Smoking is one of the major causes of lifestyle associated mortality and morbidity such as cancer of the oral cavity and lungs, and also cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we have provided evidences for the smoking-induced hemolysis using two methods: spectra of blood components and atomic force microscopic analysis of surface morphology. A total of 62 subjects (control = 31; smoker = 31: 21 male; 10 female in each set) were considered for the study. The findings indicate that smoking leads to potholes on the surface, swelling of shape, rupturing of erythrocytes, removal of hematoporphyrin and flushing into the plasma as metabolites of the erythrocyte. The overall morphology of the erythrocytes of the smoker group appears more like a Mexican hat. The mean surface roughness was 5.5 ± 3 nm for the smoker group, but 1.2 ± 0.2 nm for the control group. Such damages might help the toxins, (CO, peroxidants, aldehydes etc.,) to gain easy access and get strongly absorbed by the hemoglobin, leading to enhanced rates of hemolysis as shown by the spectral features of metabolites. This indicates that the average life span of the smoker’s erythrocytes is significantly less than that of the control group.

Background The increasing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics is a challenging worldwide health problem that has led to the search for new and more efficient antibacterial agents. Nanotechnology has proven to be an effective tool for the fight against bacteria. Methods In this paper, we present the synthesis and traits of trimetal (CuZnFe) oxide nanoparticles (NPs) using X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. We evaluated the antibacterial activity of these NPs against gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis and then compared it to that of their pure single-metal oxide components CuO and ZnO. Results Our study showed that the antibacterial activity of the trimetal oxide NPs was greater against E . coli than against E . faecalis . Overall, the antimicrobial effect of trimetal NPs is between those of pure ZnO and CuO nanoparticles, which may mean that their cytotoxicity is also between that of pure ZnO and CuO NPs, making them potential antibiotics. However, the cytotoxicity of trimetal NPs to mammalian cells needs to be verified. Conclusion The combination of three metal oxide NPs (ZnO, CuO, and Fe 2 O 3 ) in one multimetal (CuZnFe) oxide NPs will enhance the therapeutic strategy against a wide range of microbial infections. Bacteria are unlikely to develop resistance against this new NP because bacteria must go through a series of mutations to become resistant to the trimetal oxide NP. Therefore, this NP can combat existing and emerging bacterial infections.

(2019) Surface modification of pH-responsive poly(2-(tert-butylamino)ethyl methacrylate) brushes grafted on mesoporous silica nanoparticles,

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common metabolic disease indicated by high sugar levels in the blood over a prolonged period. When left untreated, it can lead to long-term complications, such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetic retinopathy or foot ulcers. Approximately 415 million people (about 8.3% of the world’s population) had diabetes worldwide in 2015, with 90% of the cases classified as Type 2 DM, which is caused by insulin resistance that arises mostly from being overweight and from a lack of exercise. DM affects every part of the body, including the erythrocytes. The aim of the present report is to gain insight into the damage done to the erythrocytes of patients classified with pre-diabetes and diabetes (plenty are found in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a country where young people encompass a large segment of the population). The study presents results on the morphological analysis of erythrocytes by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and molecular investigations by fluorescence spectroscopy (FS). Our results indicate significant differences (in the morphology, size, and hemolytic end products) between the erythrocytes of diabetic patients (HbA1C, glycated hemoglobin, levels of 8–10%) and normal controls. It is well-known that DM and smoking are two major contributory factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and our observations presented in this study suggest that diabetes plays a relatively less damaging role than smoking for CVD.

The effect of gamma radiation on the ultrastructure of the cell membranes of red blood cells has been probed using a powerful tool, namely, atomic force microscopy. We used mice erythrocytes as a model. Blood samples withdrawn from mice were gamma-irradiated using a 60 Co source unit with doses of 10,15,20,25 and 30 Gy. Structural changes appeared in the form of nanoscale potholes, depressions and alterations of the cell membrane roughness. The roughness of the cell membrane increased dramatically with increasing doses, although at 10 Gy, the cell membrane roughness was less than that of normal red blood cells (controls). Therefore, such modifications at the nano-scale level may affect the biophysical properties of membranes, resulting in impairment of their function.

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Force spectroscopy using the atomic force microscope (AFM) can yield important information on the strength and lifetimes of the folded states of single proteins and their complexes when they are loaded with force. For example, by mechanically unfolding concatenated proteins at different velocities, a dynamic force spectrum can be built up that allows reconstruction of the energy landscape that the protein traverses during unfolding. To characterize fully the unfolding landscape, however, it is necessary both to explore the entire force spectrum and to characterize each species populated during unfolding. In the conventional AFM apparatus, force is applied to the protein construct through a compliant cantilever. This limits the dynamic range of the force spectrum that can be probed, and the cantilever recoil after unfolding may mask the presence of metastable intermediates. Here, we describe to our knowledge a new technique-constant-deflection AFM-in which the compliance of the AFM cantilever is removed. Using this technique, we show that protein L exhibits a more complex unfolding energy landscape than previously detected using the conventional technique. This technique is also able to detect the presence of a refolding intermediate whose formation is otherwise prevented by cantilever recoil.

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