In this study, a carbon fiber/vinyl ester‐polyurethane interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) laminate composite was fabricated and characterized for the first time. The IPN matrix, consisting of a commercially available vinyl ester and polyurethane, was synthesized via a sequential method with vinyl ester as the rigid phase and polyurethane as the flexible phase. Good compatibility between the two phases in the matrix was achieved and confirmed via differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The thermomechanical response of the IPN matrix was compared with that of an unmodified vinyl ester resin. The presence of the more ductile polyurethane in the IPN matrix depressed the glass transition temperature (from 94 to 84°C), but also served to improve damping response at all frequencies studied. Tensile and flexural tests were performed on the carbon fiber/IPN and carbon fiber/vinyl ester composites to determine their mechanical response. The IPN composite exhibited lower tensile properties than the vinyl ester composite. However, its flexural properties were on par with those of the vinyl ester composite.
Pathways of bulk protein degradation controlled by insulin and isoprenaline (isoproterenol) were distinguished in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Proteins were biosynthetically labelled in vitro with [3H]leucine, followed by addition of 2 mM non-radioactive leucine to competitively prevent reincorporation. Rapidly degraded proteins were eliminated during a 3 h preliminary perfusion period without insulin. One third of bulk myocardial protein degradation was inhibited by isoprenaline as described previously. An insulin concentration of 5 nM maximally inhibited proteolysis, beginning within 2 min. Inhibition reached 32% within 1.25 h and 35% after 1.5 h. The minimum effective insulin concentration was approx. 10-50 pM, which caused 10-20% inhibition. Following 3 h of perfusion without insulin, the lysosomal inhibitor, chloroquine (30 microM), inhibited 38% of bulk degradation. The 35% proteolytic inhibition caused by insulin was followed by very little further inhibition on subsequent concurrent infusion of chloroquine, i.e. the inhibitory effects of insulin and chloroquine were not additive. In contrast, prior inhibition of lysosomal proteolysis by insulin or chloroquine did not prevent the subsequent additive inhibition caused by isoprenaline. Insulin and beta-agonists additively inhibited approx. two-thirds of bulk degradation. The biguanide antihyperglycaemic agent phenformin (2 microM) inhibited 35% of bulk degradation, beginning at 2 min and reaching a near maximum at approx. 1.25-1.5 h. Following inhibition of proteolysis with phenformin (20 microM), subsequent infusion of chloroquine (30 microM) produced only a slight additional inhibition. Following inhibition of 35% of degradation by 1.5 h of perfusion with insulin (5 nM), subsequent exposure to phenformin (2 microM) produced only a slight additional inhibition which did not exceed 38% of basal proteolysis. Thus insulin and phenformin both inhibit lysosomal proteolysis; however, the adrenergic-responsive pathway is distinct.
Four distinct processes mediating protein degradation were identified in the Langendorff perfused rat heart. Hearts were biosynthetically labeled in vitro with [3H]leucine for 10 min. The subsequent release of [3H]leucine at 1.5-min intervals (2 mM nonradioactive leucine) was determined from 20 min to 8 h after labeling in rhythmically contracting hearts. Rapid turnover proteins were eliminated during the first 3 h; this degradation was not inhibited by insulin (5 nM) or isoproterenol (0.5 microM). However, the nontoxic thiol reactive agent diamide (100 microM) caused a complete inhibition of the [3H]leucine release from rapidly degraded proteins. After the elimination of rapidly degraded proteins at 3 h, the release of [3H]leucine was inhibited 35-40% by insulin (5 nM) or the lysosomal inhibitor chloroquine (30 microM), thereby defining a second vesicular process. The beta-agonist isoproterenol (0.5 microM) or the nonselective alpha-agonist naphazoline (100 microM) caused 30-35% proteolytic inhibitions, defining a third adrenergic-responsive process. The inhibitory effects of simultaneously combined insulin and chloroquine did not exceed the effect of either agent alone. However, the combined effects of insulin and isoproterenol were additive, inhibiting two-thirds of basal degradation. Beginning at 3 h after labeling a 75% proteolytic inhibition resulted from the thiol reactive agents diamide (100 microM) or N-ethylmaleimide (10 microM); the thiol protease active site inhibitor trans-epoxysuccinly-L-leucylamino-(4-quinidino)butane (50 microM) caused 65% inhibition. The 75% inhibition caused by diamide includes both the insulin-responsive and beta-adrenergic-responsive pathways. A novel fourth proteolytic process (25% of proteolysis) was thereby distinguished from the above three by its resistance to inhibition by insulin, adrenergic agonists, thiol reactive agents, or thiol protease inhibitor. Only the adrenergic-responsive process was correlated with changes in contractile rhythm or fibrillation.
The involvement of Zn2+ in the inhibitory action of insulin and phenformin on bulk proteolysis was studied in the Langendorff rat heart with a Zn(2+)-buffering perfusate (0.1 mM citrate, physiological complete amino acids and 0.2% albumin). Proteins were biosynthetically labeled in vitro for 10 min with [3H]leucine. Rapidly degraded proteins were eliminated during a 3-h preliminary degradation without insulin or added Zn2+ (2 mM nonradioactive leucine). Insulin (5 nM), the lysosomal inhibitor chloroquine (30 microM), and the biguanide antihyperglycemic agent phenformin (2 microns) each caused a sustained 35-40% inhibition of [3H]leucine release beginning within 1-2 min and reaching a maximum at 1-1.5 h. When these agents were combined, their simultaneous proteolytic inhibitory effects were not appreciably greater than the effect of chloroquine alone. Infusion of supraphysiological perfusate Zn2+ (greater than 15 microM) mimicked the inhibitory effect of insulin and chloroquine on lysosomal proteolysis. Infusion of supraphysiological Co2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, and Cr3+ (30 microM, 0.5 h) caused no change in proteolysis; however, 30 microM Cu2+ caused a slight inhibition. Presumptive chelation of the background (approximately 20 nM) Zn2+ by infusion of 3 microM CaNa2 EDTA caused no change in protein degradation over 1-2 h. The infusion of a physiological concentration of 1 or 5 microM Zn2+ (as ZnCl2) caused no change in protein degradation over 1-2 h. Biguanides are known to reversibly form a Zn2+ complex with affinity less than that of Zn2+ for EDTA. Prior infusion of 3 microM CaNa2 EDTA inactivated the proteolytic inhibitory effect of maximal (2 microM) phenformin over at least 1.25 h of concurrent infusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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