Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic version.

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Experiments were performed to characterize the pH, gelation time, diffusion processes, material properties, adhesive properties, and the drying variables on the material and adhesive properties of Gelatin Resorcinol Dialdehyde (GR-DIAL) tissue adhesives by varying formulation. Three adhesive formulations with altered weight content of water and glyoxal (a dialdehyde) were utilized. The adhesive formulations were characterized by pH and gelation time in situ, and absorption/desorption of water in the formed resin. Thermal analysis, mechanical testing, and lap shear adhesive bond testing were utilized to characterize fresh GR-DIAL adhesive formulations and formulations dried at 370C. From the results, the diffusion processes, material and adhesive properties of the adhesive formulations were primarily affected by hydrogen bonding, chemical cross-linking, and the existence of bound water within the bulk adhesive. Formulations with increased glyoxal content had both a higher degree of cross-linking and proportion of bound water within the bulk adhesive. The increased number of chemical cross-links greatly increased the swelling resistance of the adhesives, while, the existence of bound water within the adhesive increased the resistance to drying, and plasticized the resin by depressing the resin glass transition temperature, and increased the adhesive ductility. Hydrogen bonding increased with increased gelatin content or decreased water content, resulting in increased strength and modulus of the adhesives as well as increased adhesive strength. / Master of Science

Le diabète est associé à divers types de complications au niveau vasculaire affectant la micro et la macro-vasculature, ce qui contribue à l'augmentation de l'incidence d'infarctus du myocarde, d'ACV, de néphropathie et de rétinopathie. Parmi les mécanismes expliquant l'apparition de ces complications, la glycation des protéines joue un rôle important. En effet, il est connu que la glycation des protéines de la matrice extracellulaire (élastine, collagène) affecte les propriétés mécaniques des tissus constitués de celles-ci. Nous pensons que la glycation des protéines du cytosquelette peut également affecter les propriétés mécaniques de cellules présentes au niveau de la vasculature, telles que la cellule du muscle lisse vasculaire ou la cellule endothéliale, et ainsi affecter les fonctions cellulaires dépendantes d'une réorganisation du cytosquelette, telles que la contraction cellulaire. Le glyoxal (GO) est un composé hautement réactif de la famille des oxoaldéhydes, considéré comme un puissant agent de glycation au niveau cellulaire, puisqu'il réagit rapidement avec les groupements amines des protéines de façon à former des produits de glycation avancés (PGA). L'étude présentée dans cette thèse démontre d'une part que l'exposition à cet agent de glycation entraîne une augmentation de la rigidité cellulaire ainsi qu'une augmentation de la réponse contractile cellulaire générée par la machinerie actomyosine, en réponse à l'AngII. À la lumière de ces résultats, nous proposons qu'une exposition au GO peut induire des modifications post-traductionnelles de type non-enzymatique des protéines impliquées dans la machinerie contractile et ainsi altérer la fonction contractile cellulaire. C'est pourquoi nous avons en second lieu évalué la glycation de trois protéines impliquées dans la machinerie contractile (actine, ROCK, gelsoline) par un essai basé sur la réaction d'une sonde fluorescente et perméable à la membrane cellulaire, soit le carboxyfluorescéine diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFDA-SE), avec les amines primaires des protéines. Par cet essai, nous avons observé une augmentation de la glycation de l'actine et de ROCK, de même qu'une augmentation de l'interaction entre l'actine et la GSN. Cette thèse montre également l'implication de l'activité kinase de ROCK dans l'amplification de la réponse contractile, suggérant que la glycation de ROCK pourrait moduler son activité. En conclusion, la modification des protéines cellulaires par le GO pourrait affecter leurs fonctions et propriétés mécaniques, notamment par la modulation d'importantes interactions protéine-protéine impliquées dans la contraction cellulaire et dans l'organisation du cytosquelette.

