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Biomedical subjects

L Huang

Publications and source records attributed to L Huang.

At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources

pH-sensitive immunoliposomes mediate target-cell-specific delivery and controlled expression of a foreign gene in mouse.

A plasmid containing the Escherichia coli chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene under the control of a mammalian cAMP-regulated promoter was entrapped in H-2Kk antibody-coated liposomes composed of dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine, cholesterol, and oleic acid (pH-sensitive immunoliposomes). The entrapped or free DNA was injected intraperitoneally into immunodeficient (nude) BALB/c mice bearing ascites tumor generated by H-2Kk-positive RDM-4 lymphoma cells. About 20% of the injected immunoliposomes were taken up by the target RDM-4 cells. Uptake was much less when liposomes without antibody were used. The presence of the targeting antibody on liposomes also significantly decreased the nonspecific uptake of liposomes by the spleen. Significant CAT enzyme activity was detected in RDM-4 cells from mice treated with DNA entrapped in the pH-sensitive immunoliposomes. Furthermore, CAT expression in RDM-4 cells was under the control of cAMP, as only the cells from mice injected with 8-bromo-cAMP and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine showed CAT activity. CAT activity in liver and spleen was much lower (by factors of 12 and 5, respectively) than in the RDM-4 cells, and the activities in these reticuloendothelial organs were not regulated by cAMP. CAT activity in RDM-4 cells from mice injected with DNA entrapped in pH-insensitive immunoliposomes (containing phosphatidylcholine in place of phosphatidylethanolamine) was approximately one-fourth that in RDM-4 cells from mice injected with pH-sensitive immunoliposomes, indicating the superior delivery efficiency of the pH-sensitive liposomes. These results are discussed in terms of the DNA-carrier potential of immunoliposomes in therapy of cancer and genetic diseases.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗

Increased survival of skin flaps by scavengers of superoxide radical.

Elevation of rat abdominal skin flaps, followed by ligation and division of the left inferior neurovascular pedicle, resulted in only a 40% survival of the area normally perfused by the ligated artery and vein. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) (EC 1.15.1.1) administered i.v. (20,000 U/kg) 30 min before flap elevation increased survival to 52%. SOD derivatized with polyethylene glycol, which increases circulating half-life, was more effective, increasing survival to 80%. This protective effect resulted from the catalytic activity of the derivatized enzyme because inactivation by treatment with H2O2 eliminated its effect on skin flap survival. An equimolar mixture of Desferal and MnCl2, which catalyzes the dismutation of O2- in vitro, improved survival to 72%. Desferal-Fe3+, which lacks in vitro SOD activity, or Mn2+ alone did not affect the survival of skin flaps, but Desferal alone was nearly as effective as the Desferal-Mn2+ mixture. This effect of Desferal may result from acquisition of and subsequent removal of iron in vivo. These results support the view that the superoxide radical or a product derived from it plays a role in limiting the survival of island skin flaps.

Animals↗

Isolation of a Cellodextrinase from Bacteroides succinogenes.

An enzyme which released the cellobiose group from p-nitrophenyl cellobioside was isolated from the periplasmic space of Bacteroides succinogenes grown on Avicel crystalline cellulose in a continuous cultivation system and separated from endoglucanases by column chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was approximately 40,000, as estimated by gel filtration. The enzyme has an isoelectric point of 4.9. The enzyme exhibited low hydrolytic activity on acid-swollen cellulose and practically no activity on carboxymethyl cellulose, Avicel cellulose, and cellobiose, but it hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl lactoside and released cellobiose from cellotriose and from higher cello-oligosaccharides. These data demonstrate that the enzyme is a cellodextrinase with an exotype of function.

Journal Article↗

Gadolinium-labeled liposomes: targeted MR contrast agents for the liver and spleen.

A contrast agent for use in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the liver and spleen has been designed in which gadolinium-DTPA is chemically incorporated into the lamellar phase of liposome particles. This agent has excellent in vivo stability and is taken up by liver and spleen of normal mice after intravenous administration. The T1 increased by 110% in liver and 66% in spleen at 4 degrees C. At 37 degrees, the relaxation rate in the liver increased by 180%. This method is an attractive concept for the development of various organ-specific liposomal contrast agents that may be used for either MR imaging or nuclear medicine.

Animals↗

Preparation of colloidal gold-labeled agarose-gelatin microspherules for electron microscopic studies of phagocytosis in cultured cells.

Agarose-gelatin microspherules about 0.5 micron or larger are prepared with emulsification of 4% agarose-gelatin sol containing 0.2 M N-octylglucoside in an organic phase composed of cyclohexane, egg lecithin, Span 80, and ethanol, followed by extraction of lipophilic components with cyclohexane and ether. Colloidal gold particles are then introduced into microspherules using gold chloride reacting at room temperature with tannic acid in a specified concentration range. After they have been coated with bovine serum albumin or mouse IgG, colloidal gold-labeled microspherules can be readily phagocytized by mouse L-cells and P388 cells after incubation for several hours. In addition to their use as a novel marker for phagocytosis, we discuss other potential uses for these colloidal gold-labeled microspherules.

Animals↗

A putative mediator of insulin action which inhibits adenylate cyclase and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase: partial purification from rat liver: site and kinetic mechanism of action.

