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Ion chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS) and radiometric techniques for the determination of actinides in aqueous leachate solutions from uranium oxide.

The choice of the analytical method for the determination of actinide isotopes in leachate solutions has to be made considering several parameters: detection limit for each isotope, sample preparation procedure in terms of duration and complexity, counting time and interferences. A leachate solution obtained by keeping a pellet of UO2 doped with 238Pu in contact with distilled water was investigated for the content of U and Pu isotopes by radiometric methods (alpha-, gamma-spectrometry and liquid scintillation counting). The results of the radiometric methods were compared with those obtained from the analysis performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on-line to a system for chromatographic separation (IC-ICP-MS). The comparison confirmed that IC-ICP-MS is a powerful method for the detection of long-lived radionuclides. The radiometric methods have a detection limit two orders of magnitude lower than IC-ICP-MS in the case of short-lived radioisotopes mostly due to the low background in the detector. On the other hand, the sample preparation and the analysis duration are more time-consuming compared to IC-ICP-MS; moreover, not all isotopes can be determined by using only one radiometric technique.

Journal Article↗

[Statistical indices of 201Tl distribution in the myocardium].

A study was made of the diagnostic potentialities of a histogram analysis of scintigraphic count distribution on myocardium scans using 201Tl in 9 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, 12 patients with coronary heart disease and 6 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension. Scans were recorded 10 min., 4 and 24 h after a single administration of 201Tl at rest in the front-forward, 45 degrees left forward oblique and left lateral projections. The heart area on a scan was marked by hand. Count distribution was represented by an intensity histogram. An array of 243 scans was processed independently by 2 operators of different professional skill. A man-machine classification procedure with algorithm teaching was implemented. The author showed a possibility of group distinction by scintillation count distribution in the heart area on myocardium scans using 201Tl, the distinguishing information being within the interval of 41-80% of maximum intensity in this area. Automatic marking of the heart area on a scan was found necessary to have an entirely automated system for distinguishing groups of examinees.

Adolescent↗

Liquid chromatography-accurate radioisotope counting and microplate scintillation counter technologies in drug metabolism studies.

The present study involves an analysis of the performance of liquid chromatography (LC)-accurate radioisotope counting (ARC) and microplate scintillation counter (TopCount) technologies in drug metabolism studies. For the purpose of evaluating these systems, biological samples resulting from the metabolism of a radiolabeled [14C] compound, known as compound B, are analyzed using LC-ARC and TopCount under similar high-performance LC conditions. Counting efficiency is 83% for LC-ARC, 77% for TopCount, and linearity is R2 of 0.9998 versus 0.9984, respectively. The limit of detection for LC-ARC is 12 disintegrations per minute (dpm) with 1-min/fraction counting, yet for TopCount it is 8.7 dpm with 5-min/fraction counting. Under optimal conditions for each, the total run time of LC-ARC is approximately half that of TopCount. These results indicate that there is no significant difference between these two systems in terms of efficiency, linearity, and limit of detection. However, the LC-ARC system does not involve any manual operations, yet TopCount requires manual sample transfer and data import. This study shows that impressive progress has been made in the technology of radioisotope counting in drug metabolism using LC-ARC. This system enhances the resolution of radiochromatograms and is able to measure volatile metabolites that TopCount cannot detect at all. The ability to acquire mass spectra online is also a major advancement. The overall results suggest that the combination of LC-ARC with radioactivity detection and mass spectrometry has great potential as a powerful tool for radioisotope measurement in metabolite identification studies during drug discovery and development.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

Simultaneous determination of radionuclides separable into natural decay series by use of time-interval analysis.

A delayed coincidence method, time-interval analysis (TIA), has been applied to successive alpha- alpha decay events on the millisecond time-scale. Such decay events are part of the (220)Rn-->(216)Po ( T(1/2) 145 ms) (Th-series) and (219)Rn-->(215)Po ( T(1/2) 1.78 ms) (Ac-series). By using TIA in addition to measurement of (226)Ra (U-series) from alpha-spectrometry by liquid scintillation counting (LSC), two natural decay series could be identified and separated. The TIA detection efficiency was improved by using the pulse-shape discrimination technique (PSD) to reject beta-pulses, by solvent extraction of Ra combined with simple chemical separation, and by purging the scintillation solution with dry N(2) gas. The U- and Th-series together with the Ac-series were determined, respectively, from alpha spectra and TIA carried out immediately after Ra-extraction. Using the (221)Fr-->(217)At ( T(1/2) 32.3 ms) decay process as a tracer, overall yields were estimated from application of TIA to the (225)Ra (Np-decay series) at the time of maximum growth. The present method has proven useful for simultaneous determination of three radioactive decay series in environmental samples.

