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Biomedical subjects

D Beauchamp

Publications and source records attributed to D Beauchamp.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Mechanism and biological significance of constitutive expression of MGSA/GRO chemokines in malignant melanoma tumor progression.

By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry, MGSA-alpha, -beta, -gamma, and CXCR2 mRNA expression and proteins are detected in 7 out of 10 human melanoma lesions. The biological consequence of constitutive expression of the MGSA/GRO chemokine in immortalized melanocytes was tested in SCID and nude mouse models. Continuous expression of MGSA/GRO-alpha, -beta, or -gamma in immortalized melan-a mouse melanocytes results in nearly 100% tumor formation for each of the clones tested, whereas clones expressing only the neomycin resistance vector form tumors <10% of the time. Moreover, antibodies to the MGSA/GRO proteins slow or inhibit the formation of tumors in the SCID mouse model and block the angiogenic response to conditioned medium from the tumor-producing clones. Transcription of the MGSA/GRO chemokines is regulated by an enhancesome-like complex comprised of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), HMG(I)Y, IUR, and Sp1 elements. In Hs294T melanoma cells the half life of the IKB protein is shortened in comparison to normal retinal epithelial cells, facilitating the endogenous nuclear localization of NF-kappaB. We propose that this endogenous nuclear NF-kappaB, working in concert with the 115-kDa IUR-binding factor, promotes constitutive expression of MGSA/GRO genes.

Animals↗

Antiviral efficacy and toxicity of ribavirin and foscarnet each given alone or in combination in the murine AIDS model.

The antiviral efficacy and toxicity of ribavirin, foscarnet (PFA), and combinations of both drugs at two different doses have been evaluated in the murine AIDS (MAIDS) model. Our results clearly demonstrated that infected mice treated with ribavirin at 100 mg/ kg/day were protected against splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, and hypergammaglobulinemia whereas PFA alone at 180 or 360 mg/kg/day did not afford any protection. Treatment with drug combinations showed protective effects similar to those observed with ribavirin alone. Hyperplasia and deorganization of the lymphoid architecture were noted in spleen and lymph nodes of infected mice compared to those of the uninfected group. However, treatment with ribavirin restored the lymphoid tissue architecture and reduced the emergence of germinal centers. Electron microscopic examination of renal cortex of animals treated with PFA at 360 mg/kg/day revealed clear mitochondrial necrosis (bursting of mitochondria) of the distal tubules and vacuolization of the proximal tubules which was more striking with combination therapy. Regarding hematotoxicity, PFA did not cause significant hematotoxicity at both doses, whereas ribavirin was hematotoxic at both doses (50 and 100 mg/kg/day), this toxicity being more evident at the higher dose. In conclusion, treatment with ribavirin showed clear efficacy against MAIDS whereas PFA had no efficacy. Furthermore, ribavirin treatment caused hematoxicity and PFA treatment resulted in nephrotoxicity.

Animals↗

Public health, privatization, and market populism: a time for reflection.

The political, social, and economic ideology fueling the movement toward privatization in health care may be characterized as "market populism." Whether or not public health agencies retain their traditional roles in personal health services delivery, these organizations must serve as the predominant external source for quality monitoring, oversight, enforcement, and advocacy for communities in an environment that regards the private market as a panacea.

Democracy↗

Differential distributions in tissues and efficacies of aztreonam and ceftazidime and in vivo bacterial morphological changes following treatment.

The differential tissue distributions of aztreonam and ceftazidime within fibrin clots infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, and Serratia marcescens, their efficacies, and the in vivo bacterial morphological changes induced by these drugs were evaluated. Rabbits were given intravenously a single dose of 100 mg of either agents/kg of body weight. In the cores of the clots, the peak levels of both drugs were much lower than those observed in the peripheries and in serum. Aztreonam's half-lives within the peripheries and in the cores of the fibrin clots were up to six times higher than observed in serum, while ceftazidime's half-lives in clots were twice that observed in serum. This resulted in a much greater penetration ratio for aztreonam than for ceftazidime. Both drugs controlled the growth of P. aeruginosa in vivo, but E. cloacae and S. marcescens responded better to ceftazidime. Morphological changes were more abundant in the peripheries than in the cores of the clots. In the control group, P. aeruginosa's morphology in the cores was different than that in the peripheries of the clots. Against P. aeruginosa, aztreonam did induce morphological changes in the cores while ceftazidime did not. Electron microscopic studies revealed that morphological changes associated with aztreonam seemed different than those of ceftazidime. Along with elongation of bacteria, more bow tie and herniated bacteria were observed with aztreonam. Though both agents selectively affect PBP 3, as manifested by elongated bacteria, they induce in the peripheries of the clots thickening, breaks, and detachment in bacterial cell walls, alterations which are generally associated with antibiotics affecting PBP 1a and 1b.

