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Biomedical subjects

A F Marques

Publications and source records attributed to A F Marques.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Peptide immunization as an adjuvant to chemotherapy in mice challenged intratracheally with virulent yeast cells of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.

Immunization with peptide P10, derived from gp43, and chemotherapy were used together in an attempt to improve treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis and prevent relapses. The combined treatment showed an additive protective effect when administered at 48 h or 30 days after intratracheal challenge. Its use is recommended to improve regular chemotherapy and reduce the duration of treatment.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Metabolic fate of AMP, IMP, GMP and XMP in the cytosol of rat brain: an experimental and theoretical analysis.

A systematic study of the metabolic fate of AMP, IMP, GMP and XMP (NMP) in the presence of cytosol from rat brain is here presented; the kinetics of both disappearance of NMP, and appearance of their degradation products was followed by HPLC. In the absence of ATP, AMP was preferentially degraded to adenosine with concomitant appearance of inosine and hypoxanthine. In the presence of ATP, AMP was preferentially degraded via IMP. The nucleosides generated in the course of the reactions are further degraded, almost exclusively, via nucleoside phosphorylase using as cofactor the P(i) generated in the reaction mixture. In order to quantify the effect of each one of the enzymes involved in the degradation of NMP, two complementary approaches were followed: (i) the V:(max) and K:(m) values of the enzymes acting in the intermediate steps of the reactions were determined; (ii) these data were introduced into differential equations describing the concentration of the nucleotides and their degradation products as a function of the time of incubation. Factors affecting kinetic parameters of the equation velocity as a function of ATP concentration were introduced when required. The differential equations were solved with the help of Mathematica 3.0. The theoretical method can be used to simulate situations not feasible to be carried out, such as to measure the influence of nM-microM concentrations of ATP on the metabolism of AMP.

5'-Nucleotidase↗

IMP-GMP 5'-nucleotidase from rat brain: activation by polyphosphates.

IMP-GMP 5'-nucleotidase has been purified to homogeneity from total rat brain extracts. This preparation showed a unique band (Mr 54,000 +/- 1,509) in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme presented the following properties: optimal pH value, 6.5-6.8; relative velocity measured in the presence of MgCl2, MnCL2, CoCl2, and NiCl2 (2 mM), 100, 60, 11, and <1, respectively; preferred substrates, IMP and GMP; and activation constant (Ka) found for Ap4A, Ap5A, and Ap6A, 83 +/- 38, 77 +/- 32, and 57 +/- 12 microM, respectively. Under assay conditions where activation by Ap4A was fivefold, the activation produced by dinucleotides was as follows: Ap4G (4.0), Ap4I (2.9), Ap4X (3.3), Ap4C (0.7), Ap4U (1.1), Ap4epsilonA (1.5), Ap4ddA (1.7), Gp4G (2.2), Ap3A (1.1), and Ap2A (1.2). Polyphosphates P18, P19, P20, and P35 were activators of the reaction with calculated Ka values of 3.5 +/- 0.5, 0.9 +/- 0.2, 0.6 +/- 0.2, and 1.3 +/- 0.5 microM, respectively. The following compounds, at 0.1 mM, were effectors of the phosphotransferase reaction producing the fold activation indicated: Ap4A (8.3), Ap5A (10.2), Ap6A (10.1), Ap4G (7.7), Ap4X (7.6), Ap4U (2.1), glycerate 2,3-bisphosphate (3.9), and unpurified P15 (7.6). Two enzyme forms of IMP-GMP 5'-nucleotidase were detected when the extracts from rat tissues or from the crustacean Artemia were subjected to chromatography on a Dyematrex Green A column. The ratio of the hydrolytic activities under both peaks (peak I/peak II) was as follows: brain (1.5), heart (1.9), liver (1.6), lung (2.0), testis (3.8), and Artemia cysts (2.0).

5'-Nucleotidase↗

Total reconstruction of the alar cartilage en bloc using the ear cartilage: a study in cadavers.

To determine whether the lamina tragi, isthmus, and cavum conchae are a donor area for reconstruction of the alar cartilage with all its elements (medial crus, junction of the medial and lateral crura, and lateral crus), with the same dimension and en bloc, 40 alar cartilages and 40 lower parts of ear cartilages of 20 cadavers were dissected. Several measurements were taken in the alar cartilages, such as distance, thickness, and angle. Then they were compared with the measurements performed in the ear cartilages and segments removed from the lamina tragi, isthmus, and cavum conchae. This study, done with cadavers, shows that from the lamina tragi, isthmus, and cavum conchae, en bloc resection is possible with characteristics of form and dimension similar to those of the homolateral alar cartilage. The segment removed en bloc from the intermediate part of the lamina tragi, isthmus, and cavum conchae replaces, respectively, the medial crus, junction of the medial and lateral crura, and lateral crus.

Adult↗

Carcinoma of the vulva. Clinicopathologic factors involved in inguinal and pelvic lymph node metastasis.

Eighty-five women with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma were subjected to radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinal and femoral node dissection or to radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinofemoral and deep pelvic node dissection. The association between lymph node status (metastatic or not) and several parameters was analyzed: tumor location, size and clinical stage; tumor thickness, histologic grade and mitotic index; blood vessel, lymphatic and perineural infiltration; and lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltrates. There were no metastases to the pelvic lymph nodes without previous inguinal lymph node involvement. Unilateral vulvar carcinomas did not have contralateral metastatic nodes when there was no ipsilateral nodal involvement. Lymphatic vessel infiltration showed a statistically significant correlation with inguinal node metastases (P less than .05). No correlation was found between lymph node metastasis and tumor size, clitoral invasion, tumor thickness, histologic grade, blood vessel and perineural infiltration, lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltrates, and mitotic index.

Adult↗

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of Bartholin's gland: review of the literature and report of two cases.

Two patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma of Bartholin's gland and a review of the relevant literature are presented. With the inclusion of these two patients, there are now 24 cases reported. Both patients had large vulvar masses with a short clinical history, and several local tumor recurrences within the first 21/2 years after radical vulvectomy. The characteristic cribriform pattern and perineural involvement in addition to vascular invasion were present in the pathological material. No metastases were found in the inguino-femoral lymph nodes removed. Both patients are alive, without evidence of local recurrence but with lung metastases. A chemotherapeutic treatment scheme (adriamycin and cyclophosphamide) is underway but it is too early to evaluate its results.

Adult↗