Journal Article↗

Effect of aging on unscheduled DNA synthesis induction by UV-B irradiation in hairless mouse epidermis.

Age-related induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) by ultraviolet B (UV-B) irradiation was investigated in the epidermis of female hairless mice by means of an in vivo--in vitro assay using a liquid scintillation counting method. Skin samples were taken and cultured in a medium containing [3H]thymidine with or without hydroxyurea (HU) for 2 hr. DNA of the epidermis was extracted, and the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA and the DNA content were determined with a liquid scintillation counter and a fluorescence spectrophotometer, respectively. Induction of UDS by UV-B was judged in terms of the value of the UDS index calculated as a percentage of the respective unexposed control value taken as 100% [the UDS index is given by (the ratio of DNA synthesis in the presence of HU to that in its absence) x 100]. DNA synthesis both in the presence and absence of HU decreased with age [12 months old (M) < 8 M < 4 M < 2 M < 1 M)], concomitantly with a small but significant increase of UDS index. The decrease was high in the younger age groups and moderate in the older age groups. UV-B increased the UDS index approximately 14-, 12- and 9-fold at 1 hr after 1,000 J/m2 irradiation in 1 M, 2 M and 12 M mice, respectively, and these increases were partly reversed at 4 hr after irradiation. UV-B also increased the UDS index approximately 25-, 24- and 21-fold at 1 hr after 4,000 J/m2 irradiation for each age group. However, there was no statistically significant age-related difference in the magnitude of the UDS index after irradiation of UV-B. These results show that replicative DNA synthesis decreases with age, whereas DNA repair capacity after UV-B irradiation does not change with age under these conditions.

Aging↗

Alkylphosphocholines inhibit proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect and mechanism of action of alkylphosphocholines (APCs) on proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and RPE-mediated collagen matrix contraction in vitro. METHODS: Cultured RPE cells of five human donors were treated with four APCs in the presence of fetal calf serum. Proliferation was assessed by the tetrazolium dye-reduction (MTT) assay and by counting the number of cells dividing in culture. The effect of APCs on RPE-mediated matrix contraction was determined in three-dimensional collagen gels. Cell viability was tested by the trypan blue exclusion assay. As a possible mechanism of APC action, protein kinase C (PKC) activity was quantified by scintillation counting of (32)P-labeled phosphate transferred to a PKC-specific substrate. RESULTS: All APCs inhibited RPE proliferation and RPE-mediated collagen matrix contraction in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. The antiproliferative and anticontractile effect of APCs increased with elongation of the fatty acid chain beyond C20. IC(50)s of all APCs varied between 8.5 micro M (erucyl-phosphocholine, C22:1-PC), 9.0 micro M (Z)-12-heneicosenyl-phosphocholine, C21:1-PC), 11.0 micro M (Z)-10-eicosenyl-phosphocholine, C20:1-PC), and 26.5 micro M (oleyl-phosphocholine, C18:1-PC). Trypan blue staining revealed a toxicity below 5% for all APCs within the concentration interval tested. PKC activity was significantly reduced by all four APCs, with C22:1-PC being the most effective. CONCLUSIONS: APCs inhibit proliferation of RPE cells and RPE-mediated matrix contraction in vitro at nontoxic concentrations. This effect seems to be exerted through inhibition of PKC activity. Therefore, APCs are promising candidates for treatment of RPE-mediated proliferative processes such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Adolescent↗

Protective effects of iptakalim, a novel ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, on global cerebral ischemia-evoked insult in gerbils.

