A Temperature-sensitive Hydrogel Refolding System: Preparation of Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) and Its Application in Lysozyme Refolding

Temperature-sensitive hydrogel—poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPA) was prepared and applied to protein refolding. PNIPA gel disks and gel particles were synthesized by the solution polymerization and inverse suspension polymerization respectively. The swelling kinetics of the gels was also studied. With these prepared PNIPA gels, the model protein lysozyme was renatured. Within 24h, PNIPA gel disks improved the yield of lysozyme activity by 49.3% from 3375.2U·mg^-1 to 5038.8U·mg^-1. With the addition of faster response PNIPA gel beads, the total lysozyme activity recovery was about 68.98% in 3h, as compared with 42.03% by simple batch dilution. The novel refolding system with PNIPA enables efficient refolding especially at high protein concentrations. Discussion about the mechanism revealed that when PNIPA gels were added into the refolding buffer, the hydrophobic interactions between denatured proteins and polymer gels could prevent the aggregation of refolding intermediates, thus enhanced the protein renaturation.

POLY(N-ISOPROPYL ACRYLAMIDE) MICROGEL DOPED WITH LUMINESCENT PBS QUANTUM DOTS

Thiol-stabilized PbS quantum dots (QDs) with dimensions 3-5 nm capped with a mixture of 1-thioglycerol/dithioglycerol (TGL/DTG) were colloidally prepared at room temperature. Room temperature photoluminescence quantum efficiency of freshly prepared PbS QDs (7%-11%) remained higher than 5% upon aging for three weeks when the nanocrystals (NCs) were stored in an ice-bath in the dark, and higher than 5% for at least five weeks when extra DTG ligands were introduced into the nanocrystal solution followed by stirring every two weeks. Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels were produced via precipitation polymerization with dimensions of ca. 230 nm and polydispersity of 3-5%. Incorporation of PbS QDs into PNIPAM microgels indicated that PbS can be incorporated into the interior of microgel particles and not at the microgel interface. The combination of reasonable room temperature quantum efficiency and strong, efficient luminescence covering the 1.3-1.55 μm telecommunication window makes these nanoparticles promising materials in optical devices and telecommunications.

Protective mechanism of quercetin compounds against acrylamide-induced hepatotoxicity

Quercetin compounds have antioxidant,anti-inflammatory and anticancer pharmacological functions.Longterm exposure to acrylamide(AA)can cause liver injury and endanger human health.However,whether quercetin compounds can attenuate AA-induced liver injury and the specific mechanism are not clear.Here,we studied the mechanism and structure-activity relationship of quercetin compounds in reducing AA-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo and in vitro.In vivo studies found that quercetin-like compounds protect against AAinduced liver injury by reducing oxidative stress levels,activating the Akt/m TOR signaling pathway to attenuate autophagy,and improving mitochondrial apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis.In vitro studies found that quercetin compounds protected Hep G2 cells from AA by attenuating the activation of AA-induced autophagy,lowering reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels by exerting antioxidant effects and thus attenuating oxidative stress,increasing mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP),and improving apoptosis-related proteins,thus attenuating AA-induced apoptosis.Furthermore,the conformational differences between quercetin compounds correlated with their protective capacity against AA-induced hepatotoxicity,with quercetin showing the best protective capacity due to its strongest antioxidant activity.In conclusion,quercetin compounds can protect against AA-induced liver injury through multiple pathways of oxidative stress,autophagy and apoptosis,and their protective capacity correlates with antioxidant activity.

A Polyvinyl Alcohol/Acrylamide Hydrogel with Enhanced Mechanical Properties Promotes Full-Thickness Skin Defect Healing by Regulating Immunomodulation and Angiogenesis Through Paracrine Secretion

