A comparison by ultracentrifugation of the effects on DNA of ethidium bromide and of acridine orange at low ionic strength

The application of scaled particle theory to the gels formed by DNA in the ultracentrifuge has provided values for the effective length and the effective radius of the DNA particle. Ethidium bromide has been shown to cause extensive lengthening of the DNA in dilute salt. Acridine orange interaction with DNA resulted in modest changes in DNA dimensions. These results are explained in terms of binding for acridine orange and of denaturation of DNA by ethidium bromide.     

Determination of ACC-induced cell-programmed death in roots of Vicia faba ssp. minor seedlings by acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining

Fluorescence staining with acridine orange (AO) and ethidium bromide (EB) showed that nuclei of cortex root cells of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC)-treated Vicia faba ssp. minor seedlings differed in color. Measurement of resultant fluorescence intensity (RFI) showed that it increased when the color of nuclear chromatin was changed from green to red, indicating that EB moved to the nuclei via the cell membrane which lost its integrity and stained nuclei red. AO/EB staining showed that changes in color of the nuclear chromatin were accompanied by DNA condensation, nuclei fragmentation, and chromatin degradation which were also shown after 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindol staining. These results indicate that ACC induced programmed cell death. The increasing values of RFI together with the corresponding morphological changes of nuclear chromatin were the basis to prepare the standard curve; cells with green unchanged nuclear chromatin were alive while those with dark orange and bright red nuclei were dead. The cells with nuclei with green–yellow, yellow–orange, and bright orange chromatin with or without their condensation and fragmentation chromatin were dying. The prepared curve has became the basis to draw up the digital method for detection and determination of the number of living, dying, and dead cells in an in planta system and revealed that ACC induced death in about 20% of root cortex cells. This process was accompanied by increase in ion leakage, shortening of cells and whole roots, as well as by increase in weight and width of the apical part of roots and appearance of few aerenchymatic spaces while not by internucleosomal DNA degradation.     

Effects of ethidium bromide on DNA loop organisation in human lymphocytes measured by anomalous viscosity time dependence and single cell gel electrophoresis.

The effects of ethidium bromide (EtBr) on human lymphocytes were studied by the method of anomalous viscosity time dependence (AVTD) and by the comet assay. EtBr at low concentrations increased the maximum viscosity and time of radial migration as measured with AVTD at neutral conditions of lysis. A pronounced relaxation of DNA loops was observed with the neutral comet assay. The maximal comet length corresponded to 2 Mb DNA loops. At high concentrations of EtBr, 2 mg/ml, significant reduction in AVTD below control level was seen that suggested hypercondensation of chromatin. The hypercondensation was directly observed with the neutral comet assay. EtBr did not induce DNA strand breaks as measured by the alkaline comet assay. The hypercondensed nuclei could be decondensed by irradiation with gamma-rays or exposure to light. The data provide evidence that EtBr at high concentrations resulted in hypercondensation of chromatin below control level. The comet assay confirmed that the increase in AVTD peaks deals with relaxation of loops and AVTD decrease is caused by chromatin condensation. The prediction of the AVTD theory for a correlation between time of radial migration and condensation of chromatin was verified. Further, the data show that the comet assay at neutral conditions of lysis is rather sensitive to DNA loop relaxation in the absence of DNA damage. Finally, donor specificity was found for the hypercondensation.     

Localization of disulfide bonds in the alpha 1 acidic glycoprotein molecule and study of their effect on ability of the protein to interact with ethidium bromide

alpha 1-Acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid) was purified from the human and murine blood sera using phenol deproteinization. As opposed to the murine protein, the human orosomucoid bound the fluorescent dye ethidium bromide but lost this ability after treatment with beta-mercaptoethanol, which breaks disulfide bonds. Disulfide bonds between the Cys23 and Cys165 residues of the human orosomucoid and between the Cys91 and Cys184 residues of the murine orosomucoid were identified.     

