Analogous to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of natural tissues, properties of a tissue engineering scaffold direct cell behavior and thus regenerated tissue properties. These include both physical properties (e.g. morphology and modulus) and chemical properties (e.g. hydrophobicity, hydration and bioactivity). Notably, recent studies suggest that scaffold properties (e.g. modulus) may be as potent as growth factors in terms of directing stem cell fate. Thus, 3D scaffolds possessing specific properties modified for optimal cell regeneration have the potential to regenerate native-like tissues. Photopolymerizable poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG-DA)-based hydrogels are frequently used as scaffolds for tissue engineering. They are ideal for controlled studies of cell-material interactions due to their poor protein adsorption in the absence of adhesive ligands thereby making them “biological blank slates”. However, their range of physical and chemical properties is limited. Thus, hydrogel scaffolds which maintain the benefits of PEG-DA but possess a broader set of tunable properties would allow the establishment of predictive relationships between scaffold properties, cell behavior and regenerated tissue properties. Towards this goal, this work describes a series of unique hybrid inorganic-organic hydrogel scaffolds prepared using different solvents and also in the form of continuous gradients. Properties relevant to tissue regeneration were investigated including: swelling, morphology, modulus, degradation rates, bioactivity, cytocompatibility, and protein adhesion. These scaffolds were based on the incorporation of hydrophobic, bioactive and osteoinductive methacrylated star polydimethylsiloxane (PDMSstar-MA) [“inorganic component”] into hydrophilic PEG-DA [“organic component”]. The following parameters were varied: molecular weight (Mn) of PEG-DA (Mn = 3k & 6k g/mol) and PDMSstar-MA (Mn = 1.8k, 7k, 14k), ratio of PDMSstar-MA to PEG-DA (0:100 to 20:80), total macromer concentration (5 to 20 wt%) and utilizing either water or dichloromethane (DCM) fabrication solvent. The use of DCM produced solvent induced phase separation (SIPS) resulting in scaffolds with macroporous morphologies, enhanced modulus and a more homogenous distribution of the PDMSstar-MA component throughout. These hybrid hydrogel scaffolds were prepared in the form of continuous gradients such that a single scaffold contains spatially varied chemical and physical properties. Thus, cell-material interaction studies may be conducted more rapidly at different “zones” defined along the gradient. These gradients are also expected to benefit the regeneration of the osteochondral interface, an interfacial tissue that gradually transitions in tissue type. The final aspect of this work was focused on enhancing the osteogenic potential of PDMS via functionalization with amine and phosphonate. Both amine and phosphonate moieties have demonstrated bioactivity. Thus, it was expected that these properties will be enhanced for amine and phosphonate functionalized PDMS. The subsequent incorporation of these PDMS-based macromers into the previously described PEG-DA scaffold system is expected to be valuable for osteochondral tissue regeneration.

Current synthetic vascular grafts have high failure rates in small-diameter (<6 mm) applications due to inadequate cell-material interactions and poor matching of arterial biomechanical properties. To address this, we have developed a multilayer vascular graft design with a non-thrombogenic inner layer that promotes endothelial cell (EC) interactions and a reinforcing layer with tunable biomechanical properties. The blood-contacting layer of the graft is based on a Streptococcal collagen-like protein (Scl2-1). Scl2-1 has the triple helical structure of collagen, but it is a non-thrombogenic protein that can be modified to have selective cell adhesion. For this application, Scl2-2 has been modified from Scl2-1 to contain integrin binding sites that promote EC adhesion. We have developed the methodology to incorporate Scl2 proteins into a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel matrix. PEG-Scl2 hydrogels facilitate optimization of both bioactivity and substrate modulus to offer unique control over graft endothelialization. However, scaffold properties that promote endothelialization may not be consistent with the mechanical properties necessary to withstand physiological loading. To address this issue, we have reinforced PEG-Scl2-2 hydrogels with an electrospun polyurethane mesh. This multilayer vascular graft design decouples requisite mechanical properties from endothelialization processes and permits optimization of both design goals. We have confirmed the thromboresistance of PEG-Scl2-2 hydrogels in a series of whole blood tests in vitro as well as in a porcine carotid artery model. Additionally, we have shown that the electrospun mesh biomechanical properties can be tuned over a wide range to achieve comparable properties to current autologous grafts. Traditional acrylate-derivatized PEG (PEGDA) hydrogels were replaced with PEG diacrylamide hydrogels with similar properties to increase biostability for long-term implantation. These findings indicate that this multilayer design shows promise for vascular graft applications. As vascular graft endothelialization can significantly improve success rates, the ability to alter cell-material interactions through manipulations in PEG-Scl2-2 hydrogel properties was studied extensively. By reducing Scl2-2 functionalization density and utilizing a biostable PEG functionalization linker, Acrylamide-PEG-I, significantly improved initial EC adhesion was achieved that was maintained over 6 weeks of swelling in vitro. Additionally, increases in Scl2-2 concentration and in hydrogel modulus provided increased EC interactions. It was found that PEG-Scl2-2 hydrogels promoted enhanced EC proliferation over 1 week compared to PEG-collagen gels. In summary, we have developed a vascular graft with a biostable, non-thrombogenic intimal layer that promotes EC adhesion and migration while providing biomechanical properties comparable to current autologous grafts. This design demonstrates great potential as an off-the-shelf graft for small diameter arterial prostheses that improves upon current clinically available options.

