Influence of particulate material from sugar cane in the viscoelastic properties of DPPC and DPPC/cholesterol monolayers

• Grant number: 09/11605-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2010
• End date: February 29, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Maria Elisabete Darbello Zaniquelli
• Grantee: João Francisco Ventrici de Souza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Particulate material (PM) from sugar cane has been associated to some respiratory complications in some areas of Brazil where the harvest is perfomed with the help of the fire. Despite the subject had been treated by some reseachers as a social or biological question, the study of this subject never was treated as a biophysical or phisical-chemistry question. Because of this, the aim of the present proposal is to evaluate the effect of PM on model systems of pulmonary alveolus. The study will be performed by the evaluation of the viscoelastic properties of Langmuir monolayers composed by phospholipids from human lung alveoli (DPPC and cholesterol). It will be also verified the role of cholesterol in the system, when in contact with the PM. The technique that will be used to measure the viscoelastic properties is the oscillating pendant drop. The PM will also be evaluated with regard to particle size distribution and electrical charge. Developing this study it is expected to be able to find correlations between effects provoked by the PM in model systems and in vivo, from the literature data for the former ones. At the end, we hope to evaluate the effects caused by the PM at the model systems and to compare with biological systems with the intention of to understand the questions treated in this work as a biological interpretation.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SOUZA, João Francisco Ventrici de. Effect of Particulate Material on Biomembrane Model Systems. 2012. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) Ribeirão Preto.