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A Hawiger

Publications and source records attributed to A Hawiger.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

The relationship between mutagenicity and chemical composition of polycyclic aromatic compounds from coal pyrolysis.

The polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) produced from the pyrolysis of a bituminous coal at temperatures of 1125 to 1425 degrees K prove to be mutagenic to S. typhimurium, both in the presence and in the absence of postmitochondrial supernatant (PMS) prepared from Aroclor 1254-induced rat liver. Mutagenicity of the PAC samples measured in the absence of PMS exhibits little dependence on pyrolysis temperature; that measured in its presence is higher at the higher pyrolysis temperatures. However, because of the decrease in PAC yield as the temperature is raised, mutagenicity per mass of coal consumed falls with an increase in temperature if measured without PMS (-PMS) and peaks at an intermediate temperature of 1378 degrees K if measured with PMS (+PMS). Using a new chromatographic technique, we have split each coal-derived PAC sample into two fractions: LC1, containing PAC with alkyl and O-containing substitutions and LC2, consisting of unsubstituted PAC. Substituted (LC1) fractions show no significant +PMS mutagenicity, indicating that, as a whole, the alkylated PAC in our coal pyrolysis products are not mutagenic. Only at the higher temperatures do the substituted fractions exhibit significant -PMS mutagenicity, attributed to PAC with carbonyl or etheric functionalities. The extremely low yields of the substituted PAC under the conditions where they show some activity, however, ensure that they contribute little to overall mutagenicity. In contrast to the substituted fractions, the unsubstituted (LC2) fractions display significant mutagenicity under all conditions and appear to be responsible for virtually all of the mutagenicity in these coal-derived PAC samples. In this fraction, -PMS activity is attributed to nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatics.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

An internal survival standard for Salmonella typhimurium forward mutation assays.

A novel S. typhimurium forward mutation assay which avoids plating density artifacts is described. The new method uses a pair of multiply drug-resistant substrains of TM677, a bacterial strain used in previous forward mutation studies. This technique permits the measurement of cell survival following mutagen treatment by plating the culture on specially supplemented plates at the same cell concentration used to measure mutant yield. Thus this method is both technically easier and theoretically superior to our previous method.

Azaguanine↗
PubMed1983

A study of optimal reaction conditions for an assay of the human alternative complement pathway.

The optimal conditions for performance of a sensitive functional assay for the human alternative complement pathway were studied. The serum dilution causing 50% lysis of rabbit erythrocytes in magnesium EGTA buffer is designated the APH50 titer. Optimal reaction conditions for the assay were pH 7.2, incubation temperature 37 degrees C, incubation time 60 minutes, and magnesium concentration 0.002 M. Lowering the ionic strength of the buffer from 0.150 M to 0.0125 M increased APH50 titers nearly 2.5-fold, but decreased the reproducibility of titers. Significant fluid-phase conversion of C3 at 37 degrees C in low ionic strength buffer was demonstrated by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. Using the optimal reaction conditions, in normal ionic strength buffer the mean APH50 +/- SD for 45 normal adults was 25.3 +/- 5.7 U/mL. Heparin, an inhibitor of the alternative pathway, decreased APH50 by 50% at a concentration of 100 U heparin/mL serum, and totally abolished alternative pathway hemolytic activity at 1,000 U heparin/mL serum, while lowering CH50 titers to a much lesser degree. When increasing doses of zymosan were used for complement activation in vitro, the per cent APH50 depletion at low doses of zymosan was at least twice the per cent depletion of CH50 or antigenic P, B, and C3. A striking dichotomy between nearly complete APH50 depletion and normal or near normal CH50 and hemolytic C4 levels was documented for a human burn patient and for a baboon infused with a lethal dose of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. Therefore, we documented a substantially greater sensitivity of APH50 than of conventional complement determinations for detecting complement consumption by alternative pathway activators.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Alternative complement pathway activation increases mortality in a model of burn injury in mice.

We have studied the role of the complement system in burn injury in an experimental model in mice. A 25% body surface area, full-thickness scald wound was produced in anesthetized animals. Massive activation of the alternative complement pathway, but not the classical pathway, was seen. This activation was associated with the generation of neutrophil aggregating activity in the plasma, neutrophil aggregates in the lungs, increased pulmonary vascular permeability, and increased lung edema formation. Decomplementation with cobra venom factor (CVF) or genetic C5 deficiency diminished these pathologic changes, and CVF pretreatment substantially reduced burn mortality in the first 24 h. Preliminary data show that human burn patients have a similar pattern of complement activation involving predominantly the alternative pathway, indicating the possible relevance of the murine model to human disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

The effect of cobra venom factor on alternative pathway hemolytic activity in mice.

The in vivo effect of cobra venom factor (CVF) on murine alternative complement pathway hemolytic activity was measured with a recently developed microassay. Four different dosage schedules of CVF were compared. Hemolytic titers were lowered to less than 5% of the baseline value by 6 hours after the first dose of CVF (62.5 - 200 U/kg), and remained low for 3-5 days, depending upon total dose, route and schedule of CVF administration. Titers at days 6-9 after initial CVF injection increased above baseline in animals given two doses of CVF separated by 48 hours.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Membrane changes in human platelets induced by lipopolysaccharide endotoxin.

The unexplained occurrence of thrombocytopenia in cases of Gramnegative sepsis in man led us, in the light of animal experiments indicating the blood platelet as the target cell for endotoxin, to examine the effect of Salmonella enteritidis lipopolysaccharide B on human platelets. Human platelets were separated from a coat of plasma proteins by Sepharose 2B filtration or by a combined procedure of albumin gradient and Sepharose 2B filtration. The action of endotoxin on human platelets resulted in membrane changes manifested by dose-dependent release of [3H]serotonin and adenine nucleotides. Cytoplasmic marker, lactic dehydrogenase, and lysosomal marker, beta glucuronidase, were retained indicating that the release reaction was selective. Release of [3H]serotonin was specific for endotoxin since other particulates, zymosan and erythrocyte stroma, were without effect. Endotoxin, added to gel-filtered human platelets, induced a significant evolution of platelet factor 3 procoagulant activity. Preincubation of endotoxin with a membrane-rich homogenate of human platelets inhibited its labilizing effect on human platelets thus suggesting an interaction between endotoxin and the platelet membrane itself. Other plausible factors in this interaction [fibrinogen, adenine nucleotides, thrombin, sialic acid residues, and IgG] were eliminated on the basis of a series of control experiments. From the negligible effect of aspirin and indomethacin, we may infer that the interaction of endotoxin with platelets does not depend on the platelet prostaglandin synthesis pathway. The direct interaction of endotoxin with the human platelet membrane comprises a new mechanism which may help to clarify the pathogenesis of vascular and haemostatic disorders accompanying bloodstream infections due to Gram-negative bacteria.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A method for radioactive antiglobulin testing with 125I labeled anti-IgG.

The present report describes a method for 125I anti-IgG antiglobulin testing. The method involves the use of a labeled DEAE cellulose IgG fraction of goat anti-human IgG globulin. Leukocyte-free red blood cells were used in the test procedure. Both the labeled antiserum and the red blood cell suspensions were diluted in normal rabbit serum to prevent non-specific uptake of labeled antiserum by normal, uncoated red blood cells. The results of the study show that the method is highly reproducible and relatively easy to perform once the labeled anti-IgG is prepared. Furthermore, the use of labeled antiserum permits analysis of antiserum specificity by radioimmunoelectrophoresis. The problem of determining anti-IgG/IgG binding ratios remains the major disadvantage to using the method to determine precise amounts of human IgG coating red blood cells.

Animals↗