Regenerated cellulose (RC) membranes are extensively used in medical and pharmaceutical separation processes due to their biocompatibility, low fouling tendency and solvent resistant properties. They typically possess ultrafiltration and microfiltration separation characteristics, but recently, there have been attempts to widen their pool of applications in nanofiltration processes. In this work, a novel method for preparing high performance composite RC membranes was developed. These membranes reveal molecular weight cut-offs (MWCO) of less than 250 daltons, which possibly put them ahead of all commercial RC membranes and in competition with high performance nanofiltration membranes. The membranes were prepared by acidic hydrolysis of dip-coated trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC) films. TMSC, with a degree of silylation (DS) of 2.8, was prepared from microcrystalline cellulose by reaction with hexamethyldisilazane under the homogeneous conditions of LiCl/DMAC solvent system. Effects of parameters, such as coating solution concentration and drying rates, were investigated. It was concluded that higher TMSC concentrations as well as higher solvent evaporation rates favor better MWCOs, mainly due to increase in the selective layer thickness. Successful cross-linking of prepared membranes with glyoxal solutions, in the presence of boric acid as a catalyst, resulted in MWCOs less than 250 daltons. The suitability of this crosslinking reaction for large scale productions was already proven in the manufacturing of durable-press fabrics. For us, the inexpensive raw materials as well as the low reaction times and temperatures were of interest. Moreover, the non-toxic nature of glyoxal is a key advantage in medical and pharmaceutical applications. The membranes prepared in this work are strong candidates for separation of small organic solutes from organic solvents streams in pharmaceutical industries. Their hydrophilicity, compared to typical nanofiltration membranes, offer high fouling resistance and higher fluxes in aqueous applications.

The aim of this diploma work was to execute surface treatment of non-ionic cellulose ethers EHEC that AkzoNobel provides under the tradename Bermocoll®. In order for the cellulose ether to dissolve without forming lumps, some surface treatment is commonly required. In this work glyoxal has been used for this surface modification using two different lab-scale methods that in different ways mimic the full scale production. It is an everlasting challenge for the chemical industry to reduce the consumption of chemicals and also reduce energy consumption in the production. Therefore one objective of this work was to gain fundamental understanding about the glyoxal reaction with EHEC in terms of required equivalents glyoxal, reaction temperature and reaction time. Another aim of this work was to compare the two lab scale methods with regards to their predictivity and reproducibility of results.One method is called the dry method in which a water solution of glyoxal was added to dry, non-glyoxal treated EHEC at varying temperature during heavy agitation. The second method is called the acetone method where the EHEC and glyoxal were first suspended in acetone at room temperature, and then heated at different temperature for various time periods. The parameters in the experiments made was chosen using a design of experiments (DoE) approach in order to gain as much information as possible from a few experiments and also facilitating a statistical analysis of the results.This diploma work indicates that the acetone method have a better reproducibility and would be the better choice when investigating various parameters for the reaction. On the other hand the dry method might be better suited for the further analysis of temperature dependence of the glyoxal reaction with cellulose ethers. The most important factor for the reaction was the amount of glyoxal used, whereas it is indicated that the reaction temperature had a minor effect on the reaction yields. / Program: Högskoleingenjörsexamen i Kemiingenjör – tillämpad bioteknik

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) irreversibly cross-link proteins with sugars and accumulate at a higher age and in diabetes, processes which can interfere with the integration of implants into the tissue. Glyoxal is a highly reactive glycating agent involved in the formation of AGEs and is known to induce apoptosis, as revealed by the upregulation of caspase-3 and fractin (caspase-3 being a key enzyme activated during the late stage of apoptosis and fractin being a caspase-cleaved actin fragment). In this study, we investigated the influence of collagen type I coating on the cytotoxic effect of glyoxal on rat calvarial osteoblastic cells and on human osteosarcoma cells (Saos-2) grown on titanium alloy, Ti6Al4V. Activation of caspase-3 and fractin was measured by counting immunohistochemically stained cells and by flow cytometry with propidium iodide (detection of the apoptosis indicating a sub-G1 peak). Our results showed an increased number of apoptotic osteoblasts after incubation with glyoxal on Ti6Al4V discs. However, the number of apoptotic cells on collagen-coated titanium was significantly smaller than on uncoated titanium after the same treatment. The present findings demonstrate that osteoblasts treated with glyoxal undergo apoptosis, whereas collagen type I coating of titanium alloys (used for implants) has an antiapoptotic function. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

