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Biomedical subjects

S K Chatterjee

Publications and source records attributed to S K Chatterjee.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Studies on saprozoonosis. I. A survey on Aspergillus species with special reference to occupational habits.

A comprehensive survey of Aspergillus species has been carried out among different cattle and donkey handlers. A total of 300 pharyngeal swabs of different subjects including 100 control and 100 each from cattle and donkey handlers was investigated. All the subjects were found healthy. Among the species of Aspergillus, the number of A. flavus appeared higher followed by A. fumigatus, still lower number was encountered with other species like A. nidulans and A. glaucus. In order to establish the saprozoonotic relationship, soil and air samples of various animal sheds were also analyzed. It was found that the total number of isolates of Aspergillus species from animal sheds were always higher compared to the control samples. None of the A. flavus strains obtained from air samples produced aflatoxin. Histopathological changes in Swiss mice caused by intratail vein administration of spores of Aspergillus species have been investigated.

Air Microbiology↗
PubMed1979

Carcinogenicity of hexachlorocyclohexane (BHC) in pure inbred swiss mice.

Inbred Swiss mice were treated with technical BHC (1) orally with the diet or by intubation and (2) by skin painting. The total duration of the experiment was 80 weeks. There was no difference in body growth and mortality between the experimental and control groups. Symptoms of intoxication in the form of convulsions and tendency of circling in one direction with drooping ears were observed alongwith corneal opacity 40 weeks after the experiment. Oral BHC treatment resulted in a significant increase in the incidence of liver tumours and tumours of lymphoreticular tissue. Males and females were equally susceptible. Skin painting of mice did not significantly increase the incidence of tumour.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Glycosyltransferase and glycosidase activities in ovarian cancer patients.

In order to elucidate the mechanism of appearance of abnormal glycoproteins in cancer, activities of glycoprotein glycosyltransferases and glycosidases were determined in the homogenates prepared from normal ovaries and ovarian epithelial adenocarcinoma. Significantly high activities (more than normal mean + 2 S.D.) of these enzymes were found as follows: galactosyltransferase and sialytransferase in 100%; fucosyltransferase 1 (exogenous acceptor, fetuin minus sialic acid and galactose) in 86%; fucosyltransferase 2 (fetuin minus sialic acid, acceptor) in 45%; N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 1 (ovalbumin acceptor) in 53%; N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 2 (ribonuclease A as acceptor) in 10% of the samples analyzed. Among the glycosidases, substantially elevated activities above normal controls were found as follows: N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase in 85%; N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosaminidase in 63%; N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosidase in 50%, and those of alpha-L-fucosidase in 35% of the tumors. In serum of these cancer patients, only levels of galactosyltransferase were consistently elevated compared to controls. Increases in serum levels for other transferases were as follows: fucosyl-1, 10%; fucosyl-2, 60%; sialyl-, 20%; N-acetylglucosaminyl-1, 90%; N-acetylglycosaminyl-2, in 80% of the serum samples from ovarian carcinoma patients. Galactosyltransferase thus appears to be an excellent marker for ovarian carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1979

Studies on occupational health problems during agricultural operation of Indian tobacco workers: a preliminary survey report.

Occupational sickness among tobacco farmers due to the handling of green tobacco leaves is termed "green symptom." This symptom was investigated among 197 Indian tobacco workers and it was found that 88.83% of the workers were suffering from green symptom when exposed to green tobacco leaves during their occupational operation. Nicotine concentration of the urine was estimated only among male subjects who were smokers. During the exposure period (when subjects were suffering from green symptom), more than a three-fold increase in nicotine concentration in the urine was observed. Both cured and uncured leaves may cause such sickness.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Correlation of UDP-galactose glycoprotein:galactosyltransferase levels in the sera with the clinical status of ovarian cancer patients.

Uridine diphosphate-galactose : glycoprotein galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.22) was measured serially prior to and after surgery in 4 patients with ovarian epithelial cancer. The levels of this enzyme in the sera correlated well with the clinical status of the patients. In 2 other patients, the follow-up was designed to detect recurrence, and the enzyme assay was started when the patients were clinically disease free. Elevation of galactosyltransferase preceded the clinical appearance of disease by 3-7 months. Serial determination of glycoprotein galactosyltransferase in serum may be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of therapeutic programs.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1978

Fucosyltransferase activity in metastasizing and nonmetastasizing rat mammary carcinomas.

