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The effect of inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-related kinases (PIKK): ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), ATM- and Rad3-related (ATR) and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) on response of HepG2 human liver cancer cells to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was investigated. PIKK inhibitors: KU55933 (5 μM), NU7026 (10 μM) or caffeine (1 and 2mM) when used as single agents or in combinations (KU55933/NU7026 and caffeine/NU7026) did not significantly influence the BaP (3 μM) cytotoxicity (MTT reduction test). BaP induced a weak proapoptotic effect which was moderately enhanced by both inhibitor combinations. HepG2 cells exposed to BaP showed a strong S-phase arrest which was considerably diminished by both inhibitor combinations. The DNA damage (comet assay) induced after continuous 24h exposure to BaP was significantly diminished by both inhibitor combinations. Weak induction of reactive oxygen species by BaP was observed, which was not modulated by the inhibitor combinations. Similarly, no modulation of the glutathione levels was observed.

Hybrid glasses prepared by sol–gel method are considered as promising candidates for corrosion protection coatings. Hybrids based on TEOS (tetraethylorthosilicate)–TEOT (tetraethylorthotitanate)–GLYMO (3-glicydoxypropyltrimethoxysilane) and TEOS–TEOT–MTMS (methyltrimethoxysilane) systems were synthesized by sol–gel method. Structure of the glasses was studied by FTIR, XPS and optical spectroscopy. It was revealed that the titanium is present in tetrahedral and octahedral coordination. High resolution SIMS technique was used to verify homogeneity of the layers.

Hybrid glasses based on tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS)–trimethoxyoctylsilane (TMOS) and TEOS–tetraethylorthotitanate (TEOT)–trimethoxyoctylsilane systems were prepared by sol–gel technique. Structure of the hybrids was studied by FTIR and XPS spectroscopy. The studies reveal that the titanium is mainly in tetrahedral coordination substituting for silica and acting as a glass former. Some part of titanium is also present in octahedral coordination. Optical properties of hybrid glasses in the visible range strongly depend on amount of organic modifier and higher transparency is observed for glasses having higher content of TMOS.

The results of structural studies of the glasses from Li2O–Bi2O3–PbO system were presented. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were applied to determine main structural unites and chemical composition of near-surface region. Glasses from the studied system are build up with lead in tetrahedral coordination and bismuth in octahedral coordination. Structural role of lithium relies on compensation of the electric charge and on separation of lead-reach and bismuth-reach regions preventing crystallization of the glasses. It was shown that the lithium is not present in near-surface regions. The thermal stability of the glasses was determined from DTA measurements. Optical properties in UV–vis region were also presented.

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is widely used to investigate the oxidation mechanism of alumina formers, being various MeCrAl (Me ¼Fe, Ni, Co) alloys and b-NiAl intermetallic compound. Frequently, it is combined with dedicated oxidation exposures, mostly in atmospheres containing different amounts of oxygen tracer ( 18 O2) in order to investigate the scale growth mechanism. However, there are several practical aspects which have to be taken into account during planning the oxidation experiments as well as during interpretation of their results in order to avoid misleading conclusions. In particular, the effects related to the formation of non-uniform scales as well as to the relationship between the exposure conditions and the scale microstructure and morphology at various stages of its growth should be dealt with. This paper discusses the implications of sputtering process with respect to elemental in-depth distribution profiling and the results of the oxidation mechanism investigation of various alumina formers by means of SIMS. It is shown that the obtained shapes of the SIMS profiles and images strongly depend on the choice of the exposure conditions and on the analysis parameters, including the spatial resolution. The exposure conditions are related to the scale microstructure and morphology, the evolution of which occurs during the oxidation process. Formation of duplex alumina scale is reported which comprises an inner more compact sub-layer and an outer ridged and less-compact sublayer.

