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Stereoselective metabolism of dibenz[a,h]acridine to bay-region diol epoxides by rat liver microsomes.

The carcinogen dibenz[a,h]acridine (DB[a,h]ACR is metabolized predominantly to trans-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydro-dibenz[a,h]acridine (DB[a,h]ACR-3,4-diol) and the proximate carcinogen trans-10,11-dihydroxy-10,11-dihydrodibenz[a,h]acridine (DB[a,h]ACR-10,11-diol) [Steward et al. (1987) Carcinogenesis, 8, 1043-1050]. In the present investigation, the stereoselectivity of rat liver enzymes in metabolism of DB[a,h]ACR to its 3,4-diol and 10,11-diol and of DB[a,h]ACR-10,11-diol enantiomers to their bay-region diol epoxides has been examined with liver microsomes from control and 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats. Both microsomal preparations produced the major metabolites DB[a,h]ACR-3,4-diol and DB[a,h]ACR-10,11-diol containing predominantly R,R-enantiomers with 38-54% optical purity. Metabolism of (-)-(10R,11R)- and (+)-(10S,11S)-enantiomers of DB[a,h]ACR-10,11-diol by liver microsomes from control rats produced predominantly bay-region diol epoxides (46-59% of total metabolites), whereas very little bay-region diol epoxides (14-17% of total metabolites) were produced by liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats. The bay-region diol epoxides produced in these studies consisted of predominantly DB[a,h]ACR-10,11-trans-diol epoxide diastereomer in which the benzylic hydroxyl group and epoxide oxygen are trans. However, (-)-DB[a,h]ACR-10R,11R-diol, a major metabolite of DB[a,h]ACR, was metabolized by liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats to (+)-[8R,9S,10S,11R]-DB[a,h]ACR-10,11-trans-diol epoxide, a diastereomer which displayed high mutagenic activity in V79 cells, in an amount which was 6.5-fold greater than that of the corresponding cis-diol epoxide diastereomer. The relative amounts of trans-diol epoxide versus cis-diol epoxide in the mixture of bay-region diol epoxides produced from DB[a,h]ACR-10R,11R-diol and DB[a,h]ACR-10S,11R-diol with liver microsomes from control rats and from DB[a,h]ACR-10S,11S-diol with liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats were 1.7, 2.1 and 2.3 respectively.

Acridines↗

Some acridine-resistant mutations of bacteriophage T4D.

Three new 9-aminoacridine (9AA) resistant mutations of bacteriophage T4D have been isolated and characterized. Two of the mutations, rs and rc, have identical patterns of acridine resistance, but they map on opposite sides of the rII region. In addition, rs has an effect on the plaque morphology of r mutations, whereas rc does not. The third mutation, ama, maps very close to rs but exhibits a different pattern of resistance to 9AA. None of the three is resistant to acridines by virtue of reduced permeability. Taken together with other mutations that have been previously characterized, these new mutations permit us to set the minimum number of acridine-sensitive processes in T4 development at four.

Acridines↗

Genetic studies of acridine-induced mutants in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

The mutagenic properties of acridines on pneumococcus are described. All seven acridines tested were mutagenic at the amiA locus conferring a resistance to 10(-5) M aminopterin. The effects of quinacrine were more specifically investigated. It was observed that: mutants can be obtained only by treatment of exponentially growing cells; a sharp maximum mutagenic effect occurs at a concentration slightly lower than the bacteriostatic value; and the amount of quinacrine required to yield the maximum mutagenic effect decreases with the pH of the medium. Moreover, the number of mutants detected after quinacrine treatment varies from locus to locus. The majority of quinacrine-induced mutants are readily reverted by quinacrine, but not by nitrosoguanidine treatment. This suggests that in pneumococcus quinacrine induces mainly frameshift mutations. A further study of the revertants obtained by quinacrine treatment of quinacrine-induced mutants strengths this interpretation: most of the revertants result from a mutation at the same site; some partial revertants exhibiting an intermediate resistance to aminopterin were found to contain two very closely linked mutated sites, each mutation conferring the maximum level of resistance to aminopterin. Thus, the majority of quinacrine-induced mutants at the amiA locus of pneumococcus consists of frameshift mutations. Nearly all of the isolated mutants induced by quinacrine as well as other acridines belong to the low efficiency class of transformation. It was concluded that the mismatch resulting from the pairing between the wild type and the frameshift-containing sequence is recognized by the excision-repair system involved in the discrimination function in a way similar to that in which it recognizes mismatched base pairs between a transition mutation and the wild-type sequence.

