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Biomedical subjects

A Heller

Publications and source records attributed to A Heller.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Polyacrylamide-based redox polymer for connecting redox centers of enzymes to electrodes.

Enzyme electrodes based on complexing a water-soluble copolymer of acrylamide and vinylimidazole with [Os(dmebpy)2C1]+/2+ (dmebpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine) and cross-linking with oxidases by water-soluble cross-linkers are described. The potential of the polyacrylamide-based redox polymer is +55 mV (SCE), a typical electron diffusion coefficient (De) in the redox hydrogel that results from its cross-linking is (1.3 +/- 0.1) x 10(-9) cm2/s. The properties of the enzyme electrodes formed when this redox hydrogel "wired" horseradish peroxidase (HRP), lactate oxidase (LOx) or glucose oxidase (GOx) depended on the thickness of the hydrogel film, the chemistry of their cross-linking, and their enzyme content. At the wired HRP electrodes, H2O2 was electrocatalytically reduced to water at 0.0 V (SCE). Lactate and glucose were electrocatalytically oxidized at 0.16 V (SCE). The GOx electrodes, when made with 140 micrograms/cm2 thick polymer films, were selective for glucose in the presence of physiological concentrations of urate and ascorbate.

Acrylic Resins↗

Design and optimization of a selective subcutaneously implantable glucose electrode based on "wired" glucose oxidase.

An implantable 0.29 mm o.d. flexible wire electrode was designed for subcutaneous monitoring of glucose. The electrode was formed by sequentially depositing in a 0.09 mm deep shielded recess at the tip of a polyimide-insulated 0.25 mm gold wire a "wired" glucose oxidase (GOX) sensing layer, a mass transport limiting layer, and a nonfouling biocompatible layer. The glucose sensing layer was formed by cross-linking (poly[(1-vinylimidazolyl)osmium(4,4'-dimethylbipyridine)2Cl] )+/2+(PVI13-dme - Os) and GOX with poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEG). The glucose mass transport restricting layer consisted of a poly(ester sulfonic acid) film (Eastman AQ 29D) and a copolymer of polyaziridine and poly(vinyl pyridine) partially quaternized with methylene carboxylate. The outer biocompatible layer was formed by photo-cross-linking tetraacrylated poly(ethylene oxide). The three layers contained no leachable components and had a total mass less than 2.2 micrograms (approximately 50 ng of Os). When poised at +200 mV vs SCE and operated at 37 degrees C, the 5 x 10(-4) cm2 electrode had in vitro a sensitivity of 1-2.5 nA mM-1. The current increased with the glucose concentration up to 60 mM, and the 10-90% response time was approximately 1 min when the glucose concentration was abruptly raised from 5 to 10 mM. The sensitivity decreased by less than 4% over a test period of 1 week, during which the electrode was operated continuously in a 10 mM glucose physiological buffer solution at 37 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Photo-crosslinked copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) tetra-acrylate and ethylene dimethacrylate for improving biocompatibility of biosensors.

A copolymer containing 88% 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), 9% poly(ethylene glycol) (MW 18.5 kDa) tetra-acrylate and 3% ethylene dimethacrylate was prepared and evaluated for use as a biocompatible interface between glucose biosensors and tissue in the rat. The glucose sensor utilizes glucose oxidase that is electrically 'wired' to a gold current collector by a reduction-oxidation polymer. Coatings of the copolymer were crosslinked in situ on the sensors using long wavelength ultraviolet light and 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl-acetophenone as the initiator. The effect these films had on the current response to glucose was measured. Over a glucose concentration range of 0-30 mM, the average percentage decrease in response was 45 +/- 28% (mean +/- 95% confidence interval) at 37 degrees C for films that were about 0.1 mm thick, an acceptable value. Copolymer-treated and control electrodes were implanted in the intrascapular subcutaneous tissue of male Sprague-Dawley rats for three days. The explanted samples were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. The control electrodes were highly encapsulated with fibrous material, while the copolymer-treated electrodes induced much less encapsulation. The results show this copolymer to be a candidate as a biocompatible coating for electrically wired oxidoreductase-based subcutaneous biosensors.

