Study of Soft/Hard Bimagnetic CoFe²/CoFe²O⁴ Nanocomposite

We report an experimental study of the bimagnetic nanocomposites CoFe₂/CoFe₂O₄. The precursor material, CoFe₂O₄ was prepared using the conventional stoichiometric combustion method. The nano-structured material CoFe₂/CoFe₂O₄ was obtained by total oxygen reduction of CoFe₂O₄ using a thermal treatment at 350 °C in H₂ atmospheres following the partial oxidation in O₂ atmospheres at 380 °C during 120; 30; 15, 10, and 5 min. The X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy and transmission electronic microscopy images confirmed the formation of the material CoFe₂/CoFe₂O₄. The magnetic hysteresis for the nanocomposite with different saturation magnetization (from 87 to 108 emu/g) also confirms the formation of the CoFe₂/CoFe₂O₄ with different content of CoFe₂O₄. Furthermore, the magnetic hysteresis curves for all samples presented a single magnetic behavior, suggesting the magnetic coupling between the phases of the nanocomposite. The effects of high energy milling on the magnetic properties of the precursor material and nanocomposites samples were evaluated.

FUT3 expression in human breast cancer cells under hypoxia and serum deprivation

This study aimed to investigate the effects of hypoxia and serum deprivation on regulation of fucosyltransferase-3 (FUT3) expression in breast cancer cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

FUT3 expression was evaluated in T47D and MCF7 cells. Transcriptional and protein analysis was performed under hypoxia and serum deprivation conditions after 6 and 24 hours; and after 24 and 48 hours, respectively.

RESULTS

In T47D cells, experimental conditions induced a significant decrease in FUT3 expression at both, transcriptional and protein levels, while in MCF7 cells the same conditions induced a significant increase of FUT3 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Regulation of FUT3 expression under hypoxic and serum deprivation conditions may be involved in the acquisition of advantages related to apoptosis resistance and metastasis promotion, according to the intrinsic differences presented by T47D and MCF7 cells.