Hydrogel-based tissue-engineered skin has attracted increased attention due to its potential to restore the structural integrity and functionality of skin.However,the mechanical properties of hydrogel scaffolds and natural skin are substantially different.Here,we developed a polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)/acrylamide based interpenetrating network(IPN)hydrogel that was surface modified with polydopamine(PDA)and termed Dopa-gel.The Dopa-gel exhibited mechanical properties similar to native skin tissue and a superior ability to modulate paracrine functions.Furthermore,a tough scaffold with tensile resistance was fabricated using this hydrogel by three-dimensional printing.The results showed that the interpenetration of PVA,alginate,and polyacrylamide networks notably enhanced the mechanical properties of the hydrogel.Surface modification with PDA endowed the hydrogels with increased secretion of immunomodulatory and proangiogenic factors.In an in vivo model,Dopa-gel treatment accelerated wound closure,increased vascularization,and promoted a shift in macrophages from a proinflammatory M1 phenotype to a prohealing and anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype within the wound area.Mechanistically,the focal adhesion kinase(FAK)/extracellular signal-related kinase(ERK)signaling pathway may mediate the promotion of skin defect healing by increasing paracrine secretion via the Dopa-gel.Additionally,proangiogenic factors can be induced through Rho-associated kinase-2(ROCK-2)/vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)-mediated paracrine secretion under tensile stress conditions.Taken together,these findings suggest that the multifunctional Dopa-gel,which has good mechanical properties similar to those of native skin tissue and enhanced immunomodulatory and angiogenic properties,is a promising scaffold for skin tissue regeneration.

Procyanidin A_1 and its digestive products alleviate acrylamide-induced IPEC-J2 cell damage through regulating Keap1/Nrf2 pathway

Our previous study has revealed that procyanidin A_(1)(A_(1))and its simulated digestive product(D-A,)can alleviate acrylamide(ACR)-induced intestine cell damage.However,the underlying mechanism remains unknown.In this study,we elucidated the molecular mechanism for and D-A_(1) to alleviate ACR-stimulated IPEC-J2 cell damage.ACR slightly activated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)signaling and its target genes,but this activation could not reduce intestine cell damage.A_(1) and D-A_(1) could alleviate ACR-induced cell damage,but the effect was abrogated in cells transiently transfected with Nrf2 small interfering RNA(siRNA).Further investigation confirmed that A_(1) and D-A_(1) interacted with Ketch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keapl),which boosted the stabilization of Nrf2,subsequently promoted the translocation of Nrf2 into the nucleus,and further increased the expression of antioxidant proteins,thereby inhibiting glutathione(GSH)consumption,maintaining redox balance and eventually alleviating ACR-induced cell damage.Importantly,there was no difference between A_(1) and D-A_(1) treated groups,indicating that A_(1) can tolerate gastrointestinal digestion and may be a potential compound to limit the toxicity of ACR.

ZnO Incorporated Acrylamide Grafted Chitosan Based Composite Film for Advanced Wound Healing Applications

This study was carried out to prepare ZnO nanoparticles incorporated acrylamide grafted chitosan composite film for possible biomedical application especially drug loading in wound healing. ZnO nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation method from zinc acetate di-hydrate and incorporated in acrylamide grafted chitosan. FT-IR and TGA of the prepared composite film confirmed the successful incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles in the acrylamide-grafted polymer matrix. SEM images showed that the ZnO nanoparticles were homogeneously distributed on the porous matrix of the composite film. Water uptake and buffer uptake analysis revealed that the composite film could hold water and buffer sufficiently, which facilitated the absorption of exudate from the wound site. Amoxicillin was loaded in the prepared composite film and the maximum loading efficiency was found to be 67.33% with drug concentration of 300 ppm. In vitro studies showed greater antimicrobial activity of drug-loaded composite film compared to both pure film and standard antibiotic disc. Finally, the In vivo mouse model showed maximum healing efficiency compared to conventional gauge bandages because the loading of antibiotic in the film produced a synergistic effect and healing time was reduced.

Studies on LCST of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid-co-N-diacetone acrylamide)

Linear copolymers from N-isopropylacrylamide （NIPA）, acrylic acid （AA） and diacetone acrylamide （DAA） have been prepared. The effect of composition, ionic strength and pH on their lower critical solution temperature （LCST） has been investigated.

