Jakub Kosiński

The introduction of the notion of energy change resulting from the ion exchange in apatites leads to the question: how can some simple isomorphic series be described using the mentioned idea? We concentrated on the simple isomorphic series of compounds: apatite, bioapatite, calcite, aragonite, celestine, K-, Zn- and Cu-Tutton’s salts. It was demonstrated in all the series, except Tutton’s salts, that the change in energy and the change in the crystal cell volume are, in a simple way, dependent on the change in the ionic radii of the introduced ions. The linear relationships between the variations in energy and in the universal crystallographic dimension d were derived from the earlier equations and proven based on available data. In many cases, except the Tutton’s salts, linear dependence was discovered between the change in energy and the sinus of universal angle Θ, corresponding to the change in momentum transfer. In the same cases, linear dependencies were observed between the energy changes and the changes in the volumes of crystallographic cells, and mutually between changes in the crystallographic cell volume V, crystallographic dimension d, and diffraction angle Θ.

The chemical composition and structure of bamboo octocoral Keratoisis spp. skeletons were investigated by using: Scanning Electron Microscopy SEM, Raman Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction XRD, Laser Ablation–Inductively Coupled Plasma LA-ICP, and amino acid analyzers. Elements discovered in the nodes (mainly organic parts of the skeleton) of bamboo corals showed a very interesting arrangement in the growth ring areas, most probably enabling the application of bamboo corals as palaeochronometers and palaeothermometers. LA-ICP results showed that these gorgonian corals had an unusually large content of bromine, larger than any other organism yet studied. The local concentration of bromine in the organic part of the growth rings of one of the studied corals grew up to 29,000 ppm of bromine. That is over 440 times more than is contained in marine water and 35 times more than Murex contains, the species which was used to make Tyrian purple in ancient times. The organic matter of corals is called gorgonin, the specific substance that both from the XRD and Raman studies seem to be very similar to the reptile and bird keratins and less similar to the mammalian keratins. The missing cross-linking by S-S bridges, absence of aromatic rings, and significant participation of β-turn organization of peptides differs gorgonin from keratins. Perhaps, the gorgonin belongs to the affined but still different substances concerning reptile and bird keratin and in relation to the more advanced version—the mammalian one. Chemical components of bamboo corals seem to have great medical potential, with the internodes as material substituting the hard tissues and the nodes as the components of medicines.

Developments in the field of nanostructures open new ways for designing and manufacturing innovative materials. Here, we focused on new original ways of calculating energy changes during the substitution of foreign ions into the structure of apatites and bioapatites. Using these tools, the energetic costs of ion exchanges were calculated for the exemplary cases known from the literature. It was established that the most costly were ion exchanges of some cations inside apatites and of anions, and the least costly exchanges in tetrad channel positions. Real energy expenses for bioapatites are much smaller in comparison to mineral apatites due to the limited involvement of magnesium and carbonates in the structure of hard tissues. They are of the order of several electron volts per ion. The rigorous dependences of the energy changes and crystallographic cell volumes on the ionic radii of introduced cations were proved. The differentiation of the positioning of foreign ions in locations of Ca(I) and Ca(II) could be calculated in the case of a Ca-Pb reaction in hydroxyapatite. The energetic effects of tooth aging were indicated. The ability of energy change calculation during the ion exchange for isomorphic substances widens the advantages resulting from X-ray diffraction measurements.