AIM: To investigate the protective role of iptakalim, a novel ATP sensitive potassium channel opener, on global cerebral ischemia-evoked insult in gerbils and glutamate-induced PC12 cell injury. METHODS: Global cerebral ischemia was induced by occluding the bilateral common carotid arteries in gerbils for 5 min. The open field maze and T-maze were employed to investigate the experimental therapeutic value of iptakalim on ischemic brain insult (n=8). The pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA1 regions were counted to assess the protective effects of iptakalim. Glutamate released from the gerbil hippocampus and PC12 cells were determined by HPLC. Intracellular calcium was measured by Fluo-3 AM with A Bio-Rad Radiance 2100TM confocal system in conjunction with a Nikon TE300 microscope. Astrocyte glutamate uptake measurements were determined by liquid scintillation counting. RESULTS: Iptakalim (0.5-4.0 mg/kg per day, ip) could reduce the high locomotor activity evoked by ischemia and improve global cerebral ischemia-induced working memory impairments. Histological studies revealed that iptakalim could increase the survival neuron in the hippocampus CA1 zone in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, iptakalim could reverse ischemia-evoked increases of glutamate in the hippocampus of gerbils. In an in vitro study, iptakalim protected PC12 cells against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, reduced the [Ca(2+)](i) increases, and enhanced the glutamate uptake activity of primary cultured astrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Iptakalim plays a key role in preventing global cerebral ischemia-evoked insults in gerbils and glutamate-induced PC12 cell injury by anti-excitotoxicity. Iptakalim might be a promising novel candidate for the prevention and/or treatment of stroke.

Amino Acids↗

Use of a simple light absorbance assay to measure lymphocyte proliferation.

The proliferative response of human lymphocytes to stimuli such as foreign histocompatibility antigens or mitogens is generally assessed by measuring the amount of tritiated thymidine which the cells incorporated in culture. In this paper, the possibility of assessing lymphocyte proliferation and viability by an empirical assay, using measurement of light absorbance on a ELISA reader in the yellow wave length (450 nm/air-550 nm/air), has been studied. The correlation of these measurements with a colormetric viability assay using MTS/PMS, with tritiated thymidine incorporation and with trypan blue exclusion viability counting, was determined. The results showed that the light absorbance assay correlated well with cell proliferation during 48-120 hours culture period and with cell viability after a 72 hour period. The MTS/PMS colormetric assay as well as trypan blue exclusion cell counting confirmed that the light absorbance assay was not merely caused by dead cells. This data confirm that the light absorbance assay is sufficiently sensitive to low levels of proliferation to allow detection of such responses at least as effectively as thymidine incorporation. The light absorbance assay procedure avoids the expense, time and hazards associated with scintillation counting, and is simple to perform without the necessity for reagents and preparative steps required by other assays.

Adolescent↗

DNA repair induced by various mutagens in rat hepatocyte primary cultures measured in the presence of hydroxyurea, guanazole or aphidicolin.

Guanazole and aphidicolin were chosen as candidates in the search for a selective, non-genotoxic inhibitor of DNA replication which could be used instead of hydroxyurea to measure DNA repair synthesis in rat hepatocyte primary cultures by liquid scintillation counting. The genotoxicity of these 3 chemicals was studied using the Salmonella/liver homogenate assay and the autoradiographic UDS test in hepatocytes. Hydroxyurea was positive in both of these assays. Guanazole and aphidicolin did not induce DNA repair in hepatocytes. Aphidicolin was not mutagenic for Salmonella typhimurium, whereas guanazole increased the revertant numbers of strain TA102 slightly. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine was measured by liquid scintillation to determine DNA repair induced by 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF), aflatoxin B1, benzo[a]pyrene, cyclophosphamide, H2O2, 6-hydroxydopamine, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), methylnitrosourea (MNU), 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide and UV irradiation in the presence of either 10 mM hydroxyurea, 15 mM guanazole or 0.015 mM aphidicolin. Aphidicolin had an inhibitory effect on DNA repair. Except for the 3 chemicals mentioned below, the sensitivity of the DNA repair measurement was the same, no matter whether hydroxyurea or guanazole was used to inhibit replicative DNA synthesis. In the presence of hydroxyurea, DNA repair synthesis was found at lower concentrations in the case of aflatoxin B1, due to differences in the solvent control values, and in the case of H2O2, possibly due to a synergistic effect between hydroxyurea and H2O2. Guanazole allowed the detection of DNA repair induced by MNNG at lower concentrations, probably because of an antagonistic effect between hydroxyurea and MNNG. Based on these results, it was concluded that guanazole, but not aphidicolin, could be used instead of hydroxyurea to measure DNA repair synthesis by liquid scintillation in rat hepatocyte primary cultures. Although guanazole does not completely fulfill the criteria for an ideal DNA replication inhibitor, it has the advantage of being less genotoxic than hydroxyurea, and also appears to have a smaller potential to falsify the results by interacting with the test compounds.