Molecular chain properties of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)

A series of poly（ N-isopropyl acrylamide） （PNIPAM） samples with molecular weight ranging from 2.23×104 to 130×104 and molecular weight distribution Mw/Mn≤1.28 were obtained by free radical polymerization and repeat precipitation fractionation. The molecular weight Mw, second virial coefficient A2 as well as the mean-square-root radius of gyration 〈S2〉 for PNIPAM samples in tetrahydrofuran （THF） were determined by light scattering, and the relations were estimated at A2 ∞ Mw0.25) and 〈S2〉1/2=1.56×10-9 Mw0.56. The intrinsic viscosity for THF solution and methanol solution of PNIPAM samples was measured and the Mark-Houwink equations were obtained as [η]=6.90×10-5 M0/73 （THF solution） and [η]=1.07×10-4 M0.71 （methanol solution）. The above results indicate that both THF and methanol are good solvents for PNIPAM. The limit characteristic ratio C∞ for PNIPAM in the two solutions was determined to be 10.6 by using Kurata-Stockmayer equation, indicating that the

Thermal reversible gelation during phase separation of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)/water solution

By dynamic viscoelastic measurement for PNIPAM/water solution it has been found that below the phase separation temperature (about 32 ℃), the system is homogeneous fluid; while upon being heated to about 32 ℃, the solution undergoes phase separation and the storage modulus G’ increases sharply and exceeds the loss modulus G', indicating the physical network formation during the phase separation. Based on the percolation model, the gel points Tgel, were obtained by applying the dynamic scaling theory (DST) and winter’s criterion. The critical exponent n was also obtained to be 0.79 through DST, which is different from 0.67, the critical point of chemically crosslinked network predicted through DST. The obtained n value reflects the special property of physical network being different from chemical network.

Melatonin alleviates oxidative stress,inflammation,apoptosis,and DNA damage in acrylamide-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Objective:To investigate the effects of melatonin on renal inflammation,oxidative stress,apoptosis,as well as DNA and tissue damage in acrylamide-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.Methods:Fifty male rats were randomly divided into five groups.The control group received distilled water by gastric lavage for 11days and the acrylamide group was administered acrylamide(50 mg/kg,i.g.)for 11 days.The MEL10+ACR and MEL20+ACR groups received intraperitoneal melatonin 10 and 20 mg/kg,respectively,for 11 days,and acrylamide(50 mg/kg,i.g.)was administered 1h after melatonin injection.The MEL20 group was injected with melatonin(20 mg/kg)for 11 days.Kidney function tests were performed and biochemical and inflammatory parameters were determined.In addition,histopathological,immunohistochemical,and immunofluorescence examinations were carried out.Results:Melatonin significantly abated acrylamide-induced rise in serum urea and creatinine levels.Acrylamide caused oxidative stress,inflammation,apoptosis,as well as DNA and tissue damage in the kidneys.Melatonin treatment alleviated acrylamide-induced renal damage by exhibiting antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,and antiapoptotic effects.Moreover,melatonin significantly ameliorated acrylamide-caused histopathological changes in kidney tissue.Conclusions:Melatonin attenuates acrylamide-induced renal oxidative stress,inflammation,apoptosis,and DNA damage in rats.

Thermo- and pH-Responsive Hydrogels Based on N-Isopropylacrylamide and Allylamine Copolymers

The thermo- and pH-responsive hydrogels were synthesized via copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide and al-lylamine hydrochloride monomers. The equilibrium swelling of the hydrogels was studied as a function of temperature and pH in aqueous solutions. It was shown that controlled alteration of the hydrogel phase transition temperature can be achieved by changing their composition and pH of the environment. Increase in content of hydrophilic allylamine from 10 to 60 wt% in monomer mixture causes a shift of the phase transition temperature from 35oC to 47oC. Hydrogels with N-isopropylacrylamide/allylamine hydrochloride mass ratio of 3:2 show the highest pH-response. Values of average molecular weight between polymer cross-links, , and Flory parameter, χ, were calculated using temperature dependences of the equilibrium swelling of the synthesized hydrogel.

Synthesis and Properties of Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) and Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) Hydrogels

The thermosensitive poly （ N-isopropylacrylamide ） （PNIPAAm） and poly （N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide） [ poly （NIPAAm-co-AAm） ] hydrogels with different acrylamide molar percentage are prepared by radiation polymerization using Co^60 γ-ray. Their swelling equilibrium data in the media of deionized water, NaCl aqueous solutions and different pH buffer solutions are determined. It appears that lower critical solution temperature （LCST） of the hydrogels will drop with the increase of ionic strength and increase with the rising of acrylamide content, A semi-empirical formula is set up with the experimental results. Moreover, it also indicates that this copolymer is pH-sensitive, which is similar to the homopolymer of PNIPAAm.

