No description available.

Thèse diffusée initialement dans le cadre d'un projet pilote des Presses de l'Université de Montréal/Centre d'édition numérique UdeM (1997-2008) avec l'autorisation de l'auteur.

The proteins and molecular machinery mediating the release of cortical granule (CG) contents from fertilized embryos is not completely understood. The process of vesicle fusion involves linking chaperones prior to vesicle to membrane contact. Rab3A, a member of a low-molecular weight GTP-binding protein superfamily has been detected in mouse embryos from the unfertilized meiotic II stage to the 2-cell. It is believed to positively regulate the final step of CG exocytosis by binding to Rabphillin, calcium ions (Ca2+), and phospholipids. SNAP23 a member of soluble NSF [N-ethylmaleimidesensitive factor] attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) binds together with parts of the Rab3A-rabphilin3A complex and is believed to be involved in the Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of non-neuronal systems. In this study we observed the mRNA expression for SNAP23 and Rab3A in pre-Meiotic I, post-Meiotic I unfertilized eggs (pre-MI UFE and post-MI UFE), and fertilized eggs (FE) utilizing RT-PCR. The products were analyzed in 2% agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide. Density analysis using a globin external standard showed that the levels of mRNA transcripts declined from the UFE to the FE in both genes, SNAP23 and Rab3A. Immunofluorescence was used for the detection and localization of Rab3A protein within the pre-MI and post-MI UFE and FE mouse egg. Eggs were stained with anti-Rab3A primary antibody and lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA) conjugated to FITC. Rab3A showed punctate staining in pre- and post-MI UFEs on small vesicles assumed to be CGs and in FEs on vesicles of a larger size. Uniform cytoplasmic expression was also seen, throughout the cells cortical and subcortical regions in each stage (pre- and post-MI UFEs and FEs), but with decreasing intensity as the eggs matured. This cytoplasmic stain may represent inactive Rab3A in the cytosol. The LCA stain showed punctate expression of cortical granules with localization within the cortical region and the plasma membrane. The addition of information on SNAP23 and Rab3A will aid in the process of studying CG exocytosis as well as in understanding the temporal and spatial development pathways involved in stimulating the cortical reaction. / Department of Biology

Controlled release formulations deliver an active ingredient over an extended period of time. It is an ideal dosage form for an active ingredient with a short elimination half-life. An active ingredient with a short elimination half-life would be released in small portions over an extended period of time and thus less frequent administration is necessary and this improve patient compliance. Other advantages of these formulations include: decreased side effects, constant drug levels in the blood, improvement in treatment efficiency and reduction in cost of administration. Controlled release beads are formulated in such a way that the active ingredient is embedded in a matrix of insoluble substance like chitosan; the dissolving drug then has to find its way through the pores of the matrix into the surrounding medium. The chitosan matrix swells to form a gel, the drug then has to first dissolve in the matrix and diffuse through the outer surface into the surrounding medium. Chitosan is a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer of natural origin. It has mucoadhesive properties as well as the ability to manipulate the tight junctions in the epithelium membrane and these properties have qualified chitosan as an effective drug carrier in controlled release dosage forms. The effect of a modern controlled release polymer namely Kollidon® SR in combination with chitosan on drug release was investigated. Ketoprofen was chosen as model drug. Ketoprofen is an anti-inflammatory drug that causes gastrointestinal side effects in conventional dosage forms. Ketoprofen has a short elimination half-life of 2.05 ± 0.58 h and this characteristic makes it an ideal candidate for use in a controlled release formulation. The aim of this study was to achieve controlled release and minimize gastrointestinal effects of ketoprofen with chitosan particles. Kollidon® SR was used as polymer because it exhibits pH independent release