Nitric Oxide and Reactive Oxygen Species in the Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) is characterized by disturbed extravillous trophoblast migration toward uterine spiral arteries leading to increased uteroplacental vascular resistance and by vascular dysfunction resulting in reduced systemic vasodilatory properties. Its pathogenesis is mediated by an altered bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) and tissue damage caused by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, superoxide (O₂⁻) rapidly inactivates NO and forms peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻). It is known that ONOO⁻ accumulates in the placental tissues and injures the placental function in PE. In addition, ROS could stimulate platelet adhesion and aggregation leading to intravascular coagulopathy. ROS-induced coagulopathy causes placental infarction and impairs the uteroplacental blood flow in PE. The disorders could lead to the reduction of oxygen and nutrients required for normal fetal development resulting in fetal growth restriction. On the other hand, several antioxidants scavenge ROS and protect tissues against oxidative damage. Placental antioxidants including catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) protect the vasculature from ROS and maintain the vascular function. However, placental ischemia in PE decreases the antioxidant activity resulting in further elevated oxidative stress, which leads to the appearance of the pathological conditions of PE including hypertension and proteinuria. Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between ROS and antioxidant activity. This review provides new insights about roles of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of PE.     

Thraustochytrid as a potential source of carotenoids

Thraustochytrids, marine protists whose dominant genera are Thraustochytrium and Schizochytrium, belong to the kingdom Chromista and are known as an industrial source of DHA. We describe here that thraustochytrid strain KH105, isolated as a DHA producer, also accumulates significant levels of β-carotene and xanthophylls including canthaxanthin and astaxanthin. A4-d cultivation using a medium composed of 10% glucose and less than 0.3% of nitrogen sources in a half-concentration of seawater gave an astaxanthin production up to 6.1 mg/L, and canthaxanthin content reached more than 10 mg/L under conditions where a higher concentration of nitrogen sources (6%) was employed. It might be advantageous in mass production systems for these carotenoids to be extracted readily by simply suspending the cells with organic solvents such as acetone and chloroform. Analyses on the morphological and life history features of the KH105 strain revealed that it belongs to the genus Schizochytrium. This particular species of thraustochytrids is thus considered to be a promising source of xanthophylls as well as DHA for use in the food industry.     

Catalytic activity and solid acidity of vanadium oxide thin layer loaded on TiO2, ZrO2, and SnO2

Vanadium oxide spread highly on TiO₂ (anatase, A) and SnO₂, and rather densely on TiO₂ (rutile, R) and ZrO₂ to make the monolayer in less than 4–5 V nm⁻². Profile of acid site of the monolayer was measured by temperature programmed desorption of ammonia, and its relation with the surface oxidation state was studied. The acid site density was high on the V₂O₅/TiO₂ (A) independent of the degree of oxidation. On the other hand, that of V₂O₅/TiO₂ (R) and V₂O₅/ZrO₂ depended on the oxidation state, and the high value of the concentration was observed on the oxidized one. The strength of acid site generated on the V₂O₅ monolayer on TiO₂ was as high as on the HZSM-5 zeolite. Turnover frequency (TOF) of propane conversion, and product selectivity were measured in propane oxidation. Among tested oxides, the V₂O₅/TiO₂ (A) showed the high TOF and selectivity to form propylene, while those loaded on TiO₂ (R) and ZrO₂ the small TOF and poor selectivity. Therefore, the reaction profile of activity and selectivity could be related with the extent of spreading and solid acidity. An idea of limit of the acid site density ca. 1.5 nm⁻² on the monolayer was elucidated.     

Interfacial shear strength of C/C composites

Fiber-bundle push-out, single-fiber push-in, and single-fiber push-out tests were conducted in order to examine the applicability of these methods for determining the interfacial shear strength of carbon-carbon composites. The fiber-bundle push-out test resulted mostly in fractures along the fiber/matrix interface but created a small amount of fractures in the matrix. Hence, the evaluated strength was regarded as an approximate value. In order to precisely evaluate the interfacial strength, push-in and push-out tests for a single fiber were performed using a micro-Vickers indentation tester. In these tests, the load has to be placed within a target fiber, and the indentation should not extend to the matrix. This condition restricted the load that could be applied to a carbon fiber. Within this limit, a single carbon fiber could not be pushed-in. For the sake of load reduction, single-fiber push-out tests were conducted using thin specimens. The thickness appropriate for a single-fiber push-out specimen was estimated based on the interfacial shear strength obtained by the bundle push-out tests. Below this thickness, single-fiber push-out tests could be successfully performed.     

Evidence for the formation of interpenetrated spherulites in poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene carbonate)/poly(l-lactic acid) blends investigated by atomic force microscopy

The spherulitic morphology in poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene carbonate)/poly(l-lactic acid) (PEC/PLLA) blends was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to obtain direct evidence for the formation of interpenetrated spherulites (IPS), where the spherulites of PEC penetrate into PLLA spherulites. The observation actually revealed that PEC crystals penetrated into interfibrillar regions of edge-on lamellae in a PLLA spherulite. The penetration process was also investigated by AFM with a temperature controller. An edge-on PLLA lamella or a fibril that ran nearly perpendicular to the growth direction of a PEC spherulite obstructed the growth of PEC spherulite. The PEC crystals filled the blocked space after growing around the PLLA lamella. These results showed that the spherulites of PEC and PLLA grow on the same layer instead of forming a layered structure of two spherulites. All the results supported the formation of IPS.     

