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Biomedical subjects

A V Kirichenko

Publications and source records attributed to A V Kirichenko.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

[Diversity of wild and domestic pig populations estimated by a set of serum allotypes].

Variation of serum protein allotypes serving as genetic markers of the blood has been analyzed in 29 populations of the domestic pig and subspecies of the wild boar. The population biodiversity and genetic structure have been estimated by two methods: by the frequencies of allotype combinations and with the use of a map constructed in the space of two principal components. The results obtained are the basis for determining the characteristics of the microevolution of wild boars and formation of the breeds of domestic pigs.

Animals↗

[Estimation of allele frequencies in ethnically heterogeneous populations].

A method for reconstructing allele frequencies characteristic of an original ethnically homogeneous population before the start of migration processes is described. Information on both the ethnic group studied and offspring of interethnic marriages is used to estimate the allele frequencies. This makes it possible to increase the informativeness of the sample, which, in the case of ethnic heterogeneity, depends not only on allele frequencies and the total sample size, but also on the ethnic structure of the sample. The problem of estimating allele frequency in an ethnically heterogeneous sample has been solved analytically for diallelic loci. It has been demonstrated that, if offspring of interethnic marriages with the same degree of outbreeding is added to a sample of the ethnic group studied, the sample informativeness does not change. To utilize the information contained in the phenotypes of the offspring of interethnic marriages, representatives of the population from which migration occurs should be included into the sample. The size of the sample ensuring the preassigned accuracy of estimation is minimized at a certain ratio between the numbers of the offspring of interethnic marriages and the "immigrants." To analyze polyallelic loci, a software package has been developed that allows estimating allele frequencies, determining the errors of these estimates, and planning the sample ensuring the preassigned accuracy of estimation. The package is available free at http://mga.bionet.bionet.nsc.ru/PopMixed/PopMixed.html.

Emigration and Immigration↗

[An algorithm of step-by-step pedigree drawing].

An algorithm for drawing large, complex pedigrees containing inbred loops and multiple-mate families is presented. The algorithm is based on a step-by-step approach to imaging, when the researcher determines the direction of further extension of the scheme. The algorithm is implemented as the PedigreeQuery software package written in Java. The software has a convenient graphical interface. The software package permits constructing not only whole pedigrees, but also their fragments that are particularly interesting for research. It also allows for adding new information on the phenotypes and genotypes of pedigree members. PedigreeQuery is distributed free of charge; it is available at http://mga.bionet.msc.ru/PedigreeQuery/PedigreeQuery.html and ftp://mga.bionet.msc.ru/PedigreeQuery/.

Algorithms↗

[A method for estimating penetrance of pathogenic mutations in a mitochondrial genome].

Variation in the manifestation age is typical of many mitochondrial diseases. The estimation of penetrance of pathogenic mutations causing such diseases is usually conducted on samples of individuals whose age exceeds the maximum age of the disease manifestation. In the case of rare diseases, samples of sufficient size sometimes cannot be formed. In this study, we propose a method for estimating penetrance involving individuals of any age. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated using Leber hereditary optic neuropathy as an example. It is shown that the method provides an unbiased estimate of penetrance and considerably reduces the error of this estimate in comparison with a sample including individuals whose age exceeds the maximum age of disease manifestation.

Age Factors↗

Camptothecin schedule and timing of administration with irradiation.

The camptothecins are a new class of chemotherapeutic radiation sensitizers. Clinical trials with camptothecins alone show higher toxicity than predicted by preclinical models, which has created the challenge of finding new ways to widen the therapeutic window. Camptothecin dose, schedule, and timing with irradiation are important factors that need to be considered in the design of new studies with these S-phase agents. Data are reviewed from early phase I and II chemoradiation trials, including a multicenter, phase II study planned by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) in operable rectal cancer using irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar). One novel approach (based on preclinical observations) with the potential to widen the therapeutic window may be the use of a chronomodulated camptothecin delivery schedule with irradiation.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗

[Pedigree analysis in evaluating gene frequency in aboriginal populations of Siberia].

Procedure is described to estimate allele frequencies in indigenous populations of Siberia using phenotype data not only for "pure-blood" representatives of the ethnic groups examined, but also for the descendants of mixed marriages. Implementation of the method requires reconstruction of the data on relatives for the sample examined. Inclusion of the data on descendants of mixed marriages into the analysis increases the sample information content and decreases variance of the estimates obtained. The advantages of the method are illustrated using an example of Tundra Nentsy, for whom it was shown that variance of estimates at the analysis of the blood groups allele frequencies can be diminished approximately by a factor of 1.5.

