To determine the efficacy of the consumption of cranberry juice versus placebo with regard to the presence of in vitro bacterial anti-adherence activity in the urine of healthy volunteers. Twenty healthy volunteers, 10 men and 10 women, were included. The study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, and cross-over study. In addition to normal diet, each volunteer received at dinner a single dose of 750 ml of a total drink composed of: (1) 250 ml of the placebo and 500 ml of mineral water, or (2) 750 ml of the placebo, or (3) 250 ml of the cranberry juice and 500 ml of mineral water, or (4) 750 ml of the cranberry juice. Each volunteer took the four regimens successively in a randomly order, with a washout period of at least 6 days between every change in regimen. The first urine of the morning following cranberry or placebo consumption was collected and used to support bacterial growth. Six uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains (all expressing type 1 pili; three positive for the gene marker for P-fimbriae papC and three negative for papC), previously isolated from patients with symptomatic urinary tract infections, were grown in urine samples and tested for their ability to adhere to the T24 bladder cell line in vitro. There were no significant differences in the pH or specific gravity between the urine samples collected after cranberry or placebo consumption. We observed a dose dependent significant decrease in bacterial adherence associated with cranberry consumption. Adherence inhibition was observed independently from the presence of genes encoding type P pili and antibiotic resistance phenotypes. Cranberry juice consumption provides significant anti-adherence activity against different E. coli uropathogenic strains in the urine compared with placebo.

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Electroactive, elastomeric, microfiber mats that show controllable pore size variation upon electrochemical stimulation are produced from semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (s-IPNs). This type of porous, elastomeric scaffolds that are mechanically dynamic under electrochemical stimuli could find new applications in stretchable electronics, (bio)filtration, soft robotics and stimulation of biological cells.These microfiber mats are prepared in two simple steps. Firstly, a mixture of high molecular weight nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and cross-linking agent, poly(ethylene glycol)dimethylacrylate are electrospun with in situ cross-linking. Secondly, a conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is embedded into the electrospun fibres by oxidative chemical polymerization of EDOT-swollen microfiber mats. This two-step process affords robust, highly flexible and conductive s-IPN microfiber mats. The microfiber mat undergoes a controllable pore size variation upon applying an electrochemical stimulus in the form of a reduction-oxidation cycle to the mats in an electrolyte. The maximum average pore size variation, measured in situ using confocal microscopy, is 25%, achieved in 1 M lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonimide (LiTFSI) in propylene carbonate (PC) for a potential step between +0.6 V and À0.5 V (vs. Ag wire). These mats also show pore size variation in a biologically compatible solution, phosphate buffered saline. † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Video showing pore size variation in 1 M LiTFSI PC solution, properties and compositions of nonelectrospun films, SEM and EDX of electrospun microfibers and PEDOT embedded fibres respectively, and confocal microscopy and pore size variation data for microfiber mats in PBS solution. See

The expansion of solid tumours is critically dependent on vascular networks resulting from angiogenesis that provide nutrients to support tumour growth. 1 In this tumoural angiogenic context, the provisionally endothelium extracellular matrix (ECM) of new capillary provide a permissive microenvironment enabling tumour cell anchorage and subsequent invasion. 1 In order for a tumour to grow and metastasise, neoplastic and endothelial cells must remodel ECM, migrate and invade into the surrounding tissues. 2 Thus, concerted and controlled expression of cell adhesion molecules and proteolytic enzymes seems to be required to promote tumour migration especially into endothelial environment.Cell adhesion to ECM is mainly mediated by integrins, a transmembrane receptors family, composed of 18 ␣ and 8 ␤ chains that combine to give 24 heterodimeric glycoproteins with distinct cellular and adhesive specificities. 2 Among them, ␣v integrins are receptors for a wide variety of ECM proteins including fibronectin (Fn) and vitronectin (Vn) and appear to be pivotal in tumour behaviour. Indeed, ␣v␤3 is strongly involved in tumour growth and invasion such as melanoma and breast cancer, 3,4 while engagement of this adhesive receptor during melanoma transendothelial migration has been recently reported. 5 Integrins are also involved in regulating activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a family of zinc and calcium dependent enzymes. 2,6 MMPs mediate invasive properties of most malignant cells and promote angiogenesis through their ability to degrade basement membranes and to remodel ECM architecture. 6 -8 In particular, increasing expression of MMP2 by cancer cells is generally correlated with a poor prognosis. 7,8 Recent reports also showed that angiogenesis and corresponding tumour growth are reduced in MMP2 knock-out mice suggesting that MMP2 is a key player in neoangiogenesis. 7 MMP2 is secreted as an inactive zymogen that can be activated by MT1-MMP, a membrane bound MMPs, reported to be over expressed in several malignant tumour tissues. [7][8][9] Recent studies demonstrated that MMP2 activating complex also includes ␣v␤3 integrin. 9 Thus, MMP2-MT1MMP and ␣v␤3 integrin are functionally linked to activate MMP2, thereby localising its proteolytic activity to the invasive front of tumour cells 10 and to promote cancer cell locomotion. 9 Ovarian carcinoma, which arise from the malignant transformation of ovarian surface epithelium cells, 11 are associated with a poor prognosis and are diagnosed at advanced stages. Ovarian carcinoma are highly vascularised 12 and their expansion seems to be dependent upon their vascularisation. Some studies suggested that tumour angiogenesis is a prognostic factor in ovarian carcinoma, 12,13 while reports described the presence of ovarian metastasis localised in extraperitoneal sites like bone marrow and brain. 14,15 Taken together these data suggest the existence of a haematogenous way of dissemination for ovarian carcinoma. Nevertheless, cellular processes that lead to ovarian cancer cel...

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The release of molecules entrapped within biogels is dictated by diffusion laws. Innovative biogel architectures are conceived and tested to control small molecule delivery from gelatin gels. The ionic interactions modulate the release of small molecules. Alginate is then added to gelatin gels and further hydrolyzed; the influence of viscosity is discussed. Next, various mixed gels are compared, such as a gelatin-alginate IPN and the original architecture of an alginate gel entrapped in a gelatin gel with or without a polysaccharidase. The relative influence of ionic interactions and diffusional constraints on the delivery of small charged molecules is explored, and a solution for controlling diffusion is proposed for any situation.

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