Catalysis by molecular iodine: a rapid synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthenes and their evaluation as potential anticancer agents

Molecular iodine facilitated the reaction of 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione with aromatic aldehydes in iso-propanol affording a variety of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthenes in high yields. Most of the compounds synthesized showed good anti-proliferative properties in vitro against three cancer cell lines and 9-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3,3,6,6-tetramethyl-3,4,5,6,7,9-hexahydro-1H-xanthene-1,8(2H)-dione possessing a 2-hydroxy phenyl group at C-9 position was found to be promising. Further structure elaboration of the same compound and the crystal structure analysis and hydrogen bonding patterns of another compound that is, 9-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3,3,6,6-tetramethyl-3,4,5,6,7,9-hexahydro-1H-xanthene-1,8(2H)-dione prepared by using this methodology is presented.     

Novel DNA-directed alkylating agents: Design,synthesis and potent antitumor effect of phenyl N-mustard-9-anilinoacridine conjugates via a carbamate or carbonate linker

A series of phenyl N-mustard-9-anilinoacridine conjugates via a carbamate or carbonate linker was synthesized for antitumor evaluation. The carbamate or carbonate linker is able to lower the reactivity of the phenyl N-mustard pharmacophore and thus, these conjugates are rather chemically stable. The in vitro studies revealed that these derivatives possessed significant cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ in sub-micromolar range in inhibiting human lymphoblastic leukemia (CCRF-CEM), breast carcinoma (MX-1), colon carcinoma (HCT-116) and human non-small cell lung cancer (H1299) cell growth in vitro. Compounds 10a, 10b, 10e, 10i, and 15a were selected for evaluating their antitumor activity in nude mice bearing MX-1 and HCT-116 xenografts. Remarkably, total tumor remission was achieved by these agents with only one cycle of treatment. Interestingly, no tumor relapse was found in mice treated with 10a over 129 days. This agent is capable of inducing DNA interstrand cross-linking in human non-small lung cancer H1299 cells in a dose dependent manner by modified comet assay and has a long half-life in rat plasma.     

Influence of the deprivation of a single amino acid on cellular proliferation and survival in rat 3Y1 fibroblasts and their derivatives transformed by a wide variety of agents

We compared proliferation and survival of various syngeneic transformed cell lines under conditions of depletion of 15 amino acids in Dulbecco-Eagle's medium. We used a normal fibroblast line 3Y1 and 22 transformed sublines of 3Y1 which had been induced by one of seven transforming agents--simian virus 40, mouse polyomavirus, adenovirus type 12, E1A gene of adenovirus type 12, cDNA of Harvey murine sarcoma virus, Rous sarcoma virus, or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Unlike other untransformed cells examined (mouse BALB/c-3T3 line, mouse NIH-3T3 line, and primary Fischer rat embryo fibroblasts), 3Y1 ceased to proliferate and accumulated in a viable state with a G1-phase DNA content under 14 singular deprivations of amino acid. None of the transformed 3Y1 lines completely arrested in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and each showed different levels of survival, depending on each transforming agent. As for transformed 3Y1 cells induced by a given virus or a given transforming gene, any one of the three sublines shared the same trend with respect to proliferation and survival. Transformed derivatives induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine showed almost the same trend in proliferation, but the patterns of survival were not uniform. Our observations suggest that the unique responses of 3Y1 to amino acid depletion are differently modified by different transforming agents.     

Preferential deletion of a specific region of mitochondrial DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by ethidium bromide and 3-carbethoxy-psoralen: directional retention of DNA sequence.

Grande strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were mutagenized either by ethidium bromide or by 3-carbethoxy-psoralen (a monofunctional furocoumarin derivative) activated by 365nm light. 973 primary rho- clones induced were randomly collected and analyzed individually for the presence or absence of fifteen mitochondrial genetic markers. 1. Under mild conditions of mutagenesis, 83% of the primary clones showed single-deletion genotypes; a unique order of 14 markers could be deduced from the patterns of the deletion. The gene order confirmed our previous map constructed from the analysis of established non-random petite clones. From the frequencies of disjunction between markers, the distance separating 14 mitochondrial markers were estimated. 2. One region, carrying oxi-3, pho-1 and mit 175 loci, was preferentially lost in rho- mutants: there is a strong constraint in the frequencies of various genotypes found in rho- clones. On each side of this particular region, a bidirectionally oriented pattern of retention of markers is observed.     

