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Biomedical subjects

S Agrawal

Publications and source records attributed to S Agrawal.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources

Echocardiographic demonstration of resolving intrapericardial mass in tuberculous pericardial effusion.

A patient with tuberculous pericardial effusion is described who presented with cardiac tamponade. Subsequent to pericardiocentesis, a large echodense intrapericardial mass was observed which disappeared completely with antituberculous chemotherapy. The resolution of the mass suggests that it was a conglomeration of fibrinous exudates deposited in the pericardial cavity. Presence of such exudates should not be considered an indication for surgical intervention.

Echocardiography↗

Site-specific excision from RNA by RNase H and mixed-phosphate-backbone oligodeoxynucleotides.

Oligodeoxynucleotides containing phosphodiester or modified internucleoside linkages were investigated with respect to their ability to be acted on by ribonuclease H activities present in a HeLa cell nuclear extract after hybridization with complementary sequences in RNA. Oligodeoxynucleotides complementary to nucleotides 2-14 of human U1 small nuclear RNA were investigated. Extensive cleavage of U1 RNA was observed with the unmodified oligodeoxynucleotide and with the phosphorothioate analogue but not with U1-complementary oligodeoxynucleotides containing methylphosphonate, phosphoro-N-morpholidate, or phosphoro-N-butylamidate internucleoside linkages. Additional experiments using a 514-nucleotide-long RNA substrate demonstrated the capacity of complementary phosphodiester- and phosphorothioate-linked oligodeoxynucleotides (but not ones containing methylphosphonate, phosphoro-N-morpholidate, or phosphoro-N-butylamidate linkages) to serve as RNase H targets when hybridized to an internal RNA site. Detailed comparisons revealed phosphodiester-linked oligodeoxynucleotides to be more efficient than the comparable phosphorothioate-linked oligomers with respect to RNase H action. Various pentadecamer oligodeoxynucleotides complementary to the 514-nucleotide-long test RNA and containing 2-6 consecutive phosphodiester- or phosphorothioate-linked nucleotides flanked by RNase H-resistant methylphosphonate linkages afforded precise "site-directed" RNase H excision within the DNA.RNA hybrid. These results serve to assort modified oligodeoxynucleotide-containing hybrids into RNase H-sensitive and -resistant classes and also provide clues as to how RNase H makes contact with the DNA strand in a DNA.RNA hybrid.

Base Sequence↗

Inhibition of influenza virus replication by phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides.

Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) were synthesized and tested for their antiviral activity against influenza viruses. ODNs corresponded to the polymerase PB1 gene of either influenza A/WSN/33 virus or influenza C/JJ/50 virus. All compounds were 20 nucleotides long, including control ODNs containing mismatches. The phosphodiester ODNs (O-ODNs) failed to inhibit replication of influenza A and influenza C viruses at concentrations up to 80 microM, possibly due to intracellular nuclease digestion of the unmodified oligomers. By contrast, the phosphorothioate derivatives (S-ODNs) were found to inhibit replication of both influenza A and influenza C virus. The antiviral effect of S-ODNs against influenza A virus was found at concentrations as low as 1.25 microM and was present with mismatched oligomers. In the case of influenza C virus, the S-ODN complementary to the 3' end of the viral RNA of the PB1 gene revealed a sequence-specific antiviral activity at a concentration of 20 microM. (At the same concentration, S-ODNs with one or three mismatches showed little or no antiviral activity.) Reduction in plaque number reached six logarithms when this sequence-specific S-ODN was used at a concentration of 80 microM.

Animals↗

Preliminary observations on leukaemia specific agglutinins from seeds.