Acrylates↗

Quantitation of dopaminergic neurons in 3-dimensional reaggregate tissue culture by computer-assisted image analysis.

Three-dimensional (3D) reaggregate tissue culture provides a means of quantitatively assessing neuronal cell survival under a variety of experimental conditions. A method is presented for estimation of, and comparison between, the total numbers of cells of a given neurochemical type within individual experimental flasks. The method involves cell counting from random reaggregate sections, determination of sectional volumes, and of 3D reaggregate volumes by a novel image-analysis computer system.

Animals↗

Ewing's sarcoma of the mandible: a case report.

Ewing's sarcoma is an uncommon malignancy that usually occurs in childhood and is rare in the mandible. A case of Ewing's sarcoma of the mandible is presented and discussed.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Examination of developmental neurotoxicity by the use of tissue culture model systems.

1. The rotation-mediated three-dimensional reaggregate culture system is uniquely suited for studies on developmental neurotoxicity. In this system, it is possible to reconstruct central neuronal pathways and follow their development. 2. Exposure to drugs of abuse including methamphetamine and methylenedioxyamphetamine or the appetite suppressant, fenfluramine, reduces monoamines in the cultures in a dose-dependent manner and interrupts normal monoaminergic development. 3. While the monoaminergic neurones may attain normal rates of development following drug removal, the affected neurones are not capable of overcoming the drug-induced insults and a deficiency in monoamines persists throughout development. 4. In addition, the production of immortalized monoclonal hybrid cells obtained by fusion of fetal mesencephalic neurones with a neuroblastoma has yielded cell lines expressing a dopaminergic phenotype. 5. Such cells have been useful in establishing the relationship of neurotoxicity to cell lineage and can serve as models for the study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurotoxicity.

Appetite Depressants↗

Benign symmetric lipomatosis.

We report a case of massive, benign symmetric lipomatosis associated with laryngeal compression. Current views on the aetiology and management of this rare disease are discussed.

Aged↗

Tyrosine phosphorylation of measles virus nucleocapsid protein in persistently infected neuroblastoma cells.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is a slowly progressing fatal human disease of the central nervous system which is a delayed sequel of measles virus (MV) infection. A typical pathological feature of this disease is the presence of viral ribonucleocapsid structures in the form of inclusion bodies and the absence of infectious virus or budding viral particles. The mechanisms governing the establishment and maintenance of a persistent MV infection in brain cells are still largely unknown. To understand the mechanisms underlying MV persistence in neuronal cells, a tissue culture model was studied. Clone NS20Y/MS of the murine neuroblastoma C1300 persistently infected with the wild-type Edmonston strain of MV secretes relatively high levels of alpha/beta interferon (IFN). As shown previously, treatment of the persistently infected cultures with anti-IFN serum converted the persistent state into a productive infection indicated by the appearance of multinucleated giant cells. In this study, we have investigated whether alpha/beta IFN produced by NS20Y/MS cells activates cellular protein tyrosine kinases which will induce tyrosine phosphorylating activity specific to virus-infected cells. We present data to show augmented protein tyrosine kinase activity in the persistently infected cells. We demonstrate that the MV N protein is phosphorylated on tyrosine in addition to serine and threonine in the persistent state but not in NS20Y cells acutely infected with MV.

2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase↗

Kinetics of glucose delivery to subcutaneous tissue in rats measured with 0.3-mm amperometric microsensors.

