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Nerve autografts are widely used clinically to repair nerve grafts. However, nerve grafts have many limitations, such as, availability of donor nerve grafts, and loss of function at donor site. To overcome these problems, we have used a tissue engineering approach to design three-dimensional (3D) agarose scaffolds containing gradients of laminin-1 (LN-1) and nerve growth factor (NGF) to mimic in vivo conditions to promote nerve regeneration in rats. To determine the effect of LN-1 gradients on neurite extension in vitro, dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from chick embryos were cultured in 3D hydrogels. A gradient of LN-1 molecules in agarose gels was made by diffusion technique. LN-1 was then immobilized to the agarose hydrogels using a photo-crosslinker, Sulfo-SANPAH (Sulfosuccinimidyl-6-[4-azido-2-nitrophenylamino] hexanoate). Anisotropic scaffolds with three different slopes of LN-1 gradients were used. Isotropic scaffolds with uniform concentrations of LN-1, at various levels, were used as a positive control. DRG cultured in anisotropic scaffolds with optimal slope of LN-1 gradient extended neurites twice as fast as DRG in optimal concentration in isotropic scaffolds. Also, in the anisotropic scaffolds the faster growing neurites were aligned along the direction of LN-1 gradient. To promote nerve regeneration in vivo, tubular polysulfone guidance channels containing agarose hydrogels with gradients of LN-1 and NGF (anisotropic scaffolds) were used to bridge 20-mm nerve gaps in rats. Nerve autografts were used as positive controls and isotropic scaffolds, with uniform concentration of LN-1 and NGF, were used as negative controls. After 4-months, the rats were sacrificed and nerve histology was done to test for nerve regeneration. Only anisotropic scaffolds and nerve autografts contained evidence of axonal regeneration. Both groups had similar numbers of myelinated axons and similar axonal-diameter distribution. However, nerve graft group performed better in functional outcome as measured by relative gastrocnemius muscle weight (RGMW) and electrophysiology. Optimization of performance of anisotropic scaffolds by varying the LN-1 and NGF concentration gradients might lead to development of scaffolds that can perform as well as nerve auotgrafts for nerve regeneration over long nerve gaps.

Tissue engineering approaches have attempted to address some of the problems associated with articular cartilage defect repair, but grafts with sufficient functional properties have yet to reach clinical practice. Mechanical loads are properly controlled in the body to maintain the functional properties of articular cartilage. This inspires the inclusion of mechanical stimulation in any in vitro production of tissue engineered constructs for defect repair. This mechanical stimulation must improve the functional properties (both biochemical and structural) of engineered articular cartilage tissue. Only a few studies have applied more than two loading types to mimic the complex in vivo load/flow conditions. The general hypothesis of the present thesis proposes that the generation of functional articular cartilage substitute tissue in vitro benefits from load and fluid flow conditions similar to those occurring in vivo. It is specifically hypothesized that application of compression, shear and perfusion on chondrocyte-seeded constructs will improve their properties. It is also hypothesized that protein production of the cell-seeded constructs can be improved in a depth-dependent manner with some loading combinations. Thus, a hydromechanical stimulator system was developed that was capable of simultaneously applying compression, shear and perfusion. Functionality of system was tested by series of short-term pilot studies to optimize some of the system parameters. In these studies, agarose-chondrocytes constructs were stimulated for 2 weeks. Then, longer-term (21- 31 days) studies were performed to examine the effects of both mechanical (compression and dynamic shear) and hydromechanical (compression, dynamic shear and fluid flow) stimulation on glycosaminoglycan and collagen production. The effects of these loading conditions were also investigated for three layers of construct to find out if protein could be localized differently depth-wise. In one of the longer-term studies, the chosen mechanical and hydromechanical stimulation conditions increased total collagen production, with higher amount of collagen for hydromechanical compared with mechanical loading condition. However, their effectiveness in increasing total glycosaminoglycan production was inconclusive with the current loading regimes. The hydromechanically stimulated construct could localize higher collagen production to the top layer compared with middle and bottom layers. Some effectiveness of hydromechanical stimulation was demonstrated in this thesis. Future studies will be directed towards further optimization of parameters such as stimulation frequency and duration as well as fluid perfusion rate to produce constructs with more glycosaminoglycan and collagen.