Fucosyltransferase levels in 6 established strains of spontaneously metastasizing rat mammary tumors (STMT-058, MT-449, DMBA-4, SMT-077, TMT-081, and SMT-2A) were compared with 4 nonmetastasizing strains (MT-W9B, MT-W9A, MT-100, and MT-66) as controls. Two acceptors were prepared from fetuin for the assay, one by acid hydrolysis of N-acetylneuraminic acid and the other by the stepwise removal of N-acetylneuraminic acid and penultimate galactose by Smith degradation. The enzyme that transfers fucose to the first acceptor was designated fucosyltransferase A, whereas the one that uses the second acceptor was designated fucosyltransferase B. Both types of fucosyltransferases were found in this rat mammary tumor system. Whereas the levels of fucosyltransferase A in the 2 tumor groups were comparable, those of fucosyltransferase B were sixfold to sevenfold higher in the metastasizing tumors. This difference in the level of fucosyltransferase B was not caused either by differential hydrolysis of GDP-fucose by pyrophosphatase in the 2 groups or by hydrolysis of the product by fucosidases. Presence of any other inhibitor(s) or activator(s) of fucosyltransferase was excluded by mixing experiments. Optimal conditions for the assay of this enzyme were determined in a representative strain from each group. Under all circumstances, the activity of fucosyltransferase B was higher in the metastasizing tumors. The enzyme was inhibited by nucleoside diphosphates and triphosphates, and guanosine nucleotides were the most efficient inhibitors. Subcellular distributions of the two fucosyltransferases were similar, 35-50% of the enzyme activity being present in the crude microsomes. When plasma membrane factions were prepared from the microsomes, the major part (50-70%) of the enzyme was associated with the light and heavy plasma membrane fractions. Increased activity of fucosyltransferase B in the group of metastasizing tumors may have reflected faster synthesis and shedding of fucose-containing glycoprotein antigens. Similar molecules possibly were also synthesized in the nonmetastasizing cells but at a much slower rate, because the antigen is not easily lost from the cell surface. Any alteration of the specificity of this focosyltransferase in the metastasizing tumors, in addition, may have caused antigen modulation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1978

3-Tertiary amino-1-aryloxy- or aryl-propanes and -propan-2-ols and some related compounds.

The synthesis and pharmacological activity of some 3-tertiary amino-1-aryloxy- or 1-aryl-, 1-thiophenoxy and 1-anilino-propan-2-ols and -propanes, particularly those derived from N-phenylpiperazines are described. Effect of substituents (nature/position) on the phenyl ring, the phenoxy ring as well as alteration in the hydroxylic function vis-à-vis the structure-activity relationships (SAR) are discussed. In general, the 1-aryloxy compounds have hypotensive activity--this being more pronounced in those carrying an o-substituent on the phenyl ring, while m and p-substituted derivatives have their effect primarily on the CNS. Variations in the phenoxy moiety do not significantly alter the intrinsic activity. The 1-aryl compounds, on the other hand, have significant CNS activity, which is markedly affected by the substituents on the 1-aryl residue.

1-Propanol↗
PubMed1977

Carcinogenicity of DDT (dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane) in pure inbred Swiss mice.

Inbred Swiss mice were treated with technical DDT (1) orally with the diet or by intubation; (2) subcutaneously and (3) by skin painting. The total duration of the experiment was 80 weeks. There was no difference in body growth and mortality between the experimental and control groups. Toxic manifestations of DDT were observed in treated mice in the form of tremor, convulsions and corneal opacity usually after 40 weeks. Oral and subcutaneous DDT treatment resulted in a significant increase in the incidence of tumours mainly of lymphoid tissues, lung and liver. The highest tumour incidence was recorded in the group of mice receiving DDT by subcutaneous injections. Males and females were equally susceptible. No evidence of carcinogenicity was observed in the painted group.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1977

Galactosyltransferase activity in metastasizing and nonmetastasizing rat mammary carcinomas and its possible relationship with tumor cell surface antigen shedding.

In order to study the mechanism of tumor cell surface antigen shedding, galactosyltransferase levels were compared in 5 spontaneously metastasizing and 3 nonmetastasizing rat mammary tumors. The enzyme activity both with or without exogenous acceptors was higher in the metastasizing group. This difference did not seem to be due to the variation in levels of degrading enzymes such as pyrophosphatase or beta-galactosidase found in these tumors. Little difference in the biochemical properties of the enzyme was found between the two groups. Most of the enzyme activity (60-70%) was recivered in the microsomal frctosyltransferase was assayed in "purified" plasma membrane fractions, 70% of the activity was associated with the plasma membrane vesicles, in which the enzyme was enriched by factors of 10-40. The number of galactose acceptor sites on the plasma membranes increased in parallel to the metastasizing capacity, indicating the presence of larger numbers of incomplete glycopeptides on their cell surfaces. These findings seemed to indicate that the greater turnover of glycoprotein in the spontaneously metastasizing tumor cell surface was caused by the shedding of surface antigens into the systemic circulation of the host.

Animals↗