La biomasse végétale est une alternative durable et écologique pour les ressources fossiles. L'exploitation et la valorisation de cette biomasse sont rendues possibles grâce à la capacité naturelle des enzymes fongiques à dégrader et modifier cette biomasse. Parmi ces enzymes, les glyoxal oxydases génératrices de H2O2 (GLOX) restent un groupe peu étudié avec un seul exemple de protéine caractérisée dans la littérature à partir d’un champignon dégradant le bois.Dans cette thèse, trois GLOX, précédemment identifiées dans le génome du champignon dégradant le bois Pycnoporus cinnabarinus (PciGLOX), ont été sélectionnées, produites par voie hétérologue et caractérisées. La caractérisation a révélé des différences entre les trois PciGLOX dans la stabilité des protéines, la spécificité du substrat et l’efficacité catalytique. Les protéines PciGLOX sont produites sous leur forme inactive et leur mécanisme d'activation a été étudié. La capacité des GLOX à catalyser la réaction d'oxydation du 5-hydroxyméthylfurfural (HMF), d’intérêt industriel, a été étudiée pour la première fois dans ce travail. Le HMF a été oxydé par PciGLOX en acide 5-hydroxyméthyl-2-furancarboxylique (HMFCA) comme produit principal. Le HMFCA est difficile à produire par catalyse chimique et est utilisé dans la production de polyesters et de produits pharmaceutiques. PciGLOX ont également été capables de produire l’acide furandicarboxylique (FDCA), qui est un précurseur dans les procédés de production du bioplastique. Ce travail ouvre de nouvelles perspectives pour étudier plus en détail le rôle de GLOX dans la dégradation de la lignocellulose, et dans les applications biotechnologiques. / Plant biomass is a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for fossil fuels. The exploitation and valorisation of plant biomass is possible through biotechnological processes that rely on the natural ability of fungal enzymes to degrade and modify this biomass. Among these enzymes are H2O2-generating glyoxal oxidases (GLOX), which haven’t been extensively studied with only one example in the literature on GLOX from wood-degrading fungi. In this thesis three GLOX, previously identified in the genome of the wood-degrading fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus (PciGLOX), were heterologously produced and characterisation. The three PciGLOX showed differences in their stability, substrate preferences and catalytic properties. The ability of GLOX to catalyse the biotechnologically important oxidation reaction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was investigated for the first time in this work. PciGLOX oxidized HMF to 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA), which is difficult to produce via chemical catalysis and is used in polyesters and pharmaceutical products production. PciGLOX were also able to oxidize HMF derivatives leading to the formation of the final product furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), which is a bioplastic precursor. PciGlOX proteins are produced in their inactive form and their activation mechanism was investigated in this thesis. This work opens new prospects to investigate more the role of GLOX in plant biomass degradation and biotechnology, and the possible optimization techniques of the catalytic properties of this enzyme.

The introduction of high fructose corn syrup into the diet has been proposed to be the cause of many illnesses related to the metabolic syndrome. Fructose and its metabolites can be metabolized into cytotoxic reactive dicarbonyls that can cause damage to macromolecules leading to deleterious consequences. Dihydroxyacetone, a fructose metabolite, was studied in this thesis. Its ability to autoxidize and cause protein carbonylation under standard (pH 7.4, 37°C) and oxidative stress conditions (Fentons reagent) was investigated. Dihydroxyacetone was able to form significant amounts of dicarbonyls and protein carbonylation. Several selected natural polyphenols were chosen for an in vitro toxicological study involving rat hepatocytes. The chosen dietary polyphenols were rutin, gallic acid, methylgallate, ethylgallate, propylgallate and curcumin. In this thesis, the polyphenols were found to be able to significantly protect against the deleterious effects of glyoxal and methylglyoxal. In summary, these polyphenols could be candidates for future in vivo studies.

The introduction of high fructose corn syrup into the diet has been proposed to be the cause of many illnesses related to the metabolic syndrome. Fructose and its metabolites can be metabolized into cytotoxic reactive dicarbonyls that can cause damage to macromolecules leading to deleterious consequences. Dihydroxyacetone, a fructose metabolite, was studied in this thesis. Its ability to autoxidize and cause protein carbonylation under standard (pH 7.4, 37°C) and oxidative stress conditions (Fentons reagent) was investigated. Dihydroxyacetone was able to form significant amounts of dicarbonyls and protein carbonylation. Several selected natural polyphenols were chosen for an in vitro toxicological study involving rat hepatocytes. The chosen dietary polyphenols were rutin, gallic acid, methylgallate, ethylgallate, propylgallate and curcumin. In this thesis, the polyphenols were found to be able to significantly protect against the deleterious effects of glyoxal and methylglyoxal. In summary, these polyphenols could be candidates for future in vivo studies.