Biomedical subjects

Ales Prokop

Publications and source records attributed to Ales Prokop.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Development of improved nanoparticulate polyelectrolyte complex physicochemistry by nonstoichiometric mixing of polyions with similar molecular weights.

Water-based, biodegradable polyelectrolyte complex dispersions (PECs) prepared by mixing oppositely charged polyions are advantageous drug delivery systems due to constituent biocompatibility and nanoparticulate architectures. Reaction phase environmental parameters dictate PEC physicochemical properties, and specifically, complexation between polyelectrolytes having significantly different molecular weights leads to formation of water-insoluble aggregates. Starting with this fact, four-component similar and dissimilar molecular weight PEC chemistries were applied and compared with and without frequency-induced dispergation. The goal was to define nanoparticulate PEC systems with desirable characteristics for use in biological systems. Results show PEC formulations from precursors with similar low molecular weights yielded dispersions with suitable physicochemical characteristics, as verified by photon correlation spectroscopy and TEM, presumably due to efficient ion pairing. Similar low molecular weight PECs fabricated with dispergation exhibited pH-independent stability, as validated by charge and size measurements. These physicochemical advantages lead to an ideal delivery platform.

Biocompatible Materials↗

PubMed2006

Effect of beta-cyclodextrin in artificial chaperones assisted foam fractionation of cellulase.

Foam fractionation has the potential to be a low-cost protein separation process; however, it may cause protein denaturation during the foaming process. In previous work with cellulase, artificial chaperones were integrated into the foam fractionation process in order to reduce the loss of enzymatic activity. In this study, other factors were introduced to further reduce the loss of cellulase activity: type of cyclodextrin, cyclodextrin concentration, dilution ratio cyclodextrin to the foamate and holding time. alpha-Cyclodextrin was almost as effective as beta-cyclodextrin in refolding the foamed cellulase-Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide mixture. beta-Cyclodextrin (6.5 mM) was almost as effective as 13 mM beta-cyclodextrin in refolding. The dilution ratio, seven parts foamate and three parts beta-cyclodextrin solution, was found to be most effective among the three ratios tested (7:3, 1:1, and 3:7). The activity after refolding at this dilution ratio is around 0.14 unit/mL. The refolding time study showed that the refolding process was found to be most effective for the short refolding times (within 1 h).

Cellulase↗

PubMed2005

Enhancing cellulase foam fractionation with addition of surfactant.

Foam fractionation cannot be used to recover cellulase from an aerated water solution effectively because cellulase by itself can produce only a small amount of foam. The addition of a surfactant can, however, increase the foamate volume and enhance the concentration of cellulase. We studied three detergents individually added to a 200 mg/L cellulase solution to promote foaming. These detergents were anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants, respectively. Although contributing to foam production, it was observed that nonionic surfactant (Pluronic F-68) barely concentrated cellulase, leaving the enrichment ratio unchanged, near 1. With anionic surfactant, sodium dedecyl sulfate, and cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), the enrichment ratio became much larger, but cellulase denaturation occurred, reducing the activity of the enzyme. When CTAB was used to help foam cellulase, beta-cyclodextrin was subsequently added to the foamate to help restore the enzyme activity.

Cellulase↗

PubMed2004

A microphysiometer for simultaneous measurement of changes in extracellular glucose, lactate, oxygen, and acidification rate.

A microphysiometer capable of measuring changes in extracellular glucose, lactate, oxygen, and acidification rate has been developed by incorporating modified electrodes into a standard Cytosensor Microphysiometer plunger. Glucose and lactate are measured indirectly at platinum electrodes by amperometric oxidation of hydrogen peroxide, which is produced from catalysis of glucose and lactate at films containing their respective entrapped oxidase. Oxygen is measured amperometrically at a platinum electrode coated with a Nafion film, while the acidification rate is measured potentiometrically by a Cytosensor Microphysiometer. Analytical information is obtained during the Cytosensor stop-flow cycles, where the electrodes measure changes in the extracellular medium corresponding to the consumption or production of the analyte by the cells. Modification of the Cytosensor plunger for multianalyte determination is described, and the operation of the technique is illustrated by the simultaneous measurement of all four analytes during the addition of fluoride and DNP to Chinese hamster ovary cells and fluoride and antimycin A to mouse fibroblast cells. Cell metabolic recovery and dynamics after exposure to agents can also be observed in specific cases.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

NanoLiterBioReactor: long-term mammalian cell culture at nanofabricated scale.

