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Biomedical subjects

J C Martin

Publications and source records attributed to J C Martin.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Treatment of latent rabbit and human papillomavirus infections with 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxy)ethylguanine (PMEG).

The acyclic nucleotide PMEG was studied for effectiveness against Shope papillomavirus (CRPV) infection of rabbits and human papillomavirus type 11 (HPV-11) infections of human foreskin xenografts in athymic mice. PMEG given in the latent period strongly suppressed the subsequent growth rates of Shope papillomas. PMEG starting in the latent period and continuing for the duration of the experiment, inhibited HPV-11 infections of human skin, including condyloma growth, and synthesis of viral DNA and capsid antigen. Drug toxicity paralleled the therapeutic effects in rabbits but there was much less toxicity in athymic mice.

Animals↗

Corrosion protection of metal implants by hard biocompatible ceramic coatings deposited by radio-frequency sputtering.

Most metals used for orthopaedic and stomatology implants and prostheses belong to the families of titanium or nickel-based and cobalt-based superalloys designed for advanced technology industries (e.g. space, aeronautic and nuclear industries). Ideal materials should be as insoluble and biologically compatible as possible. In the present paper the corrosion behaviour of Ni-Cr and Co-Cr alloys in biological media is evaluated through potentiodynamic polarization tests. It is shown that these metals exhibit some minor release of the component elements and degradation products, which may induce cytotoxic and allergic effects. The corrosion resistance of these alloys can be strongly enhanced by hard ceramic coatings deposited by radio-frequency sputtering. The biocompatibility of coated and uncoated metals is compared from differentiated human cell cultures.

Chromium Alloys↗

Acyclic purine phosphonate analogues as antiviral agents. Synthesis and structure-activity relationships.

A series of 9-(phosphonoalkyl)purines, which are analogues of 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]purines (guanine, PMEG, 1; adenine, PMEA, 2), were synthesized. The analogues were tested for activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Rauscher murine leukemia virus (R-MuLV), and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). With variations in the length of the alkyl chain, the optimal activity was achieved with two carbons between the purine base and the phosphonomethoxy functionality. Despite the structural similarity and the close pKa2 value of 8 to that of PMEG, no phosphorylation of 8 was observed by the bovine brain guanylate kinase. Since all isosteric analogues of PMEG (7-9) were not inhibitory against HSV-1 and HSV-2, the presence of the 3'-oxygen atom in the PME purines proved critical for anti-HSV activity. Introduction of the 1'-methyl group on the PMEG side chain significantly reduced its anti-HSV activity. Analogue 11, which is a mimic of the phosphate by incorporation of the alpha,alpha-difluoro carbon, was ineffective against HSV-1 and HSV-2. These results suggest that the structural requirements of PME purines for anti-HSV activity appear to be very strict.

Antiviral Agents↗

Synthesis and antiviral activity of (S)-9-[4-hydroxy-3-(phosphonomethoxy)butyl]guanine.

The synthesis of (S)-9-[4-hydroxy-3-(phosphonomethoxy)butyl]guanine (3), starting from (S)-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane (4), is described. Alkylation of trityl derivative 7 with (diethylphosphono)methyl triflate provided phosphonate 8, which was readily converted to mesylate 12 in three steps. Nucleophilic substitution of the mesylate group of 12 by 2-amino-6-chloropurine sodium salt led to (S)-2-amino-6-chloro-9-[3-[(diethyl-phosphono)methoxy]-4-(tetrahydro- 2H-pyran-2-yloxy)butyl]purine (13). Sequential treatment of 13 with trimethylsilyl bromide and then with 2 N HCl furnished 3. Preliminary in vitro screening indicated that 3 exhibited a potent activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) but was not active against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). The adenine and cytosine derivatives (14 and 15) did not exhibit activity against HSV-1 and -2 and HCMV.

Adenine↗

Synthesis and anti-HIV activity of several 2'-fluoro-containing pyrimidine nucleosides.

