PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M I Chowdhury

Publications and source records attributed to M I Chowdhury.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Distribution of naturally occurring radionuclides in soils of the southern districts of Bangladesh.

The activity concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials in soil samples of an elevated radiation background area of nine southern districts of Bangladesh were determined using gamma-ray spectrometry with an aim of evaluating the environmental radioactivity. The outdoor and indoor external effective dose rates and the radiation hazard indices from the soil activity were evaluated with an aim of minimising the harmful effects of ionising radiation to the population of the area concerned. The activity of (137)Cs was measured and observed in some of the locations.

Bangladesh↗

Study of natural radionuclide concentrations in an area of elevated radiation background in the northern districts of Bangladesh.

The activity concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials in soil samples from an elevated radiation background area of three northern districts of Bangladesh were determined using gamma ray spectrometry. The outdoor and indoor external effective dose rates and the radiation hazard indices from these soil activities were evaluated. The dose rates were found to be about four times higher than the reported world average value. The concentration of natural radionuclides, derived radium equivalent activities and the representative level indices were also found to be higher. Recommendations on radiological and dosimetric measures have been suggested with an aim of minimising the harmful effects of ionising radiation to the population of the area concerned.

Background Radiation↗

Attenuation coefficients of soils and some building materials of Bangladesh in the energy range 276-1332 keV.

The linear and mass attenuation coefficients of different types of soil, sand, building materials and heavy beach mineral samples from the Chittagong and Cox's Bazar area of Bangladesh were measured using a high-resolution HPGe detector and the gamma-ray energies 276.1, 302.8, 356.0, 383.8, 661.6 and 1173.2 and 1332.5 keV emitted from point sources of 133Ba, 137Cs and 60Co, respectively. The linear attenuation coefficients show a linear relationship with the corresponding densities of the samples studied. The variations of the mass attenuation coefficient with gamma-ray energy were exponential in nature. The measured mass attenuation coefficient values were compared with measurements made in other countries for similar kinds of materials. The values are in good agreement with each other in most cases.

Bangladesh↗

Assessment of occupational and patient dose from diagnostic and therapeutic radiation exposure using thermoluminescent dosimetry.

Radiation doses of occupational personnel exposed from diagnostic x rays, therapeutic installations, and patients were measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters. The monthly occupational doses from diagnostic x ray ranged from 0.1076 mSv to 0.5774 mSv, and those from therapeutic treatment ranged from 0.365 mSv to 0.657 mSv, which is within the dose limit recommended by ICRP 60. The patient organ doses were evaluated and found to range from 0.0615 mSv s(-1) to 2.8823 mSv s(-1) for gonad, 0.3676 mSv s(-1) to 2.1088 mSv s(-1) for thyroid, and 0.00972 mSv s(-1) to 4.01 mSv s(-1) for eyes.

Health Personnel↗

Radioactivity in sediments of the Karnaphuli river estuary and the Bay of Bengal.

Sediment samples from the Karnaphuli river estuary, nearshore, and off-shore regions off the coast of Chittagong in the Bay of Bengal were analyzed for the natural radioactivity contents of 232Th, 238U and 40K and anthropogenic radioactivity contents of 137Cs and 134Cs using HPGe gamma spectrometry, together with the measurement of sediment pH and grain size analyses of the collected samples. The activity of 232Th found in sediment ranged from 10.44 +/- 2.31 to 64.02 +/- 8.13 Bq kg(-1), 238U activity ranged from 5.87 +/- 1.21 to 27.85 +/- 1.71 Bq kg(-1), 40K activity from 118.28 +/- 19.70 to 608.21 +/- 75.70 Bq kg(-1), and the activity 137Cs ranged from 0.09 +/- 0.06 to 4.64 +/- 0.19 Bq kg(-1), no 134Cs radioactivity was detected at any of the sampling stations.

Geologic Sediments↗

Radioactivity in marine fish of the Bay of Bengal.

The concentrations of natural radionuclides of 40K, 232Th and 238U and artificial radionuclides of 137Cs and 134Cs in different marine fish samples from the Bay of Bengal were determined. In some of the fish samples contamination of the 137Cs radionuclide was observed, but 134Cs was below detection level.