There is a need for microminiaturized cell-culture environments, i.e. NanoLiter BioReactors (NBRs), for growing and maintaining populations of up to several hundred cultured mammalian cells in volumes three orders of magnitude smaller than those contained in standard multi-well screening plates. These devices would enable the development of a new class of miniature, automated cell-based bioanalysis arrays for monitoring the immediate environment of multiple cell lines and assessing the effects of drug or toxin exposure. We fabricated NBR prototypes, each of which incorporates a culture chamber, inlet and outlet ports, and connecting microfluidic conduits. The fluidic components were molded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using soft-lithography techniques, and sealed via plasma activation against a glass slide, which served as the primary culture substrate in the NBR. The input and outlet ports were punched into the PDMS block, and enabled the supply and withdrawal of culture medium into/from the culture chamber (10-100 nL volume), as well as cell seeding. Because of the intrinsically high oxygen permeability of the PDMS material, no additional CO(2)/air supply was necessary. The developmental process for the NBR typically employed several iterations of the following steps: Conceptual design, mask generation, photolithography, soft lithography, and proof-of-concept culture assay. We have arrived at several intermediate designs. One is termed "circular NBR with a central post (CP-NBR)," another, "perfusion (grid) NBR (PG-NBR)," and a third version, "multitrap (cage) NBR (MT-NBR)," the last two providing total cell retention. Three cells lines were tested in detail: a fibroblast cell line, CHO cells, and hepatocytes. Prior to the culturing trials, extensive biocompatibility tests were performed on all materials to be employed in the NBR design. To delineate the effect of cell seeding density on cell viability and survival, we conducted separate plating experiments using standard culture protocols in well-plate dishes. In both experiments, PicoGreen assays were used to evaluate the extent of cell growth achieved in 1-5 days following the seeding. Low seeding densities resulted in the absence of cell proliferation for some cell lines because of the deficiency of cell-cell and extracellular matrix (ECM)-cell contacts. High viabilities were achieved in all designs. We conclude that an instrumented microfluidics-based NanoBioReactor (NBR) will represent a dramatic departure from the standard culture environment. The employment of NBRs for mammalian cell culture opens a new paradigm of cell biology, so far largely neglected in the literature.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Degeneration of beta-glucosidase activity in a foam fractionation process.

Foam fractionation is a promising technique for concentrating proteins because of its simplicity and low operating cost. One such protein that can be foamed is the enzyme cellulase. The use of inexpensively purified cellulase may be a key step in the economical production of ethanol from biomass. We conducted foam fractionation experiments at total reflux using the cellulase component beta-glucosidase to study how continuous shear affects beta-glucosidase in a foam such as a fermentation or foam fractionation process. The experiments were conducted at pH 2.4, 5.4, and 11.6 and airflow rates of 3, 6, 15, 20, and 32 cc/min to determine how beta-glucosidase activity changes in time at these different conditions. This is apparently a novel and simple way of testing for changes in enzyme activity within a protein foam. The activity did not degenerate during 5 min of reflux at pH 5.4 at an airflow rate of 10 cc/min. It was established that at 10 min of refluxing, the beta-glucosidase denatured more as the flow rate increased. At pH 2.4 and a flow rate of 10 cc/min, the activity remained constant for at least 15 min.

Biotechnology↗

PubMed2003

Variation of bubble size distribution in a protein foam fractionation column measured using a capillary probe with photoelectric sensors.

Bubble size is used to characterize not only bubble-specific interfacial area but also bubble coalescence in a foam column. The bubble size distributions were obtained in a continuous foam fractionation process for concentrating ovalbumin using a developed photoelectric probe. When the continuous process reached steady state, the bubble size distribution pattern remained stable. Bubble size distribution data above (+1 cm) or below (-1 cm) the bulk liquid-foam interface showed symmetry along the diameter of the column (14 cm ID). The bubble size distribution was affected by the column wall. The nearly constant protein concentration distribution across the column cross-section indicated that the bubble flow distribution approached a flat profile across the column. A log-normal bubble distribution pattern best fit the weighted range of bubbles in the column at column lengths above and below the liquid-foam interface. These observations may prove to be useful in understanding the mechanisms underlying the foam fractionation of proteins.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

The effect of pH on the foam fractionation of beta-glucosidase and cellulase.

The surface tension-pH profile of beta-glucosidase was established to determine its relationship to the corresponding profile of cellulase and to the foam fractionation of that cellulase. The goal of this work was to determine the optimal foaming points for both cellulase and cellobiase. This data may prove useful in the separation of certain components of cellulase, since the non-foaming hydrophilic beta-glucosidase does not foam as well as the hydrophobic components of cellulase at low concentrations. A key finding from these experiments was that there are two local minima in the surface tension-pH trajectory for Trichoderma reesei cellulase, as contrasted to the usual single minimum. The lower of these minimum points corresponds to the cellulase isoelectric point. The double minimum surface tension-pH profile was also observed for cellobiase alone. The optimal foaming pH for cellobiase alone was determined to be around 10.5, while for cellulase it was between 6 and 9.

Cellulase↗

PubMed2002

Water-based nanoparticulate polymeric system for protein delivery: permeability control and vaccine application.

