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Biomedical subjects

R Santus

Publications and source records attributed to R Santus.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Bioregulatory mechanisms at the level of cell organelle interactions: microspectrofluorometric in situ studies.

The spatiotemporal analysis of bioregulatory mechanisms at the level of intracellular multienzyme complexes and organelle interactions is made possible by the availability of endogenous and exogenous fluorescence probes, the development of microspectrofluorometers allowing one- and two-dimensional scans of intracellular fluorescence reactions, and the use of micromanipulatory techniques enabling the rapid alteration of metabolic states. Absorbed photons are not only a tool for quantitative evaluation of metabolic processes, they can also trigger alterations of cell membranes and functions as mediated by photosensitizer drugs. In the hierarchy of intracellular organization different levels of complexity are accessible to study, such as the regulation of multienzyme complexes and the interaction of organelle complexes. Typical applications of these methods are the investigation of drug effects (e.g., on melanoma cells), metabolic and structural alterations (e.g., in cystic fibrosis and Gaucher fibroblasts), organelle interactions in cells treated with toxic agents. The implications are relevant to biotechnology for better control of metabolite production and processing, design and testing of new drugs, understanding of drug resistance and better targeting of drugs or probes to selected intracellular sites. In addition, such in vitro methods can contribute to the provision of an alternative to "whole animal experiments" as already achieved in human and mouse fibroblasts, hepatocytes, hepatoma, Swiss 3T3 cells and other cells in culture, especially with regards to an analysis of the action of xenobiotics and drugs in cell physiology and pathology, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, study of cytoskeleton dynamics and multiparameter probing of organelle activity during in vitro wound repair.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Cellular uptake and photosensitizing properties of anticancer porphyrins in cell membranes and low and high density lipoproteins.

The mechanisms of the phototoxic effect of anticancer porphyrins used in the photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumours are not yet completely understood. Irradiation of porphyrins gives rise to singlet oxygen which reacts with key residues of proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol in membranes, leading to inactivation of various enzymes and transporters. Lipoproteins, mainly low density lipoproteins (LDL), are efficient carriers of anticancer porphyrins in blood and can deliver these photosensitizers to tissues through the apolipoprotein (apo) B/E specific LDL receptor pathway. In this review, we discuss some aspects of anticancer porphyrin transport, cellular uptake and photosensitizing properties in cell membranes and lipoproteins.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

In vitro photostability and photosensitizing properties of bergamot oil. Effects of a cinnamate sunscreen.

Bergamottin, which accounts for about two-thirds of the absorption of UVA and UVB light by bergamot oil, is shown to be fairly unstable on UV irradiation of solutions of bergamot oil (in ethanol-water, 80:20 (w/w)). Bergamottin photodegradation is partly inhibited by molecular oxygen and also by a cinnamate sunscreen acting as a triplet excited state quencher. On UV irradiation of bergamot oil, type II photodynamic properties, i.e. singlet oxygen production, are observed, which can be mainly attributed to the excitation of bergamottin by light. Therefore bergamottin can be considered as a potential photosensitizer in the photobiological activity of bergamot oil.

Cinnamates↗
PubMed1990

UVB-induced photoperoxidation of lipids of human low and high density lipoproteins. A possible role of tryptophan residues.

Ultraviolet radiation of the UVB region readily destroy tryptophan (Trp) residues of low (LDL) and high (HDL) density lipoproteins. The photooxidation of tryptophan residues is accompanied by the peroxidation of low and high density lipoproteins unsaturated fatty acids, as measured by the thiobarbituric acid assay. Moreover, low and high density lipoproteins are natural carriers of vitamin E and carotenoids. These two antioxidants are also rapidly bleached by UVB. The UVA radiation promotes neither tryptophan residue destruction nor lipid photoperoxidation. The redox cycling Cu2+ ions considerably increase lipid photoperoxidation. The synergistic action of photo and auto (Cu2(+)-induced) peroxidation induces marked post-irradiation modifications of apolipoproteins as illustrated by the degradation of most tryptophan residues after overnight incubation in the dark of pre-irradiated samples.

Copper↗
PubMed1990

Is rhodamine 123 a photosensitizer?

Because of conflicting reports on the photoxicity of rhodamine 123 (Rh 123), we have undertaken a study of Rh 123 photosensitization in several in vitro systems. First, Rh 123 is not a photodynamic agent and does not react with singlet oxygen. Second, when bound to cytochrome c (Cyt c), Rh 123 photosensitizes ferro Cyt c but not ferri Cyt c degradation by an oxygen-independent process. When delivered to skin fibroblasts where it specifically stains mitochondria, Rh 123 photosensitizes membrane damage. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that Rh 123 is a phototoxic stain. The lack of photosensitivity of Rh 123-stained mitochondria in some cell lines might therefore be due to specific structural features.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[The modification of high density lipoproteins by malondialdehyde changes their interaction with J774 macrophages and decreases cholesterol cell efflux].

