PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A K Ray

Publications and source records attributed to A K Ray.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Anti-GM3-lactam monoclonal antibodies of the IgG type recognize natural GM3-ganglioside lactone but not GM3-ganglioside.

Immunization of mice with a synthetic GM3-lactam-BSA (bovine serum albumin) conjugate (designed to emulate the corresponding natural GM3-lactone conjugate), followed by fusion of splenocytes with myeloma cells, gave rise to more than 300 monoclonal hybridomas producing antibodies to GM3-lactam-BSA, which did not react with Glc-BSA and BSA. Eight antibody clones were randomly chosen from the positive 300 hybridomas. The eight clones, all belonging to the IgG class, were unreactive against GM3-ganglioside, whereas two antibodies (P5-1 and P5-3, both IgG1, kappa) reacted with GM3-ganglioside lactone. Binding of these two antibodies to the GM3-lactam-BSA conjugate was inhibited by soluble glycosides of GM2-, GM3-, and GM4-lactam and by GM3- and GM4-lactam, respectively, but not by Gb3 or asialo-GM1 and GM2-saccharides. A third antibody (P3; IgG2b, kappa) was inhibited by GM2-, GM3-, and GM4-lactam, but did not recognize GM3-ganglioside lactone.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Auditing quality control procedures in a chemical pathology laboratory--a multiple regression analysis.

We undertook a retrospective analysis of the monthly test rejection rates and the monthly external quality assessment scheme performance indices for our laboratory's two automated analysers, and examined the association of these variables with measures of laboratory workload, manpower, staff training, instrument servicing, seasonal and temporal factors and changes of calibration, method and assigned internal quality control values. Using multiple linear regression and stepwise multiple linear regression, we found that test rejection rates differed significantly between instruments, and were highest on the instrument performing the widest variety and lowest volume of tests. On that instrument, rejection rates were significantly associated with the introduction of new staff and laboratory manpower levels, and also showed a highly significant trend upwards over the study period, independent of the effects of the other variables examined. External quality assessment scheme performance indices showed small trends over the study period. They were not related to the test rejection rates on either analyser but also showed a significant association with the introduction of new staff and a small but significant association with laboratory workload. We conclude that the training and introduction of new staff and decreased laboratory manpower levels may significantly increase the level of test rejection, and adherence to appropriate quality control protocols effectively maintains the quality of the laboratory's results, but may not be completely successful in filtering out the effects of some assignable causes of variation in test results. It is suggested that clinical laboratories use the statistical approach adopted here to identify factors which may be adversely affecting quality performance and running costs and to provide evidence that quality control procedures are both cost- and quality-effective.

Clinical Laboratory Techniques↗
PubMed1992

2-(Trimethylsilyl)ethyl glycosides. Synthesis of the asialo-GM1-tetrasaccharide, spacer glycoside, and BSA and Sepharose glycoconjugates.

The tri and tetra-saccharide glycosides beta-D-GalNAc-(1-4)-beta-D-Gal-(1-4)-beta-D-Glc-1-OTMSEt and beta-D-Gal-(1-3)-beta-D-GalNAc-(1-4)-beta-D-Gal-(1-4)-beta-D-Glc-1-OT MSEt (asialo-GM1) have been synthesized by sequential glycosylations of a suitably protected 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl (TMSEt) lactoside with 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-beta-D-galactopyranosyl chloride and 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-galactopyranosyl bromide. The tetrasaccharide glycoside was transformed into the corresponding hemiacetal sugar as well as the 1-chloro sugar. The latter was used for glycosylation of 2-bromoethanol. The resulting glycoside was used to alkylate methyl 3-mercaptopropionate and the resulting spacer glycoside was used for the preparation of the title glycoconjugates.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed1992

A simple biochemical approach to differentiate synaptosomes and non-synaptic mitochondria from rat brain.

A simple and rapid low speed density gradient centrifugation method has been described to isolate relatively pure synaptosomes and non-synaptic mitochondria from rat brain cerebral cortex. The purity of the fractions isolated were tested biochemically by considering some marker enzymes, i.e., lactate dehydrogenase, plasma membrane Na+K+ATPase and acetylcholinesterase for the synaptosomes and succinate dehydrogenase for the mitochondrial fraction. The adrenergic receptor properties in the synaptosomal membrane were evaluated by observing the effect of different beta- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptor agonists and antagonists as function of synaptic plasma membrane Na+K+ATPase activity. Isoproterenol (beta-agonist) and yohimbine (alpha 2-antagonist)-induced changes in the synaptosomal Na+K+ATPase activity were counteracted by beta-antagonist propranolol and alpha 2-agonist clonidine, respectively. In the non-synaptic mitochondria the corresponding effects were insignificant. The study illustrates an easy, rapid and low-speed preparatory method to obtain synaptosomal and non-synaptic mitochondrial fractions of high purity.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Synthesis of disaccharide methyl glycosides related to the polysaccharide from Klebsiella serotype 40 and a study of their inhibition in the precipitin reaction.