The time between intravenous injection of a glucose bolus and the time the glucose concentration peaked in the subcutaneous tissue was measured in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats with implanted 290-microns-diameter amperometric sensors. Boluses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body wt were injected. The glucose concentration in the jugular vein was monitored by frequent withdrawal and analysis of samples. The glucose concentration in the subcutaneous tissue was continuously monitored with the sensors. The times required for the subcutaneously implanted sensor to reach its maximum current, corrected for sensor response times, were 7.5 +/- 3.9, 9.8 +/- 5.5, and 10.0 +/- 4.4 min for the smallest to the largest dose, respectively. The shorter delay in response to the smallest dose was statistically significant (P < 0.03). The results were consistent with dilution of the bolus in the cardiovascular system and transport of glucose by both diffusion and facilitated transport via a saturable mediator. An understanding of the differences in the dynamics of venous vs. subcutaneous response to a glucose dose is important in developing algorithms for the control of blood glucose based on a subcutaneous measurement.

Animals↗

Immortalized murine striatal neuronal cell lines expressing dopamine receptors and cholinergic properties.

Immortalized hybrid cells were generated by somatic cell fusion of 18-d-old embryonic corpus striatum of the mouse strain C57BL/6J with the N18TG2 neuroblastoma. One of the cell populations obtained was treated with a combination of 1 mM n-butyric acid and 10 microM SKF 38393 (a specific D1 agonist), and a surviving cell population (E1X) was subcloned. Twenty-seven monoclonal cell lines were obtained and screened for the expression of striatal-specific characteristics including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), acetylcholine (ACh), mRNA for specific dopamine receptors, and dopamine- and adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein, M(r) 32,000 (DARPP-32), and functional D1 and D2 dopamine receptors. Neither the parent hybrid cell population (E1X) nor any of the monoclonal cell lines examined expressed GABA levels significantly different than that of the N18TG2 parent neuroblastoma cells (1.36 +/- 0.07 micrograms/mg protein). The range of ChAT activity in the monoclonal hybrid cell lines was 5.5 +/- 0.3 to 921.3 +/- 97.4 pmol/min/mg protein. Two of the cell lines expressing ChAT activity (X52 and X58) contained ACh (49.64 +/- 4.23 and 1.78 +/- 0.07 ng/mg protein, respectively). The neuronal origin of four of the monoclonal hybrid lines was shown by their immunoreactivity, following differentiation with 10 microM forskolin, to neurofilament protein, a neuron-specific marker. The monoclonal hybrid cell lines, but not the N18TG2 neuroblastoma, were shown to express an array of D1, D2, and D5 receptor mRNA as well as DARPP-32 mRNA. Two monoclonal cell lines expressed D1 receptor binding sites (X57, 29.2 +/- 4.5 fmol/mg protein and X62, 43.8 +/- 6.8 fmol/mg protein) which mediated the stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity. One cell line, X58, expressed only D2 dopamine receptors (80.9 +/- 9.8 fmol/mg protein) which were negatively coupled to adenylate cyclase activity. These findings suggest that the immortalized monoclonal hybrid cell lines are of neuronal origin and have incorporated elements of the medium spiny and cholinergic neurons of the developing striatum.

Acetylcholine↗

Design, characterization, and one-point in vivo calibration of a subcutaneously implanted glucose electrode.

A 0.29-mm-diameter flexible electrode designed for subcutaneous in vivo amperometric monitoring of glucose is described. The electrode was designed to allow "one-point" in vivo calibration, i.e., to have zero output current at zero glucose concentration, even in the presence of other electroreactive species of serum or blood. A valid zero point, along with a measurement of the glucose concentration in a withdrawn sample of blood at which the current is known, defined the sensitivity in the linear response range. The electrode was four-layered, with the layers serially deposited within a 0.125-mm recess upon the tip of a polyimide-insulated 0.25-mm gold wire. The recessed structure reduced the sensitivity to movement and allowed, through control of the depth of the recess, control of the transport of glucose and thus the range of linearity. The recess contained the four polymeric layers, with a total mass less than 5 micrograms and no leachable components. The bottom glucose concentration-to-current transducing layer consisted of the enzyme "wiring" redox polymer poly[(vinylimidazole)Os(bipyridine)2Cl]+ , complexed with recombinant glucose oxidase and cross-linked with poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether, to form an electron-conducting hydrogel. The layer was overcoated with an electrically insulating layer of polyaziridine-cross-linked poly(allylamine), on which an immobilized interference-eliminating horseradish peroxidase based film was deposited. An outer biocompatible layer was formed by photo-cross-linking derivatized poly(ethylene oxide). The current output of a typical electrode at 10 mM glucose and at 37 degrees C was 35 nA, the apparent Km was 20 mM, and the 10-90% response time was approximately 1 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

"Wired" enzyme electrodes for amperometric determination of glucose or lactate in the presence of interfering substances.