Alleles↗

Modulation of dose intensity in aerodigestive tract cancers: strategies to reduce toxicity.

Advances in diagnostic and therapeutic radiology and a better understanding of cell biology are being applied in practical ways to modulate treatment morbidity. Conformal radiotherapy targets the cancer precisely and can be combined with new systemically administered radiosensitizers. The successes of conventional chemoradiation programs support continued study of newer ways to deliver systemic radiosensitizing chemotherapy. However, chemoradiation creates a narrower therapeutic window compared to irradiation alone and increased treatment intensity, even with conformal chemoradiation techniques, can potentially result in frequent complications, detrimental treatment delays, and decreased quality of life. Treatment schedules employing a "best tolerated time" modelfor systemic administration of radiosensitizing chemotherapy, based on the concept of chronotolerance, offer attractive ways to address the challenging problem of normal tissue toxicity associated with conformal chemoradiation. This approach may be beneficial in the elderly and those medically unfit to tolerate traditional dose-intense combined-modality schedules. Further evaluation of this concept is warranted, based on existing data.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Nuclear scintigraphic assessment of intestinal dysfunction after combined treatment with 9-amino-20(S)-camptothecin (9-AC) and irradiation.

PURPOSE: The camptothecins (CPTs) are potent radiosensitizers of malignant tumors in vivo. The extent of normal tissue damage after combined CPT and radiation treatment is unknown. In this article, a jejunal absorption assay with (99m)Tc- pertechnetate (Na[(99m)TcO(4)]) was used to assess C3H/Kam mice given total body irradiation (TBI) of 4 Gy, 6 Gy, and 8 Gy, 2 mg/kg single intramuscular injection of 9-AC or a combination of 2 mg/kg 9-AC + 4 Gy TBI. We also correlated the absorption data with morphologic changes in the jejunal mucosa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ((99m)TcO(4))(-) absorption from the intestinal lumen into the circulation was studied with dynamic gamma-scintigraphy combined with a multichannel analyzer to record the radiometry data in a time-dependent fashion. Jejunal cross sections were scored for the number of cells per villus and the percentage of apoptotic and mitotic cells in the crypt compartment. The jejunal microcolony assay was used to quantify jejunal crypt survival. RESULTS: A dose-dependent decrease in the absorption function was observed 3.5 days following TBI. The mean absorption rate was reduced to 89 +/- 16% of control in response to a sublethal 4 Gy TBI and dropped to 47. 5 (9.8% in response to 8 Gy TBI. The mean rate of intestinal absorption was delayed by single sublethal 2 mg/kg 9-AC injection to 62 (11% in comparison with control values. The combination of a single 4 Gy TBI with a 9-AC treatment decreased the ((99m)TcO(4))(-) jejunal absorption in an additive fashion producing absorption lifetime values more than twofold longer than controls. The decrease in ((99m)TcO(4))(-) absorption at 3.5 days after irradiation, 9-AC treatment or the combination of the two agents correlates with the number of cells per villus and the percentage of apoptotic cells in the crypt compartment. CONCLUSION: Dynamic enteroscintigraphy with (99m)Tc-pertechnetate is a sensitive functional assay for rapid evaluation of radiation and chemotherapy induced intestinal damage. Reduced intestinal absorptive function has a cellular basis and correlates directly with the numbers of cells lost per villus in a treatment-dependent manner.

Animals↗

Nuclear scintigraphic assessment of radiation-induced intestinal dysfunction.