Lithium phosphate glasses with different chemical composition have been studied using infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR) and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). FTIR and XPS spectra were analyzed to determine the main structural units present in the glass. Absorption bands were identified and assigned to appropriate bond vibrations. It has been shown that analyzed glasses are built up mainly of short chains and rings consisting of metaphosphate structural units – Q2. Some pyro- and orthophosphate units Q1 and Q0, respectively are also present. Photoelectron spectroscopy studies have revealed that titanium exists in two valence states: as Ti3+ and Ti4+. Increasing TiO2 content results in shortening of P–O bonds but leads to elongation of PO bonds in PO4 tetrahedra.

The aim of the study was to fabricate titanium (Ti) material coated with functionalized carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) that would have potential medical application in orthopaedics as an implantable electronic device. The novel biomedical material (Ti-CNTs-H2O) would possess specific set of properties, such as: electrical conductivity, non-toxicity, and ability to inhibit connective tissue cell growth and proliferation protecting the Ti-CNTs-H2O surface against covering by cells. The novel material was obtained via an electrophoretic deposition of CNTs-H2O on the Ti surface. Then, physicochemical, electrical, and biological properties were evaluated. Electrical property evaluation revealed that a Ti-CNTs-H2O material is highly conductive and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that there are mainly COOH groups on the Ti-CNTs-H2O surface that are found to inhibit cell growth. Biological properties were assessed using normal human foetal osteoblast cell line (hFOB 1.19). Conducted cytotoxicity tests and live/dead fluorescent staining demonstrated that Ti-CNTs-H2O does not exert toxic effect on hFOB cells. Moreover, fluorescence laser scanning microscope observation demonstrated that Ti-CNTs-H2O surface retards to a great extent cell proliferation. The study resulted in successful fabrication of highly conductive, non-toxic Ti-CNTs-H2O material that possesses ability to inhibit osteoblast proliferation and thus has a great potential as an orthopaedic implantable electronic device.

Isotope substitution method was used to identify the Li–O absorption bands in crystalline lithium silicates (2Li 2 O 3 ·SiO 2 , Li 2 O·SiO 2 , Li 2 O·2SiO 2 ) and selected aluminosilicates (β-eucriptite and β-spodumene). Isotopic shift was established after mathematical decomposition of the IR spectra. Absorption bands connected directly with internal, LiO 4 tetrahedron vibrations are observed in the range 460–250 cm −1 . Bending vibrations of Si–O–Li bridges give absorption bands in the range 500–600 cm −1 . The exact position of the bands and their isotopic shifts are given.

MIR spectra of lithium silicates and aluminosilicates were measured and compared with the simulated spectra. Simulation was carried out by mathematical summation of appropriate glass spectra taken in the right proportion. It was shown that the spectra obtained in this way are very similar to the measured spectra. It confirms phase inhomogeneity of studied glasses with short or even medium range of order. Structures of lithium silicate and aluminosilicate glasses consist of structural elements resulting from its composition and position in the field of primary crystallisation. The structure of these elements is very similar to their crystalline analogues with the same chemical composition, but they are much more disordered and do not have translation symmetry.

Highly reactive, low-molecular-weight diisocyanates (DIC) are the most commonly identified cause of occupational asthma (OA). Animal/clinical studies of DIC asthma have been more limited compared with atopic asthma, and an understanding of DIC pathogenesis is less clear. The aim of this study was to investigate in a mouse model, toluene diisocyanate (TDI, as 2,4-TDI isomer)-induced inflammatory reactions/cytokine profile changes in the lungs and accompanying changes in lymph node lymphocyte sub-populations. The study used female BALB/cJ/Han/IMP mice that were exposed first intra-nasally and then in an inhalation chamber to TDI or air. After the final exposure, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected and changes induced in inflammatory cell composition, levels of key cytokines (i.e. IL-4, TNFα, IFNγ), and lymphocyte sub-population profiles within auricular lymph nodes, were evaluated. Total number of cells in the BALF of treated mice was significantly higher than in control mice BALF. There was also a significant increase in BALF neutrophil and eosinophil levels with TDI mice compared to in controls; lymphocyte and macrophage numbers did not significantly differ. A significant increase in BALF levels of TNFα and IFNγ was also noted in mice exposed to TDI relative to levels in controls. BALF IL-4 levels were also increased, but the change from control was not significant. Lastly, the levels/percentages of CD3(+)CD4(+) (T-helper [TH]) lymphocytes significantly increased in the lymph nodes of TDI-exposed groups while those of the CD3(+)CD8(+) cells decreased as compared to in control mice. These studies, the first to assess TDI-induced changes in levels of three key cytokines in BALF in conjunction with changes in local lymph nodes following first an intra-nasal and then a general inhalation exposure to a low-level of TDI, confirm that TDI inhalation induces a pathology manifested by airway inflammation, TH cell-derived cytokine production, and shifts in lymph node lymphocytes sub-populations toward increases in TH cells.

