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Biomedical subjects

M Balasubramanian

Publications and source records attributed to M Balasubramanian.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Multi-area visuotopic map complexes in macaque striate and extra-striate cortex.

We propose that a simple, closed-form mathematical expression-the Wedge-Dipole mapping-provides a concise approximation to the full-field, two-dimensional topographic structure of macaque V1, V2, and V3. A single map function, which we term a map complex, acts as a simultaneous descriptor of all three areas. Quantitative estimation of the Wedge-Dipole parameters is provided via 2DG data of central-field V1 topography and a publicly available data set of full-field macaque V1 and V2 topography. Good quantitative agreement is obtained between the data and the model presented here. The increasing importance of fMRI-based brain imaging motivates the development of more sophisticated two-dimensional models of cortical visuotopy, in contrast to the one-dimensional approximations that have been in common use. One reason is that topography has traditionally supplied an important aspect of "ground truth," or validation, for brain imaging, suggesting that further development of high-resolution fMRI will be facilitated by this data analysis. In addition, several important insights into the nature of cortical topography follow from this work. The presence of anisotropy in cortical magnification factor is shown to follow mathematically from the shared boundary conditions at the V1-V2 and V2-V3 borders, and therefore may not causally follow from the existence of columnar systems in these areas, as is widely assumed. An application of the Wedge-Dipole model to localizing aspects of visual processing to specific cortical areas-extending previous work in correlating V1 cortical magnification factor to retinal anatomy or visual psychophysics data-is briefly discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Distribution, metabolism, and excretion of a novel surface-active agent, purified poloxamer 188, in rats, dogs, and humans.

Purified poloxamer 188 (PP188) is a nonionic, block copolymer surfactant with hemorheologic, antithrombotic, and anti-adhesive properties. PP188 is being studied in phase III clinical trials in sickle cell disease and has been found to be well tolerated and has demonstrated benefit in ameliorating the effects of acute painful vasoocclusive crisis. The disposition of PP188 was studied in rats, dogs, and humans to establish a basis for understanding the safety parameters in support of clinical trials. PP188 was primarily distributed in extracellular water with little or no uptake by red blood cells, and had its highest concentrations in highly perfused tissues such as the kidney, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and gastrointestinal tract. PP188 had no apparent effect on P450 isozymes in vitro. Metabolism was limited (< 5% of dose) with a higher molecular weight copolymer being the only other material detected in plasma or urine. Renal clearance was the controlling route of clearance for PP188 from the body. The 48-h intravenous infusion doses of PP188 were cleared in all species by approximately 1 week after the cessation of dose administration. PP188's disposition is a model for other nonionic block copolymers with similar physical and chemical properties.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Biochemical evaluation of multiple herbal treatments in alloxan-induced diabetes in Wistar rats.

Alloxan-induced diabetic rats were treated with multiple herbal preparation besides a control group receiving distilled water. The levels of glucose and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) increased abnormally in the alloxan treated group and the same were normalized upon treatment with the herbal preparation. The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), protein and albumin in all groups remained unaltered. However, weekly body weight gain which got significantly altered in the alloxan-treated group was normalized by treatment with the herbal preparation. On the whole, a profound hypoglycemic effect was observed by the multiple herbal treatment in the diabetic rats.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed2000

Bgs2p, a 1,3-beta-glucan synthase subunit, is essential for maturation of ascospore wall in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Previously we have reported that Drc1p/Cps1p, a 1,3-beta-glucan synthase subunit, is essential for division septum assembly in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In this report, we present evidence that S. pombe Bgs2p, a 1,3-beta-glucan synthase that shows 56% identity to Drc1p/Cps1p, is essential for maturation of ascospore wall in S. pombe, but is not required for vegetative growth. Diploid cells homozygous for the bgs2-null mutation, as well as homothallic bgs2-null mutant haploids undergo meiosis normally. However, a 1, 3-beta-glucan containing spore wall is not assembled in these cells. The spores resulting from meiosis of a bgs2-null mutant lyse upon release from the ascus and are therefore inviable. Using a green fluorescent protein-tagged Bgs2p, we demonstrate that Bgs2p is localized at the periphery of the ascospores during meiosis and sporulation. However, Bgs2p is not detected in vegetative cells. We conclude that Bgs2p is required for 1,3-beta-glucan synthesis during ascospore wall maturation.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1999

Identification of cold-sensitive mutations in the Schizosaccharomyces pombe actin locus.