The methyl glycosides of alpha-D-Manp-(1----4)-alpha-L-Rhap (3), alpha-L-Rhap-(1----3)-beta-D-Galp (4), beta-L-Rhap-(1----3)-beta-D-Galp (5), beta-D-Galp-(1----2)-alpha-L-Rhap (6), and beta-D-GlcpA-(1----2)-alpha-L-Rhap (7) have been synthesised and their inhibition reactions in the Klebsiella serotype 40 immune system have been studied. The results obtained accord with only one of two structures proposed for the repeating unit of the K40 antigen.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Synthesis of di- and tri-saccharides related to the polysaccharide from Streptococcus pneumoniae type 23 and a study of their inhibition in the precipitin reaction.

Syntheses of methyl 2-O-beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (9), methyl 2-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (13), and methyl 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-2-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-beta-D- galactopyranoside (16) in good yields are described. Both 13 and 16 significantly inhibit antigen-antibody precipitation in the S. pneumoniae Type 23 immune system. The results indicate that the rhamnosyl group in the side chain of the repeating unit of the antigen is alpha and not beta as reported previously, and that the trisaccharide related to 16 is the immunodominant group.

Antigen-Antibody Reactions↗
PubMed1990

Synthesis of the tetrasaccharide repeating-unit of the polysaccharide from Klebsiella type 23.

Methyl 2-O-allyl-4-O-benzyl-3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D- glucopyranosyl)-alpha-L-rhamnospyranoside was obtained by condensing methyl 2-O-allyl-4-O-benzyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside with tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl bromide. Benzylation, removal of the allyl group, and condensation of the product with ethyl 6-O-acetyl-2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranoside gave methyl 2-O-(6-O-acetyl-2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-4-O-benzyl-3- O- (2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside. O-Deacetylation, condensation of the product with methyl (2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl bromide)-uronate, and removal of the protecting groups gave methyl 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-2-O-[6-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyluronic acid)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl]-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (13).

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed1990

In vitro demonstration of putative nuclear 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine receptors in isolated liver nuclei of Singi fish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch).

Putative thyroid hormone (TH) receptors have been demonstrated in the isolated liver nuclei of Singi fish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch), and their binding characteristics have been examined. Nuclear T3 saturation analyses were carried out in vitro at 27 degrees C in a sucrose-Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5) containing calcium (2 mM), magnesium (3 mM) and 2-mercaptoethanol (5 mM). After incubation the bound and free hormones were separated by centrifugation and the nuclei were treated with Triton X-100 (final concentration 0.25%) to reduce the non-specific binding. The binding was saturable and reached equilibrium by 20 minutes of incubation and was also stable for 2 hours. The binding was reversible and the rate of dissociation was more or less equal to the rate of association. The binding was linearly increased with the increased concentrations of the DNA (nuclei). Scatchard analyses of the equilibrium binding data revealed that only one class of binding sites for T3 did exist in the hepatic nuclei of Singi fish. The affinity of these sites or the mean dissociation constant (Kd = 0.20 +/- 0.07 x 10(-10) M) and the mean maximum binding capacity (MBC = 0.17 +/- 0.04 pmol/mg DNA) were in reasonable agreement with the values reported for other teleost fishes.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Synthesis of a di- and a tri-saccharide related to the K-antigen of Klebsiella type 10 and a study of their inhibition in the precipitin reaction.

Syntheses of methyl 3-O-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside (10) and methyl 3-O-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-2-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyluronic acid)-alpha-D-mannopyranoside (11) in good yield are described. Both 10 and 11 significantly inhibit antigen-antibody precipitation in the Klebsiella Type 10 immune system. The results provide more evidence for the structure (1) of the antigen from Klebsiella K-10 and its immunodominant grouping.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1989

Physical and chemical characterization of macroglobulin from marine turtle eggwhite.

