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PubMed1984

Antimutagenic effects of germanium oxide on Trp-P-2-induced frameshift mutations in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA1538.

A germanium compound, germanium oxide (GeO2) behaved as a potent antimutagen on frameshift-type reverse mutations induced by 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2) in strains of Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA1538 with and without a plasmid pKM101, respectively. This metal antimutagen seems to work independently of the plasmid, a promotive factor in chemically induced mutagenesis through error-prone DNA repair.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Subacute nephrotoxicity of germanium dioxide in the experimental animal.

Germanium (Ge; atomic number 32, atomic weight 72.6) belongs to IVb group of the Periodic Table and is found as a trace metal in soil, rocks, plants, and animals. It is widely used in industry because of its semiconductive nature. Some biological activities have been shown in Ge derivatives. Recently, patients with persistent renal damage after chronic ingestion of germanium dioxide (GeO2)-containing compounds have been reported in Japan. This study aimed to investigate subacute nephrotoxicity of GeO2 in Lewis male rats. The rats were treated orally with GeO2 for 13 weeks (GeO2 group) and were compared with those treated with GeO2 for only the first 4 weeks (GeO2-4-week group) and with untreated controls. Renal dysfunction was demonstrated by the increased serum creatinine, BUN, and serum phosphate and decreased creatinine clearance. Liver dysfunction was observed as demonstrated by the increased GOT and GPT, and hypoproteinemia by the decreased total protein and albumin in the GeO2 group. However, daily urinary protein excretion or urinalysis did not differ among the groups. Kidney weight and Ge content of tissues were significantly elevated in the GeO2 group. With the light microscope, vacuoles and the depositions of PAS-stained particles, which correspond to electron-microscopic dense granules in the swollen mitochondria, were predominantly observed in distal tubular epithelium in the GeO2 group. Even in the GeO2-4-week group of rats, serum creatinine was increased and the above-mentioned histological abnormalities were observed, but were less intense.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed2005

A new method for radiochemical separation of arsenic from irradiated germanium oxide.

Radioarsenic labelled radiopharmaceuticals could be a valuable asset to Positron Emission Tomography (PET). In particular, the long half-lives of (72)As (T(1/2)=26 h) and (74)As (T(1/2)=17.8 d) allow to investigate slow physiological or metabolical processes, like the enrichment and distribution of antibodies in tumor tissue. This work describes the direct production of no-carrier-added (nca) arsenic isotopes *As, with *=71, 72, 73, 74 or 77, the reaction to [*As]AsI(3) and its radiochemical separation from the irradiated solid germanium oxide via polystyrene-based solid-phase extraction. The germanium oxide target, irradiated at a cyclotron or a nuclear reactor, is dissolved in concentrated HF and Ge is separated almost quantitatively (99.97%) as [GeF(6)](2-). [*As]AsI(3) is formed by addition of potassium iodide. The radiochemical separation yield for arsenic is >90%. [*As]AsI(3) is a versatile radioarsenic labelling synthon.

Arsenic↗
PubMed2006

Germanium dioxide induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in Neuro-2A cells.

Germanium (Ge) is commonly used in the semiconductor industry as well as health-promoting and medical field. Biologically, germanium possesses erythropoietic, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, anti-amyloidosis, and immunomodulative effects. However, toxic effects of Ge-containing compounds on kidney, muscle, neuronal cells, and nerves have been reported. Mitochondrial dysfunction was found to be involved in the pathogenesis of GeO(2)-induced nephropathy and myopathy. Since it is well known that mitochondria play a major role in apoptosis triggered by many stimuli, an effort was made to examine whether the Ge-induced neurotoxicity occurs through mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. A mouse neuroblastoma cell line, Neuro-2A, was used in the present study. After incubating with 0.1-800microM of GeO(2) for 0-72h, the cell viability of Neuro-2A cells was inhibited in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Further analysis showed that aside from the changes in the nuclear morphology responsible for apoptosis, the release of cytochrome c, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, the translocation of Bax, and the reduction of Bcl-2 expression were also observed in Neuro-2A cells after GeO(2) treatment. These results indicate that the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis is involved in this in vitro model of GeO(2)-induced neurotoxicity.

Acridine Orange↗
PubMed2006

Solution synthesis of germanium nanowires using a Ge2+ alkoxide precursor.

