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Gegenstand der hier vorgestellten Arbeit ist die Beschichtung von Wundauflagen mit Zinkoxid- und Silberhaltigen antibakteriellen Schichten. Die Aufbringung der Schichten erfolgt dabei auf den Wundauflagen mittels Atmosphärendruckplasma. Die Matrix der Schichten besteht aus Siliziumdioxid, in welcher die Wirkstoffe eingelagert sind. Auf diesem Weg hergestellten Wundauflagen wurden hinsichtlich ihrer antibakteriellen Wirkung und zytotoxischen Eigenschaften charakterisiert. Ziele waren ein minimaler Einsatz an Wirkstoffen und die Nutzung eines modernen Beschichtungsverfahrens. Der zytotoxische Einfluss der Wundauflagen wurde an 3D-Hautmodellen im Vergleich zu den am Markt befindlichen Produkten validiert.
The thyroid as the largest endocrine gland mainly produces and secretes the thyroid hormones (TH): 3,3’,5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) and its pro-hormone L-thyroxine (T4). Besides the impact on growth, normal development, bone marrow structure, the cardiovascular system, body weight and thermogenesis, TH play a vivid role in many metabolic regulatory mechanisms in almost all tissues. Thyroid diseases are relatively prevalent and cause, due to the resulting TH imbalances, a broad spectrum of effects. Many of them manifest in pathologically increased or decreased TH levels defined as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, respectively. Routinely, determination of the thyroid state is based on the assessment of the classical markers TSH and free T4. However, this practice has several drawbacks. Moreover, elucidation of the pleiotropic effects of TH on multiple molecular pathways is mostly based on cell culture, tissue and rodent models. Analysis of animal biofluids like serum and urine using metabolomics approaches demonstrated the extensive impact of TH on other body compartments. In contrast, proteome profiling has not been exploited for the comprehensive characterization of the general metabolic effects of TH. Plasma as a large and diverse compartment of the human proteome provides a great opportunity to identify novel protein markers of thyroid function as well as to characterize metabolic effects of TH in humans.
Therefore, a study of experimental thyrotoxicosis was performed with 16 male volunteers treated with 0.25 mg/d levothyroxine (L-T4) for 8 weeks to induce a hyperthyroid state. Plasma samples were collected before the L-T4 application started, two times during the treatment and additionally two times after withdrawal. Proteome analysis revealed remarkable alterations including increased levels of two known proteins known to correlate with TH levels (sex hormone-binding globulin and cystatin C). The correlation with free T4 levels revealed 76 out of 437 detected proteins with a Pearson correlation coefficient of r ≥ |0.9|. One prominent signature included 10 coagulation cascade proteins exhibiting significantly increased plasma levels during thyrotoxicosis, thereby revealing a trend towards a hypercoagulative state in hyperthyroidism. To overcome the statistical drawbacks of the Pearson correlation analysis, additionally a mixed-effect linear regression model using serum free T4 concentrations as exposure and protein abundances as outcome while controlling for age, BMI, and batch was implemented. Application of this model resulted in the detection of 63 proteins with significant associations to free T4 levels. Besides the already mentioned augmented coagulation, a significant drop in the amounts of three apolipoproteins (ApoD, ApoB-100 and ApoC3) was observed. Furthermore, an increased abundance of proteins assigned to the complement system was detected.
Experimental studies in humans were complemented by corresponding analyses in murine models. In the current work, plasma samples of two murine studies including male C57BL/6 wildtype mice were analyzed to elucidate the impact of thyroid dysfunction on the plasma proteome. The first study was similarly designed as the human model of experimentally induced thyrotoxicosis and assigned the animals to three groups: a control group, a T4 treatment group, and a T4 recovery group, whereupon the latter first received T4 followed by a subsequent TH normalization period. A high proportion of plasma proteins exhibited significantly different protein levels during T4 application (n = 120), where 90 of these also showed a corresponding reverse trend after T4 withdrawal (T4 recovery vs. T4), thereby displaying transient alterations. The molecular pattern of hyperthyroidism in the murine model indicated, as in the human study, a pronounced decrease in apolipoproteins. However, in clear contrast to the human data, the levels of proteins related to the coagulation cascade and complement system were also transiently decreased in mice, while being increased in humans.