Nowadays, cancer treatment and tissue regeneration have attracted large amount of attention. Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWNT) possess large surface area and outstanding optical and electrical performance, making it a promising component in cancer therapy and tissue reengineering systems. In this study, four disease treating systems based on SWNT are developed. They are pH-sensitive poly(ethylene glycol)-doxorubicin(PEG-DOX)@SWNT drug release system, temperature sensitive SWNT hydrogel, SWNT based biocompatible magnetic hydrogel and biocompatible SWNT-gelatin-F127-cysteamine hydrogel for tissue engineering. The successfully synthesized target compounds are characterized by FTIR. The in vitro release of drugs from the drug release systems is evaluated upon changes of pH values and the laser scanning. The effect of cancer treatment systems on specific kind of cells are examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The results indicate that all of the four systems show great potential in the biomedical applications especially in disease therapy applications.

The physicochemical properties of a drug affect to a large extent its subsequent biological absorption and bioavailability profile. Considerable pharmaceutical interest is therefore directed torwards the improvement of drug dissolution characteristics of drugs with low aqueous solubility. This thesis has considered the controlled modification of drug dissolution profiles by means of incorporating low concentrations of hydrophilic polymers by different processes into a host drug substance. In order to examine this approach and its potential use, the physicochemical, solid state, stability and tableting properties of a poorly aqueous soluble drug, phenylbutazone, in alternative polymorphic form and containing low levels of two hydrophilic polymers - hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (H.P.M.C.) and the surfactant poloxamer 188 - prepared by both conventional crystallisation and spray drying are reported. As an integral nart of the work attempts were mado to identify the different polymorphic forms of phenylbutazone. The δ-form, the commercially available stable form and the α and β metastable forms (nomenclature after Muller, 1978) were isolated. The α form was found to be unstable on storage. A 2 fold increase in intrinsic dissolution rate was observed for the metastable β-polymorph compared with the stable δ-polymorphic form. The effect of crystallisation rate on the formation of polymorphs of phenylbutazone was studied using a mini-spray dryer, and slower rates of crystallisation were found to favour polymorph formation. The hydrophilic polymers, H.P.M.C. and poloxamer 188, were incorporated by conventional crystallisation and spray drying into the drug crystal. Samples were subjected to a series of tests including differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and intrinsic dissolution and solubility. When prepared by conventional crystallisation H.P.M.C. was found to form a "high energy" complex with phenylbutazone which melted 10°C lower than the parent drug. When prepared by spray drying H.P.M.C. inhibited the formation of the metastable β-polymorph of phenylbutazone. A 2 fold increase in intrinsic dissolution rate was observed for crystallised and spray dried samples containing 2% w/w or more added polymer. Poloxamer 188 did not form a complex with phenylbutazone and unlike H.P.M.C. did not inhibit the formation of the β-polymorph. For both crystallised and spray dried samples a 3 fold increase in dissolution rate was obtained at polymer levels of 1% w/w or above. The increase in dissolution has been attributed to facilitated wetting by lowering of interfacial tension rather than through the formation of micelles. The stability of selected phenylbutazone:polymer samples was tested at elevated temperatures. The stability was found to be affected both by the method of sample preparation and the type of additive. Large breakdowns occurring by a hydrolytic effect were identified for the crystallised phenylbutazone samples containing poloxamer 188. The effects on compaction of phenylbutazone in alternative form and presence of polymeric additives were studied by compressing samples of similar particle sizes of phenylbutazone as supplied (δ-form), samples of spray dried phenylbutazone (β-form) and samples containing different concentrations of H.P.M.C. prepared both by conventional crystallisation and spray drying. Compaction data were analysed according to the Heckel relationship and by force transmission ratio as well as from the tensile strengths of prepared tablets. The presence of H.P.M.C. up to 5% w/w concentration in phenylbutazone did not change the mean yield pressure for the crystallised or spray dried samples, although a difference in mean value was observed between the crystallised and spray dried materials, 93.22 MPa and 147.02 MPa respectively. Force transmission was found to be improved for samples containing H.P.M.C. prepared by both techniques and in general, the tablet tensile strengths for crystallised samples containing H.P.M.C. were approximately three times greater than for spray dried samples at equivalent tablet porosity. Differences are attributed to variation in solid state and particulate properties between samples.