characteristics and previous studies have shown potential for this combination. Chitosan beads and chitosan-Kollidon® SR beads, as well as chitosan granules and chitosan-Kollidon® SR granules, were prepared and investigated as potential controlled release formulations. Chitosan beads were prepared through the inotropic gelation method using tripolyphosphate as a cross linking agent. Granules were prepared through wet granulation using 2% v/v acetic acid as the granulating fluid or by dissolving ketoprofen in ethanol and Kollidon® SR in 2-pyrrolidinone and using the solution as granulating fluid. Kollidon® SR was added in concentrations of 0.25, 0.5 and 1% (w/v) in the bead formulations and concentrations of 1, 5 and 10% (w/w) in the granule formulations. The beads and granules were characterised by evaluating the following properties: morphology, drug loading and drug release. Additionally swelling and friability tests were also conducted on the bead formulations. The cross linking times of the bead formulations were varied to investigate the effect of cross linking time on the characteristics of the beads. Chitosan-Kollidon® SR beads showed promising results for controlled release formulations and ketoprofen were released over an extended period of time. Drug loading of the plain chitosan beads was 74.65 ± 0.71% and it was noted that the inclusion of Kollidon® SR in the beads resulted in an increase in drug loading and the formulation containing 1% (w/v) Kollidon® SR, cross linked for 30 minutes had a drug loading of 77.38 ± 0.01%. Drug loading of the beads that were cross linked for a longer time were slightly lower which is an indication that some of the drug might have leached out during cross linking. The degree of swelling was promising with some beads swelling to a degree of 2.5 in phosphate buffer solution pH 5.6. Granules had a drug loading between 81.73 ± 1.53% and 93.30 ± 0.50%. Ketoprofen release from the beads and the granules in PBS pH 7.40 at 37 °C over a period of 6 hours were investigated. The bead formulations were more effective in achieving controlled release and it was noted that the bead formulations that was cross linked for a longer period was more efficient in achieving controlled release. The granules did not form a matrix and were not effective in achieving controlled release. Controlled release of ketoprofen were achieved and the results show potential for chitosan-Kollidon® SR formulations in the future. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Pharmaceutics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The subcellular localisation of mRNA is a widespread mechanism to determine the fate of mRNAs in eukaryotes. Translationally repressed mRNAs localise to P-bodies and stress granules where their decay and storage, respectively, are directed. In a study from the Ashe lab, specific mRNAs were identified to localise, in actively growing S. cerevisiae, to cytoplasmic granules that do not seem to be related to P-bodies or stress granules but appear to be associated with active translation (Lui et al., 2014).It is possible that this might represent a strategy to co-regulate the expression of proteins from the same pathway. In the work of this thesis, microscopy techniques to visualise RNAs in live cells were used to extend the localisation analysis to several mRNAs encoding translation factors. The investigated transcripts were all found to localise to mostly one or two cytoplasmic granules per cell and would sometimes overlap with other transcripts, suggesting that each granule contains a mixture of mRNAs. Granules tend to migrate to the bud tip and may provide the daughter cell with a "start-up kit" of transcripts essential for rapid growth. A similar pattern can be observed in yeast cells growing undergoing filamentous growth, with granules harbouring translation factor transcripts often found in the apical quarter of the elongated cell. Although the mechanism by which the granules form and their protein composition are not yet known, high-throughput genetic screens performed as part of this work offer some insight into factors that might be involved in granule assembly and proteins that partially overlap with the granules. We propose that granules containing translation factor mRNAs might be functioning as a specialised factory for the translation machinery and are possibly being directed to the point in the cell where the rhythm of protein production is highest.