The treatment of HDL3 with malondialdehyde (MDA) results in an increase of the electrophoretic mobility of the particle and in aggregation of the apolipoprotein AI. The binding of MDA-treated-HDL3 to murine macrophages J774 is decreased, as compared to native HDL3. The cholesterol efflux is also markedly reduced. In view of the fact that MDA is produced following plaquette aggregation or oxidative stress, the eventual existence of MDA-modified-HOL in vivo might accelerate the appearance of atherosclerotic lesions by reducing cellular cholesterol efflux.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Carbon disulfide modification and impaired catabolism of low density lipoprotein.

Carbon disulfide interacts in vitro with low density lipoprotein (LDL), resulting in an increased electrophoretic mobility of the particle, due to a decrease in free amino groups of apolipoprotein B-100. The processing of carbon disulfide-modified LDL through the apo B/E receptor pathway of cultured human fibroblasts is decreased as compared to that of native LDL, depending on the level of modification. Carbon disulfide-modified LDL is recognized and degraded by the scavenger pathway of macrophages, but to a lesser extent than acetylated LDL. Carbon disulfide modification decreases the ability of the LDL to down-regulate sterol synthesis and to stimulate cholesterol esterification in fibroblasts. Carbon disulfide-modified LDL markedly stimulates cholesteryl ester formation in macrophages, albeit to a lesser extent than acetylated LDL. These results indicate that after carbon disulfide modification the LDL catabolism is shifted to the scavenger pathway, and are consistent with the fact that carbon disulfide intoxication accelerates the appearance of atherosclerotic lesions.

Amines↗
PubMed1989

Photosensitization of Wi26-VA4 transformed human fibroblasts by low density lipoprotein loaded with the anticancer porphyrin mixture photofrin II: evidence for endoplasmic reticulum alteration.

Wi26 VA4 cells (SV40-transformed human lung fibroblasts) were incubated with low density lipoprotein (LDL) loaded with the anticancer porphyrin mixture photofrin II (P2). After labelling with 51Cr sodium chromate, cells were exposed to near UV light. After light exposure, kinetics of 51Cr release by cells were studied as a probe of cell damage. The activity of acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol-O-acyltransferase, a key enzyme of cholesterol metabolism localized in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), was decreased as a function of the irradiation time in cells pre-incubated with P2-LDL. This result suggests that ER alteration occurred during cell photosensitization by P2-LDL.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1989

Photosensitization with alpha-terthienyl: the formation of superoxide ion in aqueous media.

It is well known that alpha-terthienyl generates singlet oxygen in organic solvents with high quantum yields. In an aqueous medium, the production of superoxide radical-anion is readily detected by comparing the reduction of ferricytochrome c or nitro blue tetrazolium in the presence and in the absence of superoxide dismutase. Electron transfer reactions from the electronically excited sensitizer are also detected in an argon atmosphere.

Cytochrome c Group↗
PubMed1988

Determination of the dioxygen quenching constant for protein and model indole triplets.

The decay of the indole triplet of single tryptophan-containing proteins and model compounds can be readily determined at room temperature in solution by monitoring the triplet absorption or emission following an exciting laser pulse. The dioxygen triplet quenching constants, can be measured for all these molecules and compared to the analogous singlet values determined by fluorescence methods. The dioxygen triplet quenching constant (tkq) ranged from a high of 5.1.10(9) M-1.s-1 for the exposed indole of corticotropin to a low of 0.1.10(9) M-1.s-1 for the buried indole of asparaginase. The ratio of these values with their respective dioxygen singlet quenching constants (skq), tkq/skq, ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 for aqueous exposed polypeptide indoles. For globular proteins the tkq/skq value is observed to be 0.2 +/- 0.1. This lower value for protein indoles is not attributable to 'bulk' environmental or hydrogen bonding effects, since the magnitude of tkq/skq (= 0.5 +/- 0.1) for model indoles was independent of solvent dielectric constant, polarity, and proticity. Temperature-dependence studies were done to test whether tkq could be used to characterize the nature of the protein matrix. The activation energy (Ea) for tkq was found to be 11 +/- 2 kcal/mol for most proteins. This Ea was independent of whether the indole side-chain was solvent exposed or buried in the non-aqueous protein interior. Large Ea values were also obtained for model indoles, naphthalene and nalidixic acid, dissolved in water, whereas the same compounds dissolved in 95% ethanol exhibited much smaller Ea values. These data, in combination with the observation that the tkq of model indoles is insensitive to changes in solvent viscosity, indicate that dioxygen quenching at the triplet level can not be easily used to characterize the dynamics of proteins.

