crown ethers with metal ions. The sensor was formed by modifying a dibenzo-18- crown-6 ether molecule with an azo dye. The sensor was then characterised using UV-Vis spectrophotmetry, FT-IR and NMR spectroscopies as well as mass spectrometry and CHNS elemental analysis. The sensor molecule was then subjected to different metal ions and the fluorescence change of the probe observed. Interestingly, the sensor was highly sensitive and selective to mercury (II) and Cu (II) ions in water. Mercury (II) is one of the most hazardous heavy metals among the heavy-metal ions found in environmental waters and its early detection in water sources is important. The synthesised molecular sensor can therefore be incorporated into a simple hand-held gadget with a light source and be used for on-field detection of mercury (II) ions in remote areas.

M.Sc. (Chemistry) / The determination of 17 trace elements (As. Ba. Co. Cr. Cu. Mo. Nb. Ni. Pb. Rb. Sr. Th. U. V. Y. Zn and Zr) in uranium ores by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry was investigated in this study. The determination of major elements. however. was also necessary for the calculation of mass absorption coefficients. Major elements were determined on borate melts and trace elements on powder briquettes pressed at 7 t with a binder in liquid form. Initially a method was developed for the determination of the elements of interest in unmineralised rocks The rhodium tube was used for the Group 1 elements (As. Mo. Nb. Pb, Bb, Sr. Th, U. Y and Zr) and the gold tube for the Group 2 elements [Ba, Co. Cr. Cu. Ni. V and Zn). Background and peak overlap corrections were made by means of background and interference factors. Corrections for absorption of radiation by the sample were made by means of mass absorption coefficients. which were calculated from the major element composition or obtained from the relation between the inverse of the mass absorption coefficient and the intensity of the Compton scattering peak. Due to various problems. only the latter method was suitable for uranium ores. The high uranium content in uranium ores mainly affected the Group 1 elements. Because of the high intensity of various UL lines. large overlap corrections were necessary. while only a few completely interference-free background positions were available. Consequently. the Feather and Willis method was used for determining the background intensity at the peak positions as well as for mass absorption coefficients. As a result of the presence of the UL absorption edges both primarx and secondary mass absorption coefficients had to be used for matrix corrections. Furthermore. it was observed that the background intensity in the region of the uranium lines increases with increasing uranium content of the sample instead of the expected decrease due to the increasing mass absorption coefficient. This effect was greater for the LiF(11 0) crystal than for the LiF(100) and was attributed to the scattering of uranium lines in the spectrometer chamber. especially from the crystal. A method was developed to correct the measured intensities for this scattering effect. Calibration lines of the contribution from the scattering of uranium lines to the measured intensity at the different 28 positions versus the uranium peak intensity were plotted by using samples with various uranium concentrations (<2 %) and for which the mass absorption coefficients and concentrations of the various elements were known. The precision of the method was less than 2.5 % at concentrations greater than 50 ppm. With the exception of barium. detection limits varied between 1 and 5 ppm. Accurate results were obtained over large concentration ranges for various unmineralised samples and for uranium ores. The results of the analysis of a number of Karoo uranium ores are given.

M.Sc. (Biochemistry) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The objectives of this research were to identify the individual ionization constants (pKa values) of lipopeptide (daptomycin), evaluate the factors of pH, concentration, temperature, and calcium ions on daptomycin aggregation in aqueous solutions, and elucidate the effects of conformation and aggregation on ionization and the interaction mechanism between polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers and daptomycin. Daptomycin is a cyclic anionic lipopeptide antibiotic. It is composed of 13 amino acids with six ionizable groups, four side-chain carboxylic acids and two side-chain amine residues. The pKa values for individual daptomycin residues have not been elucidated. The sequence-specific pKa values for the four acidic residues and one aromatic amine (Kyn-13) in daptomycin were determined in the monomeric state by TOCSY 2D 1H NMR. From the NMR pH titration, the estimated pKa values for Asp-3, Asp-9, and mGlu-12 were determined to be 4.15, 3.85, and 4.55 in the absence of salt, and 4.07, 3.83, and 4.39 in the presence of 150 mM NaCl, respectively. The pKa value for Asp-7 is estimated to be ~1.01 in the absence of salt and 1.31 in the presence of salt. The estimated Hill coefficients for Asp-7 were 0.72 and 1.31 in the absence and presence of salt, respectively. The increase in Hill coefficients from 0.72 to 1.31 with increasing salt concentration is consistent with the estimated lower pKa in the absence of salt and suggests that a salt bridge is formed in solution possibly between Asp-7 acidic group and the neighboring Orn-6 basic group. The pKa value of the aromatic amine (Kyn-13) was confirmed using UV and fluorescence spectroscopic titrations. Aggregation behavior and critical aggregation concentration (CAC) values of daptomycin were evaluated in the different pH aqueous solutions by using the complementary analytical techniques, fluorescence, dynamic and static light scattering, and NMR spectroscopy. Based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from donor Trp-1 to acceptor Kyn-13, the CAC values were determined by an upward inflection of the intrinsic fluorescence emission from Kyn-13 at 460 nm as a function of increasing daptomycin concentration. The pH-dependent CAC values were determined to be 0.14 mM at pH 3.0, 0.12 mM 4.0, and 0.20 mM at pH 2.5 and 5.0. The CAC values obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy were confirmed by dynamic light scattering and NMR spectroscopy. The effects of temperature and calcium ion on daptomycin aggregation were also discussed. The interaction mechanism between daptomycin and PAMAM dendrimers generation 5 and 6 was studied using fluorescence spectroscopy. The shapes of binding isotherms daptomycin were quantitatively described by one- and two-site binding models to estimate binding capacity and dissociation constants. Both solvent pH values and PAMAM generation size were shown to affect the binding model and parameters. The interaction between daptomycin and PAMAM dendrimer was proposed wherein the ionized Asp-3 and Asp-9 residues of daptomycin interact with PAMAM cationic surface amine.

The study of the binding between estrogen receptors (ER) and their ligands in vitro has long been of interest mainly because of its application in anti-estrogen drug discovery for breast cancer treatment as well as in the screening of environmental contaminants for endocrine disruptors. Binding strength was conventionally quantified in terms of equilibrium dissociation constant (KD). Recently, emphasis is shifting towards kinetics rate constants, and off-rate (koff) in particular. This thesis reported a novel method to measure such binding kinetics based on fluorescence polarization complemented with total internal reflection fluorescence (FP-TIRF). It used tethered receptors in a flow cell format. For the first time, the kinetics rate constants of the binding of full-length human recombinant ERα with its standard ligands were measured. koff was found to range from 1.3 10-3 to 2.3 10-3 s-1. kon ranged from 0.3 105 to 11 105 M-1 s-1. The method could also be used to screen potential ligands. Motivated by recent findings that ginsenosides might be functional ligands of nuclear receptors, eleven ginsenosides were scanned for binding with ER and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR). None of the ginsenosides showed significant binding to ER, but Rb1 and 20(S)-Rg3 exhibited significant specific binding with PPAR.