In recent years, the actin cytoskeleton in Schizosaccharomyces pombe has become the subject of intense scrutiny. However, to date, only a single actin mutation has been identified. Described here is the isolation and characterization of four new cold-sensitive actin mutations. Sequence analysis of the mutant actin genes indicated that each of these mutations caused alterations in single amino acids that are conserved in all actin sequences. These mutants differ in their phenotypes. One of these mutations (act1-48) was identified as an extragenic suppressor of a mutation in the cdc4 gene, which is required for actin ring formation and cytokinesis. Interestingly, when act1-48 mutant cells were shifted to the restrictive temperature, actin patches were not detected but the actin ring formation and stability was unaffected. The three other mutations, act1-16, act1-32 and act1-67, primarily affected the actin ring formation or stability while F-actin patches did not seem to be substantially different in appearance. Given that the ultrastructural architectures of F-actin patches and the F-actin ring are presently unclear, these mutations, which affect one structure or the other, should be useful for future studies on the role of actin itself in the function of these F-actin-containing structures in S. pombe.

Actins↗
PubMed1999

Kinetics and hydrolysis of fenamiphos, fipronil, and trifluralin in aqueous buffer solutions.

Hydrolyses of fenamiphos, fipronil, and trifluralin were studied in aqueous buffer solutions of pH 4.1, 7.1, and 9.1 at different temperatures, 5, 22 +/- 1, 32 +/- 1, and 50 +/- 1 degrees C. Fenamiphos, fipronil, and trifluralin were found to be more stable in acidic and neutral buffer solutions at temperatures of 5 and 22 +/- 1, and dissipation is rapid at 50 +/- 1 degrees C. In basic buffer and at higher temperature, degradation of fenamiphos was found to be very rapid when compared with fipronil and trifluralin. The rate constants calculated at 32 degrees C for fenamiphos were 2349.4 x 10(-)(8) (pH 4.1), 225.2 x 10(-)(8) (pH 7.1), and 30476.0 x 10(-)(8) (pH 9.1); for fipronil 1750.0 x 10(-)(8) (pH 4.1), 3103.0 x 10(-)(8) (pH 7.1), and 3883.0 x 10(-)(8) (pH 9.1); and for trifluralin 2331.0 x 10(-)(8) (pH 4.1), 2360.0 x 10(-)(8) (pH 7.1), and 3188.0 x 10(-)(8) (pH 9.1). On the basis of rate constant values, these pesticides appeared to be more susceptible to hydrolysis than synthetic organophosphorus compounds such as chlorpyriphos, diazinon, malathion, and ronnel. DT(50) values calculated at 32 degrees C were 228 (pH 4.1), 5310.24 (pH 7.1), and 37.68 (pH 9.1) h for fenamiphos; 608.6 (pH 4.1), 373.9 (pH 7.1), and 270.2 (pH 9.1) h for fipronil; and 502.1 (pH 4.1), 496.8 (pH 7.1), and 355.7 (pH 9.1) h for trifluralin.

Buffers↗
PubMed1999

Rapid preconcentration method for the determination of azadirachtin-A and -B, nimbin and salannin in neem oil samples by using graphitised carbon solid phase extraction.

A simple and rapid method involving solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography for the determination of azadirachtin-A and -B, nimbin and salannin at nanogram levels in neem oil samples is presented. The neem oil samples are defatted and the compounds of interest extracted by mixing the sample with hexane and passing the hexane solution through a graphitised carbon black column. After washing the column with 2 ml of hexane, azadirachtin-A and -B, nimbin and salannin are eluted with 5 ml of acetonitrile and quantified using HPLC with UV detection. The recoveries of azadirachtin-A and -B, nimbin and salannin in fortified oil samples were 97.4-104.7%. The upper limit of quantification is up to 100 micrograms ml-1 without any additional clean-up and with little interference from lipids during the analysis by HPLC. The method was successfully applied to various neem oil samples collected from different locations in India.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed1998

Byr4 and Cdc16 form a two-component GTPase-activating protein for the Spg1 GTPase that controls septation in fission yeast.