Acridines↗

Acridine orange as an indicator of bacterial susceptibility to gentamicin.

We have studied the response of Escherichia coli NCTC10418 to gentamicin with flow cytometry. The susceptibility of individual bacterial cells to the antibiotic was assessed by differential staining using the metachromatic dye, acridine orange. Exponential phase cultures were exposed to the minimum bactericidal concentration of gentamicin and analysed at regular intervals over 90 min. Within 60 min of exposure to the drug, two sub-populations of organisms could be distinguished in cultures by their different acridine orange-associated fluorescence emissions of < 550 nm and > 550 nm. The number of bacteria exhibiting acridine orange-associated fluorescence at > 550 nm corresponded to counts of colony forming units.

Acridine Orange↗

Superiority of acridine orange-stained buffy coat smears for diagnosis of partially treated neonatal septicemia.

Early diagnosis of neonatal septicemia is a vexing problem because of its non-specific clinical picture. Many of the neonates with septicemia reaching a referral centre have already been exposed to antibiotics and their blood cultures are often sterile. Scarcity of studies evaluating acridine orange-stained buffy coat smears in detecting neonatal septicemia after administration of antibiotics prompted us to undertake this study. The population studied consisted of 34 cases of neonatal septicemia with positive blood cultures and/or positive buffy coat smears (of these 25 had a positive blood culture) and 25 neonates with a clinical course not suggestive of any infection. Venous blood was drawn for culture, preparation of buffy coat smears, blood counts and micro ESR. The culture and smears were repeated after administration of antibiotics for 48-72 h. Acridine orange stain was the most sensitive test and was significantly more sensitive than Gram's stain (p < 0.005). After the administration of antibiotics, acridine orange was significantly more sensitive than Gram's stain and blood culture (p < 0.05).

Acridine Orange↗

Acridine orange staining in early diagnosis of mycotic keratitis.

We have assessed the comparative sensitivities of acridine orange staining and 10% potassium hydroxide wet mount in the examination of corneal scrapings from one hundred and sixty-one clinically suspected cases of mycotic keratitis. The sensitivity of acridine orange was found to be 76% as compared to that of potassium hydroxide (65%). The predictive value for culture result was also seen to be higher. Although both the values were not statistically significant (P greater than 0.05), acridine orange staining was a rapid and simple technique with an added advantage of detecting inflammatory cells in corneal scrapings.

Acridine Orange↗

Crystal structure of a complex of acridine, cytosine and water (1:1:1).

X-ray structural analysis of a crystalline complex between acridine C(13)H(9)N, cytosine C(4)H(5)N(3)O, and water (1:1:1) has been completed. The cytosine and water molecules form a sheet-like structure through a series of hydrogen bonds. The acridine molecules are bound to this layer through a hydrogen bridge from the water to the ring nitrogen. The acridine molecules stack in a parallel fashion normal to the cytosine-water sheets, with an average interplanar spacing of 3.5 angstroms.

Acridines↗

Acridine orange potentiation of actinomycin D uptake and activity.

Acridine orange enhances the uptake of [(3)H]actinomycin D in disrupted and intact human lymphocytes, as measured by liquid scintillation and autoradiography. Proflavine, quinacrine, chloroquine, and ethidium bromide are not effective. In mice, acridine orange increases the capacity of actinomycin to reduce spleen weight. Type II acridine binding to DNA may be a prerequisite for actinomycin enhancement.

Acridines↗

In vitro activities of 7-substituted 9-chloro and 9-amino-2-methoxyacridines and their bis- and tetra-acridine complexes against Leishmania infantum.

9-Chloro and 9-amino-2-methoxyacridines bearing different substituents in position 7, as well as their corresponding unsubstituted dimeric and tetrameric complexes, were investigated for in vitro antiproliferative properties against Leishmania infantum compared to toxicity towards human monocytes. The results clearly confirmed that several compounds of the 2-methoxyacridine series, together with their corresponding dimeric and tetrameric derivatives, had strong in vitro antiparasitic properties. Antileishmanial activity was shown to depend on the nature of both 7- and 9-substituted groups in monoacridines, while it varied according to the nature of the 9-substituted group and the length of the linker among bis- and tetra-acridines. The effects of acridine derivatives on DNA synthesis raised the hypothesis that DNA metabolism constituted their main target in Leishmania promastigotes; however, secondary effects on other biochemical pathways, including protein and lipid metabolism, were observed, suggesting that acridine compounds could be considered multitarget drugs.