Macroglobulin was purified from the eggwhite of the marine turtle (Caretta caretta Linn.) by gel filtration through Sephadex G-200 and Sepharose 4B. It was characterized by physical techniques including sedimentation velocity, diffusion and viscosity. Its molecular weight (Mr) was determined as 724,000 with four subunits of equal molecular weight. A large amount of water was hydrodynamically associated with the macroglobulin. It inhibited the activities of trypsin and papain and did not cross-react with human alpha 2-macroglobulin. Its amino acid composition was similar to that of human alpha 2-macroglobulin. Results suggest that turtle eggwhite macroglobulin is a homologous but distinct protein from human alpha 2-macroglobulin.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1989

Effects of L-thyroxine and L-triiodothyronine on protein and nucleic acid contents of liver of 6N-2-propylthiouracil treated hypothyroid singi fish, Heteropneustes fossilis bloch.

Three consecutive injections of 12.5 X 10(-10) and 25 X 10(-10) moles/g of L-thyroxine (T4) or a single injection of L-triiodothyronine (T3) at 7.5 X 10(-10) moles/g to Singi fish caused an increase in liver protein and RNA contents, whereas similar injections of 50 X 10(-10) moles/g of T4 or 75 X 10(-10) moles/g of T3 caused a fall in these cellular constituents in liver. Treatments of Singi fish with thiourea (1 mg/ml) for 30 days caused a fall in the protein and RNA contents in liver which were restored to the euthyroid control level by a single injection of 7.5 X 10(-10) moles/g of T3 or three consecutive injections of T4 at 12.5 X 10(-10) moles/g dose. Administration of T4 (12.5 X 10(-10) moles/g, three consecutive injections) along with 6N-2-propylthiouracil (PTU) at 20 micrograms/g of b. w. in six consecutive injections to the thiourea treated (hypothyroid) fish failed to cause any change in hepatic protein and RNA contents in comparison to only PTU-treated hypothyroid fish, but a single injection of 7.5 X 10(-10) moles/g of T3 to the PTU-treated hypothyroid fish increased these cellular constituents of liver. A dose-dependent biphasic nature of thyroid hormone action, a higher potency of T3 than T4 and the probable 'prohormone' nature of T4 have been documented in case of Singi fish in the present experiments.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Influence of industrial pollutants on thyroid function in Channa punctatus (Bloch).

A 30 day exposure of C. punctatus to sublethal levels of phenol, ammonia, mercuric chloride, cadmium chloride and a mixture of the four resulted in an overall activation of guaiacol peroxidase and depression of iodide peroxidase (IPOD) activity and blood T4 titre. Interestingly enough, in case of 15 day ammonia and 1 day mercury exposures, an increase of IPOD activity was accompanied by a decrease in T4 titre. In general, phenol, mercury, cadmium and the mixture of pollutants were found to inhibit LP activity by 56% to 85% while ammonia inhibited lysosomal protease (LP) activity by 70%. Alterations in acid phosphatase (AP) activity indicate changes in the lysosomal membrane characteristics caused by these toxicants. Considering the concomitant alterations in IPOD, T4, LP and AP it is surmised that thyroid function in C. punctatus is influenced by the pollutants by two pathways, one via IPOD pathway affecting T4 synthesis and the other via lysosomal pathway affecting T4 release.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1988

Immunoglobulin (GM and KM) allotypes in the Sikh population of India.

The populations of India are genetically diverse, both within and between geographic regions; immunoglobulin (GM) allotypes provide important information on genetic differences between populations, since the frequencies of combinations of allotypes (termed "haplotypes") vary dramatically among ethnic groups. As part of a project to assess genetic diversity among defined Indian populations, we have examined eight GM allotypes in a sample of 101 unrelated Sikhs who have migrated to Toronto, Canada: Glm(1, 2, 3, 17) and G3m (5, 15, 16, 21). Sikhs are a religious group that arose in the Punjab about 1500 A.D.; most of the original converts are believed to have been middle to upper-middle caste Hindus. Gm allotyping showed that six Gm haplotypes occurred at polymorphic frequencies (greater than 0.01) in Sikhs: Gm3;5, Gm1,17;21, Gm1,2,17;21, Gm1,17;5, Gm1,17;15,16, and Gm1,3;5. These haplotypes have all been previously reported in Indian populations. The frequencies of the first four haplotypes resembled the published frequencies for lower-caste Hindus of NW India more than upper-caste Hindus. However, the last two haplotypes have been found only in upper-caste Hindus. The frequency of one of these, Gm1,17;15,16 was higher in Sikhs (0.09) than has been reported in any Indian population with the exception of Parsis (who are descended from Iranians). We speculate that the high frequency of this haplotype may have been characteristic of some of the Hindu castes in the Punjab from which Sikhs are descended.