BACKGROUND: Spatial and temporal control of cytokinesis ensures the accurate transmission of genetic material and the correct development of multicellular organisms. An excellent model system in which to study cytokinesis is Schizosaccharomyces pombe because there are similarities between cytokinesis in S. pombe and mammals and because genes involved in S. pombe cytokinesis have been characterized. In particular, formation of the septum is positively regulated by the Spg1 GTPase and its effector, the Cdc7 kinase. Septation is negatively regulated by Cdc16, a protein similar to GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) for Ypt GTPases, and by Byr4, a protein of unknown biochemical function. This study investigates the relationship between Byr4, Cdc16, and Spg1. RESULTS: Genetic interactions were observed between byr4, cdc16, and spg1 mutants. Byr4 bound to Cdc16 and Spg1 in yeast two-hybrid assays and in coprecipitations in vitro and in yeast. Byr4 inhibited the dissociation and hydrolysis of GTP bound to Spg1, but when Byr4 and Cdc16 were combined together they displayed Spg1GAP activity in vitro; Cdc16 alone had no detectable GAP activity. The binding of Byr4 to Spg1 and the Byr4-Cdc16 Spg1GAP activity were specific because Byr4 and Cdc16 did not bind to or affect the GTPase activities of the seven known S pombe Ypt family GTPase. CONCLUSIONS: Byr4 and Cdc16 form a two-component GAP for the Spg1 GTPase. Byr4 and Cdc16 appear to negatively regulate septation in S. pombe by modulating the nucleotide state of Spg1 possibly in a spatially or temporally controlled manner.

Cell Cycle Proteins↗
PubMed1998

Rapid preconcentration method for the determination of pyrethroid insecticides in vegetable oils and butter fat and simultaneous determination by gas chromatography-electron capture detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A simple and rapid solid-phase extraction (SPE)-GC method for the preconcentration and quantification of pyrethroids at low nanogram levels in oils and high fat content samples is presented. The method was studied using seven highly persistent pyrethroid insecticides, viz., cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fenvalerate, cyfluthrin, allethrin, cyhalothrin and permethrin. Preconcentration was achieved by treating the oil samples with methyltrioctylammonium chloride and subsequent elution of the pyrethroid molecules from a graphitized carbon black SPE cartridge using 5 ml of acetonitrile. Pyrethroid quantification was achieved by GC with electron capture detection. Recoveries of the pyrethroids at fortification levels of 0.05-0.5 ppm were 94-105%. Storage on graphitized carbon black for 30 d lowered the recovery of the pyrethroids by only 3-6%. The method compared well with results obtained by a GC-MS method. The relative standard deviation at a concentration level of 0.05-0.2 microgram ml-1 ranged from 1.31 to 5.16%. The limit of detection achieved was 0.002 microgram ml-1 without any additional clean-up and with little interference from lipids during analysis.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Development of an adjuvant-active nonionic block copolymer for use in oil-free subunit vaccines formulations.

Nonionic block copolymers, synthesized from repeating units of oxypropylene and oxyethylene, can be designed so that individual copolymers have unique physical properties with differential levels of adjuvant activity. We have designed high molecular weight block copolymers that spontaneously assemble into 500 nm-3 mum particles when formulated with protein antigens in aqueous solutions at physiological pH. The adjuvant activity of one of these copolymers, termed CRL1005, was compared to selected research adjuvants using ovalbumin (OVA) as the prototype vaccine antigen. Suboptimal doses of OVA were formulated with complete and incomplete. Freund's adjuvant (CFA/IFA), alum Quil-A saponins Ribi Adjuvant System (RAS) or the CRL1005 copolymer and these formulations were used to immunize C57BL/6 mice. The CRL1005 copolymer appeared to be more potent than either Quil-A or alum and comparable to the RAS formulation, based on the numbers of responding mice and the OVA-specific antibody titers. Alum. RAS and Quil-A all augmented the production of IgG1 and IgG2l, similarly whereas only the CFA/IFA boosted IgG2a levels significantly. The effect of adjuvants on relative antibody affinity was more variable with the CRL1005 and CFA/IFA inducing antibodies with the highest affinity scores. This high molecular weight nonionic copolymer is nontoxic in aqueous formulations and should therefore be compatible with a wide variety of protein or polysaccharide vaccine antigens.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1996

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe actin-related protein, Arp3, is a component of the cortical actin cytoskeleton and interacts with profilin.

The gene encoding the actin-related protein Arp3 was first identified in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and is a member of an evolutionarily conserved family of actin-related proteins. Here we present several key findings that define an essential role for Arp3p in the functioning of the cortical actin cytoskeleton. First, mutants in arp3 interact specifically with profilin and actin mutants. Second, Arp3 localizes to cortical actin patches which are required for polarized cell growth. Third, the arp3 gene is required for the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton during the cell cycle. Finally, the Arp3 protein is present in a large protein complex. We believe that this complex may mediate the cortical functions of profilin at actin patches in S. pombe.

Actin-Related Protein 3↗
PubMed1996

Inhibition of cytarabine-induced MDR1 (P-glycoprotein) gene activation in human tumor cells by fatty acid-polyethylene glycol-fatty acid diesters, novel inhibitors of P-glycoprotein function.