Synthesis and Flocculation Property of Chitosan-Acrylamide Graft Copolymer

Chitosan, as a kind of natural polymer, has many advantages, such as abundant sources, biological degradation, no secondary contamination and facile modification. In this work, we prepared modified chitosan flocculants with double electrical behavior via polymerizing chitosan, acrylamide and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose together by using ammonium persulfate as the indicator in water. The product is a comb-type of chitosan copolymer and a polymeric ampholyte. And then we studied the product by FTIR, UV-Vis, TG, DSC spectrometeries and viscometry, etc. We also performed CACM′s water treat experiment. The effects of pH values, reaction time and dose of the new floccalant on treating various of waste water have been investigated, too.

Dietary Exposure of the Chinese Population to Acrylamide

Objective To assess the current status of the acrylamide in the Chinese food supply, the dietary acrylamide exposure in the Chinese population and to estimate the public health risks of the current consumption. Methods The acrylamide content in the total diet study （TDS） food samples was analyzed using an LC-MS/MS method. Based on the analytical results, the dietary exposure calculations were performed using a deterministic method, combining mean acrylamide concentrations from the food group composite with their associated food consumptions. Results Acrylamide was detected in 43.7% of all samples collected and acrylamide concentration varied from ND to 526.6 I^g/kg. The estimated dietary intakes of acrylamide among Chinese general population given as the mean and the 95th percentile （P95） were 0.286 and 0.490 iJg.kg1 bw.day1, respectively. The margins of exposure （MOEs） for the population calculated using both benchmark dose lower confidence limit for a 10% extra risk of tumors in animals （BMDL10） 0.31 and 0.18 i^g.k8-1 bw-dayz, were 1069 and 621 for the mean dietary exposure, and 633 and 367 for the high dietary exposure respectively. Conclusion These MOE values might indicate a human health concern on acrylamide for Chinese population. Efforts should continue to reduce acrylamide levels in food in order to reduce the dietary risks to the human health.

SWELLING BEHAVIOR OF ACRYLAMIDE HYDROGEL IN DIFFERENT SOLVENTS AND pHs

Swelling property of acrylamide hydrogels,prepared from aqueous solutions of acrylamide monomer havingconcentrations in the range of 10-60 wt% by ray irradiation method using a Co-60 gamma radiation source at dosesranging 1-30.0 kGy,has been investigated under various swelling media.These swelling media were basically solvents(solutions),produced by dissolving methanol,ethanol,glucose,sucrose,sodium chloride and sodium persulfate individuallywith distilled water,and solutions prepared with pHs=3,7 and 10.The investigation was performed in order to observe theeffect of these solvents and pHs as well as the influence of monomer concentrations,radiation doses and times on swellingbehavior of hydrogels.Swelling values were found higher for hydrogels prepared with lower monomer concentrations(ca.20 wt%)and radiation doses(ca.5 kGy)and showed a leveling off tendency within 24 h.The glucose solvent and the buffersolution of pH=10 revealed significant increase of swelling of hydrogels as compared to other solutions.Results areexplained based on crosslinking density in hydrogel,polymer-solvent/polymer-polymer interactions in solutions,permeability of molecules in solutions and ionization capacity of hydrogel in pH.

Immunotoxicity of Acrylamide in Female BALB/c Mice

Objective To investigate the immunotoxicity of acrylamide （ACR） in female BALB/c mice.Methods A total of 200 female mice weighing 18-22 g were randomly divided into four clusters based on body weight, and each weight-based cluster included five groups （10 mice per group）： negative control, positive control （cyclophosphamide）, low, intermediate, and high dose ACR groups, and all the groups were administered ACR by gavage for 30 days. At the end of the study, the immunotoxicological effects of the ACR were evaluated through immunopathology, humoral immunity, cellular immunity, and non-specific immunity. Results The terminal body weight, spleen and thymus weights, lymphocyte counts in the ACR-H group were decreased, pathological changes were observed in lymph glands, thymus and spleen. %T cells in blood lymphocytes were significantly increased in all ACR-treated groups, and a significant reduction of % natural killer（NK） cells and increase of %Th cells were observed in the ACR-H group. interleukin-6（IL-6）, Concanavalin A（ConA）-induced splenocyte proliferation and serum half hemolysis value （HCso） were also significantly suppressed in the ACR-H group. Conclusion ACR elicited an inhibitory effect on cellular and humoral immunity of mice after 30 day feeding.