Ethnicity↗
PubMed1988

Demonstration of hepatic cytosolic malic enzyme activity as a thyroid hormone sensitive physiologic parameter in a teleost, Heteropneustes fossilis bloch.

Single injections of various doses (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 5 and 20 micrograms/g) of T3 significantly increased the cytosolic malic enzyme activity (delta OD/min/mg cytosolic protein) in liver of Singi fish Heteropneustes fossilis Bloch, in a dose-dependent nature, maximum up to 5 micrograms/g dose on the 3rd day in comparison to the control. There was no difference in the enzyme activity between 5 and 20 micrograms/g of T3 doses. When the enzyme activity was expressed per mg DNA, the dose-dependent increase in the malic enzyme activity was observed upto 0.5 microgram/g of T3, whereas a fall in the enzyme activity was noticed with 5 and 20 micrograms/g of T3 doses. Lowering the dose of T3 to 0.05 microgram/g was without any effect on the malic enzyme activity (delta OD/min/mg cytosolic protein or DNA). Hepatic cytosolic protein content showed a biphasic nature of variation, significant increase with single injections of 0.05, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 microgram/g and a fall with 5 and 20 micrograms/g of T3 doses in comparison to the untreated control. Cycloheximide treatments of the Singi fishes counteracted both the T3-induced rise in the hepatic cytosolic malic enzyme activity (delta OD/min/mg cytosolic protein or DNA) and the hepatic cytosolic protein contents. Thiourea-treated hypothyroid fishes showed significantly decreased level of malic enzyme activity (delta OD/min/mg cytosolic protein or DNA) and cytosolic protein content in liver. A single injection of T3 at 0.25 microgram/g to the thiourea-treated fishes not only recovered but also increased the enzyme activity and cytosolic protein content above the untreated control values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Structure of the capsular polysaccharide of Klebsiella serotype K40.

The capsular polysaccharide from Klebsiella Serotype K40 contains D-galactose, D-mannose, L-rhamnose, and D-glucuronic acid in the ratios of 4:1:1:1. Methylation analysis of the native and carboxyl-reduced polysaccharide provided information about the glycosidic linkages in the repeating unit. Degradation of the permethylated polymer with base established the identity of the sugar unit preceding the glycosyluronic acid residue. The modes of linkages of different sugar residues were further confirmed by Smith degradation and partial hydrolysis of the K40 polysaccharide. The anomeric configurations of the different sugar residues were determined by oxidation of the peracetylated native and carboxyl-reduced polysaccharide with chromium trioxide. Based on all of these results, the heptasaccharide structure 1 was assigned to the repeating unit of the K40 polysaccharide. (Formula: see text)

Carbohydrate Conformation↗
PubMed1987

Nuclear activation by thyroid hormone in liver of Singi fish: changes in different ion-specific adenosine triphosphatases activities.

Various ion-dependent (Na+K+, Ca++ and Mg++) ATPases activities in liver cell nuclear membrane have been determined after a single injection of different doses (0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 micrograms/g) of L-triiodothyronine (T3) in Singi fish, Heteropneustes fossilis Bloch. Administration of T3 at a minimum effective dose of 0.05 micrograms upto 4 micrograms/g induced a rise (14 to 43% over control value) in the Na+K+-ATPase activity in a dose-dependent fashion maximum upto 1 microgram/g dose, whereas Ca++-ATPase showed a dose-dependent increase (20 to 43% over control) with 0.25-1 microgram/g of T3, although the increase in the respective enzyme activity was maintained upto 4 micrograms/g of T3 dose. Mg++-ATPase activity in liver cell nuclear membrane was found to be increased at 1 microgram-4 micrograms/g of T3 dose, showing a similar magnitude of increase (7% over the control value) with these doses of T3. Other doses of T3 (0.01 and 0.025 micrograms/g) were ineffective in altering the different ion-specific ATPase activity. Treatment of Singi fish with thiourea (1 mg/ml) for 30 days caused a significant fall in Na+K+, Ca++ and Mg++-ATPase activities upto 21%, 17% and 5%, respectively, below the euthyroid control level. A single injection of T3 at the dose of 1 microgram/g in the hypothyroid fish raised the Na+K+ and Ca++-ATPase activities to about 36% over the control value, and the Mg++-ATPase activity was restored to only the control level. Thus a dose-dependent nuclear effect of T3 is evident from the present investigation.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