Glucose oxidase (GOX) or lactate oxidase (LOX) were immobilized in an osmium-based three-dimensional redox hydrogel that electrically connected the enzyme's redox centers to electrodes. The enzyme "wiring" hydrogel was formed by cross-linking poly(1-vinylimidazole) (PVI) complexed with Os-(4,4'-dimethylbpy)2Cl (termed PVI15-dmeOs) with poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (peg). Glucose and lactate sensors exhibited typical limiting current densities of 250 and 500 microA/cm2, respectively. When the electrodes were poised at 200 mV (SCE), the currents resulting from electrooxidation of ascorbate, urate, acetaminophen, and L-cysteine were negligible. When a Nafion film was employed, the linear range was extended from 6 to 30 mM glucose and from 4 to 7 mM lactate. The redox potential of the gel-forming polymer was 95 mV (SCE). Glucose and lactate measurements performed in bovine calf serum correlated well with a substrate calibration in phosphate buffer.

Animals↗

Amperometric biosensor for in vivo glucose sensing based on glucose oxidase immobilized in a redox hydrogel.

A potentially implantable glucose sensor, based on glucose oxidase immobilized in a redox hydrogel, is considered. The redox hydrogel consisted of glucose oxidase immobilized in a cross-linkable poly(vinylpyridine) complex of [Os(bis-bipyridine)2Cl]+1/+2 that communicates electrically with the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH2) redox centres of the glucose oxidase. The implantable electrode consisted of a Teflon insulated platinum wire (0.25 mm diameter) which was coated at the tip with a cross-linked redox polymer/glucose oxidase film and covered with a thin layer of polycarbonate. In a three-electrode system at +400 mV (Ag/AgCl) the response to increasing glucose concentrations in isotonic phosphate buffer and human plasma was approximately 0.2-0.3 nA/mM, linear in the range between 0 and 15 mM glucose. No oxygen dependence was observed. To determine the in vivo performance, the electrode was implanted into the subcutaneous tissue of a dog. The sensor currents after an oral glucose load paralleled the plasma glucose measurements, with a time lag of 10 min. Three-day implantations in cultured cells showed that the electrode did not affect the growth and differentiation of cell monolayers.

Animals↗

Effects of stroma-free hemoglobin solutions on pulmonary vascular resistance and mediator release in the isolated perfused rabbit lung.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an ultrapure bovine stroma-free hemoglobin (SFH) on pulmonary vascular resistance and mediator release and to analyze potential mechanisms of action in the isolated perfused rabbit lung model. Repetitive bolus applications of small amounts of bovine SFH were examined which resulted in a reproducible acute increase of pulmonary vascular resistance of approx. 9 mmHg (controls, n = 6). It was tested whether the platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist WEB 2086 (50 microM; n = 6), the cyclooxygenase blocker diclofenac (10 micrograms/ml; n = 6), the iron-chelating agent deferoxamine (500 micrograms/ml, n = 6) and the radical scavenger catalase (5000 U/ml; n = 6) exert a protective effect on vasoconstrictor response to SFH. The pressure increase was completely suppressed in the lungs pretreated with WEB 2086, whereas diclofenac, deferoxamine and catalase failed to inhibit the vasoconstriction due to SFH. No significant differences in either TXB2 generation or in histamine release were found in the WEB 2086 group compared with untreated lungs. The results point towards the crucial role of PAF in mediation of vasoconstrictor side effects due to SFH.