Submitted by Isaac Francisco de Souza Dias (isaac.souzadias@ufpe.br) on 2016-03-30T16:20:19Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação da mestranda Gilvânia Marinete de Santana - PB.pdf: 2011132 bytes, checksum: 55293fa8c5743d000da8d311eafeb54b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-30T16:20:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação da mestranda Gilvânia Marinete de Santana - PB.pdf: 2011132 bytes, checksum: 55293fa8c5743d000da8d311eafeb54b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-20 / FACEPE / A pele é o maior órgão do corpo humano possuindo diversas funções importantes. No caso de alguma lesão cutânea o seu tratamento precisa ser rápido e eficaz, com o propósito de se restaurar a viabilidade celular e evitar possíveis infecções. Dentre as lesões existentes, as queimaduras são as principais causas de danos à pele. Nos últimos anos, tem se desenvolvido pesquisas com o intuito de melhorar o tratamento e a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com esses tipos de lesões cutâneas. Neste contexto, os substitutos temporários de pele surgem como uma nova tecnologia para o tratamento de queimaduras, que são dispositivos utilizados com a finalidade de auxiliar na regeneração cutânea, prevenindo a perda de líquidos e eletrólitos, e o aparecimento de infecções. Esse trabalho teve por objetivo a elaboração de filmes poliméricos com a incorporação de um antibiótico hidrofílico, a Ciprofloxacina, para possível utilização como substituto temporário de pele, visando dessa forma contribuir com o arsenal terapêutico existente. Foram preparados filmes de agarose com e sem a Ciprofloxacina, por meio do sistema de casting, utilizando-se água como solvente e glicerol como agente plastificante. A partir dessa formulação, realizaram-se ensaios para a avaliação das propriedades morfológicas e mecânicas desses filmes, e para avaliar o comportamento dos filmes poliméricos em contato com a água. Os filmes foram caracterizados por espectrometria no Ultravioleta/Visível (UV/Vis), espectroscopia no Infravermelho com Transformada de Fourier (FT-IR), espectroscopia Raman, Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) e Difração de Raios-X (DRX). Adicionalmente foi avaliada a cinética de liberação da Ciprofloxacina para o meio externo. Além disso, realizaram-se ensaios para a avaliação da atividade antimicrobiana dos filmes de agarose sem e com a incorporação de Ciprofloxacina frente a micro-organismos gram-positivos e gram-negativos. Os ensaios morfológicos demonstraram que os filmes são aderentes e transparentes, apresentando espessura entre 40 e 57 μm. A incorporação da Ciprofloxacina não alterou as propriedades de interação com a água, apesar de deixá-los mecanicamente mais resistentes, apresentando uma tensão de ruptura de 17,32 MPa nos filmes sem antibiótico e 32,99 MPa para os filmes contendo Ciprofloxacina. As análises espectroscópicas constataram uma incorporação uniforme do antibiótico aos filmes, e que os filmes apresentam uma estrutura amorfa e sem rachaduras. Nos ensaios de liberação, observou-se que uma grande quantidade de Ciprofloxacina é liberada durante as primeiras 24 horas, permanecendo estável por 96 horas. Nos ensaios antimicrobianos, os resultados indicaram que a inibição frente aos micro-organismos Staphylococcus aureus e Pseudomonas aeruginosa foi de aproximadamente 100%. Diante disso, é possível concluir que os filmes produzidos nessa pesquisa apresentaram características adequadas para uma possível utilização como substituto temporário de pele, tais como: espessura, transparência, homogeneidade, interação com a água e atividade antimicrobiana. / The skin is the largest organ of the human body having several important functions. When there is some kind of skin lesion your treatment needs to be fast and effective, in order to restore cell viability and prevent possible infections. Burns are the main cause of skin damage, in recent years, research has been developed with the aim of improving the treatment and quality of life for patients with these types of skin lesions. In this context, temporary skin substitutes emerge as a new technology for the treatment of burns. They are devices used for the purpose of assisting in the regeneration of skin, preventing the loss of fluid and electrolytes, and the appearance of infections. They are devices used for the purpose of assisting in the regeneration of skin, preventing the loss of fluid and electrolytes, and the appearance of infections. This study aimed to the preparation of polymeric films with the incorporation of hydrophilic antibiotic, Ciprofloxacin, for possible use as a temporary replacement skin thereby pursuing contribute to the therapeutic armamentarium. Agarose films and agarose