A simple solution synthesis of germanium (Ge0) nanowires under mild conditions (<400 degrees C and 1 atm) was demonstrated using germanium 2,6-dibutylphenoxide, Ge(DBP)2 (1), as the precursor where DBP = 2,6-OC6H3(C(CH3)3)2. Compound 1, synthesized from Ge(NR2)2 where R = SiMe3 and 2 equiv of DBP-H, was characterized as a mononuclear species by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Dissolution of 1 in oleylamine, followed by rapid injection into a 1-octadecene solution heated to 300 degrees C under an atmosphere of Ar, led to the formation of Ge0 nanowires. The Ge0 nanowires were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. These characterizations revealed that the nanowires are single crystalline in the cubic phase and coated with oleylamine surfactant. We also observed that the nanowire length (0.1-10 microm) increases with increasing temperature (285-315 degrees C) and time (5-60 min). Two growth mechanisms are proposed based on the TEM images intermittently taken during the growth process as a function of time: (1) self-seeding mechanism where one of two overlapping nanowires serves as a seed, while the other continues to grow as a wire; and (2) self-assembly mechanism where an aggregate of small rods (<50 nm in diameter) recrystallizes on the tip of a longer wire, extending its length.

Germanium↗
PubMed2005

Silver nano-inukshuks on germanium.

The integration of metallic nanostructures with semiconductors is important for a variety of technological applications. Through an efficient galvanic displacement reaction on germanium, complex silver nanostructures form spontaneously in aqueous conditions at room temperature. The structures, termed nano-inukshuks, are based on stacks of hexagonal metallic structures that grow, initially, parallel to the surface normal of the germanium. TEM, SEM, XPS, XRD, and EDS indicate that the structures are crystalline silver and, based on open cell potential studies, that their nucleation takes place in the first 100 s, followed by growth of the silver structures, most likely through Volmer-Weber growth.

Crystallization↗
PubMed1991

Chronic tubulointerstitial changes induced by germanium dioxide in comparison with carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide.

Chronic nephrotoxicity was investigated in rats orally administered germanium dioxide (GeO2) and carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) for 24 weeks. Increased BUN and serum phosphate as well as decreased creatinine clearance, weight loss, anemia and liver dysfunction were apparent at week 24 only in the GeO2 treated group. Vacuolar degeneration and granular depositions were observed by light microscope in the degenerated renal distal tubules in the rats of this group, with the semiquantitative scores of tubular degeneration being 95 +/- 9% in the GeO2 group, 3 +/- 1% in the Ge-132 group and 1 +/- 1% in the control group, respectively. Electron microscopy revealed electron-dense inclusions in the swollen mitochondrial matrix of the distal tubular epithelium in the GeO2 group. Although systemic toxicities were reduced after GeO2 was discontinued at week 24, renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis became prominent even at week 40 (16 weeks after discontinuation). A Ge.K alpha X-ray spectrum was clearly demonstrated in the mitochondrial matrix of the distal tubular epithelium in the GeO2 group with the help of electron probe X-ray microanalysis. On the other hand, neither toxic effects nor renal histological abnormalities were manifested in either the Ge-132 or the control group. The renal tissue content of germanium was high at weeks 24 and 40 in the GeO2 group. From these results, it is concluded that GeO2 causes characteristic nephropathy while Ge-132 does not. In addition, it appears that residual GeO2 remains for a considerably long time even after the cessation of GeO2 intake.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Side-firing germanium oxide optical fibers for use with erbium:YAG laser.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: During recent experimental studies, the erbium:YAG laser has been shown to be more efficient for lithotripsy and more precise for incision of soft urinary tissues than the conventional holmium:YAG laser. Mid-infrared optical fibers are being developed to allow endoscopic delivery of Er:YAG laser radiation. This paper describes the simple construction and characterization of a side-firing germanium oxide fiber for potential use with the Er:YAG laser in endourology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 450-microm-core side-firing fibers were constructed from germanium oxide fibers by polishing the distal tip at a 45 degrees angle and placing a protective quartz cap over the tip. The Er:YAG laser radiation, with a wavelength of 2.94 microm, was transmitted through the fibers. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The fiber transmission rate and damage threshold measured 48 +/- 4% and 149 +/- 37 mJ, respectively (n = 6 fibers). Sufficient pulse energies were transmitted through the side-firing fibers to produce contact tissue ablation.

Aluminum↗
PubMed1991

Performance of an array of large-volume germanium detectors for whole-body counting.

An array of four large-volume coaxial germanium detectors was installed in a shielded room for the in vivo measurement of gamma emitters in the body. All four detectors are in a single 50-L dewar of liquid nitrogen and are positioned underneath the supine subject with the axes of the detector elements parallel with the length of the body. This orientation gives approximately 15% more counting efficiency than having the axes of the detectors perpendicular to the body length. The detectors have resolutions that are less than 2 keV with an average of 1.86 keV for the 60Co 1.33-MeV gamma-ray peak. The efficiencies of the four detectors range from 59% to 77% of a 7.62- x 7.62-cm (3- x 3-in.) NaI (Tl) detector. The detectors are interfaced to a multichannel analyzer such that spectra from the detectors are stored both as a sum of all counts from the four detectors and as a spectrum from each detector. The sensitivity of the germanium array for measuring radioactivity in the body exceeds that of multiple large NaI (Tl) detectors for measuring single radionuclides in the body and is much superior for measuring internal depositions of radionuclide mixtures. Another major advantage of this system compared to NaI(Tl) systems is that the results can be calculated by computer analysis with minimal human interpretation. The sensitivity of the array configuration is described and applications of the array in other configurations, such as that used for measuring the very small quantities of 24Na induced in the body during air travel, are also discussed.