PHOTO-INDUCED GRAFT POLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLAMIDE ON POLYPROPYLENE MEMBRANE SURFACE IN THE PRESENCE OF DIBENZYL TRITHIOCARBONATE

Ultraviolet （UV）-induced graft polymerization of acrylamide （AAm） on polypropylene substrates was successfully conducted using dibenzyl trithiocarbonate （DBTTC） as photoinitiator. It was confirmed by chemical analysis and surface morphology observation with attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. A possible mechanism for this graft process was presented, which suggested that, under UV irradiation, the C： S bond in DBTTC could split and abstract a hydrogen from the polypropylene surface and a surface free radical was then formed, and initiated the graft polymerization of AAm.

Determination of Residual Acrylamide in Medical Polyacrylamide Hydrogel by High Performance Liquid Chromatography tandem Mass Spectroscopy

Objective To determine residual acrylamide in medical polyacrylamide hydrogel by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy （HPLC-MS）. Methods After 13C3 labeled acrylamide was added, the sample was extracted with water and then cleaned up with ExtrelutTM 20. The polyacrylamide hydrogel sample and 20 clinical cases were analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS and isotope dilution quantifying technique in selected reaction monitoring （SRM） mode. Results Acrylamide was separated from polyacrylamide hydrogel. The concentration of acrylamide in polyacrylamide hydrogel ranged from 3.9×10^-9 to 3.1×10^- 8g/L in the 20 clinical cases. The peak area was favorable linear and the range was up to 3 000 μg/L. The recovery rate was 103.1% with a relative standard deviation （RSD） of 6.20%, when the mark level was 50 lag/L. Conelusion HPLC-MS is a rapid, accurate, and sensitive method for the determination of residual acrylamide in medical polyacrylamide hydrogel.

Extract of Ginkgo biloba promotes neuronal regeneration in the hippocampus after exposure to acrylamide

Previous studies have demonstrated a neuroprotective effect of extract of Ginkgo biloba against neuronal damage, but have mainly focused on antioxidation of extract of Ginkgo biloba. To date, limited studies have determined whether extrasct of Ginkgo biloba has a protective effect on neuronal damage. In the present study, acrylamide and 30, 60, and 120 mg/kg extract of Ginkgo biloba were administered for 4 weeks by gavage to establish mouse models. Our results showed that 30, 60, and 120 mg/kg extract of Ginkgo biloba effectively alleviated the abnormal gait of poisoned mice, and up-regulated protein expression levels of doublecortin（DCX）, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and growth associated protein-43（GAP-43） in the hippocampus. Simultaneously, DCX-and GAP-43-immunoreactive cells increased. These findings suggest that extract of Ginkgo biloba can mitigate neurotoxicity induced by acrylamide, and thereby promote neuronal regeneration in the hippocampus of acrylamide-treated mice.

Research on the Graft Copolymerization of EH-lignin with acrylamide

Lignin isolated from enzymatic hydrolyzed corn-stalks (EH-lignin) is a renewable natural polymer noted for its versatility and applicability in a vari-ety of uses. Graft copolymerization of EH-lignin with acrylamide (AM) and the application of this copolymer as a flocculant in dye wastewater treatment were studied in this article. The influ-ences of some factors on yield of copolymer and the grafting ratio were investigated and the structure of EH-lignin/AM graft copolymer was characterized by FT-IR. According to the yield and the grafting ratio, the optimum conditions for graft copolymerization were as follows: initiator K2S2O8-Na2S2O3 with a quantity 3 wt% of EH-lignin, mass ratio of AM to EH-lignin was 2~3, reaction time 4h and temperature at 50℃. It was found that the absorption capacity of graft copolymer to two azo-dyes was enhanced with the increase of grafting ratio. Furthermore, the residue concen-tration of EH-lignin/AM graft copolymer remained in the supernatant after flocculation was much lower than that of pure EH-lignin.