Le développement de nouvelles formes galéniques nécessite la mise au point de protocoles avec variation d’un ensemble de paramètres jouant sur les caractéristiques du dispositif. Au niveau industriel, cela représente une perte importante de temps et d’argent. Avec le développement d’outils permettant la caractérisation des systèmes et à fortiori des mécanismes impliqués dans la libération du principe actif, l’application des modèles mathématiques se voit être de plus en plus grande permettant de prédire la sortie du principe actif hors de son système. L’un des objectifs de ce travail a été de développer un modèle mathématique mécanique réaliste permettant de quantifier la libération de vitamines à partir de matrice lipidique. Deux techniques différentes de formulation : la compression directe et une suite d’extrusion en phase chauffante/ broyage/ compression directe ont permis la préparation de comprimés à base de Compritol 888 (glyceryl dibehenate NF). L’acide nicotinique a été utilisé comme principe actif modèle hautement soluble dans le milieu environnant. Des études de dissolution ont montrée une libération plus accrue pour des comprimés ayant une charge initiale en vitamine plus importante, cela liée à une augmentation de la porosité de la matrice avec l’épuisement graduel de la vitamine. Concernant la technique de préparation, un taux de sortie beaucoup plus faible dans le cas des comprimés préparés par extrusion en phase chauffante préalable, est mesuré, dû à un emprisonnement de la vitamine par la matrice fondue. A partir de ces observations et des connaissances sur les matrices lipidiques, un modèle basé sur les lois de diffusion de Fick et sur la considération de la coexistence d’une partie du principe actif sous forme dissoute ou non dissoute a été élaboré. Ce modèle permet la prédiction de la quantité de vitamine libérée au cours du temps en fonction de l’impact de la composition, de la technique de préparation et de la taille du système. Ces simulations in-silico sont d’une grande aide pour permettre d’accélérer la production de comprimés à base de Compritol 888. Dans le cas de systèmes multiparticulaires, et encore plus dans le cas de formes enrobées, des modèles mathématiques peuvent également être établis mais montrent une complexité plus grande, notamment due à la membrane polymérique. Dans cette optique, le développement de nouveaux outils pour caractériser les systèmes est primordial. Dernièrement la technologie Terahertz voit son potentiel comme nouvel outil dans la caractérisation de systèmes enrobés croissant. Son emploi dans la détection de différence de taille et d’uniformité de films polymériques d’enrobage pour des systèmes multicouches a été réalisé sur des granules de tailles conventionnelles (1mm de diamètre). Un premier enrobage de metoprolol succinate a été réalisé sur des noyaux de sucre, suivi d’un enrobage permettant le contrôle de la fuite du principe actif à base d’un mélange de Kollicoat SR :Kollicoat IR. Des granules avec différentes tailles d’enrobage ont été étudiées par Terahertz. Une taille homogène de la couche de principe actif pulvérisée a été montré dans tous les types de pellets ; alors qu’une taille croissante de l’enrobage polymérique 46 µm, 71 µm et 114 µm a pu être appréhendée. Ces résultats, mis en corrélation avec les méthodes de dissolution traditionnelles, permettront le développement d’une formule prédisant les cinétiques de libération à partir de la lecture non destructive de l’épaisseur d’enrobage par Térahertz.[...] / Development of new galenic devices needs series experiments with variation of number parameters. For industrial, it’s a lost in time and money. Food and Drug Administration initiated since several years, Process Analytical Technology (PAT) as a tool to analyze and control pharmaceutical process. These tools can be helpful to determine drug release mechanism and allow application of mathematical model to predict drug release kinetics. One objective of this work is to develop a mechanistically realistic mathematical model allowing for the quantification of vitamin release from Compritol 888 (glyceryl dibehenate NF)-based matrix tablets, prepared either by direct compression or via hot-melt extrusion/grinding/compression. Nicotinic acid has been used as highly soluble drug in surrounding medium. Dissolution studies show vitamin release rates increased with increasing initial niacin content, due to the increased matrix porosity upon vitamin depletion. In all cases, niacin release from tablets prepared via hot-melt extrusion was slower than from tablets prepared by direct compression, due to more intense embedding of the vitamin within the lipid. Importantly, a numerical model based on Fick’s law of diffusion and considering the co-existence of dissolved and non-dissolved vitamin could successfully be used to quantify vitamin release from both types of tablets, irrespective of the initial niacin loading and tablet size. In-silico simulations can be very helpful to accelerate product optimization of Compritol 888-based matrices, saving development time and costs. For multiparticulates systems, and more again for coated forms, mathematical models are more complexes. In this goal, development of new tools to characterize devices is primordial. Technology Terahertz offers an interesting potential. This technique can