Bismuth↗
PubMed1991

New possibilities in erythrocyte survival studies with the application of a Well-type germanium semiconductor detector.

The application of a Well-type germanium semiconductor detector creates new possibilities in erythrocyte survival studies. Using 51Cr, the effective dose equivalent in a standard procedure can be reduced from approximately 780 to 2 microSv. The properties of the detector, namely, high efficiency and high energy resolution, also enable the application of two or even more radionuclides within one individual. This is demonstrated by some experiments utilizing a novel dual-label technique with 57Co tropolonate and 58Co tropolonate. Although this new dual-label technique needs further investigation, it underlines the potential possibilities of studying certain unanswered but clinically relevant questions in the field of transfusion medicine with the application of a Well-type germanium semiconductor detector.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Germanium does not substitute for boron in cross-linking of rhamnogalacturonan II in pumpkin cell walls.

Boron (B)-deficient pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) plants exhibit reduced growth, and their tissues are brittle. The leaf cell walls of these plants contain less than one-half the amount of borate cross-linked rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) dimer than normal plants. Supplying germanium (Ge), which has been reported to substitute for B, to B-deficient plants does not restore growth or reduce tissue brittleness. Nevertheless, the leaf cell walls of the Ge-treated plants accumulated considerable amounts of Ge. Dimeric RG-II (dRG-II) accounted for between 20% and 35% of the total RG-II in the cell walls of the second to fourth leaves from Ge-treated plants, but only 2% to 7% of the RG-II was cross-linked by germanate (dRG-II-Ge). The ability of RG-II to form a dimer is not reduced by Ge treatment because approximately 95% of the monomeric RG-II generated from the walls of Ge-treated plants is converted to dRG-II-Ge in vitro in the presence of germanium oxide and lead acetate. However, dRG-II-Ge is unstable and is converted to monomeric RG-II when the Ge is removed. Therefore, the content of dRG-II-Ge and dRG-II-B described above may not reflect the actual ratio of these in muro. (10)B-Enriched boric acid and Ge are incorporated into the cell wall within 10 min after their foliar application to B-deficient plants. Foliar application of (10)B but not Ge results in an increase in the proportion of dRG-II in the leaf cell wall. Taken together, our results suggest that Ge does not restore the growth of B-deficient plants.

Boric Acids↗
PubMed2005

Biosynthesis of silicon-germanium oxide nanocomposites by the marine diatom Nitzschia frustulum.

The biomineralization capacity of the photosynthetic marine diatom Nitzschia frustulum was harnessed to fabricate Si-Ge oxide nanocomposite materials. Germanium was incorporated into the diatom cell by a two-stage cultivation process. In stage 1, the N. frustulum cell suspension was grown up to cell density of 3 x 10(6) cells/mL in 0.35 mM silicic acid within a bubble-column photobioreactor. In stage 2, when all of the soluble silicon was consumed, 0.10 mM Ge(OH)4 or a mixture of 0.020 mM Ge(OH)4 and 0.25 mM Si(OH)4 were added to Si-starved cells. The cells assimilated soluble germanium by a surge uptake mechanism. The cell mass was thermally annealed in air at 800 degrees C for 6 h to oxidize carbonaceous materials. The thermally annealed cell biomass was characterized by TEM-EDS, FT-IR, and XRD. These measurements confirmed the formation nanostructured Ge-Si oxides composed of CaSiO3 and Ca3GeO5.

Calcium Compounds↗
PubMed2005

Properties of flame synthesized germanium oxide nanoparticles.

Germanium oxide (GeOx) nanoparticles in the size range from 1.5 to 10 nm were synthesized in a low-pressure premixed H2/O2/Ar flame in the pressure range 25-55 mbar. The flame was doped with different amounts of tetramethylgermanium (Ge(CH3)4) ranging from 500 to 2000 ppm. The influence of process parameters such as pressure, flame coordinate, and cold gas flow velocity with respect to growth of germanium oxide particles were investigated. The formed particles were analyzed in-situ according to their mass and charge by means of a particle mass spectrometer (PMS). The specific surface area was determined ex-situ by the BET method. The crystal structure and chemical composition of the produced nanopowder was characterized by EDX and XRD measurements. Additionally, the particles were analyzed by means of FT-IR spectroscopy.