A microwave assisted methodology was developed to modify Merrifield resins (1-2% cross-linked containing 1.0-3.5 mmol Cl-/g) with different nominal molecular weights PEG (200-1000). The synthesis was also carried out by conventional heating to assess the differences between the two procedures. The most efficient synthesis was achieved by using microwave and by using PEG with molecular weight 200 and MR 2% crosslinked containing 1.25 mmol Cl -/g. The structural elucidation was carried out using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and elemental analyses. Upon pyrolsis-GC/MS analysis of the PEGylated MR, the PEG showed the tendency to undergo thermal degradation by the loss of a smaller PEG fragments. This observed degradation of PEG was less prominent during microwave assisted synthesis compared to conventional heating, in addition to faster reaction rates and higher yields. As expected, the PEGylated MR showed improved swelling properties in polar solvents. The chemical reactivity of the PEGylated Merrifield resin was confirmed by the esterification with pyruvic acid and by the substitution of hydroxyl group using thionyl chloride. In addition, the PEGylated MR was converted into (1) polymer-supported acid/base or redox indicator by the attachment of a blue organic dye - 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCIP) through a nucleophilic substitution reaction and (2) beta-cyclodextrin trap, a water insoluble inclusion-complex, by immobilization of beta-cyclodextrin through cross-linking with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate reagent.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Chair: Charles A. Eckert; Committee Co-Chair: Charles L. Liotta; Committee Member: Christopher W. Jones; Committee Member: Facundo M. Fernandez; Committee Member: Thomas F. Fuller.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (University of Texas Digital Repository, viewed on Sept. 9, 2009). Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2009. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-112).

Submitted by Natália Baraldi Cunha null (nataliabcunha@gmail.com) on 2016-09-07T13:56:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese final Natália Baraldi Cunha.pdf: 2266420 bytes, checksum: dcf97228e8c74e2d108a5822a0bca60d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-09-09T20:21:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 cunha_nb_dr_bot.pdf: 2266420 bytes, checksum: dcf97228e8c74e2d108a5822a0bca60d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-09T20:21:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 cunha_nb_dr_bot.pdf: 2266420 bytes, checksum: dcf97228e8c74e2d108a5822a0bca60d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Introduction: The calcium oxalate is the major metabolic component involved in the formation of renal calculus. Therefore, different pharmacological approaches have been or are being proposed for the treatment of nephrolithiasis by calcium oxalate. Among them, the pyridoxine, a component of vitamin B6, has been suggested as a potential therapeutic agent that can minimize the effects of hyperoxaluria. However, the results are controversial. Objective: To evaluate the effects of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) on the urinary excretion of oxalate and its possible impact on renal disorders caused by nephrocalcinosis induced from an experimental model of hyperoxaluria in rats. Methods: It was used 60 Sprague Dawley male rats and were randomized into four groups: Group 1 [(G1: n = 15) clinical control]; Group 2 [G2: Ethylene glycol (EG) 0.5% + Vitamin D3 (VD3), n = 15], which hyperoxaluria was induced by the administration of EG diluted in water and offered in association with VD3 (Cholecalciferol) at a dose of 0.5 uM; Group 3 [G3: 0.5% EG + VD3 + pyridoxine (VB6); n = 15], which the animals received the same drugs offered to the G2 plus VB6 at a dose of 180mg / kg body weight / day; Group 4 (G4, n = 15) which the animals are supplemented only with the same dose of VB6 in G3. All animals were euthanized after 28 days of intervention and submitted a metabolic study on the urine of 24 hours; histopathological / morphometric analysis of oxidative stress in renal parenchymal and spectroscopic measurement of calcium. Results: Among the urinary parameters evaluated, there was significant reduction in the citrate in G2 compared to the control group- G1 (781.9 and 2414.4mg / L, respectively), while the oxalate was significantly increased in G2 and G3 compared to G1 (7.79, 8.94 and 2.96mg / L, respectively). The urinary calcium was significantly lower in the induced groups (G3: 0.9, G2: 