Design and synthesis of new antitumor agents with the 1,7-epoxycyclononane framework. Study of their anticancer action mechanism by a model compound

This article describes the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a new family of antitumor agents having the 1,7-epoxycyclononane framework. We have developed a versatile synthetic methodology that allows the preparation of a chemical library with structural diversity and in good yield. The synthetic methodology has been scaled up to the multigram level and can be developed in an enantioselective fashion. The study in vitro of a model compound, in front of the cancer cell lines HL-60 and MCF-7, showed a growth inhibitory effect better than that of cisplatin. The observation of cancer cells by fluorescence microscopy showed the presence of apoptotic bodies and a degradation of microtubules. The study of cell cycle and mechanism of death of cancer cells by flow cytometry indicates that the cell cycle arrested at the G₀/G₁ phase and that the cells died by apoptosis preferably over necrosis. A high percentage of apoptotic cells at the subG₀/G₁ level was observed. This indicates that our model compound does not behave as an antimitotic agent like nocodazole, used as a reference, which arrests the cell cycle at G₂/M phase. The interaction of anticancer agents with DNA molecules was evaluated by atomic force microscopy, circular dichroism and electrophoresis on agarose gel. The results indicate that the model compound has not DNA as a target molecule. The in silico study of the model compound showed a potential good oral bioavailability.     

Molecular cloning of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase from Kluyveromyces lactis: a single nucleotide substitution in the gene confers ethidium bromide resistance and deficiency in K+ uptake.

A Kluyveromyces lactis strain resistant to ethidium bromide and deficient in potassium uptake was isolated. Studies on the proton-pumping activity of the mutant strain showed that a decreased H(+)-ATPase specific activity was responsible for the observed phenotypes. The putative K. lactis PMA1 gene encoding the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase was cloned by its ability to relieve the potassium transport defect of this mutant and by reversing its resistance to ethidium bromide. Its deduced amino acid sequence predicts a protein 899 residues long that is structurally colinear in its full length to H(+)-ATPases cloned from different yeasts, except for the presence of a variable N-terminal domain. By PCR-mediated amplification, we identified a transition from G to A that rendered the substitution of the fully conserved methionine at position 699 by isoleucine. We attribute to this amino acid change the low capacity of the mutant H(+)-ATPase to pump out protons.     

Quenching of DNA-ethidium fluorescence by amsacrine and other antitumor agents: a possible electron-transfer effect

The antitumor agent amsacrine, 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA), when bound to double-stranded DNA, particularly poly(deoxyadenylicthymidylic acid), reduced the fluorescence of bound ethidium without physically displacing it from DNA. Fluorescence lifetime measurements showed that the reduction of fluorescence was not due to reduction of the lifetime of the excited state of ethidium. Rather, a proportion of the DNA-bound ethidium changed to a state where the fluorescence was highly quenched. Several other 9-anilinoacridine derivatives, and also 9-hydroxyellipticine, caused quenching of ethidium-DNA fluorescence, whereas 9-aminoacridine, proflavin, and ellipticine had no effect. Resonance energy transfer (F?rster transfer) is not responsible for the effect since there is no spectral overlap between the absorption spectrum of any of the agents and the fluorescence emission spectrum of ethidium. It is suggested that quenching may occur as a result of reversible formation of electron-transfer complexes between the intercalating drug and the excited state of ethidium.     