Animals↗

Attenuation of gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats by fleroxacin.

The effect of fleroxacin on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity was evaluated with female Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were injected during 4 or 10 days with saline (NaCl; 0.9%), gentamicin alone at doses of 10 and 40 mg/kg of body weight/12 h (subcutaneously), fleroxacin alone at a dose of 25 mg/kg/12 h (intraperitoneally), or the combination gentamicin-fleroxacin in the same regimen. Gentamicin induced a dose- and time-dependent renal toxicity as evaluated by gentamicin cortical levels, sphingomyelinase activity in the renal cortex, histopathologic and morphometric analysis, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels, and cellular regeneration ([3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of cortical cells). The extent of these changes was significantly reduced when gentamicin was given in combination with fleroxacin. Although the mechanisms by which fleroxacin reduces the nephrotoxic potential of gentamicin are unknown, we propose that the fleroxacin-gentamicin combination enhances exocytosis activity in proximal tubular cells, as suggested by the higher excretion of urinary enzymes and lower cortical levels of gentamicin observed in animals treated with the combination fleroxacin-gentamicin compared with those treated with gentamicin alone. The protective effect of fleroxacin on gentamicin nephrotoxicity should be investigated further.

Animals↗

Time-restricted feeding schedules modify temporal variation of gentamicin experimental nephrotoxicity.

The effect of timing of gentamicin dosing relative to food access periods was evaluated in experimental animals. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for 4 and 10 days with gentamicin (40 mg/kg of body weight/day) intraperitoneally at either 0700, 1300, 1900, or 0100 h according to three food presentation schedules: food was available from 0800 to 1600 h in the first group, from 1600 to 0000 h in the second group, and from 0000 to 0800 h in the last group. Animals were thus subjected to a restricted feeding period. Results indicate that time-restricted feeding schedules displace the peak and the trough of gentamicin-induced renal toxicity, as evaluated by changes in the inhibition of sphingomyelinase activity, cellular regeneration (incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA of renal cortex), and blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels, as well as histopathological lesions observed after 10 days of treatment. In fact, the toxicity was minimal when gentamicin was injected during the feeding period, while the maximal toxicity was found when gentamicin was administered during the fasting period. It is concluded that the feeding period can modulate aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity. The time of dosing of gentamicin relative to the time of feeding seems to be a more important modulator of gentamicin nephrotoxicity than the light-dark cycle.

Analysis of Variance↗

Antiviral efficacy and toxicity of ribavirin in murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome model.

The antiretroviral efficacy and hematotoxicity of ribavirin, a guanosine analogue, have been evaluated in mice infected with the LP-BM5 virus pool [murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS) model]. Doses ranging from 6.25 to 200 mg/kg/day were injected intraperitoneally twice a day for 6 weeks to infected mice. Drug treatment induced a significant protection against splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy at doses > or = 25 mg/kg. Moreover, doses starting at 50 mg/kg protected against hypergammaglobulinemia, minimized the loss of spleen CD8+ T cells, and reconstituted the capacity of splenocytes to proliferate in response to concanavalin A. The spleen and cervical lymph node architectures were protected, and a reduction in the emergence of germinal centers was observed at 50 mg/kg ribavirin. Hematotoxicity appeared at doses > or = 50 mg/kg ribavirin, and severe anemia was predominant only at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg. This study shows that ribavirin protects mice against the effects resulting from retrovirus infection at doses of > or = 50 mg/kg in a MAIDS model and induces severe hematotoxicity at doses > or = 100 mg/kg.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

In vivo toxicity of foscarnet and zidovudine given alone or in combination.

