The purpose of this study was to establish magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) in different stages of neurocysticercosis. A total 2,532 cysticerci were studied prospectively in 15 cases. MTR from different regions of the lesions (ie, the cyst, the protoscolex or mural nodule, the granuloma wall) were calculated in different stages of evolution/degeneration in all cases. Of a total 2,532 lesions studied, 2,261 (89.29%) were seen on routine spin-echo (SE) imaging. The rest of the lesions were only seen on magnetization transfer (MT) SE imaging. Maximum MTR was calculated from healing lesions (mean + SD = 31.0+/-2.8) and from the core of SE invisible lesions (30.0+/-5.1). Innocuous cystic lesions, which were hyperintense on T2-weighted images, did not show any MT (MTR = 5.10+/-1.2), whereas degenerating T2 hyperintense lesions showed MTR of 26.40+/-2.7. Nondegenerating and degenerating scolices showed an intermediate MTR of 21.7+/-3.3 and 15.0+/-4.5, respectively. MT varies between different parts of the lesion and also from the same part in different stages of evolution/degeneration of the lesion. The visibility of a lesion on MT-SE sequence was dependent on its MTR and its location at a particular site (cortical gray matter, white matter, or deep gray matter). The difference in MTR of the lesion and the surrounding brain parenchyma decides the resulting contrast and visibility of the lesion.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic pain and depression: a review.

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Antidepressive Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Haptoglobin typing from fatty tissues after extraction with non-ionic detergents.

Of the seven non-ionic detergents tested, Span 40, Tween 20 and Triton X-45 were suitable for extraction of haptoglobin (Hp) from fatty tissues. The extracted samples were subjected to electrophoresis and subsequently stained with o-tolidine. Enzyme-immunoassay and Western blotting (electrophoretic) techniques were used successfully to determine the Hp phenotypes from minute quantities of tissue samples after extractions with non-ionic detergents.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Acute ethanol ingestion modifies the circulating plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide.

Since ethanol ingestion is associated with a disruption of water and electrolyte balance in a variety of species, we sought to evaluate the regulatory control of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in response to acute doses of ethanol. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered a 5-g/kg dose of ethanol (40% w/v) via a gastric tube, while control animals received an equivalent volume of water. Expressed as a percentage of control, plasma ANP levels were 39.0%, 28.5%, and 23.6% in the ethanol-treated animals at 30, 60, and 120 min postintubation, respectively. Ethanol-treated animals displayed blood alcohol concentrations of 89.0, 137.6, and 214.1 mg/dl at the same time periods. After 120 min, plasma renin activity was elevated from 8.7 to 20.3 ng/ml/h in conjunction with an increase in the levels of circulating aldosterone from 16.3 to 42.5 ng/dl and an increase in plasma vasopressin from 2.2 to 3.6 pg/ml. Levels of atrial ANP mRNA remained consistent over the time course of the experiment, and no changes in the amount of ventricular ANP transcript were observed. Tissue ANP levels were similar between ethanol-treated and water-loaded control animals. In vitro experiments using cultured cardiac myocytes suggest that ethanol exposure may not directly affect ANP secretion. We propose that acute ethanol treatment may inhibit atrial distension and subsequently modify the control of ANP release under volume loading conditions.

Aldosterone↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Involvement of Th1 subset in allogeneic keratinocyte rejection.

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Animals↗

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New strategy in glycopolymer synthesis. Preparation of antigenic water-soluble poly(acrylamide-co-p-acrylamidophenyl beta-lactoside).

Stereospecific phase-transfer-catalyzed glycosidation of acetobromolactose 3 with p-nitrophenoxide gave the peracetylated 1,2-trans-beta-D-4-nitrophenyl lactoside 4. Functionalization of 4 into an N-acryloyl monomer was achieved by catalytic transfer hydrogenation of the nitro group, followed by N-acryloylation of the resulting amino group, on both O-acetyl-protected and unprotected disaccharides. Copolymerization of 4-acrylamidophenyl beta-lactoside (9) with acrylamide, initiated by ammonium persulfate, afforded a water-soluble carbohydrate copolymer (glycopolymer). The antigenicity of the new polymer was demonstrated by agar gel diffusion with Arachis hypogaea (peanut) and Ricinus communis (castor bean) lectins. Quantitative precipitation and enzyme linked lectin assays (ELLA) were also performed with peanut lectin.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Chemoenzymatic synthesis and lectin binding properties of dendritic N-acetyllactosamine.