Biological and technical study of a partial-SHARON reactor at laboratory scale: effect of hydraulic retention time

This study was on the technical and biological characteristics of a partial-SHARON submerged-filter bioreactor of 3 L. The main focus was the influence of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on biofilms. For this purpose, we used molecular tools based on the partial 16S rRNA genes. The results showed that the HRT may affect the nitrification processes of a bioreactor using synthetic wastewater containing 600 mg/L of ammonia. It was found that an HRT of 0.5 day transformed 100 % of the ammonium into nitrite. However, when the HRT was decreased to 0.4 day, there was a significant reduction (35 %) in the quantity of ammonia transformed, which confirmed the complexity of the system operation. Moreover, a PCR-TGGE approach highlighted the differences observed. The results obtained showed that an HRT of 0.5 day reduced bacterial biodiversity in the biofilms, which were mainly formed by Nitrosomonas and Diaphorobacter. In contrast, an HRT of 0.4 day facilitated the formation of heterogeneous biofilms formed by nitrifying bacteria, such as Nitrosomonas sp., Nitrosospira sp., and Nitrosovibrio sp.).     

Conversions of the left-handed form and the protonated form of DNA back to the bound right-handed form by sanguinarine and ethidium: a comparative study

The interaction of sanguinarine and ethidium with right-handed (B-form), left-handed (Z-form) and left-handed protonated (designated as H(L)-form) structures of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) and poly(dG-me5dC).poly(dG-me5dC) was investigated by measuring the circular dichroism and UV absorption spectral analysis. Both sanguinarine and ethidium bind strongly to the B-form DNA and convert the Z-form and the H(L)-form back to the bound right-handed form. Circular dichroic data also show that the conformation at the binding site is right-handed, even though adjacent regions of the polymer have a left-handed conformation either in Z-form or in H(L)-form. Both the rate and extent of B-form to Z-form transition were decreased by sanguinarine and ethidium under ionic conditions that otherwise favour the left-handed conformation of the polynucleotides. The rate of decrease is faster in the case of ethidium as compared to that of sanguinarine. Scatchard analysis of the spectrophotometric data shows that sanguinarine binds strongly to both the polynucleotides in a non-cooperative manner under B-form conditions, in sharp contrast to the highly-cooperative binding under Z-form and H(L)-form conditions. Correlation of binding isotherms with circular dichroism data indicates that the cooperative binding of sanguinarine under the Z-form and the H(L)-form conditions is associated with a sequential conversion of the polymer from a left-handed to a bound right-handed conformation. Determination of bound alkaloid concentration by spectroscopic titration technique and the measurement of circular dichroic spectra have enabled us to calculate the number of base pairs of Z-form and H(L)-form that adopt a right-handed conformation for each bound alkaloid. Analysis reveals that 2-3 base pairs (bp) of Z-form of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) and poly(dG-me5dC).poly(dG-me5dC) switch to the right-handed form for each bound sanguinarine, while approximately same number of base pairs switch to the bound right-handed form in complexes with H(L)-form of these polynucleotides. Comparative binding analysis shows that ethidium also converts approximately 2 bp of Z-form or H(L)-form to bound right-handed form under same experimental conditions. Since sanguinarine binds preferentially to alternating GC sequences, which are capable of undergoing the B to Z or B to H(L) transition, these effects may be an important part in understanding its extensive biological activities.     

Inhibitory effect of metastasis by combined administration with interleukin-2 and sizofiran,a single glucan — immunohistochemical study —