films with Ciprofloxacin were prepared by casting system using water as the solvent and glycerol as a plasticizer. From this formulation, tests were conducted for evaluation of the morphological and mechanical properties, and tests to evaluate the behavior of polymer film in contact with water. They were characterized by spectroscopic Ultraviolet / Visible (UV / Vis), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X ray diffraction (XRD). In addition, we evaluated the release kinetics of ciprofloxacin to the external environment. In addition, trials were carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of films and agarose embedding ciprofloxacin against micro-organisms gram-positive and gram-negative. Morphological studies showed that the films are adhesive and transparent, with thickness between 40 and 57 μm. The incorporation of Ciprofloxacin not alters the properties of interaction with water although leaving them more mechanically resistant and showed a 17.32 MPa breaking strain in agarose films and 32.99 MPa for the films containing ciprofloxacin. Spectroscopic analysis showed the uniform incorporation of the antibiotic to the fims, also demonstrating that the films have an amorphous structure and no cracks. In the release test, it was observed that a large amount of ciprofloxacin is released during the first 24 hours and remained stable for 96 hours. In the antimicrobial tests, the results indicated that inhibition front of microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was approximately 100%. Therefore, we conclude that the films produced in this research showed suitable characteristics for possible use as a temporary skin substitute, among which it is cited, thickness, transparency, consistency, interaction with water and antimicrobial activity.

Submitted by Israel Vieira Neto (israel.vieiraneto@ufpe.br) on 2015-03-05T19:20:08Z No. of bitstreams: 2 DISSERTAÇÃO Natália Almeida Onofre.pdf: 2891524 bytes, checksum: 89dcf024730d77338d96fcf5b9ff4ae2 (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T19:20:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 DISSERTAÇÃO Natália Almeida Onofre.pdf: 2891524 bytes, checksum: 89dcf024730d77338d96fcf5b9ff4ae2 (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03 / CAPES / A pele possui grande importância na proteção do organismo, com isso, havendo lesão cutânea é necessária rápida intervenção, garantindo regeneração tecidual. Os substitutos temporários de pele são utilizados para prevenir infecções e auxiliar nesta regeneração, sendo dispositivos muito úteis na medicina. A agarose e a kefirana são polímeros naturais com potencial uso em substitutos temporários de pele, onde podem ser acrescidos outros compostos com propriedades biológicas, a fim de favorecer a regeneração tecidual. As nanopartículas podem ser incorporadas a matriz de polímeros, modificando suas características ou adicionando novas propriedades. Dentre estas destacam-se as nanopartículas de prata (NPsAg) que apresentam ação antimicrobiana. Biomateriais contendo nanopartículas em suas matrizes são eficientes por unir as propriedades inerentes aos dois componentes utilizados. Nesse contexto, foram desenvolvidos filmes de ágar (T0), kefirana (T1) e agarose (T2), este último ainda incorporado com NPsAg (T3) e NPsAg com ascorbato de cálcio (T4). Os filmes foram caracterizados através de ensaios de Micoscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV), Espectroscopia na região do Ultravioleta-visível (UV-Vis) e do Infravermelho (FTIR), teor de umidade, absorção de água, transparência, espessura, resistência à tração e atividade antimicrobiana. A superfície do filme T0 avaliada por MEV apresentou alternância de regiões puras e com impurezas, sendo observada a necessidade de formulação de filmes com matéria prima mais pura. A superfície do filme T1 apresentou-se não homogênea e com rachaduras. Já os filmes T2 e T3 mostraram superfície lisa e homogênea. No filme T4 foram observadas cristais, possivelmente referentes ao ascorbato de cálcio. A análise na região do UV-Vis dos filmes T1 e T2 não apresentaram pico na região de 300-700 nm, pois não continham NPsAg. Os picos com máximo de absorção em 460nm, 408nm e 350 nm (com pico alargado e presença de um ombro em 400 nm) nos filmes T0, T3 e T4 respectivamente, confirmaram a presença de NPsAg. Na região do infravermelho, foi possível identificar os principais grupos funcionais da estrutura dos polímeros de formulação dos filmes T1, T2, T3 e T4. Os filmes apresentaram-se flexíveis, sendo T2 o filme de menor espessura (0,025 mm) e maior transparência. O filme que apresentou maior tensão e deformação de ruptura foi T3, com 56,22 Mpa e 41,78% respectivamente. Apenas T4 apresentou atividade antimicrobiana contra S. aureus.