Several 2'-fluoroarabino-2',3'-dideoxy- and 2'-fluoro-2',3'-unsaturated 2',3'-dideoxy pyrimidine nucleoside analogues are reported. The saturated analogues 1-(2,3-dideoxy-2-fluoro-beta-D-threo-pentofuranosyl)thymine (2'-threo-FddT, 33), 1-(2,3-dideoxy-2-fluoro-beta-D-threo-pentofuranosyl)uracil (2'-threo-FddU, 22) were readily prepared from the corresponding 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoroarabinosyl nucleoside analogue by radical deoxygenation of the 3'-OH. The unsaturated compounds 1-(2,3-dideoxy-2-fluoro-beta-D-glycero-pent-2-enofuranosyl)thymine (2'-Fd4T, 40) and 1-[5-O-(mono-methoxytrityl)-2-fluoro-2,3-dideoxy-beta-D-glycero-pen t-2- enofuranosyl]uracil (39) were synthesized by an elimination reaction of the O-2,3'-anhydro-2'-fluoro-lyxo derivatives under basic conditions. The cytidine analogues 28 and 41 were prepared by amination of the corresponding uridine derivatives; compounds 28 and 41 were deprotected to give 1-(2,3-dideoxy-2-fluoro-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)cytidine (2'-threo-FddC, 29) and 1-(2,3-dideoxy-2-fluoro-beta-D-glycero-pent-2- enofuranosyl)cytosine (2'-Fd4C, 42), respectively. All of these novel compounds were evaluated in vitro against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (LAV isolate). 2'-threo-FddC (29) was the most active of the newly synthesized substances against HIV with an ID50 of 0.8 microgram/mL; ddC had an ID50 of 0.007 micrograms/mL. Because of its potency in the initial tests, 29 was further evaluated in both T cells and macrophage/monocyte cell lines, with several different isolates of HIV. Although 2'-threo-FddC (29) exhibited good antiviral activity in these systems it was less active than AZT in these assays. At 1 microM the inhibition of CFU-GM by 29 was found to be 35-40%; this is slightly higher than seen with AZT.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Domain communication in the dynamical structure of human immunodeficiency virus 1 protease.

A dynamical model for the structure of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) protease dimer in aqueous solution has been developed on the basis of molecular dynamics simulation. The model provides an accurate account of the crystal geometry and also a prediction of the structural reorganization expected to occur in the protein in aqueous solution compared to the crystalline environment. Analysis of the results by means of dynamical cross-correlation coefficients for atomic displacements indicates that domain-domain communication is present in the protein in the form of a molecular "cantilever" and is likely to be involved in enzyme function at the molecular level. The dynamical structure also suggests information that may ultimately be useful in understanding and further development of specific inhibitors of HIV-1 protease.

Binding Sites↗

Analysis of immune response: comparison of immunoblots after isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using cytoplasmic protein extract from Brucella.

Analysis of the immune response towards the facultative intracellular bacterium, Brucella melitensis, was studied by immunoblotting after either isoelectric focusing (IEF) or sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). A cytoplasmic extract (CPE) of Brucella melitensis was used as antigen to analyse the response in 17 sera from naturally infected goats. CPE analysed by IEF exhibited 25 proteins within the pH range of 4.35 to 6. Immunoblotting revealed most of the stained bands around pH 4.5-5.4. CPE analysed by SDS-PAGE showed more than 20 silver stained proteins in the molecular range of 16-18 kDa to 70 kDa but immunoblotting revealed only 1 to 6 bands according to the sera tested. Because proteins are preserved in their native state with IEF, in contrast to SDS-PAGE treatment, this technique may be best suited for analysis of the overall response to natural infection.

Animals↗

Biochemical pharmacology of acyclic nucleotide analogues.