Animals↗

Induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis in hairless mouse epidermis by ultraviolet light.

The activity of ultraviolet (UV) light to induce unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) was investigated in hairless mouse epidermis by means of an in vivo-in vitro assay using a liquid scintillation counting method. Groups of three to five 8-week-old female hairless mice were irradiated with UV-B or UV-A, then skin samples were taken and cultured individually in medium containing [3H]thymidine with or without hydroxyurea (HU) for 2 hr. DNA of the epidermis was extracted, and incorporation of [3H]thymidine and the DNA content were determined with a liquid scintillation counter and a fluorescence spectrophotometer, respectively. Induction of UDS was judged in terms of the UDS index [(the ratio of DNA synthesis in the presence of HU to that in its absence) x 100]. UV-B increased the UDS index 1 hr after irradiation of 500 J/m2, which corresponds to approximately 1 minimal erythema dose or 1 minimal edema dose, and showed a dose-dependent increase up to 17-fold in the UDS index at irradiation doses of 500 to 2,000 J/m2. In a time-course study, UV-B also increased replicative DNA synthesis (RDS) 48 hr after irradiation at 1,000 J/m2. On the other hand, UV-A did not increase the UDS index at irradiation doses of 2 x 10(5) to 8 x 10(5) J/m2. These results show that induction of UDS by UV irradiation depends on wavelength and an increase of RDS in the epidermis exposed to UV-B irradiation appears after induction of UDS.

Animals↗

Carbon-14-ochratoxin A distribution in the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) monitored by whole body autoradiography.

Tissue distribution of the nephrotoxic mycotoxin ochratoxin A was characterized in laying Japanese quail by whole body autoradiography and scintillation counting using 14C-labelled toxin. Periodically for 8 days after one intravenous injection of 14 microCi/bird, corresponding to 70 ng/g body weight, birds were killed, frozen, and sagittal sections of the whole body were placed on X-ray film. In general, the ochratoxin disappeared from the avian body rapidly. Specific retention of radioactivity was seen as a ring-like distribution in yolks and growing follicles. After sectioning, organs and intestinal contents were removed from carcasses in a frozen condition, homogenized, extracted, chromatographed, and the radioactivity in fractions was measured by scintillation spectroscopy. High concentrations of ochratoxin A were found in gastric intestinal contents, probably originating from toxin excreted in the bile.

Animals↗

Measurement standards for strontium-89 for use in bone palliation.

Strontium-89 standards have been prepared for use in calibrating instruments in the measurement chain from production in reactors to administration in the clinic or radiopharmacy. Alternate reactor production schemes were evaluated to yield high purity 89Sr with minimum 85Sr impurity. Following purification to remove radionuclidic impurities, samples of 89Sr were standardized by high-efficiency liquid-scintillation counting with a relative expanded uncertainty (intended to approximate two standard deviations) of 0.48%. A Standard Reference Material, SRM 4426A, was prepared and distributed to radiopharmaceutical manufacturers and other customers. The standard sources of 89Sr were used in different geometries to calibrate high purity Ge semiconductor detectors, re-entrant ionization chambers and commercial radionuclide calibrators. The latter included Capintec dose calibrators and the Capintec beta C NaI(Tl) scintillation counter.

Bone Diseases↗

Improved techniques for studies of adipocyte cellularity and metabolism.

Two methods are described for the study of adipose tissue cellularity and metabolism. In the first, 8 M urea was used to liberate osmium tetroxide-fixed adipocytes from the connective tissue matrix. In the smaller-sized cell ranges there was a significant reduction in apparent adipocyte number of rat, pig, and beef adipose tissue with 8 M urea treatment. This was attributed to solubilization of connective tissue debris that was counted as adipocytes in samples isolated without urea. There was no effect on the larger cell-size fractions with 8 M urea treatment. Eight molar urea had no effect on fixed adipocyte retention of radioactivity. The second method entailed the use of hydrogen peroxide to volatilize the black, osmium tetroxide-fatty acid complex of osmium tetroxide-fixed adipocytes, containing radioactivity, resulting in colorless lipid suitable for liquid scintillation counting. This latter technique permits incubation of unfixed adipose tissue slices with a radioactive substrate, followed by fixation with osmium tetroxide and subsequent separation of the adipocytes, by screening, into the desired size ranges. Adipocytes in various size fractions can then be counted, sized, and then decolorized with hydrogen peroxide in order to quantitate the amount of radioactivity within the adipocytes. There was no loss of radioactivity from the fixed cells with hydrogen peroxide treatment.