One of the most crucial steps towards nanopore-based nucleic acid analysis is extending the dwell time of DNA molecules within the sensing region of the nanopore. I address this issue by interfacing solid-state nanopores with gel media, which sterically hinders translocating DNA molecules, increasing dwell times. Specifically, my experimental results focus on two reptation regimes: when the DNA molecule is flexible on the length scale of the gel pore, and when the DNA molecule is inflexible on the length scale of the gel pore. The first regime is achieved through the use of agarose gel and 5 kbp dsDNA fragments, and produces a wide distribution of translocation times, spanning roughly three orders of magnitude. The second regime is achieved through the use of polyacrylamide gel and 100 bp dsDNA fragments, and displays a shift in translocation times by an order of magnitude while maintaining a tight distribution.

This PhD thesis is concerned with developing a methodology for early diagnosis of cancer by comparing the resonant frequencies in the amplitude spectra obtained during a vibration test using the AFM or, by comparing the stiffness properties of single cancerous and normal cells obtained using a resonant technique. As there is no reliable data in the literature to prove the existence of resonant frequencies of single cells, this work pioneers the search for resonant frequencies of related microspherical soft bodies using the AFM. Experiments to investigate the resonant behaviour of single cells depends on various parameters which are difficult to control; for example, the cell type, deciding at what stage the cell should be tested during the culturing process, determining the nucleus size, determining the cytoskeleton integrity and designing an appropriate vibration test setup among others. For this reason, agarose microspheres were selected to carry out preliminary work as these samples have similar properties to human cells and their resonances are affected by fewer variables. Although these micrometric spheres were tested under different conditions, no clear resonant behaviour was found at frequencies below 20 kHz and, only wide curves (interpreted as highly damped peaks of resonance) in the interval ranging from 20 kHz to 100 kHz were observed. By considering those curves as the quadrupole (Qp) vibration mode, approximate stiffness values for the agarose microspheres were found to be in between 37 kPa and 72 kPa. These values are similar to those obtained during an indentation test performed on the same samples whic¬¬h gave Young’s modulus values ranging from 10 kPa to 200 kPa. In order to gain a greater insight into the vibration test performed on microscopic samples, the research was extended to include agarose spheres of millimetric size. The characterization of these samples was carried out using an innovative purpose-built experimental setup. For the vibration test, a PZT based excitation device and a vibro-acoustic sensor were designed and constructed. The amplitude spectra of the vibration tests performed on millimetric samples consistently showed at least three peaks of resonance from which after the numerical simulation of the vibration test were interpreted as the quadrupole (Qp) and octupole (Op) vibration modes. Using this information, stiffness values for the samples ranging from 100 kPa to 700 kPa were calculated. In order to obtain the stiffness of the millimetric samples using a different technique, an experimental setup was constructed to perform a compression test. However, due to high viscoleasticity of the samples, it was not possible to obtain a standard compression curve necessary for their mechanical characterization. The results obtained from the tests on millimetric agarose samples demonstrate that spheres made of this material are able to provide measurable vibrational characteristics. Consequently, this methodology can be further implemented on micrometric samples and possibly on human cells to detect their resonant frequencies and equivalent stiffness values which can be used as a cancer marker. From the vibrational experiments on millimetric samples, it was noticed that the excitation mechanism plays an important role and for this reason future work is proposed to continue in this direction.