Role of network nematicity in swelling and phase equilibria of polymer networks in nematic solvents

Swelling and phase equilibria of polymer networks in a low molecular mass liquid crystal (LC) have been investigated as a function of network nematicity. LC networks with varying nematicity were prepared by copolymerization of mixtures of mesogenic monomers and non-mesomorphic (styrene) monomers with various compositions. Molar fraction of mesogenic monomer (x) in copolymer network strongly influences the swelling behavior as well as the nematic-isotropic (N-I) transitions in both dry and swollen states. The swollen networks of sufficiently high x with strong nematicity exhibit a sharp N-I transition and simultaneously undergo a discontinuous change in gel volume, i.e. volume phase transition. Meanwhile, the swollen networks of x≤0.8 with less nematicity show a broad N-I transition, and the resulting volume change proceeds continuously over a finite temperature range. When x decreases further down to less than 0.5, the nematicity of the dry networks vanishes. The nematic ordering in the swollen copolymer networks of x<0.5 occurs at the same temperature as the N-I transition temperature of the pure nematic solvent (T_NI^S), which yields the inflection in the swelling-temperature curve. A mean field theory considering network nematicity as a variable describes the effects of x on volume phase transition such as a shift of T_NI^G and a change in the magnitude of volume transition, apart from the emergence of continuous volume transition due to the broad N-I transition. The purely isotropic network of x=0 appreciably swells in the nematic solvent. The solvent inside the gel forms the nematic phase at the temperatures below which conflicts with the classical theoretical prediction that nematic ordering of LC solvent in fully swollen isotropic network never occurs.     

Fabrication of three‐dimensionally ordered microporous membrane by wet phase separation

We report a novel porous fluorinated polyimide membrane with a cylinder structure fabricated by a wet phase inversion process, which is formed by a ternary system, polyimide/solvent/water. The porous polyimide membranes consisted of a thin top porous layer and three‐dimensionally ordered cylinder micropores. The porous membrane‐forming solvents were N‐methylpyrrolidone containing nonsolvent additives such as alcohol, and the height and width of the cylinder structure were controlled by the solvents. Water fluxes through the porous polyimide membranes were measured using a stirred dead‐end filtration cell, and the fluxes of the porous membrane with the cylinder‐type structure were approximately three times greater than those of the membrane with the finger‐type structure. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3016–3021, 2004     

Structurally Diverse Polyamines: Solid‐Phase Synthesis and Interaction with DNA

A versatile solid‐phase approach based on peptide chemistry was used to construct four classes of structurally diverse polyamines with modified backbones: linear, partially constrained, branched, and cyclic. Their effects on DNA duplex stability and structure were examined. The polyamines showed distinct activities, thus highlighting the importance of polyamine backbone structure. Interestingly, the rank order of polyamine ability for DNA compaction was different to that for their effects on circular dichroism and melting temperature, thus indicating that these polyamines have distinct effects on secondary and higher‐order structures of DNA.     

Synthesis of geranyl acetate by lipase entrap-immobilized in cellulose acetate-TiO2 gel fiber

Lipase from Candida antarctica was entrap-immobilized in cellulose acetate-TiO₂ gel fiber (fiber-immobilized lipase) by the sol-gel method. Syntheses of geranyl acetate and citronellyl acetate catalyzed by the fiber-immobilized lipase were studied in heptane solution. Conversions reached 85% for geranyl acetate after 100 h, and 75% for citronellyl acetate after 80 h, and these values were almost identical to those for syntheses catalyzed by nonimmobilized lipase, although the reaction rate was decreased by immobilization. Compared to those of the non-immobilized lipase and commercially available immobilized lipase (Novozyme 435), the activity of the fiber-immobilized lipase was not particularly affected by changes in reaction conditions, such as bulk water content or substrate concentration. The fiber-immobilized lipase retained a high level of activity after six repeated uses, and almost no enzyme leakage from fiber was observed. However, the reactivity of the fiber-immobilized lipase was depressed at higher temperature, presumably due to dehydration by thermal contraction of the gel fiber.     

Acid-dyeable acrylic fibres copolymerised with amino alkyl methacrylates for differential cross-dyeing

The equilibrium adsorption of acid dyes on acrylic fibres copolymerised with dimethyl amino ethyl methacrylate has been investigated. A typical characteristic of this type of fibre is its excellent stable dyeability over a wide pH range. This is due to the strong basicity of alkylamino groups in the copolymerised component, which makes it possible to dye the fibre thoroughly even in a weakly acidic dyebath using a normal dyeing processes of acrylic fibre with cationic dye. Consequently it is useful for differential cross-dyeing in a single dyebath.