The scale development on the unmodified and yttrium-implanted Fe19Cr5Al and Fe19Cr5Al0.27Y alloys at 1173 K during oxidation exposures up to 15 min was studied by means of XPS, SEM and EDX. The commercial material Kanthal APM was used as reference. A particular advantage of the XPS method relied on the possibility to distinguish between metallic and oxidized states of the elements. The scale evolution occurred in all cases via the same stages. At the beginning three-layered scales appeared, consisting of the outermost iron oxide, intermediate chromia and innermost alumina. The alumina, being thermodynamically the most stable oxide in this system, successively grew towards the scale/gas interface. Although alumina constituted the majority of scales formed during 15 min exposures, the other oxides were still present in the outermost parts of the scales. The fraction of the iron oxide and chromia in the scale was higher on the yttrium-implanted material than on the other alloys. No remarkable differences were observed regarding this fraction between the yttrium-free unimplanted and yttrium-bearing alloys. Metallic iron and chromium were found for shorter oxidation periods below their oxides. Subsequently, after 15 min exposure, the uniform distribution of the metallic iron and chromium in the scales were observed in all alloys except for the yttrium-implanted one.

The work reports the results of manufacture of carbon coatings on the surface of stainless steel. Multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used to obtain carbon coatings by electrophoretic deposition technique (EPD). Before deposition MWCNTs were purified and surface functionalised. After purification and functionalization CNTs contained oxygen functional groups on its surface. The experiments were made in two model systems, differing in the type of suspensions of carbon nanotubes used in the electrophoretic deposition process. For the preparation of the suspensions, water and isopropanol were used without any additional components. Both experiments involved the application of the same type of nanotubes, as well as identical processing parameters of EPD. The structural analysis of both types of coatings was performed using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was pointed out that the structures of the coatings are different, depending on the type of the applied suspension. The degree of the structure’s arrangement in both analysed layers is different; also the types of oxygen–carbon combinations in both coatings are essentially dissimilar.

The phase composition of the scales growing during oxidation at 1150°C on Pt-free and Pt-containing (0, 5, 10 and 15 at.%) β-NiAl intermetallic compounds were studied for exposure periods of up to 6 hours using photoluminescence spectroscopy with spatial resolution down to ca 1 mm. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the evolution of the surface morphology of the growing scales. It was found that initially unstable polymorphs of Al 2O 3 oxide (γ, δ andyor θ) developed, which subsequently transformed into α-Al 2O 3. The transformation occurred relatively early, and after 1 h oxidation essentially α-Al 2O 3 was detected on all the materials. After 15 min reaction, different regions were found in all cases, and both types of phases, transient aluminas and α-Al 2O 3 were detected. However, the rate of the phase composition depended on the region: in some regions, the transient aluminas co-existed with a-phase, while in others only transient or only α-Al 2O 3 were found. Regions composed of only α-Al 2O 3 were observed on materials containing higher amounts of Pt-additions, i.e. 10 and 15 at.%. This indicates that Pt additions accelerated the phase transformation of alumina polymorphs into α-Al 2O 3. In the early scales, comprising different regions, α-Al 2O 3 development was favoured in patches, and only this phase was always detected in ridges growing in cracks formed in patches. Conclusions are inferred concerning the scale evolution on the materials studied as well as on the effect of Pt additions.