Yes / We describe a novel protocol to quantitatively and simultaneously compare the chemotactic responses of cells towards different chemokines. In this protocol, droplets of agarose gel containing different chemokines are applied onto the surface of a Petri dish, and then immersed under culture medium in which cells are suspended. As chemokine molecules diffuse away from the spot, a transient chemoattractant gradient is established across the spots. Cells expressing the corresponding cognate chemokine receptors migrate against this gradient by crawling under the agarose spots towards their centre. We show that this migration is chemokine-specific; meaning that only cells that express the cognate chemokine cell surface receptor, migrate under the spot containing its corresponding chemokine ligand. Furthermore, we show that migration under the agarose spot can be modulated by selective small molecule antagonists present in the cell culture medium.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-17T18:39:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2631.pdf: 1610800 bytes, checksum: 9f443d37247fb5fee135a70ec93a8142 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-09-29 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Immobilization and stabilization of enzymes increases their potential for use in industrial scale. D-hydantoinases (dihidropirimidina amidrohidrolase EC 3.5.2.2) catalyze the hydrolysis of D-hydantoins, generating the corresponding Ncarbamoil- D-amino acid and are used in the production of D-amino acids, including Dphenylglycine and D-p-hydroxyphenylglycine.This work reports studies for immobilization and stabilization of D-hydantoinase from Vigna angularis (E.C. 3.5.2.2.). Different strategies of multipoint covalent attachment in organic supports as chitosan and agarose were used. Different protocols of immobilization were employed, being the adittion of ions during the reduction step with the NaBH4 important to protect enzyme catalytic site. The active and stabilized derivatives were used to catalyze the hydrolysis of D-phenylhydantoin. The temperature and pH enzyme profiles showed maximum enzyme activity at 60ºC and pH 10,0. The subunits of the enzyme present molecular mass aroundt 50kDa. The enzyme immobilized in glyoxyl-agarose in the presence of Zn2+ ions during the reduction step, with immobilization time of 24h, was the best derivative, being 89-fold more stable than the soluble enzyme. The analysis of amino acids showed that a 50% of lysines residue present in the enzymes was covalently linked in glyoxyl-agarose. The enzyme immobilized in epoxy-chitosan-alginate was 20-fold more stable than the soluble enzyme. All the tested immobilization protocols led to 100% of immobilization yield. Soluble enzyme and the best glyoxyl and chitosan enzyme derivatives were used to catalyze the hydrolysis of D- phenylhydantoin , and led to the production of 99% of NCarbamoil- D-Phenylglycine after 3, 9 and 15h of reaction respectively. / A imobilização e estabilização de enzimas aumentam muito o potencial de uso industrial desses catalisadores. D-hidantoinases (dihidropirimidina amidrohidrolase EC 3.5.2.2) são enzimas que catalisam a hidrólise de hidantoínas, com abertura do anel, para o correspondente N-carbamoil-D-aminoácido e são usadas na produção de Daminoácidos, incluindo D-fenilglicina e D-p-hidroxifenilglicina. Este trabalho relata os estudos desenvolvidos para a imobilização e estabilização de D-hidantoinase de Vigna angularis (3.5.2.2.). Foram abordadas diferentes estratégias de imobilização multipontual em suportes orgânicos como quitosana e agarose. Diferentes protocolos de imobilização foram empregados, sendo adição de íons durante a redução com NaBH4 importante para proteção do centro catalítico da enzima. Os derivados ativos e estabilizados foram empregados na reação de hidrólise da fenilhidantoína. O estudo de temperatura e pH de máxima atividade da enzima foi 60°C e pH 10,0. As subunidades da enzima apresentam peso molecular, com valor próximo a 50kDa. A enzima imobilizada em glioxil-agarose na presença dos íons Zn2+ durante a etapa de redução, com tempo de imobilização de 24 h foi o derivado mais estável sendo 89 vezes mais estável que a enzima solúvel. A análise de aminoácidos mostrou que aproximadamente 50% dos resíduos de lisina presentes na enzima foram covalentemente ligados no derivado de glioxil-agarose. A enzima imobilizada em quitosana-alginato-epoxilado foi 20 vezes mais estável que a enzima solúvel. Todos os procedimentos de imobilização testados levaram a 100% de rendimento de imobilização. Enzima solúvel e os melhores derivados obtidos por imobilização em glioxil e quitosana foram usados na catálise da hidrólise de fenilhidantoína, produzindo 99% de N-Carbamoil-D-fenilglicina nos tempos de 3, 9 e 15 h, respectivamente.