Animals↗

Pharmacological and functional characterization of D2, D3 and D4 dopamine receptors in fibroblast and dopaminergic cell lines.

In order to study the properties of the D2-like dopamine receptors, D2, D3 and D4 clones were transfected into mouse Ltk- fibroblasts, CCL1.3, and a neuronal mesencephalic cell line, MN9D. Most of the derived antagonist and agonist inhibition constants were the same for a given receptor in either cell line as determined by saturation and competition binding experiments. The rank order potencies for antagonists are: eticlopride, D2 > D3 > D4; YM-09151-2, D2 = D4 > D3; spiperone, D2 = D3 > D4; (+)-butaclamol, D2 > D3 > D4; clozapine, D4 > D2 > D3; and for agonists, quinpirole, D3 = D4 > D2; 7-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propyl)-aminotetralin, D3 > D2 = D4. Functionally, D2 stimulation increases inositol phosphate levels in CCL1.3 cells but not in MN9D, whereas D2 activation inhibits forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP levels in both cell lines. D4 stimulation has no effect on inositol phosphate metabolism in either cell type, but inhibits adenylate cyclase in MN9D cells. Both the D2 and D4 mediated decreases in cyclic AMP can be blocked by preincubation with pertussis toxin. D3 does not couple to these pathways in either cell line. Reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction techniques were used to determine the availability of cellular signalling systems. Both CCL1.3 and MN9D cells have high levels of G alpha i2 expression, whereas neither cell expresses G alpha i1 or G alpha i3. These data imply that the D2 receptor couples to the G alpha i2 subtype in both cell lines, whereas D4 does not.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors↗

Scanning electrochemical microscopy. 24. Enzyme ultramicroelectrodes for the measurement of hydrogen peroxide at surfaces.

Hydrogen peroxide sensing microelectrodes for scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) have been developed and used to measure hydrogen peroxide in the diffusion layer during electrochemical reduction of oxygen on gold and carbon electrodes. These microelectrode biosensors were also used to detect immobilized glucose oxidase through the production of hydrogen peroxide during enzymatic oxidation of glucose. Images of hydrogen peroxide concentration profiles near a platinum microdisk during catalytic decomposition of peroxide and in the diffusion layer of a carbon-platinum composite electrode during oxygen reduction are presented. The factors limiting the spatial resolution (tens of micrometers) and potential applications of the technique are discussed.

Biosensing Techniques↗

Glucose electrodes based on cross-linked [Os(bpy)2Cl]+/2+ complexed poly(1-vinylimidazole) films.

Enzyme electrodes based on a redox hydrogel formed upon complexing water-soluble poly(1-vinylimidazole) (PVI) with [Os(bpy)2Cl]+ and cross-linked with water-soluble poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (molecular weight 400, peg 400) are described. The properties of the electrodes depended on their polymers' osmium content, the extent of cross-linking, the pH, and the ionic strength in which they were used. The redox hydrogels' electron diffusion coefficients (De) increased with osmium content of their polymers. The De values were 1.5 x 10(-8), 1.3 x 10(-8), and 4.3 x 10(-9) cm2/s for PVI3-Os, PVI5-Os, and PVI10-Os, respectively, the subscripts indicating the number of monomer units per osmium redox center. De decreased with increasing ionic strength and increased upon protonation of the polymer. In glucose electrodes, made by incorporating into their films glucose oxidase (GOX) through covalent bonding in the cross-linking step, glucose was electrooxidized at > 150 mV (SCE). The characteristics of these electrodes depended on the GOX concentration, film thickness, O2 concentration, pH, NaCl concentration, and electrode potential. The steady-state glucose electrooxidation currents were independent of the polymers' osmium content in the studied (3-10 monomer units per osmium center) range. Electrodes containing 39% GOX reached steady-state glucose electrooxidation current densities of 400 microA/cm2 and, when made with thick gel films, were selective for glucose in the presence of physiological concentrations of ascorbate and acetaminophen.

2,2'-Dipyridyl↗