TY - JOUR A1 - Bünger, H. A1 - Krüger, Ralph-Peter A1 - Pietschmann, S. A1 - Wüstneck, N. A1 - Kaufner, L. A1 - Tschiersch, R. A1 - Pison, U. T1 - Two hydrophobic protein fractions of ovine pulmonary surfactant: Isolation, characterisation and biophysical activity JF - Protein expression and purification N2 - Pulmonary surfactant contains two extremely hydrophobic proteins, SP-B and SP-C. We present a novel HPLC method for the preparation of these hydrophobic proteins. It is based on size-exclusion chromatography using the apolar stationary-phase butyl silica gel and isocratic elution with acidified chloroform/methanol. Samples for HPLC were prepared from sheep lung lavage fluid by centrifugation and extraction with chloroform/methanol. Amino acid analyses of the two protein fractions revealed sequences that are consistent with SP-B and SP-C, respectively. MALDI-TOF-MS analyses of the SP-B fraction showed one major peak of dimeric SP-B with m/z 17,361, and additional peaks of monomeric and oligomeric forms, which are predominantly even numbered. The SP-C fraction showed a peak at m/z 4200, consistent with the theoretical mass of the dipalmitoylated form of this protein. The biophysical activity of pure sheep SP-B and SP-C was evaluated by measuring the surface tension using axisymmetric drop shape analysis for captive bubbles. We found distinct surface pressure versus surface area isotherms of SP-B and SP-C indicating different biophysical activities for these surfactant proteins. The new preparative HPLC method is able to replace the established, time-consuming low-pressure liquid chromatography method for the isolation of SP-B and SP-C from lipids. KW - Surfactant proteins KW - SP-B KW - SP-C KW - Preparative HPLC KW - MALDI-TOF-MS KW - Surface pressure KW - Captive bubble PY - 2001 DO - https://doi.org/10.1006/prep.2001.1510 SN - 1046-5928 SN - 1096-0279 VL - 23 IS - 2 SP - 319 EP - 327 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-2174 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pietschmann, S. A1 - Hoffmann, Katrin A1 - Voget, M. A1 - Pison, U. T1 - Synergistic effects of miconazole and polymyxin B on microbial pathogens JF - Veterinary research communications N2 - The therapeutic value of antibiotics depends on the susceptibility of the infecting microorganism and the pharmacological profile of the drugs. To assess the value of an antibiotic combination of polymyxin B and miconazole this study examined the in vitro synergistic potential of the two drugs on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and yeast. Antifungal and antibacterial activity was tested by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of broth macrodilution and urea broth microdilution, by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Synergism was calculated using the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICi). With Staphylococcus intermedius as target we found up to an eightfold reduction of the individual MICs when both drugs were combined. However, the FICi was 0.63 suggesting no real interaction between the two drugs. With Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Malassezia pachydermatis as targets the antimicrobial drug combination reduced the MICs of polymyxin B and miconazole from fourfold to hundredfold resulting in FICi between 0.06 and 0.5 which defines a synergistic action. Thus, if polymyxin B and miconazole are combined their effect is greater than the sum of the effects observed with polymyxin B and miconazole independently, revealing bactericidal and fungicidal synergism. Our results indicate a strong therapeutic value for the combination of these antimicrobial agents against Gram-negative bacteria and yeast and a weaker value against Gram positive bacteria for clinical situations where these pathogens are involved. KW - Miconazale KW - Polymyxin KW - Antibiotic synergism KW - Otitis externa PY - 2009 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-008-9194-z SN - 0165-7380 VL - 33 IS - 6 SP - 489 EP - 505 PB - Kluwer CY - Dordrecht [u.a.] AN - OPUS4-19661 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kaufner, L. A1 - Cartier, R. A1 - Wüstneck, R. A1 - Fichtner, I. A1 - Pietschmann, S. A1 - Bruhn, H. A1 - Schütt, Dagmar A1 - Thünemann, Andreas A1 - Pison, U. T1 - Poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(glutamic acid) coated maghemite nanoparticles: in vitro characterization and in vivo behaviour JF - Nanotechnology N2 - Positively charged superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) particles of maghemite were prepared in aqueous solution and subsequently stabilized with poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(glutamic acid) (PEO–PGA) at a hydrodynamic diameter of 60 nm. Depending on the amount of PEO–PGA used, this is accompanied by a switching of their zeta potentials from positive to negative charge (-33 mV). As a prerequisite for in vivo testing, the PEO–PGA coated maghemite nanoparticles were evaluated to be colloidally stable in water and in physiological salt solution for longer than six months as well in various buffer systems under physiological pH and salt conditions (AFM, dynamic light scattering). We excluded toxic effects of the PEO–PGA coated maghemite nanoparticles. We demonstrated by in vivo MR-imaging and 111In measurements a biodistribution of the nanoparticles into the liver comparable to carboxydextran coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Resovist®) as a reference nanoscaled MRI contrast medium. This was enforced by a detailed visualization of our nanoparticles by electron microscopy of liver tissue sections. Furthermore, our results indicate that 15% of the injected PEO–PGA coated maghemite nanoparticles circulate in the blood compartment for at least 60 min after i.v. application. KW - Nanotechnology KW - Nano Particle KW - Block-Copolymer PY - 2007 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/18/11/115710 SN - 0957-4484 SN - 1361-6528 VL - 18 IS - 11 SP - 115710 (1 EP - 10) PB - IOP Publishing Ltd. CY - Bristol AN - OPUS4-16494 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -