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Biomedical subjects

B Festy

Publications and source records attributed to B Festy.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Mutagenicity in urine from nurses handling cytostatic agents.

A cohort study of 29 nurses who extensively handle cytostatic drugs, 29 controls matched on sex and age, and seven patients under chemotherapy was carried out between 1983 and 1985. In a first study, urinary mutagenicity assays performed with the Ames test towards Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 with and without S9 mix gave an increased mutagenic activity, although not significant, for nurses as compared to controls, after adjustment on smoking habits. The results of mutagenicity assays for patients were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than for non-smoker nurses and non-smoker controls with TA 98 without S9 mix. Of the 29 pairs, complementary assays were performed for non-smokers, that is 11 nurses and 11 matched controls, with TA 98, TA 100 and TA 1535 +/- S9 mix. A significant increase in mutagenic activity (P less than 0.05) was detected for nurses as compared to matched controls towards TA 98 with and without S9 mix. Moreover, the mutagenicity was significantly increased (P less than 0.05) in nurses who handled at least one electrophilic agents as compared to nurses who handled non-electrophilic drugs towards TA 98 with and without S9 mix.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Soil amoebas as biological markers to estimate the quality of swimming pool waters.

The legal biological survey of swimming pool waters is based on both the level of bacteriological contamination and the amount of material of fecal origin. The great number of soil amoebas and the occasional epidemiological risk involved led us to consider using these organisms as possible biological markers to estimate the quality of pool water and the extent of disinfection. During a 1-year survey of 54 public swimming pools, 765 superficial pool and tap water samples were collected. One portion (50 ml) drawn from 1-liter samples was filtered and cultured for amoebas. In specimens considered contaminated we detected at least 20 amoebas per liter, whereas uncontaminated samples contained fewer than 20 amoebas per liter. By keeping the threshold value voluntarily low, we were able to compare tap water with pool water and to monitor the quality of various disinfection procedures (i.e., chlorine, bromine, and Cu-Ag). The data suggest that the filters were not always protective against a high concentration of amoebas. Furthermore, these disinfection procedures were not equally efficient according to estimates based on biological criteria. In addition, the quality of swimming pool water also depends on the quality of its source tap water. Thus, the numeration of soil amoebas can be used as an additional biological marker to estimate the quality of swimming pool water.

Amoeba↗
PubMed1979

[Organic micropollution of drinking water].

This work is about organic micropollution of waters sampled at the flowing in and out of three treatment stations. Micropollutants are obtained by chloroformic extraction. It is shown that the extracts have biological effects which can be measured by in vitro and in vivo assays. The treatments reduce the total amount of extractible substances but they induce modifications in their chemical composition and their biological activity. These observations allow to precise how the problem of an eventual health effect of organic micropollution could be approached.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Interaction between hydroxystilbamidine and DNA. I. Binding isotherms and thermodynamics of the association.

Isotherms describing the binding of hydroxystilbamidine to DNA and polydeoxyribonucleotides were obtained by means of sedimentation or dialysis experiments and fluorescence measurements, over a large range of ionic strengths, temperatures and base compositions. Two different sets of binding sites are necessary to explain the shapes of the isotherms. The first one is characterized by a higher binding constant, a topological specificity for the A-T pair, exclusion of four base pairs per bound dye molecule, the involvement of two ion-pairs, an almost purely entropic free energy of binding and a large enhancement of the blue fluorescence (450 nm) when the site corresponds to three adjacent A-T pairs. The latter does not present any specificity nor enhancement of fluorescence and only one ion-pair is formed. From the geometry of the dye and its selective binding to a double stranded structure, the hydroxystilbamidine molecule in the first set of sites is likely to be situated in the small groove astride the two complementary strands and slightly distorting the helical structure. The angle of the dye axis with the helix axis has a value close to 47 degrees. No definite explanation could be given for the specific binding of hydroxystilbamidine but the phenolic hydroxyl group is likely to play a major role. The hydroxystilbamidine molecule can be considered as a useful tool for checking the accessibility of the small groove.

Binding Sites↗