This paper reports on the comparison of scale development on unmodified β-NiAl which contains volume and surface additions of yttrium. This reactive element was incorporated using conventional alloying (0.05 or 0.1 wt%) and ion implantation. The materials containing alloyed yttrium were also implanted with yttrium to study the combined influence of volume and surface additions. A two-stage oxidation approach was applied with the use of 18O 2 as a tracer. The reaction temperature was 1100°C and the samples were oxidised for up to 64 h. The scale growth mechanism was followed with the aid of in-depth distributions of the oxygen isotopes across the scale using secondary ion mass spectrometry, the surface morphology of the scales was observed using scanning electron microscopy, while their phase composition was determined using photoluminescence spectroscopy. Similar stages of the scale evolution were observed for the growing scales. Initially the oxide layer consisted of transient oxides, and at its surface more or less developed blade-like surface grains were observed. Subsequently, phase-transformation- related cracks and round patches appeared, and finally ridges which successively covered the outer surface of the scale and constituted the outer layer of a duplex scale developed. The mechanism of scale growth was a mixed outward and inward, and the relative contribution of both mechanisms varied depending on the analysed scale region and on the oxidation stage. The cracks and patches were regions where the transient aluminas were preferentially transformed into α-Al 2O 3. The ridges formed in cracks essentially consisted of α-Al 2O 3. For the initial stages of oxidation, the transient aluminas and α-Al 2O 3 co-existed in the scales, while subsequently the latter prevailed and finally, became the only phase found in the oxide layers. The evolution rate of the scale was affected by alloyed and implanted yttrium additions: the former exhibited minor and content-dependent effect while the latter significantly retarded it.

Doped cobalt antimonides, are used as components of thermoelectric devices at temperatures not exceeding 450 °C because of poor thermal and chemical stability. In absence of oxygen they degrade by sublimation of antimony, while in air they easily oxidize to form volatile antimony oxides and non-volatile thick double oxide scales [1]. In both cases, protective coatings are indispensable to ensure safe performance of thermoelectric devices over extended times. The most promising solution, reported so far, is a thick aerogel coating, which practically stops antimony loss by sublimation. The assessment of coating effectiveness is generally based on thermogravimetric tests in vacuum, so permeability of oxygen and protection from oxidation cannot be evaluated. The paper presents investigations on the development of protective coatings, which would prevent oxidation of CoSb3. Two types of coatings were applied: magnetron sputtered Cr-Si thin layers [2] and thick enamel layers. Testing involved interrupted oxidation in air for 20-80 h at 500 °C and 600 °C. The Cr-Si thin layers appeared oxygen-tight at 500 °C while the enamel layers - even at 600 °C.