Indoles↗
PubMed1988

A maximum of two tryptophan residues in gene-32 protein from phage T4 undergo stacking interactions with single-stranded polynucleotides.

The effect of specific photochemical and radiochemical modification of tryptophyl and cysteinyl residues of the gene 32 protein (gp 32) of bacteriophage T4 on its affinity towards single-stranded polynucleotides has been investigated. Oxidation of Cys residues of gp 32 by the free-radical anion I-.2 induces a partial loss of the protein affinity, probably by affecting the metal-binding domain which includes three of the four cysteine residues of gp 32. Ultraviolet irradiation of gp 32 in the presence of trichloroethanol results in the modification of three of its five Trp residues and total loss of the protein binding. Analysis of the relative affinity of ultraviolet-irradiated gp 32 for single-stranded polynucleotides suggest that modification of a Trp of enhanced reactivity occurs first and has no effect on the protein binding. Radiochemical modification of three Trp residues of gp 32 by (SCN)-.2 results in total loss of activity. Complexation of gp 32 with denatured DNA prior to gamma-irradiation protects two Trp residues and prevents the protein inactivation. These results suggest that at most two Trp residues are involved in stacking interactions with nucleic acid bases. However, time-resolved spectroscopic methods which allow us to monitor selectively the stacked tryptophan residues have not yielded evidence of more than a single residue undergoing such interactions.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1988

Characterization of the indole triplet excited state in proteins utilizing laser flash photolysis.

The triplet-triplet absorption spectrum of the sole indole side chain of human serum albumin and its decay kinetics were previously characterized, at room temperature, by using a conventional flash photolysis method [(1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 75, 1172-1175]. Exploitation of this potentially useful long lived reporter group in protein studies was limited by the excessively large sample size required by that apparatus. The 265 nm laser flash instrument used in the present work avoids this problem at the price of a loss in photo-selectivity. We report that the latter concern can be mitigated. Melittin was studied first because this polypeptide contains a single aromatic residue (W-19), and because its monomeric and tetrameric forms are good models for solvent exposed and buried indole side chains of proteins. For both forms, the indole triplet and neutral radical absorption spectra could be readily time resolved and identified on the basis of shape and differential dioxygen sensitivity. The single tryptophan containing protein human serum albumin was studied next because it contains a large number of other 265 nm absorbing moieties whose transient spectra might complicate the detection of the indole triplet. These transients were shown to not interfere significantly in the wavelength region 450 nm to 600 nm, and, in contrast to the indole triplet, they were relatively dioxygen insensitive. Thus, a facile means is available by which the indole triplet of proteins may be characterized. Subsequently the question of whether this species could be detected in the presence of nuclei acid components was investigated by flashing the phage fd. The putative nucleic acid transients were shown not to interfere and the absorbance of the indole triplet was readily time resolved. The spectral assignment was persuasively confirmed by showing that the indole triplet absorption and phosphorescence emission spectra decay with the same lifetime. The present work thus provides additional evidence for the general applicability of the indole triplet excited state as a long lived intrinsic protein reporter group.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed1988

Phototherapeutic, photobiologic, and photosensitizing properties of khellin.

Khellin, whose chemical structure closely resembles that of psoralen, is reported to be an efficient drug for treating vitiligo when combined with ultraviolet A irradiation. Photobiological activity on yeast is found to be much lower than that of bifunctional psoralens such as 5-methoxypsoralen. In vitro experiments reveal that khellin is a poor photosensitizer. It behaves as a monofunctional agent with respect to DNA photoaddition. It does not photoinduce cross-links in DNA in vitro or in Chinese hamster cells in vivo. This behavior may explain the low photogenotoxicity in yeast and the lack of phototoxic erythemal response when treating vitiligo with khellin.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[Oxidation of the indole ring induced by the auto-oxidation of unsaturated lipids. Application to tryptophan residues of high and low density lipoproteins of human serum].

Tryptophan residues are rapidly destroyed during Cu2+-catalyzed autoperoxidation of human serum lipoproteins. The same phenomenon occurs in the peroxidation of arachidonic acid incorporated into phosphatidylcholine liposomes using tryptophan, tryptamine and serotonin as oxidizable substrates. Replacing arachidonic acid by cholesterol inhibits the indole ring degradation.

Arachidonic Acids↗