Radiation-induced damage to the intestine can be measured by abnormalities in the absorption of various nutrients. Changes in intestinal absorption occur after irradiation because of loss of the intestinal absorptive surface and a consequent decrease in active transport. In our study, the jejunal absorption of (99m)Tc-pertechnetate, an actively transported gamma-ray emitter, was assessed in C3H/Kam mice given total-body irradiation with doses of 4, 6, 8 and 12.5 Gy and correlated with morphological changes in the intestinal epithelium. The absorption of (99m)Tc-pertechnetate from the intestinal lumen into the circulation was studied with a dynamic gamma-ray-scintigraphy assay combined with a multichannel analyzer to record the radiometry data automatically in a time-dependent regimen. The resulting radioactivity-time curves obtained for irradiated animals were compared to those for control animals. A dose-dependent decrease in absorptive function was observed 3.5 days after irradiation. The mean absorption rate was reduced to 78.8 +/- 9.3% of control levels in response to 4 Gy total-body irradiation (mean +/- SEM tracer absorption lifetime was 237 +/- 23 s compared to 187 +/- 12 s in nonirradiated controls) and to 28.3 +/- 3.7% in response to 12.5 Gy (660 +/- 76 s). The decrease in absorption of (99m)Tc-pertechnetate at 3.5 days after irradiation correlated strongly (P < 0.001) with TBI dose, with the number of cells per villus, and with the percentage of cells in the crypt compartment that were apoptotic or mitotic. A jejunal microcolony assay showed no loss of crypts and hence no measured dose-response effects after 4, 6 or 8 Gy TBI. These results show that dynamic enteroscintigraphy with sodium (99m)Tc-pertechnetate is a sensitive functional assay for rapid evaluation of radiation-induced intestinal damage in the clinically relevant dose range and has a cellular basis.

Animals↗

Radiation enhancement by 9-aminocamptothecin: the effect of fractionation and timing of administration.

PURPOSE: The camptothecins (CPTs) are potent radiation sensitizers in vivo but the optimal schedule of administration is unknown. In this article, the effects of irradiation combined with 9-aminocamptothecin (9AC) on a mouse mammary cancer and the gastrointestinal tract were compared for single and fractionated treatment. We also examined the circadian dependency for cytotoxicity, radiation sensitization, and acute toxicity after single doses of 9AC given at six different times over 24 h. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 9AC was administered intramuscularly to C3Hf/Kam mice with and without an 8 mm mouse mammary carcinoma (MCa-4). Acute toxicity was assessed by examination of body weight loss, peripheral blood counts, clinical assessment of diarrhea, and survival. Radiation sensitization was assessed using the tumor regrowth delay model. RESULTS: Regrowth delay of MCa-4 tumor after a single treatment of 15 Gy is comparable to 28 Gy given in 14 fractions (absolute regrowth delays of 7.1 days and 6.6 days, respectively). With 9AC alone, comparable tumor regrowth was obtained with a total dose of 4 mg/kg given intramuscularly repeated twice weekly (1 mg/kg doses X 4), or as a single injection of 4 mg/kg (2.9 days and 3.8 days, respectively). 9-AC and irradiation together in single doses of 15 Gy and 4 mg/kg resulted in little radiation sensitization compared to the repeated 9AC schedule combined with fractionated irradiation [Dose Modifying Factors (DMF) of 1.12 vs. 2.8, respectively]. Acute normal tissue toxicity after single or fractionated 9AC treatment was assessed at six times over a 24-h period (6 A.M., 10 A.M., 2 P.M., 6 P.M., 10 P.M., and 2 A.M.) and was highest at 2 A.M. after either single or multiple doses. A single dose of 9AC administered with single fraction irradiation could be escalated by 33% when given at the best-tolerated time. CONCLUSION: The frequency and timing of CPT administration with irradiation are important factors to be considered in the design of clinical protocols. CPTs are S-phase inhibitors that are better tolerated by the mouse when given during the rest phase when intestinal mucosal proliferation is relatively low. A modest increase in CPT dosage was possible by choosing the best tolerated time to administer the radiation sensitizer. This concept could potentially be evaluated in clinical trials with this class of agents.

Animals↗

Camptothecin radiation sensitization: mechanisms, schedules, and timing.

Based on high tumoricidal activity of the camptothecin analogs topotecan (Hycamtin), irinotecan (CPT-11[Camptosar]), and 9-aminocamptothecin (9-AC) in preclinical studies, clinical trials began testing these agents against human cancers. The cytotoxic activity of camptothecins in the clinic has been lower than predicted from the laboratory, however, and new approaches are needed. One method that holds promise is the use of the camptothecins as radiation sensitizers. The camptothecin dose, schedule, method of administration, and timing of administration, when given with irradiation, are likely to be important factors for these new S-phase radiation sensitizers. Phase I trials of the camptothecins as radiation sensitizers have begun, and multicenter phase II studies are planned by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). One new approach based on preclinical observations that deserves clinical evaluation is chronomodulated camptothecin delivery with irradiation in order to widen the therapeutic window.

