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Emerging global danger of multidrug resistant microbes makes it essential to explore new approaches to treat infections. We studied antibacterial and pro-regenerative effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) performed with water solutions of photodithazine and its complexes with Pluronic F127 and chitosan in rat model of full thickness wound (n = 24) infected by an associated Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria culture. Laboratory rats were exposed to PDT 24 and 72 h after the injury. Exudate samples were collected before and after PDT for a microbiological study. Autopsy tissues were excised and fixed in formalin on day 4 of the experiment. Fixed tissues were processed and poured into paraffin. Paraffin sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and studied by an experienced pathologist. Microbiological analysis revealed that the photoactivation of photodithazine and its complexes suppressed the associated microflora in vivo and inhibited suppurative inflammation in the wounds. The triple Photodithazine-Pluronic F127-Chitosan system possessed the highest antibacterial activity. The morphological study revealed that PDT with photodithazine polymer complexes accelerated wound healing, promoted restoration of microcirculation, facilitated proliferation of fibroblast and vessels and stimulated collagen synthesis. The Photodithazine-Pluronic F127-Chitosan complex may be successfully applied for PDT to prevent and treat suppurative inflammatory diseases of the skin and soft tissues.

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The effect of acetic acid on the photosensitizing activity of dimegin (DMG), chlorin e6 (Ce6), and their complexes with amphiphilic polymers-Pluronic F-127 and poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-in the model reaction of tryptophan photo-oxidation has been established. It was shown that the photocatalytic activity of photosensitizers (PS), which is characterized by the effective constant of the tryptophan photo-oxidation rate (keff), increases by 1.4 times for DMG, while for Ce6, it decreases by 1.2 times in a weak acidic medium (pH ∼ 4). The influence of acetic acid on the effective constant keff of the tryptophan photo-oxidation rate in the presence of PS-amphiphilic polymer complexes is determined by the nature of the polymer. Thus, the photocatalytic activity of the PS-F127 system decreases at pH ∼ 4.0, and the photocatalytic activity of PS-PVP complexes is insensitive to the presence of acetic acid in the medium. It has been suggested that the observed effects in the PS-F127 system in a weak acidic medium (pH ∼ 4) are associated with the influence of acetic acid on the supramolecular structure of Pluronic F127.

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Fibrin is a well-known tool in tissue engineering, but the structure of its modifications created to improve its properties remains undiscussed despite its importance, e.g. in designing biomaterials that ensure cell migration and lumenogenesis. We sought to uncover the structural aspects of PEGylated fibrin hydrogels shown to contribute to angiogenesis. The analysis of the small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data and ab initio modeling revealed that the PEGylation of fibrinogen led to the formation of oligomeric species, which are larger at a higher PEG : fibrinogen molar ratio. The improvement of optical properties was provided by the decrease in aggregates' sizes and also by retaining the bound water. Compared to the native fibrin, the structure of the 5 : 1 PEGylated fibrin gel consisted of homogenously distributed flexible fibrils with a smaller space between them. Moreover, as arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) sites may be partly bound to PEG-NHS or masked because of the oligomerization, the number of adhesion sites may be slightly reduced that may provide the better cell migration and formation of continuous capillary-like structures.

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Complexes of porphyrin photosensitizers (PPS) with triblock copolymers of ethylene- and propylene oxide - Pluronics(®) - exhibit markedly increased activity in the generation of singlet oxygen in aqueous media, as compared to pure porphyrins. Pluronics are amphiphilic polymers with surfactant properties suitable for a number of medical applications. PPS-Pluronic systems are considered as promising agents for photodynamic therapy which implies generation of singlet oxygen in the water-based human tissue. Importantly, Pluronics are capable of solubilization of not only water-soluble, but also hydrophobic PPS providing their transfer into the aqueous phase. It has been shown earlier that specific interactions of PPS with Pluronics must play a primary role for the photocatalytic properties of PPS-Pluronic systems. In the process of solubilization of a hydrophobic porphyrin by a Pluronic, both components are dissolved in an organic solvent, which is then removed, and the dry film is re-dissolved in water. Apparently, the initial binding between the porphyrin and the lipophilic part of the polymer takes place already at the stage of the film formation. We applied atomic force microscopy (AFM) to visualize structures formed by Pluronics upon their interactions with meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP). We studied the surface structure of Pluronics(®) F87, F108 and F127 crystallized alone or together with TPP on silicon substrates from chloroform solutions. We found Pluronics to form similar dendritic structures independently of their molecular weight and degree of hydrophobicity. In the presence of TPP, though, we observed formation of distinct convex structures on top of the Pluronic dendrites. These structures appeared to consist of multiple flat layers placed on top of each other. Their sizes varied among the three Pluronics. We believe that TPP aggregates interact with the hydrophobic units of Pluronics causing the polymer chains to pack themselves in a distinct manner around those TPP-containing "cores". These interactions apparently direct formation of complexes between the porphyrin and the polymer upon their dissolution in water, thus resulting in the encapsulation of TPP aggregates inside a Pluronic micelle. A single mechanism for the TPP solubilization by Pluronics is consistent with the same catalytic activity of the three TPP-Pluronic systems observed in the photooxidation of tryptophan.

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