Platinum modified Ni - Al-based alloys play an important role in the aeronautical industry as materials applied as Bond Coats (BCs) in thermal barrier coating systems (TBC), which provide protection against high temperature oxidation. Therefore, it is crucial for the assessment of the performance of the TBC to understand the oxidation behaviour of the Bond Coat material and the properties of the thermally grown oxide developing on it. This paper reports on the scale growth mechanism of Pt-modified γ′-Ni 3 Al-based alloys with and without Hf additions at the early stages of oxidation. Samples were oxidized at 1150°C for up to 50 min. The consecutive stages of the scale evolution were followed by a systematic approach using a two-stage oxidation treatment in atmospheres containing different amounts of 18O 2 oxygen isotope. The scale growth mechanism was followed with the aid of the in-depth analysis of elemental distribution, in particular of the oxygen isotopes, across the scale using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The surface morphology of the scales was observed using scanning electron microscopy, while its local phase composition was determined using photoluminescence spectroscopy. In addition, the imaging SIMS was used to generate distribution maps of the oxygen isotopes. Because of the limited lateral resolution of the SIMS technique (down to 0.5 mm) they were conclusive only for the most prolonged exposures (50 min). Typical stages of scale evolution were observed for the growing scales: initially flat layers were formed, followed by more or less developed blade-like surface grains, phase-transformation-related cracks and round patches and, finally, ridges. The latter were only found on the Hf-free material. The scale growth mechanism evolved from an initially predominant outward growth mechanism towards an increasing contribution of the inward mechanism. The relative extents of the outward and inward growth mechanisms depended strongly on the surface fraction of patches and through-scale cracks. The phase composition analyses showed that cracks and patches are regions where the transient aluminas were preferentially transformed into the α-Al 2O 3 phase which is the required protective scale. The ridges formed in cracks essentially consisted of α-Al 2O 3. For the most of studied exposure periods both types of phases: transient aluminas and α-Al 2O 3 co-existed in the scales. The results obtained indicate that: (i) phase transformations occur locally and not simultaneously in the entire scale; (ii) Hf additions retard the phase transformation; (iii) the phase transformation is completed only on Hf-free material and not after oxidation for 50 min; (iv) the two-stage oxidation approach should be carefully applied to study the growth mechanism of evolving scales in which regions of different phase compositions develop.

The glassy state of matter, in contrast to crystalline solids, is characterized by a lack of long-range order. In the structure of glasses, the bond lengths and bond angles are not fixed. As a consequence the vibrational spectra of glassy sustances exhibit various band shapes. The bands in these spectra are characterized by complex shapes and significant widths resulting in difficulties in the determination of the main spectral parameters, such as the number of bands, their positions and intensities. These difficulties limit the application of vibrational spectroscopy in the study of the structure of glasses. The main goal of the present work is to show that an appropriate procedure of decomposition of the complex bands in the spectra makes it possible to obtain important information on the structure of solid glassy substances. The procedure proposed is based on (a) minimization of the number of bands, and (b) comparison with the spectra of crystalline analogues. The number of components in a complex band and its parameters are found by analysis of the second derivative of the spectrum, using Fourier self-deconvolution as proposed by Griffiths and Pariente (Trends Anal. Chem., 5 (1986) 209). According to the procedure proposed, the spectra of the crystalline and glassy analogues of the following substances were decomposed: SiO2 (silica), K[AlSi2O6] (leucite) and Li(AlSi2O6) (spodumene). This decomposition of the complex bands in the spectra of glassy substances meant that their structures could be more readily deduced. It was shown that as well as the bands corresponding to the crystalline analogues in the spectra of glasses, there are bands responsible for characteristic features of the structure of glasses.

Objective. To compare the frequency and duration of sickness certificates issued by GPs to Polish and Norwegian working adults with acute cough/lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Design. Cross-sectional observational study with clinicians from nine primary care centres in Poland and 11 primary care centres in Norway. GPs filled out a case report form for all patients, including information on antibiotic prescribing, sickness certification, and advice to stay off work. Setting. Primary care research networks in Poland and Norway. Subjects. Working adults with a new or worsening cough or clinical presentation suggestive of LRTI. Main outcome measures. Issuing sickness certificates and advising patients to stay off work. Results. GPs recorded similar symptoms and signs in patients in the two countries. Antibiotics were prescribed more often in Polish than in Norwegian patients (70.4% vs. 27.1%, p < 0.0001). About half of the patients received a formal sickness certificate (50.5% in Norway and 52.0% in Poland). The proportion of patients advised to stay off work was significantly higher in the Polish sample compared with the Norwegian sample (75.2% vs. 56.1%, p = 0.002). Norwegian GPs less often issued sick certificates for more than seven days (5.6% vs. 36.9%, p < 0.0001). Conclusion. The overall proportion of sickness certification for acute cough/LRTI was similar in Norwegian and Polish patients. However, in the Polish sample, GPs more often advised patients to take time off work without issuing a sick note. When sickness certificates were issued, duration of longer than seven days was more common in Polish than in Norwegian patients. Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/full/10.3109/02813432.2010.544898