Fatty acid ester surfactants Cremophor EL and Solutol HS 15 were described earlier as modulators of multidrug resistance mediated by MDR1 P-glycoprotein (Pgp). We have shown that the most active components of these polydisperse surfactants are fatty acid-polyethylene glycol-fatty acid diesters (FA-PEG-FA). A new generation of Pgp-surfactant inhibitors of defined structure was therefore synthesized. In the present study we show that these compounds are also able to inhibit up-regulation of MDR1 gene expression caused by cytarabine (ARA-C) and doxorubicin in human tumor cell lines H9 and KB 3-1, which express minimal levels of MDR1 mRNA. The surfactant inhibitors, however, had no effect on the induction of MDR1 gene expression by protein kinase C agonists. Using a set of FA-PEG-FA diesters with various fatty acids and different lengths of the PEG domain, we demonstrated that the activity of diester preparations as inhibitors of drug-induced MDR1 activation was in proportion to their activity as inhibitors of Pgp function. Oleic and stearic acid diesters with PEG 900 (20 ethylene oxide units) were the most potent. The poloxamer analogs of these diesters demonstrated similar effects. In contrast, the well-known, structurally unrelated inhibitors of Pgp activity, verapamil, cyclosporin A and PSC 833, had no inhibitory effect on drug-induced MDR1 activation. The ability of FA-PEG-FA diesters to inhibit both Pgp function and drug-induced MDR1 activation suggests that these chemomodulators may be uniquely useful for the prophylaxis of Pgp-mediated multidrug resistance in drug-treated tumors.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1996

Reversal of multi-drug resistance in vitro by fatty acid-PEG-fatty acid diesters.

Fatty acid ester surfactants, e.g., Cremophor EL and Solutol HS 15, that modulate multi-drug resistance (MDR) have been described; however, the drug potential of these preparations is unclear because of the molecular heterogeneity of these and other commercial surfactants. In previous experiments, an active but still polydisperse preparation, designated CRL 1337, was synthesized by reacting purified oleic acid with a 20-fold molar excess of ethylene oxide. We have subjected this preparation to chromatographic separation, and infrared analysis of the active fractions revealed a significant component of diester structures (fatty acid-PEG-fatty acid). A new generation of diester compounds has now been synthesized. Preparations comprised of 99% diesters were significantly more potent than monoester preparations for MDR modification activity in vitro. As previously determined for ethylene oxide-derived preparations similar to CRL 1337, the nature of the fatty acid domains proved to be important for activity, as was the relative length of the polyethylene glycol domain (which determines the hydrophile-lipophile balance). The ester linkage appeared unimportant since homologous diethers and diamides had activity similar to that of diesters. Stearic acid diester was 1.5- to 7-fold more potent than CRL 1337 when tested in cell proliferation inhibition assays. In light of these structural restrictions on drug potentiation, and since these surfactants are active at relatively low concentrations (below 1 microgram/ml), investigations of their mechanism of action were initiated by exploring specific interactions with P-glycoprotein. Both active and inactive diesters inhibited azidopine labeling of P-glycoprotein, suggesting that fatty acid-PEG diesters can interfere with P-glycoprotein substrate binding. Other attributes of these preparations must contribute to their ability to reverse MDR.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1995

Comparison of solutol HS 15, Cremophor EL and novel ethoxylated fatty acid surfactants as multidrug resistance modification agents.

Some well-known fatty acid ester surfactants, e.g., Cremophor EL and Solutol HS 15, are modulators of multidrug resistance in vitro and in vivo. Because they are polydisperse, and their active component(s) have not been identified, the therapeutic potential of such surfactants is unclear. To better define the active components of Solutol HS 15 and to make more potent surfactant multidrug resistance modulators, highly purified C-18 fatty acids were esterified with ethylene oxide at 5-200 molar ratios. Unexpectedly, ethylene oxide esters of pure 12-hydroxy stearic acid, the major components of Solutol HS 15, displayed negligible resistance modification activity compared with Solutol HS 15 itself or to stearic and oleic acid esters synthesized under identical conditions. Since oleic acid esters appeared to have good activity, a series of these compounds was prepared to determine the optimal ethylene oxide/fatty acid ratio. The optimal ratio was found to be 20 mole ethylene oxide: I mole fatty acid, with a steep decline in activity for products made with ratios above and below the optimum. The most active oleic acid ester, designated CRL 1337, was 8.4-fold as potent as Solutol HS 15 and over 19-fold as potent as Cremophor EL in promoting rhodamine 123 accumulation in multidrug-resistant KB 8-5-11 cells in vitro. Our results show that the structure of the hydrophobic domain (fatty acid) of surfactants as well as its hydrophile-lipophile balance are critical in determining the potency of surfactants as reversing agents.

Antineoplastic Agents↗