be used to detect difference in size and uniformity for polymeric film from multilayer pellets of 1 mm diameter. Pellets consisting of a sugar starter core and a metoprolol succinate layer were coated with a Kollicoat® SR: Kollicoat® IR polymer blend. Pellets with several coating thickness are studied. No drug layer thickness difference between batches was observed, and the average coating thicknesses were 46 µm, 71 µm and 114 µm, for the different batches. Terahertz results compared with experimental data from dissolution methods, allow predicting coating thickness results correlated with the subsequent drug release behavior. Multiparticulates systems have important interest: they allow avoiding “dose dumping”. Dose dumping is described as an unintended, rapid drug release in a short period of time of the entire amount or a significant fraction of the drug contained in a modified release dosage form (Meyer, 2005). This phenomenon can be observed in the case of ethylcellulose-based devices in presence with ethanol rich-media. Recently, ethylcellulose:guar gum blend have been reported to provide ethanol-resistant drug release kinetics from coated dosage forms. Theophylline matrix pellets were coated with ethylcellulose: guar gum blends. These granules show no change in drug release profiles upon contact with medium containing 40% of ethanol (v/v). This is because the ethanol insoluble guar gum effectively avoids undesired ethylcellulose dissolution in ethanol-rich bulk fluids. However, so far the importance of crucial formulation parameters, including the minimum amount of guar gum to be incorporated and the minimum required guar gum viscosity, remains unclear. It was found that more than 5% guar gum (referred to the total polymer content) must be incorporated in the film coating and that the apparent viscosity of a 1% aqueous guar gum solution must be greater than 150 cPs to provide ethanol-resistance. [...]

The development of more efficient therapeutic strategies in the treatment of breast cancer relies on understanding the biological events that promote its progression. Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are enzymes that catalyze the methylation of arginine residues within proteins resulting in changes in several biological processes. PRMTs have been shown to be aberrantly expressed in many cancers and promote tumourigenesis and cancer progression. Specifically, PRMT7 mRNA expression correlates with breast cancer aggressiveness and invasiveness. Thus, we sought to determine whether PRMT7 promotes breast cancer progression/tumourigenesis and to further identify the functional mechanisms through which this is possible. We have shown that PRMT7 is upregulated in both breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Moreover, we have shown both in vitro and in vivo that PRMT7 enhances breast cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Using biochemical experimentation, we demonstrated that PRMT7 induces the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 to promote invasion and subsequent metastasis. Furthermore, using proteomic experiments, we discovered many novel PRMT7-interacting proteins. Further biochemical experimentation identified eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2α as an interacting protein and substrate of PRMT7. We demonstrated a regulatory interplay between eIF2α methylation and phosphorylation upon cellular stress: methylation is required for S51 phosphorylation. Accordingly, we have shown that stress granule formation, in the face of cellular stresses, was significantly diminished in PRMT7-knockdown cells. We additionally found that PRMT7 plays a regulatory role in protein translation. Overall, these findings suggest that PRMT7 plays a critical role in promoting breast cancer cell invasion, metastasis, stress regulation, and protein translation.

Heřmanský–Pudlák syndrome (HPS), a rare autosomal recessive disorder, manifests with oculocutaneous albinism and a bleeding diathesis. However, severity of disease can be variable and is typically related to the genetic subtype of HPS; HPS type 6 (HPS-6) is an uncommon subtype generally associated with mild disease. A Caucasian adult female presented with a history of severe bleeding; ophthalmologic examination indicated occult oculocutaneous albinism. The patient was diagnosed with a platelet storage pool disorder, and platelet whole mount electron microscopy demonstrated absent delta granules. Genome-wide SNP analysis showed regions of homozygosity that included the HPS1 and HPS6 genes. Full length HPS1 transcript was amplified by PCR of genomic DNA. Targeted next-generation sequencing identified a novel homozygous missense variant in HPS6 (c.383 T > C; p.V128A); this was associated with significantly reduced HPS6 mRNA and protein expression in the patient's fibroblasts compared to control cells. These findings highlight the variable severity of disease manifestations in patients with HPS, and illustrate that HPS can be diagnosed in patients with excessive bleeding and occult oculocutaneous albinism. Genetic analysis and platelet electron microscopy are useful diagnostic tests in evaluating patients with suspected HPS. Clinical Trial registration:. Registrar: ClinicalTrials.gov. Website: www.clinicaltrials.gov. Registration Numbers: NCT00001456 and NCT00084305.