Objective: The 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a widespread, man-made, persistent organic pollutant with high immunotoxic potentials. It suppresses cell-mediated and humoral immune responses through mechanisms dependent on aryl-hydrocarbon receptor expression and immunosuppressive activity of the cells. Most sensitive to TCDD are organisms during fetal and infant life, mostly due to the developmental stage of many biological systems of the host, including immune system. Recent data show that T regulatory cells that have the potential to suppress immune reactions and which develop after TCDD exposure are also responsible for protection from allergy development. Our goal was to investigate if perinatal exposure to TCDD can affect allergic sensitisation and if T reg cells participate in this phenomenon. Materials and Methods: Mice, Balb/c, were perinatally exposed to TCDD or to the carrier. Six weeks old control or exposed mice were sensitised with ovalbumin. Spleen cells of the animals were used to assess the constent of T reg cells by means of flow cytometry. Levels of cytokines were assessed by ELISA technique in supernatants of the cells stimulated with anti-CD3 antibody. As a measure of sensitisation, total IgE and anti-OVA IgE were measured in serum of mice by ELISA method. To assess the function of T reg cells isolated from OVA-sensitised control or TCDD exposed animals we performed transfer studies. Results: Here we show that perinatal exposure to TCDD decreases allergic sensitisation and that this process is related to inhibition of IL-4 synthesis rather than suppression mediated by T regulatory cells. Conclusion: We hypothesise that dioxin exposure can be an important environmental modulator of immunological responses that participate in allergic reactions.

There is a growing number of contradictory reports indicating that adenosine diphosphate (ADP) can be a useful agonist in monitoring of the antiplatelet action of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in humans and animals. In the current study, we aimed to determine the conditions for using ADP to trigger platelet aggregation in order to detect ASA-mediated inhibition of rat platelet reactivity. Initially, we examined the usefulness of different ADP concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 microM) in detecting the in vitro ASA mediated platelet inhibition using whole blood aggregometry, as well as we monitored the role of ADP in generation of thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)). To study ex vivo ASA inhibitory potential on platelet aggregation induced by a range of ADP concentrations, animals were subjected to one or 10-day ASA administration at the dose of 50 mg/kg. Our experiment shows that ADP in a concentration-dependent manner induces TXA(2) generation in the whole blood with hirudin as an anticoagulant. However, in vitro and ex vivo examination of ASA inhibitory potential on platelet aggregation revealed that irrespectively of administration regimen, ASA failed to block platelet aggregation induced by ADP at the concentrations higher than 0.5 microM. Our findings suggest that the mechanism of ADP-induced platelet aggregation depends on agonist concentration. It appears that only low ADP concentrations (up to 0.5 microM) induce TXA(2)-dependent rat platelet aggregation. Therefore, ADP could be considered a useful platelet agonist for monitoring of ASA-mediated platelet inhibition only if used at much lower concentrations than those commonly employed.

The results of structural research on crystalline lithium silicates and aluminosilicates in the system Li2O−Al2O3−SiO2 are presented. Spectroscopy in the mid and far infrared was used as a main research tool. The Li-O band positions were established on the basis of isotope substitution.

Vitrification is the most effective method of hazardous waste immobilization. Toxic elements are incorporated into a glass structure. Iron alumino-phosphate glasses are presently being considered as a matrix for storage of a radioactive waste which cannot be vitrified using conventional borosilicate waste glasses. Influence of Na2SO4 as a one of components such the waste on thermal properties and crystallization ability of 60P2O5–20Fe2O3–20Al2O3 glass was studied. It was observed that Na2SO4 decreases transformation temperature and increases ΔCp. The glass characteristic temperatures, glass crystallization ability and crystallizing phases were determined. Na2SO4 increases the glass crystallization ability which could be related with ΔCp heat capacity accompanying glass transition changes. The glass internal structure rebuilding accompanying the sodium content increase is considered. The obtained results were compared with structural model previously developed for 60P2O5–40Fe2O3 glass and showed the structural similarity between these glasses.