The toxicities of foscarnet (PFA) and zidovudine (AZT) given alone or in combination have been investigated in mice. PFA administered at a dose of 500 mg/kg/day and AZT at a dose of 400 mg/kg/day for 17 days caused clear hematotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Each drug alone showed little hematotoxicity, but using a combination of both drugs significantly and dramatically decreased RBC (approximately 50%), Hb (approximately 43%), and hematocrit (approximately 43%) and increased platelets (approximately 45%) on Day 11 of treatment. It seems that there is a synergistic or at least an additive effect between PFA and AZT in terms of red blood cell toxicity. Surprisingly, AZT significantly increased serum creatinine levels on Days 5 and 11 of treatment (up to 40% increase), whereas PFA was less toxic (only approximately 17% increase on Day 5 of treatment). Using a combination of the two drugs, PFA seems to reduce the nephrotoxic effect of AZT on Day 11 of treatment. None of the treatments had any effect on BUN. At a lower dose level of 340 mg PFA/kg/day and 270 mg AZT/kg/day for 15 days there was hematotoxicity (much less evident than that at the higher dose level), but no nephrotoxicity. Electron microscopic examination of the renal cortex of animals from the experiments testing the higher dose levels revealed a clear vacuolization in proximal tubules and necrosis of mitochondria in distal tubules. These effects were more striking with the combination and less evident with PFA or AZT alone. In conclusion, even though we have used a high dose of AZT, there was synergistic/additive hematotoxicity. The combination was less nephrotoxic, only on Day 11 of treatment, than either of these agents used alone although histopathology, at the time of euthanization, showed more severe damage.

Animals↗

Nephrotoxicity of amphotericin B in rats: effects of the time of administration.

Amphotericin B is a potentially nephrotoxic agent used for the treatment of severe mycoses and numerous fungal infections. Temporal variation in the nephrotoxicity of amphotericin B was studied in rats maintained on a light-dark period of 14 hrs of light and 10 hrs of darkness (light on: 06h00). Subgroups of animals were treated with a single daily i.p. dose of either 5% dextrose or amphotericin B (10 mg/kg/day) given at either 07h00, 13h00, 19h00 or 01h00 for 4 and 10 days. On day 4, no significant difference was observed in any parameter studied. On day 10, the cellular regeneration ([3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA of renal cortex)(p<0.01), BUN levels (p<0.05), serum creatinine (p<0.05), and accumulation of amphotericin B in the renal cortex (p<0.05) were significantly higher when animals were treated with similar subcellular localization of amphotericin B in the proximal tubular cells of the renal cortex. These results showed a temporal variation in the nephrotoxicity of amphotericin B (peak toxicity occurred at 07h00) which is different from that of other nephrotoxic antibiotics such as aminoglycosides.

Amphotericin B↗

Comparative pharmacokinetics, distributions in tissue, and interactions with blood proteins of conventional and sterically stabilized liposomes containing 2',3'-dideoxyinosine.

The pharmacokinetics and distribution in tissue of 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddI) encapsulated in sterically stabilized liposomes have been evaluated in rats. Most of the sterically stabilized liposomes concentrated in the spleen with a peak level at 24 h after their intravenous injection. An extended half-life in plasma was observed for sterically stabilized liposomes (14.5 h) compared with that of conventional liposomes (3.9 h). The systemic clearance of ddI incorporated in sterically stabilized liposomes was 180 times lower than that of the free drug. The levels of in vitro and in vivo protein binding on both conventional and sterically stabilized liposomes were also evaluated. Results suggest that the amount of proteins associated with liposomes might not be the only factor involved in the in vivo clearance of liposomes, as this process may also be influenced by the nature of the bound blood proteins.

Animals↗

Effects of fasting on temporal variations in nephrotoxicity of gentamicin in rats.

Evidence for temporal variations in the nephrotoxicity of low doses of aminoglycosides were recently shown by using specific and sensitive parameters of renal toxicity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a short period of fasting on the temporal variations in the renal toxicity of gentamicin. Twenty-eight normally fed (i.e., food and water were available ad libitum throughout the experiment) female Sprague-Dawley rats (weight, 175 to 220 g) and 28 fasted rats (i.e., only water was available during a 12-h fast before and a 24-h fast after gentamicin injection) were used. The animals were synchronized on a 14-h light, 10-h dark cycle (lights on at 0600 h) for 1 week before gentamicin administration. In July 1993, each group of animals was treated with a single intraperitoneal injection of saline (NaCl, 0.9%) or gentamicin (150 mg/kg of body weight) at either the peak (1400 h) or the trough (0200 h) of the previously determined toxicity. On day 1, the 24-h urinary excretion of beta-galactosidase, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase was significantly higher in normally fed animals treated with gentamicin at 1400 h than in their time-matched controls and in normally fed animals treated at 0200 h (P < 0.01), which had normal levels of these enzymes. By contrast, the urinary excretion of these enzymes was significantly higher in both groups of gentamicin-treated, fasted rats than in their time-matched control groups (P < 0.01), reaching levels similar to those measured in normally fed rats treated at 1400 h. The accumulation of gentamicin was significantly lower in the renal cortex of normally fed rats treated at 0200 h than in rats treated at 1400 h (P < 0.05), but this time-dependent difference was not found in fasted rats treated at 0200 and 1400 h. Immunogold labeling done on ultrathin sections and observed by electron microscopy showed a similar subcellular localization of gentamicin in normally fed and fasted rats treated at either 1400 or 0200 h. These results suggest that the feeding period is of crucial importance in the temporal variations of the nephrotoxicity of gentamicin in rats.