A novel putative mediator of insulin action which acts to inhibit adenylate cyclase and cAMP-dependent protein kinase has been purified from livers of insulin-treated streptozotocin-diabetic rats. It was increased by short term (5-min) insulin injections in vivo and purified several thousand-fold by Sephadex and HPLC. Its mol wt was somewhat larger (2500) than previous mediators identified, and it was more hydrophobic in character. Its mechanism of action or adenylate cyclase was determined and found to be chiefly directed against the catalytic subunit. Its action on the cAMP-dependent protein kinase was found to be competitive with regard to protein substrate, but noncompetitive with regard to ATP and cAMP. Its relationship to other putative insulin mediators and the mechanism of insulin action is discussed.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Inhibition of herpes simplex virus replication in the mouse cornea by drug containing immunoliposomes.

Monoclonal antibody to HSV glycoprotein D was derivatized with palmitic acid and incorporated into liposomes. These immunoliposomes bound specifically to intact mouse corneas infected with HSV-1 in vitro. Furthermore, in yield reduction assays, anti-gD immunoliposomes loaded with acyclovir proved far more effective at inhibiting viral replication in the cornea than free drug or drug delivered in untargeted liposomes. Site-specific sustained release immunoliposomes of this type are potentially an improved vehicle for drug delivery in the treatment of ocular HSV.

Acyclovir↗

Trypsin induced destabilization of liposomes composed of dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine and glycophorin.

Destabilization of liposomes composed of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and purified glycophorin of human erythrocytes was studied with the release of an entrapped fluorescent dye, calcein. Proteolytic cleavage of liposomes by trypsin induced a rapid increase of turbidity and the leakage of calcein from the liposomes. Kinetic experiments indicated that the destabilization was a second order reaction, i.e. it required liposome collision. Using N-(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl) PE as a fluorescent probe for the formation of hexagonal phase of PE, tryptic digestion of the liposomes resulted in a higher tendency of the PE bilayer to transform into the hexagonal phase. We propose that hexagonal (or inverted micellar) structures are involved in the trypsin induced liposome destabilization.

Erythrocytes↗

Biodistribution of pH-sensitive immunoliposomes.

Liposomes composed of either dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine and oleic acid (pH-sensitive) or dioleoylphosphatidylcholine and oleic acid (pH-insensitive) were injected into C3H and Balb/c mice in order to determine the tissue distribution of both the lipid and the aqueous content. The lipid component was monitored by use of [3H]cholestanyl ether and the aqueous content was monitored by use of encapsulated 125I-tyraminyl-inulin. The pH-insensitive liposomes injected into both types of mice were rapidly cleared from the blood stream followed by accumulation primarily in the liver, followed by the spleen. The presence of a monoclonal antibody on the liposome surface caused a slight acceleration in liver accumulation, though generally gave the same profile as the antibody-free liposomes. pH-sensitive liposomes were leaky upon exposure to the mouse plasma following injection. The lipid component, though, displayed a large amount (e.g., 50-70% in C3H mice) of accumulation in the lung for up to 6 h, followed by a subsequent appearance in the liver and spleen. The presence of monoclonal antibody had no effect on the tissue distribution profile. These results indicate that the pH-sensitive liposomes, although ineffective as an aqueous drug delivery agent, may be effective as a means of delivering lipophilic drugs to the lung.

Animals↗

Target-sensitive immunoliposomes: preparation and characterization.

A novel target-sensitive immunoliposome was prepared and characterized. In this design, target-specific binding of antibody-coated liposomes was sufficient to induce bilayer destabilization, resulting in a site-specific release of liposome contents. Unilamellar liposomes were prepared by using a small quantity of palmitoyl-immunoglobulin G (pIgG) to stabilize the bilayer phase of the unsaturated dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (PE) which by itself does not form stable liposomes. A mouse monoclonal IgG antibody to the glycoprotein D of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and PE were used in this study. A minimal coupling stoichiometry of 2.2 palmitic acids per IgG was essential for the stabilization activity of pIgG. In addition, the minimal pIgG to PE molar ratio for stable liposomes was 2.5 X 10(-4). PE immunoliposomes bound with HSV-infected mouse L929 cells with an apparent Kd of 1.00 X 10(-8) M which was approximately the same as that of the native antibody. When 50 mM calcein was encapsulated in the PE immunoliposomes as an aqueous marker, binding of the liposomes to HSV-infected cells resulted in a cell concentration dependent lysis of the liposomes as detected by the release of the encapsulated calcein. Neither uninfected nor Sendai virus infected cells caused a significant amount of calcein release. Therefore, the release of calcein from PE immunoliposomes was target specific. Dioleoylphosphatidylcholine immunoliposomes were not lysed upon contact with infected cells under the same conditions, indicating that PE was essential for the target-specific liposome destabilization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Destabilization of target-sensitive immunoliposomes by antigen binding--a rapid assay for virus.

Interactions of antibody stabilized phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) immunoliposomes with Herpes Simplex virus (HSV) and virus infected cells were studied by detecting the immune-dependent lysis of liposomes. Employing PE immunoliposomes bearing anti-HSV glycoprotein D (gD) IgG, immune-specificity of these liposomes were documented by the sole ability of HSV and the HSV-infected L cells to induce immunoliposome lysis. In addition, inhibition of PE immunoliposome lysis by free anti-gD IgG, but not anti-HSV glycoprotein B IgG, indicated the target antigen specificity of these immunoliposomes. Based on these observations, alkaline phosphate encapsulated PE liposomes were used to directly detect HSV in fluid phase. This immunoliposome assay which does not require washing was shown to be very rapid and sensitive: 35pfu of HSV-1 in 5ul could be detected within 1.5hr.

Animals↗