The aim of the study was to fabricate and extensively characterize a layer of carbon nanotubes deposited on the surface of titanium, in order to prove that, by selecting proper type of carbon nanotubes and altering different parameters of the electrophoretic deposition process, we are able to obtain products having a different influence on cells—either favouring or inhibiting their survival. In the study, a novel mixture of solvents was used to suspend as-received tubes and then applied in the electrophoretic deposition. High charging capability and high yield of the obtained deposits are promising results when considering up-scaling the process. The surface of the obtained multi-walled carbon nanotubes-coated titanium samples was characterized using SEM, AFM, XPS and Raman microspectroscopy. The carbon nanotube layer showed nanorough topography and was formed of randomly and loosely distributed tubes, and XPS study revealed that there was a significant amount of C–O bonds. These properties were found to be favourable to osteoblast survival, spreading and growth.

Some reports indicate that the silver released from dermally applied products containing silver nanoparticles (AgNP) (e.g. wound dressings or cosmetics) can penetrate the skin, particularly if damaged. AgNP were also shown to have cytotoxic and genotoxic activity. In the present study percutaneous absorption of AgNP of two different nominal sizes (Ag15 nm or Ag45 nm by STEM) and surface modification, i.e. citrate or PEG stabilized nanoparticles, in combination with cosmetic ingredients, i.e. aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ), methyl paraben (MPB), or di-n-butyl phthalate (DBPH) was assessed using in vitro model based on dermatomed pig skin. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements after 24 h in receptor fluid indicated low, but detectable silver absorption and no statistically significant differences in the penetration between the 4 types of AgNP studied at 47, 470 or 750 μg/ml. Similarly, no significant differences were observed for silver penetration when the AgNP were used in combinations with AlCl 3 (500 μM), MPB (1250 μM) or DBPH (35 μM). The measured highest amount of Ag that penetrated was 0.45 ng/cm 2 (0.365–0.974 ng/cm 2 ) for PEG stabilized Ag15 nm + MPB.

Background Epidemiological studies have shown that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CAD). The aim of the study was to determine markers of increased risk of CAD and to achieve a better understanding of agents implicated in the process of atherosclerosis in CKD patients. Methods The study group consisted of a total of 139 patients with CKD while the control group comprised 45 healthy volunteers. Concentrations of osteoprotegerin, osteopontin, osteocalcin, matrix γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) protein (MGP), fetuin A, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2), ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), ATP binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) and renalase were measured by the ELISA method. Results We observed decreased levels of fetuin A (control vs. CKD group: 37.5 vs. 33.2 ng/ml, p = 0.018), and increased concentrations of osteocalcin (control vs. CKD group: 9.1 ± 6.0 vs. 13.6 ± 10.3 ng/ml, p = 0.05), MMP-2 (113.1 ± 75.0 vs. 166.0 ± 129.9 ng/ml, p = 0.045), TIMP-2 (22.1 ± 5.1 vs. 25.4 ± 7,0 ng/ml, p = 0.005) and renalase (251.0 ± 157 vs. 316.1 ± 155.3 ng/ml, p = 0.026). In patients with CKD (in comparison to control group), left ventricle ejection fraction: 53.0 ± 3,5% vs. 48.5%, p = 0.012) and calcification of the aortic valve (9.5% vs. 39.8%, p = 0.008) were observed more frequently. Conclusions Decreased levels of fetuin A and increased concentration of osteocalcin, renalase, MMP-2 and TIMP-2 suggest that these factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of CAD in patients with CKD. Significantly increased indices of cardiac hypertrophy and its dysfunction in patients with CKD are indicators of pathological mechanisms occurring in cardiovascular system in this group of patients.