Our studies have shown that the acyclic nucleotide analogues PMEA and HPMPC are able to penetrate into cells and are then activated to mono- and diphosphate derivatives. The latter correspond to triphosphate analogues and presumably serve an important role in the biological activity exerted by these antiviral agents. In support of this idea, the inhibitory effect of PMEApp on HIV reverse transcriptase has been demonstrated with both RNA and DNA template-primer systems. Further studies will be undertaken to determine the effect of HPMPCpp on viral DNA polymerases. Whereas the metabolism of PMEA in CEM cells gives rise to only PMEAp and PMEApp, additional metabolites were obtained in MRC-5 cells; the identity of these metabolites remains to be determined. In the case of HPMPC, a third metabolite was obtained in addition to HPMPCp and HPMPCpp, which has been tentatively assigned as a phosphate-choline adduct by analogy with activation of cytosine-based nucleoside derivatives. The metabolism of HPMPC was unchanged between uninfected and infected cells, indicating that viral enzymes are not necessary for the activation of HPMPC. The long intracellular half-lives of the HPMPC metabolites may have implications for the antiviral efficacy of this compound. The persistence of activated metabolites suggests that infrequent dosing may be possible due to a prolonged antiviral effect. Our results on the effectiveness of infrequent dosing schedules with HPMPC in the treatment of HSV 2 infections in mice support this hypothesis. It is also possible that HPMPCp-choline may serve as a reservoir for HPMPC and therefore for the presumed active metabolite HPMPCpp.

Adenine↗

Comparison of in vitro biological properties and mouse toxicities of three thymidine analogs active against human immunodeficiency virus.

Three analogs of thymidine, D4T [2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine; 1-(2,3-dideoxy-beta-D-glyceropent-2-enofuranosyl)thymine], FddT (3'-fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine), and AZT (3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine), were compared in biological tests designed to assess their potential utility as anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) agents. The in vitro potencies of these compounds against HIV infection in CEM cells were measured, with FddT and AZT being more potent than D4T. The cytotoxicities of D4T, FddT, and AZT for CEM cells were comparable. The triphosphates of these three derivatives inhibited purified HIV reverse transcriptase, and their affinities for this polymerase were found to be 1 or 2 orders of magnitude greater than that for the normal substrate, dTTP. D4T was less toxic than FddT or AZT for cultured human and mouse bone marrow cells (granulocyte-macrophage CFU). The three compounds had similar toxicities for human progenitor erythrocyte burst-forming units. In a 30-day mouse toxicity study, AZT and FddT produced a similar spectrum of hematopoietic toxicities. These toxic effects occurred at much lower doses of FddT than of AZT. At the higher doses of FddT, a significant incidence of lethality occurred. By contrast, D4T was considerably less toxic than both AZT and FddT in this study. The dose-limiting toxicity of D4T in mice was hepatotoxicity. The very different phosphorylation patterns of D4T, its lower toxicity, and its comparable potency relative to FddT and AZT suggest that the potential of D4T as an anti-HIV agent should be further explored.

Administration, Oral↗

The activation of the contact phase of coagulation by physiologic surfaces in plasma: the effect of large negatively charged liposomal vesicles.

The endogenous, negatively charged surface that induces activation of the contact coagulation factors was investigated in plasmas taken from women in late pregnancy and control subjects of child-bearing age. The plasmas from the two groups of subjects were incubated at 4 degrees C for 24 hours either in plastic or in glass tubes and the factor VII coagulant activity (VIIc) was assayed in the treated plasmas. The activation of factor VII under these conditions involves the generation of enzymes derived from factor XII (XIIa). The contact surface is rate-limiting for the activation of factor VII in the plasmas in both groups of subjects and can be supplemented by large multilamellar liposomal vesicles carrying the appropriate density of negative charge. The size of these vesicles is within the range of sizes of the large lipoprotein particles (chylomicrons, very low and intermediate-density lipoproteins). The relationship between the density of negative charge on the liposomal vesicles and VIIc was similar in the late pregnancy and the control plasmas incubated in plastic tubes. At a saturating density of negative charge the observed relative VIIc was similar in both sets of plasmas. The incubation of late pregnancy or control plasma in plastic tubes in the presence of sodium stearate caused VIIc to increase with increasing concentration of the added fatty acid. These results suggest that large lipoprotein particles carrying the appropriate free fatty acid at a sufficient density of negative charge could provide the contact surface that induces the generation of factor XIIa and the subsequent activation of factor VII. Moreover, plasmas from women in late pregnancy have a higher concentration of potential surface and a higher density of negative charge than the plasmas from nonpregnant women.