Innovations in methods of combined administration with other BRM or chemotherapeutic drugs have been discussed. We have reported [1] that combined administration with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and sizofiran (SPG) is effective in prolonging survival time of C57BL/6 mice intraperitoneally inoculated with EL-4 lymphoma. The immunomechanisms of the combined administration were clarified investigating the intraperitoneal cell population in the primary tumor site, especially the tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) quantitatively. In the present study, to clarify the antitumor effects of combined administration with rIL-2 and SPG on the metastatic sites, the immnunomechanisms of the suppressive effects of combined administration on the metastasis were studied in EL-4 lymphoma cells intraperitoneally transplanted to mice. Inasmuch as EL-4 lymphoma shows rapid hepatosplenic metastasis, we studied the metastatic foci in the liver and the spleen semiquantitatively investigating the histopathological and immunohistochemical findings of the metastatic foci, especially the TIL. The metastatic foci were stained by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and monoclonal antibodies (L3T4, Lyt2, asialo GM1, Mac-1, and Ia). The combined administration resulted in: 1) fewer infiltrating tumor cells, 2) more lymphocytic infiltration, and 3) more antitumor effector cells (cytotoxic T cells: Lyt2 and natural killer cells: asialo GM1), macrophages (Mac-1), helper T cells (L3T4), and cells with MHC-class-II antigen (Ia) than did administration of rIL-2 alone or SPG alone, or no administration of these two at all. Combined administration with rIL-2 and SPG appears to activate antitumor-immune response at the metastatic site more effectively than when either agent is administered alone.     

Habitat models and their transfer for single and multi species groups: a case study of carabids in an alluvial forest

Environmental factors influencing the occurrence of single species and multi species groups of carabids in alluvial forest al the River Elbe were determined with habitat suitability models. Two representative species for different ecotypes present in the investigated community. Agonum livens and Pterostichus oblongopunctatus. were defined by means of a discriminant analysis. The two species differed greatly in their microhabitat distribution, Agonum livens was chosen as target species for a multi species group of wetland species that inhabited the fringes of temporary waters in the forest. In contrast, P. oblongopunctatus should represent species of deciduous forests. Using stepwise multiple logistic regression statistically significant habitat suitability models were estimated, reliably predicting the species" occurrence, A subsequent evaluation by cross-validations and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves indicated a high discriminatory power. A transfer of the model onto different data sets in time was applied to validate the model. Alternatively, a multi species habitat model, taking into account weighted occurrence data of the wetland species group, was estimated. In order to show that the chosen target species truly holds an umbrella effect upon the represented multi species group, we used ROC curves to indicate the transferability of the target species' habitat model for the multi species group and vice versa.     

The kinetics of solute clearance by a single tissue capillary of limited permeability: Explicit solutions of two models and their bounds

To describe stationary-state kinetics of solute clearance from an interstitial space with an initial uniform concentration, an explicit solution of the Sangren-Sheppard model and a stratagem for an explicit solution of the Johnson-Wilson model are presented. In both cases expressions for computing the exact intravascular and extravascular concentrations at any time and location are complicated and inconvenient. Simpler and far more convenient formulae for determining upper and lower bounds on solute concentrations and on the pseudo-first-order clearance rate ‘constant’ (k) are derived. For the Johnson-Wilson model, the bounds are so tight thatk, for example, can be estimated with considerable accuracy whenever the capillary blood flow exceeds the permeability-surface area product.     

Enantioseparation of ketoconazole and miconazole by capillary electrophoresis and a study on their inclusion interactions with β‐cyclodextrin and derivatives

A chiral separation method coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE) analysis for ketoconazole and miconazole enantiomers using chiral selectors such as β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and hydroxypropyl‐β‐CD (HP‐β‐CD) was developed in this study, which included the optimisation, validation and application of the method on the antifungal cream samples. The formation of inclusion complex between the hosts (β‐CD and HP‐β‐CD) and guests (ketoconazole and miconazole) were compared and analysed using ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and molecular docking methods. Results from the study showed that in a concentration that ranged between 0.25 and 50 mg L^?1, the linear calibration curves of each enantiomer had a high coefficient of regression (R² > 0.999), low limit of detection (0.075 mg L^?1) and low limit of quantification (0.25 mg L^?1). The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the intraday and interday analyses ranged from 0.79% to 8.01% and 3.30% to 11.43%, respectively, while the recoveries ranged from 82.0% to 105.7% (RSD < 7%, n = 3). The most probable structure of the inclusion complexes was proposed based on the findings from the molecular docking studies conducted using the PatchDock server.