The second murine analysis focused on the impact of hyper- and hypothyroidism caused by T3 or T4 treatment and MMI/KClO4 application, respectively. In general, compared to the first murine study less clear alterations of protein levels were detected. Proteins related to the complement system revealed fewer changes in the T3 group and only marginal changes after T4 induction. Unexpectedly, the MMI/KClO4-induced hypothyroidism caused a reduction of the levels of several proteins assigned to the complement system, although different components and factors were affected.
Generally, rodent studies partially provided a divergent picture of TH action as compared to human studies. However, in spite of inconsistent results in studies regarding the effects of TH that are possibly due to species-specific differences, an important role of TH on several metabolic and other pathways, e.g. in the process of blood coagulation and apolipoprotein regulation, is evident. The results from both murine and human studies presented here provide novel insights into changes in the plasma proteome in the context of thyroid diseases which might contribute to a better understanding of TH action on metabolism and other pathways.
Das fortgeschrittene, metastasierte Pankreaskarzinom stellt allen Fortschritten innerhalb der Onkologie zum Trotz weiterhin eine Diagnose mit infauster Prognose dar, deren palliative Therapiemöglichkeiten ebenfalls nicht zufriedenstellend sind. Seit einigen Jahren besteht die Hoffnung den vierten Aggregatzustand in Form von ‚nicht-thermischem Plasma' (NTP) in der modernen Tumortherapie einzusetzen. Dies beruht auf der Generierung zahlreicher reaktiver Sauerstoff- und Stickstoffspezies, die in der Balance aus Wachstum und Apoptose von Tumoren eine entscheidende Rolle einnehmen. In Zusammenschau aller im Rahmen dieser Arbeit erhobenen in vitro Ergebnisse und der hierzu einsehbaren Literatur lässt sich eine selektive, anti-tumoröse Wirkung von NTP festhalten, die sich in reduzierter Zellviabilität und -proliferation, sowie effektiver Apoptoseinduktion ohne Bildung von Nekrosen äußert. Diese Effekte werden vorrangig über im Medium gelöste reaktive Sauerstoff- und Stickstoffspezies vermittelt, sodass auch zellfreie, NTP-behandelte Flüssigkeit diese Wirkung erzielt. In einem syngenen Mausmodell einer Peritonealkarzinose des Pankreaskarzinoms konnten die antiproliferativen und proapototischen Effekte dieser indirekten NTP-Behandlung nachgestellt werden. Die repetitive intraperitoneale Applikation resultierte in einer signifikanten Reduktion der Tumoren hinsichtlich Anzahl, Größe und Gewicht. Dabei zeigte sich eine beachtliche effektive Eindringtiefe innerhalb der Tumorläsionen. Lokale oder systemische Nebenwirkungen konnten unter der Therapie nicht beobachtet werden, insbesondere wiesen die übrigen aufgearbeiteten intraperitonealen Gewebe keine makro- oder mikroskopisch sichtbaren Veränderungen auf und auch die Blutzusammensetzung zeigte sich unverändert gegenüber der Kontrollgruppe. In dieser Arbeit wurde zudem - nach Kenntnisstand des Autors - erstmals der Einfluss einer indirekten NTP-Behandlung auf das Überleben immunkompetenter, Tumor-tragender Mäuse untersucht und hierbei ein signifikanter Überlebensvorteil demonstriert.
Die präsentierte Arbeit stellt einen wichtigen Schritt in der Entwicklung neuer Therapieoptionen des metastasierten Pankreaskarzinoms dar, als dass die selektive in vitro Wirksamkeit von NTP nun auch in vivo in einem komplexen Organismus wie der immunkompetenten Maus nachgestellt werden konnte. Künftige Arbeiten zu den NTP-Regulationsmöglichkeiten durch Flüssigkeits- und Plasmamodifikationen werden mutmaßlich das vollständige Potential dieses neuartigen Therapieansatzes offenbaren.
