Biomedical subjects

D Letourneur

Publications and source records attributed to D Letourneur.

39 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Sulfonated dextran inhibits complement activation and complement-dependent cytotoxicity in an in vitro model of hyperacute xenograft rejection.

In the present study, we demonstrate that a substituted soluble dextran derivative bearing 73% carboxylic groups and 15% benzylamide sulfonate groups, termed CMDBS25, inhibits complement activation and complement-mediated damage in an in vitro model of xenogeneic rejection. Incubation of porcine aortic endothelial cells with normal human serum resulted in time-dependent complement consumption as assessed by C3a generation in the fluid phase and deposition of activated complement fragments C3, C5 and of C5b-9 on target cells. The presence of C5b-9 membrane attack complex was associated with 51Cr release from prelabelled endothelial cells. The addition of 5-25 mg of CMDBS25/ml under the experimental conditions used, inhibited complement activation and C3a generation in a dose-dependent fashion. CMDBS25 (25 mg/ml) totally suppressed iC3b, C5 and C5b-9 cytolytic complex deposition on cells and inhibits by 42% lysis of target endothelial cells. Native dextran had no effect. Our observations document the anti-complementary properties of sulfonated dextran derivatives and their potential as therapeutic agents for the prevention of complement-dependent hyperacute xenograft rejection.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Extending insulin action in vivo by conjugation to carboxymethyl dextran.

The biochemical and pharmacological properties of bioactive peptides and proteins can be altered by conjugation with polymers. This report describes site-specific attachment of insulin to activated carboxyl groups of carboxymethyl dextran (CMD, MW=51000) through the GlyA1 insulin amino group. On average, three or four insulin molecules were grafted to a CMD linear chain. Coupled insulin molecules were properly folded, and the bioactivity of conjugated insulin in the blood glucose depression assay was 9.6 IU/mg, which was only 2.6 times less than that for native insulin. The cell growth study indicated that the CMD-insulin conjugate was as mitogenic as insulin on vascular smooth muscle cells, whereas the starting CMD polymer was not. The insulin receptor binding constant of the conjugate (3.6 x 10[9] M[-1]) compared well with that of native insulin (7.6 x 10[9] M[-1]), indicating that the CMD chain does not present any major constraints to binding. Plasma clearance of CMD-insulin obeyed a two-compartment pharmacokinetic (PK) model with a CMD-insulin conjugate plasma elimination half-life of 114.1 min, which was significantly longer than that of soluble Zn-insulin (12.4 min). In contrast, pharmacodynamic (PD) profiles (blood glucose lowering effects) after intravenous (iv) administration of the conjugate or insulin in rats were not different. Subcutaneous (sc) administration of the conjugate resulted in a significantly prolonged plasma profile with a noncompartmental PK parameter mean residence time (MRT) of 103.5 min which was significantly longer than that of soluble Zn-insulin (40.5 min). This was reflected in the protracted PD effect of sc administered conjugate with time needed to reach minimum glucose concentration Tnadir of 95.7 min, which was significantly longer than that of insulin (62 min). We conclude that the conjugation of insulin to CMD leads to a bioactive conjugate with a delayed sc PD profile showing prolonged response, resembling intermediate acting insulin preparations.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Inhibitory effects of dextran derivatives in vitro on the growth characteristics of premalignant and malignant human mammary epithelial cell lines.

The effects of two dextran derivatives (CMDBS-6 and CMDBS-12) on the growth rates of three human mammary epithelial cell lines (HBL100,HH9 and MCF7) were studied. CMDBS-6 markedly inhibited the growth of all lines, while CMDBS-12 and native dextran T40 had no effect on the growth of all lines. This inhibition was dose-dependent, reversible and inversely related to the concentration of fetal calf serum. The inhibitory effect of CMDBS-6 is cytostatic but not cytotoxic. Moreover, CMDBS-6 appears to have a stronger effect on HBL100 cells which are non-tumorigenic in nude mice. In contrast, the growth of HH9 cells, which are highly tumorigenic in nude mice, is less inhibited by CMDBS-6. Whereas CMDBS-6 inhibited the HBL100 cell anchorage, that of HH9 cells was not affected. By analysing the cell distribution in the various phases of the cell cycle, we have observed that CMDBS-6 arrested HBL100 and MCF7 cell mainly in the G0/GI phase. In contrast, HH9 cells were accumulated in the G2/M phase. When treated with CMDBS-6, human mammary cells slightly increased their granularities. These results demonstrate an antiproliferative activity of CMDBS-6 which could not be explained by an inactivation of mitogens provided by the serum but suggest that this compound could exert its cytostatic effects via a cell-specific mechanism.

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