Animals↗

Temporal variation in nephrotoxicity of low doses of isepamicin in rats.

The temporal variation in the nephrotoxicity of low doses of isepamicin was studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with a single daily intraperitoneal injection of saline (NaCl, 0.9%) or isepamicin (80 mg/kg of body weight) at either 0800, 1400, 2000, or 0200 h for 4 and 10 days. On day 10, the cellular regeneration (incorporation of [3H] thymidine into DNA of renal cortex) and cortical accumulation of isepamicin were significantly higher in animals treated at 1400 h than at 0200 h (P < 0.01). Immunogold labeling studies showed that isepamicin was essentially localized in the lysosomes of proximal tubular cells in all treated groups, but the density of the gold particles over the lysosomes was higher in animals treated at 1400 than at 0200 h. The results of the present study show that the renal toxicity of isepamicin was maximal at 1400 h (midlight period) and minimal at 0200 h (middark period).

Animals↗

Day-night treatment difference of tobramycin serum and intrarenal drug distribution and nephrotoxicity in rats: effects of fasting.

The effects of short-term food deprivation on the serum and renal distribution and nephrotoxicity of tobramycin were studied in female Sprague-Dawley rats maintained on a 14-h light/10-h dark cycle (light on: 06:00). For the distribution study, a single injection of tobramycin (40 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered at 14:00 or 02:00 to normally fed animals or to animals fasted for 12 h before tobramycin injection; these treatment times correspond to the peak and trough of tobramycin nephrotoxicity as previously determined in other studies. The serum and cortical levels of tobramycin were significantly higher 60, 120, and 240 min after the injection in fasted animals treated at 02:00 compared with normally fed animals treated at the same time (p < 0.05). In animals injected at 14:00, similar levels of tobramycin were measured in both fasted and fed rats. In the nephrotoxicity study, female Sprague-Dawley rats were fasted for 12 h before and 24 h after the timed single injection of tobramycin (150 mg/kg, i.p.). The 24-h urinary excretion of beta-galactosidase was significantly higher in fasted animals treated at 02:00 than in fed rats treated at the same time of day. Seventy-two hours following tobramycin injection, serum creatinine levels and cortical levels of tobramycin were significantly higher in fasted rats treated at 14:00 than at 02:00 and in fed rats treated at 14:00. These data suggest that a short period of food deprivation modulates the temporal variations of tobramycin nephrotoxicity.

Animals↗

Ribavirin potentiates the efficacy and toxicity of 2',3'- dideoxyinosine in the murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome model.

The efficacy and toxicity of ribavirin (25 or 125 mg/kg/day), 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddI) (200 mg/kg/day) and a combination of both drugs at these doses given for 6 weeks were investigated in the murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome model. Our results showed a significant protection against splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy and hypergammaglobulinemia in mice treated with ribavirin at 25 mg/kg/day alone or in combination with ddI at 200 mg/kg/day. A good synergistic effect was observed with the drug combination, whereas ddI alone (200 mg/kg/day) did not give any protection. Ribavirin/ddI combination protected against the loss of CD8 T cells in spleen and restored the capacity of splenocytes to proliferate after activation with a mitogenic agent. Moreover, the drug combination resulted in a protection of the spleen and cervical lymph node architectures and a regression of germinal centers. Hematotoxicity appeared at a dose of 125 mg/kg of ribavirin alone and increased when used concomitantly with ddI. In conclusion, ribavirin and ddI at low doses are synergistic and effective in the murine acquired immunodeficiency disease model, but at high doses they are toxic.

Animals↗

Molecular basis of the inhibition of gentamicin nephrotoxicity by daptomycin; an infrared spectroscopic investigation.