Adipose Tissue↗

Standardization and nuclear decay data of 65Zn.

Standardization by means of 4pibeta-gamma coincidence counting was applied to calibrate a 65Zn solution within the scope of EUROMET project no. 721. The activity result was combined with gamma-ray spectrometry measurements to investigate the photon emission probabilities. The half-life of 65Zn was measured with improved accuracy by means of 4pi ionization chamber measuring systems that were also used for secondary activity determination. In addition, we tested a new secondary standardization procedure by means of liquid scintillation counting.

Algorithms↗

A miniaturized column chromatography method for measuring receptor-mediated inositol phosphate accumulation.

Inositol phosphates (IPs), such as 1,4,5-inositol-trisphosphate (IP(3)), comprise a ubiquitous intracellular signaling cascade initiated in response to G protein-coupled receptor-mediated activation of phospholipase C. Classical methods for measuring intracellular accumulation of these molecules include time-consuming high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation or large-volume, gravity-fed anion-exchange column chromatography. More recent approaches, such as radio-receptor and AlphaScreen assays, offer higher throughput. However, these techniques rely on measurement of IP(3) itself, rather than its accumulation with other downstream IPs, and often suffer from poor signal-to-noise ratios due to the transient nature of IP(3). The authors have developed a miniaturized, anion-exchange chromatography method for measuring inositol phosphate accumulation in cells that takes advantage of signal amplification achieved through measuring IP(3) and downstream IPs. This assay uses centrifugation of 96-well-formatted anion-exchange mini-columns for the isolation of radiolabeled inositol phosphates from cell extracts, followed by low-background dry-scintillation counting. This improved assay method measures receptor-mediated IP accumulation with signal-to-noise and pharmacological values comparable to the classical large-volume, column-based methods. Assay validation data for recombinant muscarinic receptor 1, galanin receptor 2, and rat astrocyte metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 are presented. This miniaturized protocol reduces reagent usage and assay time as compared to large-column methods and is compatible with standard 96-well scintillation counters.

Animals↗

Development of a three-dimensional data acquisition method for standardization of beta-emitting nuclides

We have developed a three-dimensional data-acquisition system with which pulse heights from an array of detectors can be multi-scaled with dwell times as short as 31 ns. The main part of the system consists of three ADCs of SAR (Successive Approximation Register) type, a 32 MHz oscillation clock and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) of 192 Mbyte capacity. The clock time is determined by count the clock pulse generated by 28 bits synchronous counter. Both the pulse height and the time information are stored at an array of DRAM, of 40-bits width, 12-bits for pulse height and 28-bits for clock time. The technique is particularly suitable for experiments such as both double and triple coincidence distributions are required. Virtues of the method are demonstrated by measuring the activity of 14C with a 3-PM liquid scintillation counting system. The computer discrimination together with the MCTS (multi-channel time scaling) technique is applied for efficiency variation method in the analysis.

Journal Article↗

Induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis in hairless mouse epidermis by skin carcinogens.

Induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in hairless mouse epidermis by six chemicals was determined in an in vivo-in vitro assay by using a liquid scintillation counting method. Test chemicals were applied once onto two areas of the back of female hairless mice after stripping of the stratum corneum with adhesive tape to enhance skin penetration. After exposure, the skin samples were taken and cultured in a medium containing [3H]thymidine with or without hydroxyurea (HU, an inhibitor of replicative DNA synthesis). DNA of the epidermis was extracted, and incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA and the DNA content was determined with a liquid scintillation counter and a fluorescence spectrophotometer, respectively. Induction of UDS by chemicals was judged by calculation of the UDS index [(the ratio of DNA synthesis in the presence of HU to that in its absence) x 100]. A good correlation between UDS induction and organ specificity of carcinogens was observed. 4-Nitroquinoline 1-oxide, a skin carcinogen used as a positive control, induced a dose-dependent increase in the UDS index of approximately 12-fold at 2 hr after exposure, while 1,2-epoxydodecane, a non-skin carcinogen applied as a negative control, did not increase the UDS index. Four other skin carcinogens induced dose-dependent increases in the UDS index; N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and diepoxybutane at 2 hr after exposure, and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene at 24 hr after exposure. The results suggest that UDS is a good marker of the genotoxicity of skin carcinogens.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