The content of this thesis can be summarized as follows: (i) The deposition processes of SiOx and SiOxCyHz coatings were investigated in a low-pressure, low temperature HMDSO-O2-N2 plasmas. Infrared laser absorption spectroscopy (IRLAS) and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) were combined to measure the gas temperatures in the hot and colder zones of the plasma as well as to monitor the concentration of the methyl radical, CH3, and of seven stable molecules, HMDSO, CH4, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, CO and CO2. Tunable lead salt diode lasers (TDLs) and an external-cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) were simultaneously employed as radiation sources to perform the IRLAS measurements. They were found to be in the range between 10^{11} to 10^{15} cm^{−3}. The influence of the discharge parameters of power, pressure and gas mixture on the molecular concentrations was studied. The plasma generation is characterized by a certain degree of inhomogeneity with different temperature zones, i.e., hottest, hot and colder zones depending on the construction of the reactor. This complexity is characterized by the multiple molecular species including the HMDSO precursor and products in ground and excited states existing in the plasma. (ii) Employing similarly IRLAS and OES techniques, the deposition of nanocrystalline diamond at relatively low temperature in low-pressure MW H2 plasmas with small ad-mixtures of methane and carbon dioxide was investigated. Five methods were applied for an extensive temperature analysis, providing new insights into energetic aspects of the multi-component non-equilibrium plasma. The OES method provided information about the gas temperature of H2 inside the MW plasma. Using lead salt diode lasers, the rotational temperature of the methyl radical, CH3 , and gas temperature of methane molecule, CH4 , was measured. A variety of CO lines in the ground and in three excited states have been analysed using an EC-QCL with a relatively wide spectral range. These methods have shown that based on the construction of the DAA reactor using 16 single plasma sources the plasma generation is characterized by a variety of hottest, hot and colder zones. Extensive measurement of these various species temperatures in the complex plasma enabled the concentration determination of the various stable and unstable plasma species, which were found to be in the range between 10 11 to 10 15 cm −3 . The influence of the discharge parameters, power and pressure, on the molecular concentrations has been studied. To achieve insight into general plasma chemical aspects, the dissociation of the carbon precursor gases including their fragmentation and conversion to the reaction products was analysed in detail. The evolution of the concentration of the methyl radical, CH 3 , of five stable molecules, CH4, CO2, CO, C2H2 and C2H4, and of vibrationally excited CO in the first and second hot band was monitored in the plasma processes by in situ infrared laser absorption spectroscopy using lead salt diode lasers (TDL) and an external-cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) as radiation sources. OES was applied simultaneously to obtain complementary information about the degree of dissociation of the H2 precursor gas. The analysis of the carbon and oxygen mass balances shows clearly, that the deposition on the reactor walls and the production of other hydrocarbons species may act as sinks for carbon and oxygen. (iii) The absolute line strengths of many P-branch transitions of the ν3 fundamental of {28}^SiH4 were determined using the wide tuning range and the narrow line width of a cw EC-QCL between 2096 and 2178 cm^{−1}. The line positions and line strengths of transitions of the stretching dyad within the P-branch of {28}^SiH4 were determined with an estimated experimental measurement accuracy of 10%. The high spectral resolution available has enabled us to resolve and measure representative examples of the tetrahedral splittings associated with each component of the P-branch. The positions of these components are in excellent agreement with spherical top data system (STDS) predictions and theoretical transitions from the TDS spectroscopic database for spherical top molecules. To our knowledge, this is the first reported measurement of these line strengths in this band and is an example of the applicability of high-powered, widely tunable EC-QCLs to high resolution spectroscopy in the MIR. (iv) Similarly, the determination of the silyl radicals, ν3 band, line strengths is ongoing using the same cw EC-QCL. This effort was impaired by silane and other unknown species lines overlap; however, the silyl radicals was successfully detected in a SiH4/H2 plasma. A method to determine the silyl line strengths has been presented through its iterative decay measurements which relied on the value of the silyl radical self reaction constant. There was a consensus of its value in the literature.