Anions↗

Raman spectroscopy of supercoiled and nicked ColE1 plasmid.

Native supercoiled and nicked ColE1 DNA were examined using laser Raman spectroscopy. ColE1 contains 6646 base pairs (bp) and, when supercoiled, approximately 47 negative supercoils. An analytical buoyant density gradient centrifugation technique developed by Burke and Bauer was scaled to preparative quantities, and used to isolate the supercoiled plasmid fraction from its nicked counterpart. This procedure allowed enriched fractions of the supercoiled plasmid to be extracted without the use of the optical contaminant ethidium bromide. The intensities of several Raman bands were altered between the spectra of the two topological forms. Notably absent were any changes in bands arising from cytosine and guanine vibrations. The observed changes are interpreted in terms of the polymorphic structures which have been observed in many DNA structural studies. The results of this study suggest that accommodation of supercoiling takes place chiefly in A-T base pairs and backbone moieties, without substantial modification of G-C base-pair structure. Premelting effects may account for the observed changes, including a slight shift to lower frequency of a band known to be responsive to base-pair disruption. Heteronomous ribose sugar pucker is evident in both supercoiled and nicked plasmid species. No gross conformational transitions were detected for native supercoiled DNA, and consequently, subtle rearrangements appear sufficient to absorb the supercoiling deformations.

Bacteriocin Plasmids↗

Synthesis and antiviral activity of the nucleotide analogue (S)-1-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonylmethoxy)propyl]cytosine.

The acyclic nucleotide analogue (S)-1-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonylmethoxy)propyl] cytosine (2, HPMPC) was prepared on a multigram scale in 18% overall yield starting from (R)-2,3-O-isopropylideneglycerol. The key step in the nine-step synthetic route is coupling of cytosine with the side-chain derivative 8 which bears a protected phosphonylmethyl ether group. In vitro data showed that HPMPC has good activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, although it was 10-fold less potent than acyclovir [AVC, 9-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]guanine]. By comparison, HPMPC exhibited greater activity than ACV against a thymidine kinase deficient strain of HSV 1 and was more potent than ganciclovir [DHPG, 9-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]guanine] against human cytomegalovirus. In vivo, HPMPC showed exceptional potency against HSV 1 systemic infection in mice, having an ED50 of 0.1 mg/kg per day (ip) compared with 50 mg/kg per day for ACV. HPMPC was also more efficacious than ACV in the topical treatment of HSV 1 induced cutaneous lesions in guinea pigs.

Animals↗

Facilitating and assessing progress toward independence: SPARX.

As children with spina bifida are thriving physically, a need for encouraging independent behavior has arisen. The dynamics of dependency undermine youngster's potential for autonomous functioning. As programs are being developed, there is a need to measure the dimensions which contribute to independent behavior. As an outgrowth of the SPARX independence-training program at Shepherd Spinal Center, Atlanta, such a tool is being developed. The Independent Behavior Inventory focuses on those dimensions contributing to development of independence, including problem-solving, communication, self-help, family support, etc. Although the sample is small, reliability and validity statistics have been computed, and look promising. Use of the instrument in clinical settings in encouraged. Professionals are encouraged to intervene early with families so that the dynamics of dependency can be undermined and independence facilitated.

Activities of Daily Living↗

High-speed DNA sequencing: an approach based upon fluorescence detection of single molecules.

We are developing a laser based technique for the rapid sequencing of large fragments (approximately 40 kb) of DNA based upon the detection of single, fluorescently tagged nucleotides cleaved from a single DNA fragment. We have demonstrated significant progress on several of the important steps of this technique. The projected rate of sequencing is several hundred bases per second which is orders of magnitude faster than existing methods. Once developed, this technology could be utilized by investigators for rapid sequencing of genetic material from virtually any source.

Base Sequence↗