PARTAKE Survey of Public Knowledge and Perceptions of Clinical Research in India

Background

A public that is an informed partner in clinical research is important for ethical, methodological, and operational reasons. There are indications that the public is unaware or misinformed, and not sufficiently engaged in clinical research but studies on the topic are lacking. PARTAKE – Public Awareness of Research for Therapeutic Advancements through Knowledge and Empowerment is a program aimed at increasing public awareness and partnership in clinical research. The PARTAKE Survey is a component of the program.

Objective

To study public knowledge and perceptions of clinical research.

Methods

A 40-item questionnaire combining multiple-choice and open-ended questions was administered to 175 English- or Hindi-speaking individuals in 8 public locations representing various socioeconomic strata in New Delhi, India.

Results

Interviewees were 18–84 old (mean: 39.6, SD±16.6), 23.6% female, 68.6% employed, 7.3% illiterate, 26.3% had heard of research, 2.9% had participated and 58.9% expressed willingness to participate in clinical research. The following perceptions were reported (% true/% false/% not aware): ‘research benefits society’ (94.1%/3.5%/2.3%), ‘the government protects against unethical clinical research’ (56.7%/26.3%/16.9%), ‘research hospitals provide better care’ (67.2%/8.7%/23.9%), ‘confidentiality is adequately protected’ (54.1%/12.3%/33.5%), ‘participation in research is voluntary’ (85.3%/5.8%/8.7%); ‘participants treated like ‘guinea pigs’’ (20.7%/53.2%/26.0%), and ‘compensation for participation is adequate’ (24.7%/12.9%/62.3%).

Conclusions

Results suggest the Indian public is aware of some key features of clinical research (e.g., purpose, value, voluntary nature of participation), and supports clinical research in general but is unaware of other key features (e.g., compensation, confidentiality, protection of human participants) and exhibits some distrust in the conduct and reporting of clinical trials. Larger, cross-cultural surveys are required to inform educational programs addressing these issues.     

BTI1, an azoreductase with pH-dependent substrate specificity

The group II azoreductase BTI1 utilizes NADPH to directly cleave azo bonds in water-soluble azo dyes, including quenchers of fluorescence. Unexpectedly, optimal reduction was dye specific, ranging from a pH of <5.5 for Janus green B, to pH 6.0 for methyl red, methyl orange, and BHQ-10, to pH >8.3 for flame orange.     

Synthesis and properties of phosphonic acid containing cyanine and squaraine dyes for use as fluorescent labels

Cyanine and squaraine dyes that contain one or two phosphonate groups attached directly to the aromatic residues of the dyes were synthesized. Absorption and fluorescence properties of the dyes were determined. Succinimidyl active esters were prepared from the dyes and were used to label proteins and oligonucleotides. Some of the dyes permit the preparation of brighter conjugates than do commercially available analogues such as Cy3 and Cy5.     

Turnover of protein-bound serine phosphate in respiring slices of guinea-pig cerebral cortex. Effects of putative transmitters, tetrodotoxin and other agents

1. The effect of various agents on the turnover of protein-bound phosphorus in respiring slices of cerebral cortex was studied. 2. Confirming previous work turnover was increased by the application of electrical pulses for 10s to the tissue. 3. Turnover was also increased by exposure of the slices for 10min to noradrenaline (0.5mm), 5-hydroxytryptamine (1mum) and histamine (0.1mm). 4. When slices were stimulated by electrical pulses in the presence of histamine the increase in turnover was the sum of the responses given by each agent above, suggesting that different phosphorylating systems were involved. 5. Tetrodotoxin (0.5mum) blocked the increased turnover due to electrical pulses, but not that due to histamine. Tetrodotoxin also prevented the increase in tissue cyclic AMP content caused by the application of electrical pulses. 6. Phosphoprotein turnover was not affected by adenosine, despite the increase in tissue cyclic AMP content given by this agent. 7. Adenosine blocked the phosphoprotein response to histamine, but did not affect the response to electrical pulses. 8. The results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that the stimulation of protein phosphorus turnover by electrical pulses is secondary to the release of cyclic AMP in the tissue.     

The termination of the synthesis of proteins in vitro with extracts from the undeveloped cyst of Artemia salina

Soluble fractions (S-100) from both undeveloped cysts and developing embryos of Artemia salina promoted elongation of polypeptides initiated in vivo on polysomes of developing embryos or nauplius larvae. The ability of the extract from the undeveloped cyst to terminate correctly the synthesis of polypeptides has been determined indirectly from the distribution of polysomes before and after in vitro translation and, more directly, from the nature of the protein product released from rabbit reticulocyte polysomes. The extract from the undeveloped cyst and also, as expected, that from the developing embryo catalyzed a reduction in the amount of the polysomes of larger size and an increase in the amount of 80 S ribosomes. The soluble extract from the undeveloped cyst can terminate the synthesis of rabbit globin on reticulocyte polysomes. The major polypeptide product released from the polysomes had an electrophoretic mobility identical with that of the subunit of isolated rabbit globin. This indicated that the cyst contained the components necessary to complete and terminate the synthesis of polypeptides correctly and that the released protein product was not predominantly as a result of premature chain termination. The size distribution of Artemia salina proteins released from polysomes from developing embryos was similar when the synthesis was directed by the S-100 at each stage of development.     

Subcellular Localization of 5''-Nucleotidase in Rat Brain

The subcellular distribution of the ectoenzyme, 5'-nucleotidase, in cerebral cortex and cerebellum of the rat was studied both biochemically and cytochemically. The fractions were characterized biochemically by marker enzymes. The localization of 5'-nucleotidase activity was also investigated cytochemically in the myelin, synaptosomal, mitochondrial, and microsomal fractions. Biochemically 5'-nucleotidase was found to be enriched in the membrane-containing fractions, i.e., myelin, synaptosomal, and microsomal fractions. Cytochemistry showed the reaction product in the myelin fraction to be associated with myelin profiles. In the synaptosomal fraction reaction product could occasionally be seen at synaptosomal membranes, although it could not be attributed unequivocally to the synaptosome itself, since in positions with reaction product unidentifiable membrane structures could always be seen attached. Mitochondria were virtually without any reaction product. In the microsomal fraction 5'-nucleotidase activity was associated with unidentifiable membrane structures. It is concluded that 5'-nucleotidase is associated with myelin profiles and that the high activity found in the synaptosomal fraction is probably not associated with nerve ending plasma membranes.