Gene gun assisted micro-particle delivery system is an excellent method for the delivery of DNA into target tissue so as to carry out gene transfection in the target cells. The gene gun is primarily a particle accelerator which accelerates DNA-coated micro-particles to sufficient velocities to breach the target layer enabling the micro-particles to penetrate to a desired depth and target the cells of interest to achieve gene transfer. However, an inevitable problem in this process is the tissue/cell damage due to the impaction of the pressurized gas and micro-particles on the target. The purpose of this research is developing a new conceptual system which improves the penetration depth of micro-particles at less imposed pressure and particle injection velocity. This is achieved by applying a microneedle array and ground slide in the gene gun system, thus a study involving microneedle assisted micro-particle delivery is conducted in this work. Microneedle array is used to create holes in the target which allows a number of micro-particles to penetrate through the skin which enhances the penetration depth inside target. The ground slide is used to load a pellet of the micro-particles and prevent the pressurized gas to avoid the impaction on the target. The operation principle is that the pellet is attached to ground slide which is accelerated to a sufficient velocity by the pressurized gas. The pellet is released from the ground slide which separates into individual micro-particles by a mesh and penetrates to a desired depth inside the target. An experimental rig to study various aspects of microneedle assisted micro-particle delivery is designed in this PhD research. The passage percentage of the micro-particles and size of the separated micro-particles are analysed in relation to the operating pressure, mesh pore size and Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) concentration to verify the applicability of this system for the micro-particle delivery. The results have shown that the passage percentage increases from an increase in the mesh pore size and operating pressure and a decrease in PVP concentration. A mesh pore size of 178 μm and pellet PVP concentration of 40 mg/ml were used for the bulk of the experiments in this study as these seem to provide higher passage percentage and the narrow size distribution of the separated micro-particles. In addition, the velocity of the ground slide is detected by the photoelectric sensor and shown that it increases from an increase in operating pressure and reaches 148 m/s at 6 bar pressure, A further analysis in the penetration depths of the micro-particles to determine whether they achieve enhanced penetration depths inside the target after using microneedles is carried out. A skin mimicked agarose gel is obtained from comparing the viscoelastic properties of various concentration of agarose gel in comparison with the porcine skin, which is assumed to mimic the human skin. These experiments are used to relate the micro-particle penetration depth with the operating pressure, microneedle length and particle size. In addition, a theoretical model is developed based on the experimental data to simulate the microneedle assisted micro-particle delivery which provide further understanding of the microneedle assisted micro-particle delivery. The developed model was used to analyse the penetration depth of micro-particles in relation to the operation pressure, target properties, microneedle length and particle size and density. The modelling results were compared with the experimental results to verify the feasibility of the microneedle assisted micro-particle delivery for micro-particles delivery. As expected, both experimental and theoretical results show that the micro-particles achieve an enhanced penetration depth inside target. The maximum penetration depth of micro-particles is increased from an increase in operating pressure, microneedle length, particle size and density.