The surface chemistry and nanotopography of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were modified by downstream, inductively coupled, radio frequency (rf) Ar plasma without inducing surface damage. The extent of surface modification was controlled by the applied ion energy fluence, determined from the plasma ion density measured with a Langmuir probe. The treated LDPE surfaces were characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging, contact angle measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Analysis of AFM surface images confirmed that topography changes occurred at the nanoscale and that surface damage was insignificant. Contact angle measurements demonstrated an enhancement of the surface hydrophilicity with the increase of the plasma power. XPS results showed surface chemistry changes involving the development of different carbon-oxygen functionalities that increased the surface hydrophilicity. Physical and chemical surface modification was achieved under conditions conducive to high-density inductively coupled rf plasma.

Plasma treatment of polymer surfaces can modify the nanoscale roughness, wettability, and oxygen surface functionalities. However, how these modifications regulate cell behavior is not well understood. The objective of this investigation was to examine adhesion, spreading, and cytoskeleton of vascular endothelial cells seeded on low-density polyethylene surfaces modified by Ar plasma. In the absence of serum, adhesion and spreading of the cells and actin filament assembly were enhanced by high-energy Ar plasma-induced hydrophilicity and formation of C-O groups at the surface. Although serum increased cell adhesion and spreading on untreated surfaces for a relatively short period, this behavior was not stable for a long time. In contrast to the untreated polymer surfaces, serum suppressed cell adhesion and spreading on the plasma-treated surfaces. The preadsorption of albumin from the bovine serum on the polymer surfaces inhibited cell adhesion and spreading. Results demonstrate the differential effects of Ar plasma-induced surface modifications on endothelial cell behavior and provide insight into complex interactions among polymer surfaces, adsorbed proteins, and cells. The findings of this study have significant implications in surface engineering for vascular repair.

Background The rediscovery of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, the ten-eleven translocation (TET) family, thymine-DNA glycosylase (TDG) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) have opened new avenues in the study of DNA demethylation pathways in gastric cancer (GC). We performed a comprehensive and robust analysis of these genes and modified cytosines in gastric cancer. Methods Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry/ mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to assess 5-methyldeoxycytidine (5-mC), 5-hydroxymethyldeoxycytidine (5-hmC), 5-formyldeoxycytidine (5-fC) and 5-carboxyldeoxycytidine (5-caC) quantitatively in tumorous and non-tumorous regions of GCs; [D 2 ]-5-hmC was used as an internal standard. Expression levels of the genes TET1, TET2, TET3, TDG, IDH1 and IDH2 were measured using a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and were compared to the clinical attributes of each case. Using HEK293T cells the effects of introducing plasmids containing full-length TET1, TET2, and TET3 and 7 variants of the TET2 catalytic domain were evaluated in terms of their effect on cytosine demethylation. Results LC-MS/MS showed that 5-hmC was significantly decreased in tumorous portions. 5-mC was also moderately decreased in tumors, while 5-fC and 5-caC were barely detectable. The expressions of TET1, TET2, TET3, TDG and IDH2, but not IDH1, were notably decreased in GCs, compared with the adjacent non-tumor portion. TET1 123Gastric Cancer (2015( ) 18:516-525 DOI 10.1007 expression and the 5-hmC levels determined using LC-MS/ MS had a significantly positive correlation and TET1 protein had a greater effect on the increase in 5-hmC than TET2 and TET3 in HEK293T cells. Conclusions The loss of 5-hmC and the down-regulation of TET1-3, TDG and IDH2 were found in GCs. The loss of 5-hmC in GCs was mainly correlated with the down-regulation of TET1.

Polymer surface modification by ions, uncharged particles, and photons of inductively coupled Ar plasma was investigated with a surface force microscope. Optical windows consisting of crystals with different cutoff wavelengths and a metal shield were used to deconvolute the effects of the various plasma species on the modification of the surface nanomechanical properties of polyethylene. The extent of surface crosslinking was related to the frictional energy dissipated during nanoscratching. It is shown that surface crosslinking is primarily due to the simultaneous effects of uncharged particles and vacuum ultraviolet photons, while the ion bombardment effect is secondary.