Semipurified saline extracts of seeds from Crotolaria juncea, Cassia marginata, Ficus racemosa, Cicer arietinum (L-532), Gossipium indicum (G-27), Melia composita, Acacia lenticularis, Meletia ovalifolia, Acacia catechu and Peltophorum ferrenginium were tested for leukoagglutinating activity against whole leukocytes and mononuclear cells from patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (34), acute myeloblastic leukaemia (5), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (7), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (3), various lymphoproliferative/haematologic disorders (54), and normal healthy subjects (50). In addition, bone marrow cells from three patients undergoing diagnostic bone marrow aspiration and activated lymphocytes from mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) were also tested. All the seed extracts agglutinated white blood cells from patients with different types of leukaemia. But none of them reacted with peripheral blood cells of normal individuals, patients with various lymphoproliferative/haematologic disorders or cells from MLC. Leukoagglutination of leukaemic cells with each of the seed extracts was inhibited by simple sugars. Only in one instance, cells from bone marrow of an individual who had undergone diagnostic bone marrow aspiration for a non-malignant condition were agglutinated. It is felt that purification of these seed extracts may yield leukaemia-specific lectins.

Agglutinins↗

Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus in early infected and chronically infected cells by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides and their phosphorothioate analogues.

Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, both the phosphorothioate analogues and unmodified oligomers of the same sequence, inhibit replication and expression of human immunodeficiency virus already growing in tissue cultures of MOLT-3 cells with much greater efficacy than do mismatched ("random") oligomers and homooligomers of the same length and with the same internucleotide modification. This preferential inhibitory effect is elicited in as short a time as 4-24 hr postinfection. Likewise, antisense oligomers exhibit greater inhibitory effects on human immunodeficiency virus in chronically infected cells than do mismatched oligomers and homooligomers. Phosphorothioate antisene oligomers are up to 100 times more potent than unmodified oligomers of the same sequence in these inhibitory assays. These results, in major respects, confirm and extend those recently published by Matsukura et al. [Matsukura, M., Zon, G., Shinozuka, K., Robert-Guroff, M., Shimada, T., Stein, C. A., Mitsuza, H., Wong-Staal, F., Cohen, J. S. & Broder, S. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 4244-4248]. They also point out the importance of computer analysis of sequences though to be random but that in reality contain significant areas of likely hybridization, either to the viral genome or to the complementary DNA strand synthesized from it. They thus reinforce the concept that specific base pairing is a crucial feature of oligonucleotide inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus.

Antiviral Agents↗

In situ hybridization histochemistry: localisation of vasopressin mRNA in rat brain using a biotinylated oligonucleotide probe.

A biotinylated antisense oligonucleotide probe specific for the glycopeptide sequence of arginine vasopressin mRNA has been used with amplified detection for visualisation of arginine vasopressin mRNA in the rat hypothalamus. RNAase pretreatment to destroy arginine vasopressin mRNA and use of excess complementary oligonucleotide (sense) to absorb the biotinylated antisense oligonucleotide demonstrated the reaction is specific for arginine vasopressin mRNA. Further, dehydration of rats using 2% saline resulted in an increase in specific staining. The staining is localized to those neurones in the hypothalamus known to contain arginine vasopressin.

Animals↗

Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus replication by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides.

Twenty different target sites within human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA were selected for studies of inhibition of HIV replication by antisense oligonucleotides. Target sites were selected based on their potential capacity to block recognition functions during viral replication. Antisense oligomers complementary to sites within or near the sequence repeated at the ends of retrovirus RNA (R region) and to certain splice sites were most effective. The effect of antisense oligomer length on inhibiting virus replication was also investigated, and preliminary toxicity studies in mice show that these compounds are toxic only at high levels. The results indicate potential usefulness for these oligomers in the treatment of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex either alone or in combination with other drugs.

Animals↗

Oligodeoxynucleoside phosphoramidates and phosphorothioates as inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus.

Modified oligodeoxynucleotides complementary to RNA of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) were tested for their ability to inhibit virally induced syncytium formation and expression of viral p24 protein. The modifications of oligomers include replacement of backbone phosphodiester groups with phosphorothioates and various phosphoramidates. All oligomers were found to be active. Oligomers with complete replacement of phosphodiesters with phosphoramidate or phosphorothioate groups were more active at the micromolar range than were unmodified oligomers of the same sequence. In addition, modified and unmodified homooligonucleotides also showed inhibition of HIV-1 replication. It is suggested that different classes of oligonucleotides may inhibit HIV replication by different mechanisms.

