• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.46-52
• /
• 2004

In a continuation of our previous studies on blood compatibility profiles of anion-substituted poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes, in which hydroxyl groups have been replaced with carboxymethyl (C-PVA) and sulfonyl groups (S-PVA), we have studied the activation of complement components and the changes in white cell and platelet count in vitro and compared them with those of unmodified PVA, Cuprophane, and low-density polyethylene. Complement activation of fluid phase components, C3a, Bb, iC3b, and SC5b-9, and of bound phases, C3c, C3d, and SC5b-9, were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblot, respectively. The changes in the number of white cells and platelets following complement activation were counted using a Coulter counter. C-PVA and S-PVA activated C3 to a lesser extent than did PVA, which we attribute to the diminished level of surface nucleophiles of the samples. In addition, C- and S-PVA exhibit increased inhibition of Bb production, resulting in a decrease in the extent of C5 activation. Consequently, because of the reduced activation of C3 and C5, C- and S-PVA samples cause marked decreases in the SC5b-9 levels in plasma. We also found that the negatively charged sulfonate and carboxylate groups of the samples cause a greater extent of adsorbtion of the positively charged anaphylatoxins, C3a and C5a, because of strong electrostatic attraction, which in turn provides an inhibition of chemotaxis and activation of leukocytes. The ability to inhibit complement production, together with the binding ability of anaphylatoxins of the C- and S-PVA samples, leads to a prominent decrease in lysis of leukocytes as well as activation of platelets.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.743-748
• /
• 2013

The temperature dependence of the partition coefficients of a neuropeptide, substance P (SP), in isotropic acidic bicelles was investigated by using a pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance diffusion technique. The addition of negatively charged dimyristoylphosphatidylserine to the neutral bicelle changed the SP partitioning a little, which implies that the hydrophobic interaction between the hydrophobic residues of SP and the acyl chains of lipid molecules is the major interaction while the electrostatic interaction is minor in SP binding in a lipid membrane. From the temperature dependence of the partition coefficients, thermodynamic functions were calculated. The partitioning of SP into the acidic bicelles is enthalpy-driven, as it is for small unilamellar vesicles and dodecylphosphocholine micelles, while peptide partitioning into a large unilamellar vesicle is entropy-driven. This may mean that the size of lipid membranes is a more important factor for peptide binding than the surface curvature and surface charge density.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.360-366
• /
• 1996

Electrodialysis of acetic acid was studied to find out the trend of the transport of organic acids through ultrafiltration and ion exchange membranes. The net transport rate of acetic acid was determined from the electro-migration velocity relative to the electro-osmotic flow rate through the membrane. Electro-osmosis flows through ultrafiltration membranes were from the anodic side to the cathodic side in the presence of electric field. The surface of ultrafiltration membrane was measured by the electro-osmotic flow to be charged negatively. Different transport behaviors of acetic acid were found with the ultrafiltration membranes of different materials. In general, regenerated cellulose membranes (YM series) were more effective than polysulfone membranes (PM series) for the transport of acetic acid. The transport of acetic acid was affected by electric strength, distance between the electrodes, surface area of electrode, temperature, and pore size of membrane. The transport rate through the ion exchange membrane was 1.5 to 3 times of those through the ultrafiltration membranes at the constant current of 150 mA in the experimental ranges. The transport rate of acetic acid through the ion exchange membrane increased by 10% with a pulse electric field of 10 sec/hr.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.137-145
• /
• 2011

Membrane processes are major breakthrough for the removal of organic pollutants in water remediation. The separations of solutes depend on nature of the membranes and solutes. The separation performance depends on the nature of the solutes (i.e., molecular volume, polarity, and hydrophobicity) for the same membrane. As 4-chlorophenol is of more dipolemoment compared to 2-chlorophenol, the orientation of the molecule enables it pass through the pores of the membrane, which is of negatively charged and thus separation order follows: 2-chlorophenol > 4-chlorophenol. Hydrophobicity factor also supports the order. Addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to chlorophenol solution shows remarkable increase in separation performance of the membrane. The improvement in separation is 1.8 and 1.5 times for 4- and 2- chlorophenol consecutively in case of 0.0082 M SDS (1cmc = 0.0082 M) in the solution. 4-chlorophenol has better attachment tendency with SDS because of its relatively more hydrophobic nature and thus reflects in performance i.e. the separation performance of 4-chlorophenol with SDS through the membrane is better compared to 2-chlorophenol.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.271-275
• /
• 2019

Anodic $TiO_2$ nanotubes were simultaneously grown and doped with $RuO_2$ by single-step anodization in a negatively-charged $RuO_4{^-}$ precursor. Subsequently, a high positive voltage was imposed on the nanotubes in an $F^-$-based electrolyte (a process referred to as potential shock), which led to the formation of a through-hole $RuO_2$-doped $TiO_2$ nanotube membrane without significant loss of the $RuO_2$ catalyst. XPS results confirmed that the doped Ru metal was converted into $RuO_2$ as the potential shock voltage increased. Further increases in the potential shock voltage led to the formation of $RuO_x/Ru$ in the $TiO_2$ nanotubes. All of our results clearly showed that a through-hole catalyst-doped $TiO_2$ nanotube membrane can be produced by a sequence consisting of single-step anodization and the potential shock process.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.282-287
• /
• 2013

Cecropin A and papiliocin are novel 37-residue cecropin-like antimicrobial peptides isolated from insect. We have confirmed that papiliocin possess high bacterial cell selectivity and has an ${\alpha}$-helical structure from $Lys^3$ to $Lys^{21}$ and from $Ala^{25}$ to $Val^{35}$, linked by a hinge region. In this study, we demonstrated that both peptides showed high antimicrobial activities against multi-drug resistant Gram negative bacteria as well as fungi. Interactions between these cecropin-like peptides and phospholipid membrane were studied using CD, dye leakage experiments, and NMR experiments, showing that both peptides have strong permeabilizing activities against bacterial cell membranes and fungal membranes as well as $Trp^2$ and $Phe^5$ at the N-terminal helix play an important role in attracting cecropin-like peptides to the negatively charged bacterial cell membrane. Cecropin-like peptides can be potent peptide antibiotics against multi-drug resistant Gram negative bacteria and fungi.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.14-21
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study was to inhibit biofouling on a selectively permeable membrane (SPM) and increase biomass productivity in marine photobioreactors (PBRs) for microalgal cultivation by chemical treatment. Surfaces of a SPM, composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), was sulfonated to decrease hydrophobicity through attaching negatively charged sulfonic groups. Reaction time of sulfonation was varied from 0 min to 60 min. As the reaction time increased, the water contact angle value of SPM surface was decreased from $75.5^{\circ}$ to $44.5^{\circ}$, indicating decrease of surface hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the water permeability of sulfonated SPM was increased from $5.42mL/m^2/s$ to $10.58mL/m^2/s$, which reflects higher nutrients transfer rates through the membranes, due to decreased hydrophobicity. When cultivating Tetraselmis sp. using 100-mL floating PBRs with sulfonated SPMs, biomass productivity was improved by 34% compared with the control group (non-reacted SPMs). In addition, scanning electron microscopic observation of SPMs used for cultivation clearly revealed lower degree of cell attachment on the sulfonated SPMs. These results suggest that sulfornation of a PET SPM could improve microalgal biomass productivity by increasing nutrients transfer rates and inhibiting biofouling by algal cells.