Acridines↗

Altered sporulation and respiratory patterns in mutants of Bacillus subtilis induced by acridine orange.

Bott, K. F. (The University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.), and R. Davidoff-Abelson. Altered sporulation and respiratory patterns in mutants of Bacillus subtilis induced by acridine orange. J. Bacteriol. 92:229-240. 1966.-The addition of acridine orange to vegetative cultures of Bacillus subtilis induces the formation of sporulation mutants at a frequency of 20% or greater. These mutants are grouped into seven categories which reflect their different morphological properties. They are altered in their vegetative metabolism, as indicated by abnormal growth on synthetic media. Sporulation of these mutants is impaired at several levels, all of which are stable upon repeated subculturing. The initial stages of sporulation which require no increased metabolic activity (proteolytic enzyme activity and antibiotic production) are functional in all strains, but glucose dehydrogenase activity, an enzyme associated with early synthetic functions in spore synthesis, is significantly reduced. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase is slightly depressed. It is suggested that acridine orange interacts with a cellular constituent controlling respiration and consequently prevents an increased metabolic activity that may be associated with normal spore synthesis.

Acridines↗

Early detection of positive blood cultures by the acridine orange staining technique.

Staining 2,205 macroscopically negative blood cultures with acridine orange after 6 to 17 h of inoculation and incubation was as sensitive as an early subculture in detecting positive blood cultures. Of the 179 positive blood cultures, 30 (16.8%) were detected by acridine orange alone, 19 (10.6%) were detected by early subculture alone, 84 (46.9%) were detected by both techniques, and 46 (25.7%) were not detected by either method. The latter group includes cultures that became positive after 48 h of incubation. Acridine orange staining of smears prepared from macroscopically negative blood cultures after 6 to 17 h is a rapid, reliable method to detect positive blood cultures.

Acridine Orange↗

Phenolic acridine orange fluorescent stain for mycobacteria.

A new fluorescence acid-fast staining method with acridine orange as the specific stain is presented. Only two reagents are required: the acridine orange-specific stain and a destaining-counterstaining reagent. Compared with auramine fluorescence acid-fast staining, there was less nonspecific staining of non-acid-fast debris which fluoresced a pale green contrasting color to provide a background in which to search for the red-to-orange fluorescing acid-fast bacilli. The results of the study indicate that the acridine orange method is superior to the auramine method in detecting acid-fast bacilli in specimen smears.

Acids↗

Comparison of heat shocking and acridine orange treatment in phage typing of nontypable strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

Forty-five percent of 108 nontypable strains of Staphylococcus aureus from clinical and environmental sources were phage typable after heat shock and acridine orange treatment. Although phage patterns were produced by different types of treatment, the same phage groups were present, showing specificity. The newly typable strains appear to be similar in phage group distribution to the primary typable strains typed at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital during the same time period. Ten of the originally nontypable S. aureus strains that showed lytic patterns after heat shock or acridine orange treatment were subcultured four times from the treated culture and then tested again with bacteriophages. Phage patterns were still present in 8 of the 10 strains without any further treatment. These findings are compatible with the findings of other workers, who have shown that the insensitivity of primary nontypable S. aureus strains to phage is linked to phage-resistant genes in extrachromosomal genetic elements that can be "cured" by both heat shock and acridine treatment.

Acridines↗

Assessment of invasion frequencies of cultured HEp-2 cells by clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori using an acridine orange assay.

AIMS: Recent studies suggest that Helicobacter pylori is an invasive enteropathogen. However, the efficiency with which this pathogen invades mammalian cells remains unknown. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the invasion frequencies of HEp-2 cells by clinical strains of H pylori. METHODS: An acridine orange assay and cultured HEp-2 cell monolayers were used to determine the HEp-2 cell penetration frequencies of 17 clinical isolates and one American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strain of H pylori, and single clinical strains of Yersinia enterocolitica, Shigella flexneri, and a non-invasive ATCC Escherichia coli strain. RESULTS: The acridine orange assay demonstrated that invasion frequencies of HEp-2 cells by all H pylori isolates were significant and, in most instances, exceeded those for the S flexneri strain and equalled those for the Y enterocolitica strain. The assay also showed that internalised H pylori organisms remained viable for at least six hours, the maximum time that bacteria and HEp-2 cells were co-incubated. CONCLUSIONS: These results may have important implications for treatment and prevention strategies for this gastric pathogen. Furthermore, the acridine orange assay may be useful for assessing, in vitro, the ability of conventional and newer antibiotics, alone or in combination, to kill intracellular H pylori organisms.

