PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Wenzel

Publications and source records attributed to A Wenzel.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Tumorigenicity of SEWA murine cells correlates with degree of c-myc amplification.

Previous studies have shown that cells of the SEWA mouse tumor contain amplified copies of the proto-oncogene c-myc in the aberrant chromosomal structures of double minutes (DMs), homogeneously staining regions (HSRs) and C-bandless chromosomes (CMs). DMs, and to a lesser degree CMs, tend to disappear from the cells grown in vitro and again reappear after transfer back in vivo, as if DNA amplification confers a growth advantage upon the tumor cells. We have now isolated five in vitro clones that exhibit different degrees of c-myc amplification. When we inoculated cells of the different clones into compatible hosts, we found that there was a positive correlation between degree of c-myc amplification, level of c-myc RNA, and tumorigenicity. Our results lend further support to the idea that gene amplification contributes to the higher malignant phenotype, and to progression of tumors.

Animals↗

Cytokinetic studies on the switch from glucose to uridine metabolism, and vice versa, of Ehrlich ascites tumour cells in vitro.

Glucose is normally required as the energy source and for the proliferation of neoplastic cells. For Ehrlich ascites tumour cells, kept under glucose-free culture conditions, this requirement was alleviated by uridine, indicating that the supply of ribose is obligatory for sustaining growth capacity. In a 96-hr culture experiment with mouse-derived cells, the increase in cell number from cultures supplemented with 5 mM uridine was 50-70%, whilst lactate production was 5% that of controls. An increase in the number of multinucleate cells was observed from cell-smears; DNA histograms indicated the presence of cells with a DNA content higher than 4c and an increased portion of cells in G2 phase. For precise determination of changes in cell cycle distribution on transfer of cells from glucose-supplemented to glucose-free conditions, the progression of phase-accumulated cells (by centrifugal elutriation) was monitored by DNA distribution analysis; G2 cells continued the cycle at a rate comparable to controls but were delayed, in the following cycle, predominantly in S and G2 phases. This was also observed with G1 cells from a G1-accumulated fraction in the first cycle. The addition of glucose to cells kept for some hours in glucose-free, uridine-supplemented medium resulted in an immediate increase in mitotic index (amplification by the colcemid method). The results are interpreted and support our concept that the delivery of compounds, necessary for normal growth, i.e. hexoses for glycoproteins and glycolipids, are limited as a consequence of the 'metabolic channelling' of pentose from uridine in Ehrlich ascites tumour cells. Therefore, the constantly lowered growth-rate in uridine-supplemented cells observed with long-term culture experiments could reflect an adaptation of growth-cycle to these limitations.

Animals↗

Effect of varying gray-scale resolution for detectability of bone lesions in intraoral radiographs digitized for teletransmission.

Visual communication equipments were developed early by radiologists for the transmission of analog signals, whereas today's transmission systems are based on digitization of the radiograph. For teletransmission of dental radiographs, it is essential to assess the diagnostic accuracy of various spatial and gray-scale resolutions. Each of 83 dry mandibles was divided into four regions. By random assignment it was decided for each region whether or not a hole should be drilled. Intraoral radiographs (3 x 4 cm) were performed of each region and interpreted. The radiographs were thereafter recorded by a video camera connected to an IBM-PC. The personal computer held a hardware digitization card defined at a 512 x 512 spatial resolution with the possibility of selecting varying gray-scale resolutions. All radiographs were assessed in resolutions with 256 (8 bit), 128 (7 bit), 64 (6 bit), and 32 (5 bit) shades of gray. In no case was the original radiograph more accurate than the 512 x 512 x 8 resolution. In two of the regions evaluated, the images providing 32 shades of gray were less accurate (percentage of true positives and negatives) than the other resolutions (P less than 0.05) while in one region resolutions of 8 bit depth (256 shades of gray) provided a significantly greater accuracy than did the original radiograph and the other image resolutions (P less than 0.05). This was due to fewer false negative scores and was not followed by an increase in false positive scores. It can be concluded that a 512 x 512 spatial resolution is satisfactory for the detection of bone lesions in digitized intraoral radiographs and that 64 shades of gray provide an equally good diagnostic accuracy as do the original radiograph. This might be relevant when transmission times are of importance.

Animals↗

Intermittent claudication: a double-blind crossover trial of pentoxifylline.

The influence of the xanthine derivative pentoxifylline ('Trental' or BL191; Hoechst-Roussel) on exercise tolerance was measured in 38 subjects with stable, severe to moderately severe, intermittent claudication who completed a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled, cross-over clinical trial. Patients received placebo tablets or 400 mg slow-release pentoxifylline tablets ('Trental 400') twice a day for one week, followed by three times daily for seven weeks, and then crossed over to receive the alternate preparation for another eight weeks. Claudication distance and walking distance were measured on a treadmill before starting treatment and again at four-week intervals during the trial. At the same times, red blood cell filterability, plasma fibrinogen concentration and blood viscosity, resting and post-ischemic calf muscle blood flow, and the resting and post-exercise ankle/brachial systolic pressure ratio were also measured. In this study, the observed effects of pentoxifylline treatment were no greater than those of placebo, even though serum levels of pentoxifylline and its hydroxy-metabolite were within the anticipated range. This was shown by a 'therapeutic effect ratio' of 0.98 for treadmill claudication distance and 0.96 for treadmill walking distance after within-patient analysis at the end of the cross-over (where a ratio of 1.0 means the test drug and placebo effects are identical). These ratios have 95% confidence limits of 0.72-1.34 and 0.74-1.25, respectively.

Aged↗

Syntheses and biological activities of new penem derivatives with side chains derived from 4-hydroxyproline.

New penem derivatives with various substituted, enantiomerically pure pyrrolidine-thio side chains at the C-2 position were synthesized and their chemotherapeutic potentials assessed in comparison with Sch 29482. The following criteria were used for preliminary evaluation: Antibacterial activity in vitro, beta-lactamase inhibition and apparent hydrolysis rates by crude murine and human kidney enzyme preparations. The most active compounds, 16e, 16f and 18 exhibit properties typical of this substance class with a tendency towards greater antibacterial potency in comparison with Sch 29482, especially against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. No clear-cut structure-activity relationships could be found with respect to beta-lactamase inhibition and stability against degrading renal enzymes.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