The idea of using polymeric nanoparticles as drug carriers is receiving an increasing amount of attention both in academia and industry, Nanoparticles have a number of potential applications in protein, drug and vaccine delivery, as well as gene therapy applications. In this article, we focus on this unique drug delivery technology as a method to control the release rate of substances, not only for protein delivery but also for delivering an experimental vaccine immunogen. Nanoparticles were assembled on the basis of ionic interaction between water-soluble polymers so that the resulting particles were stable in physiologic media. Among the typical polymers used to assemble nanoparticles, different polysaccharides, natural amines, and poly-amines were investigated. The entrapped substances tested included a protein and antigens. Polydextran aldehyde was incorporated into the particle core, to enable physiologic cross-linking as a method to control permeability. This resulted in long-term retention of substances that would otherwise rapidly leak out of the nanoparticles. Results of cross-linking experiments clearly demonstrated that the release rate could be substantially reduced, depending on the degree of cross-linking. For vaccine antigen delivery tests, we measured an antibody production after subcutaneous and oral administration. The data indicated that only the cross-linked antigen was immunogenic when the oral route of administration was used. The data presented in this article address primarily the utility of nanoparticulates for oral delivery of vaccine antigen.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2002

Effect of denaturation by preheating on the foam fractionation behavior of ovalbumin.

Ovalbumin is a globular protein. When it is denatured, it can produce molecular species with different conformational states, each of which has different adsorption properties at a gas-liquid interface. Such changes in adsorption can then affect the foaming behaviors of ovalbumin. Results of semi-batch foam fractionation of both native and denatured ovalbumin aqueous solutions are reported in this paper, along with possible relationships between denaturation and foam fractionation outcomes, such as the enrichment ratio and mass recovery. Bubble size and foam stability are determined in the experiments to show the effect of denaturation on these measured parameters in this system. The relationships between the bubble size, void fraction, and ovalbumin enrichment are also reported to reflect the effect of the presence of denatured species.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2002

Maximizing the in vivo efficiency of gene transfer by means of nonviral polymeric gene delivery vehicles.

We have screened many synthetic and natural polymers for their ability to facilitate gene delivery in vivo into subcutaneous tissue. We postulated that gene delivery polymeric vehicles could control the chemical and biological stability of plasmid as well as their colloidal and surface properties, and this may lead to enhanced gene delivery in vivo. The screening was based on reporter gene (luciferase) expression using a plasmid containing the cytomegalovirus promoter. The control of charge density of resulting particles was achieved by selecting different ratios of polymer to plasmid mass as well as polymer chemistry. As opposed to in vitro observations, only polymers that lead to negatively charged particles exhibited an in vivo activity, in opposite to in vitro case. Such polymers exhibited relatively low positive charge chemistry (or neutral charge). The most potent polymeric vehicles were members of a Tetronic polymer series (synthetic polyethylene-polypropylene block copolymers; BASF, Mount Olive, NJ) or from a noncharged polyvinylpyrrolidine formulation. Plasmid dose response and time relationships were established for some polymers. Results were applied to the redesign of particles for biolistic (gene gun) plasmid gene delivery.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Effect of bubble size on foam fractionation of ovalbumin.

The bubble size distribution and void fraction (epsilong) (at two bulk liquid pool positions below the bulk liquid-foam interface and one lower foam phase position) in a continuous foam fractionation column containing ovalbumin were obtained using a photoelectric capillary probe. The bubble size and epsilong data were gathered for different operating conditions (including the changes in the superficial gas velocity and feed flow rate) at a feed solution of pH 6.5 and used to calculate the specific area, a, of the bubbles. Thus, local enrichment (ERl), values of ovalbumin could be estimated and compared with directly obtained experimental results. The ERl results were also correlated with the bubble size and epsilong to understand better the concentration mechanisms of foam fractionation. The high ERl in the lower foam phase was largely attributable to the abrupt increase in epsilong (from 0.25 to 0.75), or the a (from about 12 to 25 cm2/cm3) from the bulk liquid to the foam phase. These changes correspond with enhanced gravity drainage. With an increase in the superficial gas velocity, the bubble size increased and the a decreased in both the bulk liquid and lower foam phases, resulting in a decrease in the local experimentally determined enrichments at high superficial gas velocities. At intermediate feed flow rates, the bubble size reached the maximum. The epsilong and a, on the other hand, were the largest for the largest feed flow rate. The ERl in the lower foam phase was maximized at the lowest feed flow rate. It follows, therefore, that a alone is not sufficient to determine the magnitude of the ERl in the foam phase.

Air↗

PubMed2002

Foam fractionation of a dilute solution of bovine lactoferrin.

Lactoferrin (Lf), a protein found in human and bovine milk, tears, blood, and other secretory fluids, has been used to prevent infection from potential microbial pathogens by its ability to bind with iron (Fe3+). Currently, bovine lactoferrin can be purified from milk using ion exchange resin, which is a costly procedure making lactoferrin expensive. The purpose of this work was to investigate a low-cost foam fractionation process as the first step in separating lactoferrin from milk.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nanoparticulate system for efficient gene transfer into refractory cell targets.

A biocompatible, nanoparticulate formulation has been designed to retain, protect, and deliver adenoviral gene constructs over an extended time course. Such devices can be administered locally or systemically with low toxicity. A multipolymeric nanoparticulate system, featuring very high stability in physiologic media, was designed to allow efficient in vitro gene transfer. The efficacy of nanoparticulate delivery is effective in cell systems that are normally refractory to gene transfer, such as pancreatic islets and antigen-presenting cells. The findings suggest a nonspecific uptake system that permits adenoviral particle release within the transfected cells. A comparison with literature data revealed that our system is efficient at much lower levels (at least three orders of magnitude) of infectious viral particles.

Animals↗