Apatites are one of the most intensively studied materials for possible biomedical applications. New perspectives of possible application of apatites correspond with the development of nanomaterials and nanocompounds. Here, an effort to systematize different kinds of human bioapatites forming bones, dentin, and enamel was undertaken. The precursors of bioapatites and hydroxyapatite were also considered. The rigorous consideration of compositions and stoichiometry of bioapatites allowed us to establish an order in their mutual sequence. The chemical reactions describing potential transformations of biomaterials from octacalcium phosphate into hydroxyapatite via all intermediate stages were postulated. Regardless of whether the reactions occur in reality, all apatite biomaterials behave as if they participate in them. To conserve the charge, additional free charges were introduced, with an assumed meaning to be joined with the defects. The distribution of defects was coupled with the values of crystallographic parameters “a” and “c”. The energetic balances of bioapatite transformations were calculated. The apatite biomaterials are surprisingly regular structures with non-integer stoichiometric coefficients. The results presented here will be helpful for the further design and development of nanomaterials.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation during pregnancy on postpartum bone tissue quality by assessing changes in trabecular and compact bone as well as in hyaline and epiphyseal cartilage. The experiment was carried out on adult 6-month-old female spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus) divided into three groups: pregnant control (PregCont), pregnant HMB-treated (supplemented with 0.02 g/kg b.w of HMB during the second trimester of pregnancy, PregHMB), and non-pregnant females (NonPreg). Cross-sectional area and cortical index of the femoral mid-shaft, stiffness, and Young modulus were significantly greater in the PregHMB group. Whole-bone mineral density was similar in all groups, and HMB supplementation increased trabecular number. Growth plate cartilage was the thinnest, while the articular cartilage was the thickest in the PregHMB group. HMB supplementation increased the content of proteoglycans in the articular cartilage and the percentage of immature collagen content in metaphyseal trabeculae and compact bone. In summary, dietary HMB supplementation during the second trimester of pregnancy intensifies bone metabolic processes and prevents bone loss during pregnancy.

Psoriasis (Ps) is an immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease that is widely associated with the clinical features of metabolic syndrome (MetS), including hypertension, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. Osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional protein involved in the modulation of inflammatory processes, may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and MetS. Therefore, the aim of the study was the assessment of the correlation between OPN concentration in the peripheral blood and the presence of MetS as well as its particular components in the Ps patients. The study comprised 107 male Ps patients (50 patients with MetS and 57 without MetS) and 38 healthy volunteers (HVs). The concentration of OPN in serum was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Fasting blood glucose and lipid profile components: total cholesterol (total CHOL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-CHOL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-CHOL), triglycerides (TG) were examined. Ps patients with MetS had significantly higher obesity, systolic blood pressure, TG, CHOL/HDL, LDL/HDL and TG/HDL ratios than Ps patients without MetS. OPN serum concentration was significantly higher in the Ps patients than in the HVs (p = 0.022) but not significantly different between the Ps patients with and without MetS (p = 0.275). OPN serum concentration in Ps patients correlated negatively with total CHOL (p = 0.004) and TG (p = 0.009). OPN is increased in Ps patients and may serve as a biomarker of some lipid abnormalities in them.

Psoriasis is a chronic, autoinflammatory disease characterized by activation and differentiation of naive T lymphocytes towards T helper CD4+ (including Th1 and Th17) and T cytotoxic CD8+. Osteopontin (OPN), which plays an important role in both physiological processes and inflammatory, neoplastic and autoimmune diseases, is also considered in the context of psoriasis pathogenesis. Current data indicates that OPN is a multifunctional protein involved in the modulation of Th1 and Th17 cellular responses, in stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, and in the regulation of cellular apoptosis. The assessment of OPN and interleukin 17 (IL-17) concentrations in the peripheral blood of psoriatic patients in comparison to healthy volunteers as well as the correlations of OPN and IL-17 with the severity of psoriasis. The study included 107 male psoriatic patients and 41 age-matched healthy men. The serum concentrations of IL-17 and OPN were examined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The skin change severity of psoriasis was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Body Surface Area (BSA), Physician Global Assessment (PGA), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Psoriatic patients had significantly higher concentrations of OPN (31.65 ng/mL on average) than the healthy volunteers (11.42 ng/mL on average) (p < 0.001). Interleukin 17 was also higher in psoriatic patients (0.53 pg/mL on average) compared to healthy volunteers (0.09 pg/mL on average) (p < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between OPN and IL-17 concentrations in psoriatic patients and in healthy volunteers. Psoriasis severity correlated positively to IL-17 serum concentration, but not to OPN. Although the study did not show a relationship between OPN and IL-17 concentrations in psoriatic patients, it should be emphasized that serum concentrations were significantly higher in the patients with psoriasis compared to healthy volunteers.