No description available.

La présente étude avait pour objectif de contribuer à une meilleure compréhension de la granulation des bois feuillus par l'évaluation de la possibilité technique de transformer des bois feuillus de faible vigueur (l'érable à sucre et le bouleau jaune) en granules conventionnels et granules de haute qualité, un type prometteur de transport énergétique. Trois études individuelles ont été réalisées et présentées dans cette thèse. La première étude visait à déterminer s'il y a des changements de teneur en extractibles, cendres, et lignine du bois entre les classes de vigueur des arbres. Les teneurs plus élevées en extractibles et en lignine dans les arbres peu vigoureux ont suggéré que ces derniers sont plus appropriés par rapport aux arbres vigoureux pour la conversion en biocombustibles solides. La deuxième étude visait à optimiser des procédés de granulation des bois feuillus. L'étude a porté sur l'influence des paramètres du procédé (la température et la force de compression) et des caractéristiques de la matière première (la taille des particules et la teneur en humidité) sur les propriétés physiques et mécaniques des granules de bois. Le procédé de granulation doit être effectué à une température d'environ 100 °C pour minimiser la force de friction dans le granulateur et à une teneur en humidité d'environ 11,2% pour maximiser la masse volumique et la résistance mécanique des granules produites. Cette étude a également confirmé que les arbres de faible qualité sont plus appropriés pour la fabrication de granules de bois que les arbres vigoureux. La troisième étude visait l'élaboration de granules de haute qualité. L'eau chaude à température élevée a été utilisée pour modifier les propriétés de la matière première avant granulation. Les caractéristiques de granulation du matériau traité ont été significativement améliorées. Les granules produites ont montré des propriétés améliorées incluant une plus faible teneur en cendres, une plus haute densité énergétique, une meilleure résistance à l'eau, et une meilleure résistance mécanique. Les résultats obtenus de toutes ces études ont démontré la nécessité de bien connaître les fondements de la granulation des bois feuillus et les solutions pratiques pour l'utilisation d'arbres feuillus de faible qualité, le premier peut être applicable pour le développement de procédés de granulation et le dernier peut contribuer à long terme à la restauration des forêts feuillues dégradées en termes de santé des forêts et de leur valeur. / The objective of this study was to contribute to a deeper understanding of hardwood pelletization by investigating the technical possibility of converting low quality hardwoods (sugar maple and yellow birch) into conventional and advanced fuel pellets, a promising type of future energy carrier. Three individual studies were conducted and reported in this thesis. First study aimed at the investigation of the changes in extractives, ash, and lignin contents of wood among tree vigor classes. The higher contents of extractives and lignin in low vigor trees suggested that the low vigor trees are more suitable for conversion into solid biofuels. Second study aimed at the optimization of hardwood pelletizing process. The investigation was focused on the influence of process parameters such as temperature and compression force, and raw material characteristics such as particles size and moisture content on the physical and mechanical properties of wood pellets. The pelletizing process should be performed at a temperature of about 100 oC to minimize friction force in the press channel and at a moisture content of about 11.2% to maximize density and mechanical durability of pellets produced. This study also confirmed that low quality trees are more suitable for making wood pellets than vigorous trees. Third study aimed at the development of advanced fuel pellets. Hot water at elevated temperature was used to change the properties of raw material before pelletizing. Pelletization characteristics of treated material were significantly improved. The pellets produced represented a number of enhanced properties including ash content, energy content, water resistance and mechanical durability. The findings obtained through these studies emphasized the necessity of a good knowledge of the fundamentals of hardwood pelletization and proper solutions for the use of low quality hardwood trees in which the former can be applicable for pelletizing process development, and the latter in long term can contribute to the restoration of the degraded hardwood forests in terms of forests health and value.