Animals↗

Potentiation of murine MCa-4 carcinoma radioresponse by 9-amino-20(S)-camptothecin.

9-Amino-20(S)-camptothecin (9-AC) has demonstrated efficacy against several human cancer xenografts, including cancers of the colon, breast, lung, ovary, and stomach and malignant melanoma, and is currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials. In vitro data indicate that the addition of topoisomerase I inhibitors shortly after irradiation causes conversion of single-strand breaks to double-strand breaks, resulting in synergistic lethality to cultured log-phase or quiescent malignant cells. In our study, the efficacy of 9-AC as a potential radiosensitizing agent in vivo was assessed in C3Hf/Kam female mice bearing 7.6-8-mm MCa-4 mammary tumors implanted i.m. into the right posterior thigh. In one series of experiments to determine the dose dependence of 9-AC, mice were injected twice a week with either 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg 9-AC (total doses of 2, 4, and 8 mg/kg, respectively) either alone or 1 h before irradiation. In a second series of experiments, the schedule dependence of 9-AC was determined by giving a constant total dose of 4 mg/kg 9-AC once (2 mg/kg), twice (1 mg/kg every third day), or four (0.5 mg/kg every other day) times per week for 2 weeks, either alone or combined with radiation. The same radiation regimen was used in all experiments: 2-Gy fractions daily for 14 consecutive days, giving a total dose of 28 Gy to the tumor-bearing leg only. Tumor response was assessed by regrowth delay and dose modification factors (DMFs) obtained by comparing regrowth delay in the groups given 9-AC alone with those given the same dose of 9-AC and radiation. 9-AC significantly delayed tumor growth when combined with radiation, and this effect was dependent on drug dose; DMFs of 2.4 [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.0-3.1], 3.7 (95% CI, 3.1-4.6), and 3.3 (95% CI, 2.7-4.1) were obtained for groups treated with total drug doses of 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 mg/kg 9-AC, respectively. In addition, the same total dose of 4 mg/kg 9-AC was more effective when given either twice or four times a week compared with once a week, giving DMFs of 2.8 (95% CI, 2.2-3.9), 2.6 (95% CI, 2.0-3.6), and 1.7 (95% CI, 1.3-2.4), respectively. The effect of 9-AC and radiation on normal tissue toxicity was assessed in two normal tissues, jejunum and skin, in separate groups of mice. Jejunal crypt cell survival was decreased in those mice given single doses of 9-AC ranging from 0.5-4.0 mg/kg and 12.5 Gy of total body radiation compared with those given 12.5 Gy of total body irradiation alone. The same regimen of drug and radiation did not modify acute skin reactions. These results suggest that 9-AC is an effective in vivo radiosensitizing agent when given in divided doses with fractionated irradiation. In addition, the gastrointestinal tract but not skin could be a critical target tissue for the use of 9-AC combined with radiation.

Animals↗

[The functional status of the small intestine in rats in the dynamics of a bone marrow form of acute radiation sickness].

A study was made of 75Se-methionine absorption rate and contraction and choline-reactivity of smooth muscle cells of rat jejunum longitudinal layer. Whole-body X-irradiation with a dose of 5.8 Gy (LD50/30) caused a sharp decrease in the rate of absorption of 75Se-methionine by the blood from the intestine on days 3--4 after irradiation followed by an incomplete recovery of absorption by the 14th day. At the height of acute radiation sickness there was an 8- to 10-fold decrease in the sensitivity of the smooth muscle cell membrane to acetylcholine the contractile capacity being retained. This was perhaps the cause of the intestine motor activity inhibition. It is concluded that rat intestine functions are suppressed considerably with the bone marrow form of acute radiation sickness.

Acute Disease↗

[Effect of parenteral nitrogen feeding on the free amino acid composition of the blood serum and liver tissue in irradiated rats].

A considerable change in the free amino acid composition of blood serum and hepatic tissue was noted on the 7th and 14th days following total-body X-irradiation of rats with a dose of 2.9 Gy. The total free amino acid content of blood serum increased and that of hepatic tissue decreased by 85% (on an average) as compared to the intact controls. Quantitative changes in the content of individual amino acids were analysed. Polyamine injected enterally for 7 days and parenterally for 3 days after irradiation aids the elimination of the postirradiation changes in the amino acid balance.

Adaptation, Physiological↗