The lipopeptide daptomycin has been reported to reduce in vivo the nephrotoxicity of aminoglycoside antibiotics (Wood et al. (1989) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 33, 1280-1285; Beauchamp et al. (1990) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34, 139-147). A recent dialysis study confirmed the existence of an electrostatic interaction between daptomycin and tobramycin (Couture et al. (1994) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 38, 742-749). The interaction of gentamicin with daptomycin and phosphatidylinositol (PI) dispersions was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy. We found no evidence of a direct interaction involving the neutralization of the aspartate groups of daptomycin by gentamicin and the amide I band of daptomycin did not reveal significant conformational changes of its peptidic moiety. On the other hand, daptomycin readily inserts within bilayers of PI, dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, as judged from its influence on the fluidity of these bilayers. The incorporation of daptomycin into PI bilayers has no significant effect on the lipopeptide amide I band. Gentamicin also binds to PI bilayers and the associated modifications of the lipid bands are consistent with a tightening of the lipid network resulting from head group neutralization by gentamicin. The affinity of the aminoglycoside for PI is slightly increased in the presence of daptomycin, in agreement with the results of the dialysis study mentioned above. The lipid features indicate that its head group is still affected by gentamicin charges, but the thermotropic behavior of the hydrophobic portion becomes similar to that of the pure lipid. It is proposed that the contribution of daptomycin to the membrane charge density and its effect on the lipid packing both combine to counteract the inhibition of phospholipase activity due to aminoglycosides. Further work will attempt to determine how the peptide rings and gentamicin molecules are organized at the bilayer surface, how specific these interactions are and to confirm the influence of daptomycin on the phospholipid catabolism.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Uptake and binding of liposomal 2',3'-dideoxycytidine by RAW 264.7 cells: a three-step process.

It was recently reported that the sequestration of virus by macrophages in reticuloendothelial system organs, such as lymph nodes, is possibly responsible for the clinical latency of disease in asymptomatic HIV-infected patients. Since macrophages may sequester HIV after phagocytosis, and because phagocytosis is a specialized function of any mammalian macrophage, a mouse-macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) was used as a macrophage model to evaluate the uptake and binding of 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC) encapsulated in liposomes of an average size of 300 nm containing 350 mumols of ddC per mmol of lipids. Liposomal ddC (L-ddC) was rapidly taken up by macrophages. In contrast, its free form (ddC) accumulated slowly in these cells. The accumulation of ddC from L-ddC into cells seemed to consist of two components: a saturable one, which fitted with the Michaelis-Menten model, and a nonsaturable one, which proceeded linearly in the presence of an excess amount of unlabeled liposomes. Under these conditions, we found an apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of 40 microM and an initial velocity of 0.12 nmol ddC/mg protein/min for the saturable component and a constant rate of accumulation (KN) of 0.017/min for the nonsaturable component. The inhibition of uptake of ddC from L-ddC in the presence of phagocytosis inhibitors (deoxyglucose plus sodium azide) and nucleoside transport inhibitors (dipyridamole or nitrobenzylthioinosine) also confirmed the existence of several mechanisms in the liposome-mediated accumulation process of ddC into macrophages. Furthermore, studies of efflux of ddC in drug-free medium from cells preloaded with L-ddC or ddC established longer retention of ddC in cells preloaded with L-ddC than with ddC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Protection against gentamicin nephrotoxicity by daptomycin in nephrectomized rats.

Daptomycin was previously shown to reduce gentamicin renal toxicity and this toxicity was not delayed by the concomitant injection of daptomycin (Thibault N., L. Grenier, M. Simard, M. G. Bergeron, and D. Beauchamp, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 38 1027-1035 (1994)). The protective effect of daptomycin against gentamicin toxicity was evaluated in 96 female Sprague-Dawley rats. Normal and nephrectomized rats were treated with saline (NaCl, 0.9%), gentamicin (30 mg/kg/12 hrs, i.p.), daptomycin (10 mg/kg/12 hrs, s.c.) or with a combination of daptomycin plus gentamicin during 4 and 10 days. On day 4, gentamicin and daptomycin cortical levels were higher in nephrectomized gentamicin-daptomycin-treated rats (p < 0.05) as compared to all other groups. The accumulation of gentamicin or daptomycin in nephrectomized gentamicin-daptomycin-treated or gentamicin-saline-treated rats was higher on day 4 (p < 0.01) than on day 10. Other parameters such as the sphingomyelinase activity in the renal cortex, the serum creatinine, and the histopathology showed significantly fewer changes in daptomycin-gentamicin-treated rats as compared to animals given gentamicin alone. On the other hand, the protection of daptomycin was less extensive in nephrectomized rats as compared to normal rats. Daptomycin and gentamicin were localized in the lysosomes of proximal tubular cells of animals treated with daptomycin and gentamicin given alone or in combination. These results suggest that daptomycin protects against gentamicin toxicity in nephrectomized rats but to a lesser extent than in normal rats.

Animals↗