1.5 and G1: 2.25mg / dL). Histomorphometric analysis revealed that only the animals of G2 and G3 developed nephrocalcinosis without, however, no substantially differences from each other in the counting of intratubular crystals were found. Similarly, considering the histopathologic analysis, only the induced animals (G2 and G3) exhibited atrophy, stromal extravasation and inflammatory infiltrate in the renal parenchyma in a similar pattern between the two groups. Regarding to the analysis of oxidative stress, an increase of lipid hydroperoxide levels associated with reduced superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione peroxidase in the G2. In the other groups, the enzyme pattern remained relatively stable compared to the control, except for catalase activity, which activity proved to be increased in all groups. In the other groups, the enzyme pattern remained relatively stable compared to the control (G1), except for the catalase activity, in which activity increased in all groups. As expected, the quantification of calcium in the renal parenchyma was significantly higher in G2 and G3 as compared to groups without induction. Conclusion: Pyridoxine was not able to produce a significant effect in the treatment and / or prevention of urinary disorders, as well as morphological, inflammatory and functional renal tissue in rats with secondary hyperoxaluria obtained from the administration of inducing agents. / Introdução: O oxalato de cálcio (OxCa) é o principal componente metabólico envolvido na formação dos cálculos renais. Por esta razão, diferentes abordagens farmacológicas foram ou estão sendo propostas para o tratamento da nefrolitíase por OxCa. Dentre elas, a piridoxina, um componente da vitamina B6, tem sido sugerida como potencial agente terapêutico capaz de atenuar os efeitos da hiperoxalúria, porém com resultados ainda controversos. Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos da piridoxina (Vitamina B6) sobre a excreção urinária de oxalato e seu eventual impacto nas alterações renais causadas pela nefrocalcinose induzida a partir de um modelo experimental de hiperoxaluria em ratos. Métodos: Foram utilizados 60 ratos machos da raça Sprague-Dawley, randomicamente distribuídos em quatro grupos: GRUPO 1 (G1: n=15) controle clínico; GRUPO 2 [G2: Etilenoglicol (EG) a 0,5%+vitamina D3 (VD3), n=15] no qual a hiperoxalúria foi induzida a partir da administração de EG diluído em água e ofertado em associação com a VD3 (Colecalciferol) na dose de 0,5 μM; GRUPO 3 [G3: EG 0,5%+VD3+Piridoxina(VB6); n=15] onde os animais receberam as mesmas drogas ofertadas ao G2 acrescido da VB6 na dose de 180mg/kg peso/dia; GRUPO 4 (G4, n=15) animais suplementados apenas com a VB6 na mesma dose do G3. Todos os animais foram eutanasiados após 28 dias de intervenção e submetidos a estudo metabólico na urina de 24 horas; análise histopatológica/morfométrica, análise do estresse oxidativo no parênquima renal, bem como dosagem espectroscópica do cálcio. Resultados: Dentre os parâmetros urinários avaliados, observou-se significativa redução do citrato no G2 em relação ao controle (781,9, e 2414,4mg/L, respectivamente), enquanto que o oxalato mostrou-se significativamente aumentado nos G2 e G3 quando comparado ao G1 (7,79; 8,94 e 2,96mg/L, respectivamente). O cálcio urinário foi significativamente menor nos grupos induzidos (G3:0,9, G2:1,5 e G1: 2,25mg/dL). A análise histomorfométrica revelou que apenas os animais dos G2 e G3 desenvolveram nefrocalcinose sem, no entanto, apresentar diferença significativa entre si na contagem dos cristais intratubulares. Da mesma forma, considerando-se a análise histopatológica, apenas os animais induzidos (G2 e G3) exibiram atrofia, extravasamento estromal e infiltrado inflamatório no parênquima renal, em um padrão bastante semelhante entre os dois grupos. Com relação à análise do estresse oxidativo, houve aumento dos níveis do hidroperoxido de lipídeo associado à redução da atividade da superoxido dismutase e glutationa peroxidase no G2. Nos demais grupos, o padrão enzimático manteve-se relativamente estável em relação ao controle, com exceção da atividade da catalase, cuja atividade revelou-se aumentada em todos os grupos estudados. Como esperado, a quantificação do cálcio no parênquima renal foi significativamente maior em G2 e G3 quando comparado aos grupos sem indução. Conclusão: A piridoxina não foi capaz de produzir um efeito significativo no tratamento e/ou na prevenção das alterações urinárias, bem como morfológicas, inflamatórias e funcionais do parênquima renal de ratos com hiperoxalúria secundária obtida a partir da administração de agentes indutores.