Acridine Orange↗

In vitro and in vivo activities of three acridine thioethers against Leishmania donovani.

The lack of definitive chemotherapeutic agents to fight against visceral leishmaniasis has lead to the testing of numerous compounds. In the present work, we carry out an in-depth study of the activity against Leishmania donovani of three acridine derivatives both in vitro and in vivo. These compounds have proven to be highly effective at medium and high concentrations of 10 microg/ml, against both flagellate and nonflagellate forms of the parasite, which, though obtained in vitro, closely resemble natural intracellular amastigotes. The in vivo assays showed a significant reduction in the percentage of parasitation versus control, for all the compounds tested. In addition, we have studied the possible mechanism by which these acridine derivatives act: they displayed a greater inhibitory effect against macromolecule synthesis in treated flagellates, yet alterations are also caused in the production of end metabolites and in the activity of different enzymes. The data obtained indicate that the acridine derivatives had several targets, one of them is the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, while the second one might be interaction with the carbohydrate and energy-production processes in the parasite. This conclusion is consistent with our observations concerning the ultrastructural changes induced in the parasite by these compounds principally at the mitochondrial level.

Acetates↗

New antiparasitic agents. III. Comparison between trypanocidal activities of some acridine derivatives against Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro.

Some acridine compounds referred to as 9-imino, 9-oxo and 9-thio derivatives were screened for activity against Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro. The results are discussed here with reference to the structure of the compounds tested. Attempts to elucidate the mode of action of active acridines are also included. The most active compounds that were tested were 9-thioacridanones and 9-thio-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridanones Added to this, the dialkylaminoalkylthio group seems to be the most convenient molecular moiety for trypanocidal activity in the 9-substituted acridine series.

Acridines↗

Simultaneous staining of ribonucleic and deoxyribonucleic acids in unfixed cells using acridine orange in a flow cytofluorometric system.

Simultaneous staining of deoxyribonucleic (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) in nonfixed, but permeable, cells is described. Cells are made permeable by treatment with non-ionic detergent at low pH. RNA is denatured prior to, or during staining, by exposure of cells to chelating agents to ensure that DNA (native) and RNA (dentured) may be stained differentially with the metachromatic dye, acridine orange. The fluorescence of individual cells is measured in a flow cytofluorometer. A comparison between various staining procedures employing acridine orange or other intercalating dyes in unfixed cells is discussed in terms of staining specificity, cell permeability and preservation. Evidence is provided that acridine orange staining of unfixed cells may be used as a simple, fast means of obtaining information on cell ploidy levels and cell cycle status from DNA measurements (green fluorescence), and cell transcriptional activity from RNA staining (red fluorescence), in human and murine cells lines, peripheral blood and bone marrow specimens from patients with leukemia and mitogenically (phytohemagglutinin) or antigenically (mixed lymphocyte culture) stimulated human peripheral blood cultures. Exposure of cells to detergent at low pH as an alternative to cell fixation or hypotonic treatment is proposed as a fast, convenient method of making cells permeable to dyes.

Acridines↗

Inhibition of RNA synthesis in vitro by acridines--relation between structure and activity.

The effects of acridine derivatives (proflavine and 2,7-dialkyl derivatives, diacridines and triacridines, 9-aminoacridine carboxamides, and 9-anilinoacridine, amsacrine and its congeners) on overall RNA synthesis in vitro, on synthesis of initiating oligonucleotides and the binding of the enzyme to DNA were studied. The primary mechanism of action is related to inhibition of the enzyme binding to DNA. The acridines (intercalating or non-intercalating and bis-intercalating ligands) assayed here differ in the properties of their complexes with DNA. Correlation is generally observed between inhibition of RNA synthesis in vitro and cytotoxicity in cell cultures for di- and triacridines and 9-aminoacridine carboxamide derivatives. No relationship was found between the effect on RNA polymerase system and biological effects for amsacrine and its derivatives in contrast to the other series of acridines studied here. The aniline ring seems to decrease the inhibitory potency of a ligand. The discrepancy between the biological effect and RNA synthesis inhibition may be due to a different mechanism of cytotoxicity action of amsacrine which is a potent topoisomerase II poison.

Acridines↗