Crystallization↗
PubMed2004

[Determination of trace germanium in coal by spectrophotometry with 2,4-dichlorophenylfluorone].

A method for the determination of germanium in coal samples by spectrophotometry has been developed. The color reaction of germanium with 2,4-dichlorophenylfluorone (2,4-DCIPF) in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) has been studied. The results show that Ge(IV) reacts on 2,4-DCIPF and CTMAB to form a multicomponent complex in a 1.8-2.5 mol x L(-1) H2SO4 medium. The complex has the maximum absorption wavelength at 516 nm and its apparent molar absorptivity epsilon is 1.38 x 10(5) L x mol(-1) x cm(-1). Beer's law is obeyed in the range of 0-12.5 microg x (25 mL)(-1) for Ge(IV). The recovery of standard addition is 103%-106% and the relative standard deviation (RSD) is 1.1%-1.7%. This method has been applied to the determination of Ge(IV) in coal samples with satisfactory results.

4-Aminopyridine↗
PubMed1998

[Simultaneous determination of germanium and molybdenum in mixtures by complexation with 5'-nitrosalicyfluorone and dual-wavelength standard addition spectrophotometry].

In the presence of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and in a medium of 0.3-0.9mol/L sulfuric acid, germanium (IV) and molybdenum (VI) react with 2,6,7-trihydroxy-9 (2'-hydroxy-5'-nitro) phenylfluorone-3, i.e., 5'-nitrosalicyfluorone, to develop red complexes, respectively. The spectra of the two complexes overlap seriously each other, and the additivity of their absorbances is good in the wavelength range of 490-548nm. So a new method for simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of germanium and molybdenum by dual-wavelegth standard addition method has been investigated in detail. The analytical results of five standard mixtures are more accuracy than those obtained by isobestic-point dual-wavelength method. The method has been applied to the analysis of traditional chinese medicine and mineral water with satisfactory results.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal↗
PubMed2005

[Simultaneous determination of germanium and some major ash forming elements in lignites using a dual-view ICP-OES].

In this article, an ICP-OES method of simultaneous determination germanium and some major ash forming elements especially for Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Ti in lignites is described. An ICP-OES instrument equipped with a dual-view plasma torch and a simultaneous detector was used. This technology allows the simultaneous determination of trace elements and major components in the axial view along with in the radial view. The moderate operation condition of the instrument and analytical wavelength lack of interference from elements in the sample matrix was selected, the spectral background was automaticly eliminated. The obtained coal ashes were dissolved in mixtures of nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid and perchloric acid after coal samples were cinerated. The analytical results were in good agreement with those provided by national standard methods. The detection limit of the instrument is ranged between 0.00039-0.10 microg. x mL(-1), the precision of the method is in the range of 0.79%-2.84%, the average recovery of samples is 92.38%, the proposed method is well suitable for the determination germanium and some major ash forming elements in lignites.

Aluminum↗
PubMed2006

Preparation of germanium apatite and its cytotoxicity.

Germanium apatite was synthesized via the solid-state reaction between GeO(2) and (NH(4))(3)PO(4). The synthesized materials were characterized using XRD, and thermal analysis was carried out using TG-DTA. Ge(2)P(2)O(7) was preferentially produced at temperatures between 300-900 degrees C, and at temperatures above 1000 degrees C, germanium apatite (Ge(5)O(PO(4))(6), GeAp) was synthesized. In solubility tests, 0.36% and 0.65% of Ge ions were liberated from GeAp powder in distilled water at 37 and 80 degrees C after four weeks, respectively. A GeAp aqueous solution maintained at 37 degrees C was strongly acidic with a pH=1.67 after four weeks. The growth rate of human adult gingival fibroblast cells in a medium that included GeAp, HA, and GeO(2) was investigated. The growth rate of the cells in a 0.1 mg/ml GeAp medium was almost the same as that in the control. The cell growth was restricted in a 1.0 mg/ml GeAp medium, whereas the cell growth in a pH-adjusted 1.0 mg/ml GeAp medium at pH=7.60 was higher than that in non-adjusted medium at pH = 7.06.

Apatites↗
PubMed1996

[Effects of selenium and germanium on lipid peroxidation in rats fed with low-selenium grain].

Rats were fed with grain produced in the area prevalent of Keshan disease for 12 weeks, by adding certain amount of sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) and carboxylethylgermanium (Ge-132) to study the combined effects of selenium and germanium on lipid peroxidation and metabolism of free radicals in their bodies. Results showed selenium and germanium added to the grain could reduce the content of free radicals in rats' liver and kidney tissues, and that of lipid peroxide in their heart, liver and kidney, and increase the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in their blood, in a synergic way.

Animals↗