Animals↗

Inhibition of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome virus by oligodeoxynucleoside methylphosphonates.

Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides containing internucleoside methylphosphonate linkages were examined for their ability to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced syncytium formation and virus expression. HIV inhibitory activity was found to be dependent on both chain length and the number of phosphonate residues. Introduction of 18 phosphonate groups in an oligomer of chain length 20 significantly increased HIV inhibitory activity relative to the parent oligonucleotide, whereas 5 such groups showed little or no increase in the HIV inhibition capacity. Methylphosphonate-linked oligomers are more stable to nuclease degradation and hence could be potentially useful in the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Detection of nucleic acid hybridization by nonradiative fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

Three approaches were used to study hybridization of complementary oligodeoxynucleotides by nonradiative fluorescence resonance energy transfer. (i) Fluorescein (donor) and rhodamine (acceptor) were covalently attached to the 5' ends of complementary oligodeoxynucleotides of various lengths. Upon hybridization of the complementary oligodeoxynucleotides, energy transfer was detected by both a decrease in fluorescein emission intensity and an enhancement in rhodamine emission intensity. In all cases, fluorescein emission intensity was quenched by about 26% in the presence of unlabeled complement. Transfer efficiency at 5 degrees C decreased from 0.50 to 0.22 to 0.04 as the distance between donor and acceptor fluorophores in the hybrid increased from 8 to 12 to 16 nucleotides. Modeling of these hybrids as double helices showed that transfer efficiency decreased as the reciprocal of the sixth power of the donor-acceptor separation R, as predicted by theory with a corresponding R0 of 49 A. (ii) Fluorescence resonance energy transfer was used to study hybridization of two fluorophore-labeled oligonucleotides to a longer, unlabeled oligodeoxynucleotide. Two 12-mers were prepared that were complementary to two adjacent sequences separated by four bases on a 29-mer. The adjacent 5' and 3' ends of the two 12-mers labeled with fluorescein and rhodamine exhibited a transfer efficiency of approximately 0.60 at 5 degrees C when they both hybridized to the unlabeled 29-mer. (iii) An intercalating dye, acridine orange, was used as the donor fluorophore to a single rhodamine covalently attached to the 5' end of one oligodeoxynucleotide in a 12-base-pair hybrid. Under these conditions, the transfer efficiency was approximately 0.47 at 5 degrees C. These results establish that fluorescence modulation and nonradiative fluorescence resonance energy transfer can detect nucleic acid hybridization in solution. These techniques, with further development, may also prove useful for detecting and quantifying nucleic acid hybridization in living cells.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Efficient methods for attaching non-radioactive labels to the 5' ends of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides.

The syntheses are described of two types of linker molecule useful for the specific attachment of non-radioactive labels such as biotin and fluorophores to the 5' terminus of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides. The linkers are designed such that they can be coupled to the oligonucleotide as a final step in solid-phase synthesis using commercial DNA synthesis machines. Increased sensitivity of biotin detection was possible using an anti-biotin hybridoma/peroxidase detection system.

Biotin↗

Synthesis, structure, and antitumor activity of N-salicyloyl-N'-(2-furylthiocarbonyl)hydrazine and its copper(II) complex.

N-Salicyloyl-N'-(2-furylthiocarbonyl)hydrazine (H2sfth) and its Cu(II) complex [Cu(sfth)] were prepared and characterized by physicochemical studies. The IR and ESR spectral studies imply dibasic tetradentate behavior of the ligand bonding through "thiolo" sulfur, enolic oxygen, and hydrazinic nitrogens in a polymeric structure. The electronic spectrum of the complex indicates a square-planar geometry around Cu(II). Maximum antitumor activity was observed when 25 mg/kg dose levels of H2sfth and Cu(sfth) were injected intraperitoneally in mice bearing either solid fibrosarcoma or ascites Dalton's lymphoma. However, H2sfth appeared to possess better antitumor activity as demonstrated by higher T/C (percent) values than those observed for Cu(sfth). The appearance of lymphocytes, leukocytes, and macrophages within the tumor mass 2-6 days after treatment are indicative of involvement of the host's immune system.

Animals↗