Proof that multivalency amplifies individual carbohydrate-protein interactions is growing. N-Acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)-based dendrimers with valencies of two (9), four (10), and eight (11) were prepared in fair to excellent yields (65-99%) on the basis of the rational scaffolding of L-lysine on solid phase using established Fmoc and HOBt chemistry. These GlcNAc dendrimers were then further transformed enzymatically (79-90% yields) into dendritic N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) derivatives [di-(12), tetra-(13), and octavalent (14)] using UDPglucose, UDP-glucose 4'-epimerase, and GlcNAc beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase. GlcNAc and LacNAc dendrimers were used to inhibit lectin-porcine stomach mucin interactions. Wheat germ agglutinin and Erythrina cristagalli lectin were used for GlcNAc and LacNAc dendrimers, respectively. Di-, tetra-, and octavalent GlcNAc dendrimers exhibited IC50S of 3100, 509, and 88 microM (6200, 2040, and 703 microM, with respect to monomeric GlcNAc content). IC50s for the LacNAc series were 341, 143, and 86 microM (682, 574, and 692 microM, as compared with monomeric LacNAc content). These data represent more than 20-fold increases in inhibitory potential for dendritic GlcNAc as compared to that for monomeric GlcNAc. Studies with E. cristagalli do not reveal significant increased inhibitory potential with multivalency.

Amino Sugars↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Synthesis and biological properties of mannosylated starburst poly(amidoamine) dendrimers.

Starburst PAMAM dendrimers ending with mannopyranoside residues were readily synthesized in large scale and good yields from commercially available dendrimers bearing high-density amine functionality on their surface and p-isothiocyanatophenyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside. The first four generations of this novel class of monodispersed neoglycoconjugates having up to 32 mannoside units were evaluated as ligands for the phytohemagglutinins from concanavalin A (Con A) and Pisum sativum (pea lectin) using enzyme-linked lectin assay (ELLA) and turbidimetric analyses. The binding properties of these glycodendrimers, together with reference monosaccharides, were determined using yeast mannan as a coating antigen and peroxidase-labeled lectins. These mannosylated dendrimers were demonstrated to be potent inhibitors with IC50 values 400 times better than those of monomeric methyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside taken as a standard. Their lipophilic character was shown to be sufficient for their direct use as coating antigens in microtiter plate assays. Moreover, their ability to bind and form insoluble carbohydrate-lectin complexes was also demonstrated by radial double immunodiffusion and turbidimetric analyses. Furthermore, the ability of these ligands to selectively precipitate a mannose-binding protein (Con A) from a crude lectin mixture was also demonstrated using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). These multivalent neoglycoconjugates were shown to constitute novel biochromatography materials of high affinity for the easy isolation of carbohydrate-binding proteins.

Biocompatible Materials↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Inhibition of viral adhesion and infection by sialic-acid-conjugated dendritic polymers.

Multiple sialic acid (SA) residues conjugated to a linear polyacrylamide backbone are more effective than monomeric SA at inhibiting influenza-induced agglutination of red blood cells. However, "polymeric inhibitors" based on polyacrylamide backbones are cytotoxic. Dendritic polymers offer a nontoxic alternative to polyacrylamide and may provide a variety of potential synthetic inhibitors of influenza virus adhesion due to the wide range of available polymer structures. We evaluated several dendritic polymeric inhibitors, including spheroidal, linear, linear-dendron copolymers, comb-branched, and dendrigraft polymers, for the ability to inhibit virus hemagglutination (HA) and to block infection of mammalian cells in vitro. Four viruses were tested: influenza A H2N2 (selectively propagated two ways), X-31 influenza A H3N2, and sendai. The most potent of the linear and spheroidal inhibitors were 32-256-fold more effective than monomeric SA at inhibiting HA by the H2N2 influenza virus. Linear-dendron copolymers were 1025-8200-fold more effective against H2N2 influenza, X-31 influenza, and sendai viruses. The most effective were the comb-branched and dendrigraft inhibitors, which showed up to 50000-fold increased activity against these viruses. We were able to demonstrate significant (p < 0.001) dose-dependent reduction of influenza infection in mammalian cells by polymeric inhibitors, the first such demonstration for multivalent SA inhibitors. Effective dendrimer polymers were not cytotoxic to mammalian cells at therapeutic levels. Of additional interest, variation in the inhibitory effect was observed with different viruses, suggesting possible differences due to specific growth conditions of virus. SA-conjugated dendritic polymers may provide a new therapeutic modality for viruses that employ SA as their target receptor.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Aflatoxin B1 contamination in maize samples collected from different geographical regions of India--a multicentre study.

Under a multicentre study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research, 2,074 samples of maize were collected from rural and urban areas of 11 states representing different geographical regions of the country. These samples were analysed for aflatoxin B1 using the AOAC method. Analytical quality assurance between various participating laboratories was ensured through analysis of check-samples. About 26% of maize samples collected from 11 states exceeded the permissible Indian regulatory limit of 30 micrograms kg-1. No statistically significant difference in percentage of samples contaminated (> 30 micrograms kg-1) was observed between pooled rural (27.8%) and urban (23.7%) data. The maximum level of contamination of 666 micrograms kg-1 was observed in the state of Haryana. The median level of < 5 micrograms kg-1 was observed in the states of Gujarat, Haryana, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In all other states studied, the median level was found to vary between 10 and 35 micrograms kg-1.

Aflatoxin B1↗