Animals↗

Mycoplasma stimulates HIV-1 expression from acutely- and dormantly-infected promonocyte/monoblastoid cell lines.

Treatment of a myelo-monocyte cell line, J22HL-60, dormantly infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) with heat-inactivated extracts of Acholeplasma (A) laidlawii (250 micrograms/ml) enhanced virus production more than 45-fold as assessed by p24 viral core antigen assay. When treated with a suboptimal dose of TPA or TNF-alpha, Acholeplasma extracts further augmented virus production in J22HL-60 cells. H7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C(PKC), almost completely abrogated HIV-1-inducing ability of Acholeplasma extracts in the cells. A. laidlawii and several other mycoplasmas also enhanced acute infection of U937 cells as shown by increased virus-positive cells and augmentation of HIV-1 production in the culture supernatant independent of their pathogenicity to humans.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

cAMP stimulates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) from latently infected cells of monocyte-macrophage lineage: synergism with TNF-alpha.

The present experiments were designed to study whether GTP binding protein activation and the resulting cAMP plays any role in HIV replication. The results showed that cholera toxin (CT) enhanced HIV replication dose dependently in myelo-monocytic cell lines latently infected with HIV-1, U1 and J22HL-60. Three- to 4-fold enhancement of virus production was observed in U1 cells and 4- to 11-fold enhancement in J22HL-60 cells 4 days after treatment with 100 ng/ml of CT. The increment of intracellular cAMP accumulation was parallel with HIV augmentation by CT in both cells. Even at the low concentration 0.1 ng/ml, TNF enhanced virus production to about an 80-fold higher level than the untreated U1 control cells as described previously (11). However, a synergistic effect (80- to 238-fold enhancement) was observed, when TNF-alpha and CT were added together to U1 cells. Similar synergism was seen in J22HL-60 cells. HIV antigen positive cells and gp120 expression were also increased to a similar degree. Phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX had no effect on HIV production alone, but potentiated HIV induction by CT and TNF. Adenylate cyclase activator, forskolin (FK), at 100 microM also significantly augmented HIV production (> 4-fold) and potentiated TNF induction in J22HL-60 and U1 cells. On the other hand, CT did not show any effect on HIV replication as well as TNF induction in HIV-1-infected T cell line. Northern blot experiment confirmed that this enhancement was mediated through the activation of HIV transcription. These data suggest that cAMP augments HIV replication and potentiates TNF induction in a particular monocyte-macrophage system.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗

Increased production of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in HIV-induced syncytia formation: an efficient infection process.

Syncytia or multinucleated giant-cell formation is one of the major cytopathic effects induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Cell fusion results from the strong interaction of CD4 molecules on the surface of the uninfected T cells and gp120, an external envelope glycoprotein of HIV on the infected T cells. We studied the production of HIV in fusion cells between MOLT-4 and virus-infected MOLT-4/HIV cells and found that HIV production was enhanced up to three- to fivefold, which showed a good correlation with the appearance and extent of syncytia formation. Blocking the fusion by monoclonal antibody against a binding epitope of CD4 molecule to gp120 decreased the HIV production significantly. Enhancement of HIV production was observed by more than five-fold in comparison with chronically infected cells, which were fusion free 20 hr postcocultivation. Electron microscopic observation also showed the presence of abundant HIV particles inside the fused cells and on the outer surface. AZT blocked the HIV augmentation of fused cells in coculture completely. Southern blot analysis revealed that both integrated and unintegrated HIV DNA were highly accumulated in fusion cells, as compared with fusion-free MOLT-4/HIV cells. Among unintegrated DNA, circular and linear DNA were accumulated to a similar degree. Northern blot hybridization showed that rapid enhancement of all three species of HIV-specific RNA containing genomic (9.2 kb) and subgenomic (4.3 and 1.9 kb) RNAs were found 20 hr postinfection in fusion cells. These data suggest that syncytia formation is an extremely active infection process of HIV, by which multiple rounds of reinfection might take place.

Animals↗

Infection of human CD4+ rabbit cells with HIV-1: the possibility of the rabbit as a model for HIV-1 infection.

Although human T cell surface glycoprotein CD4 is the cellular receptor for human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), the introduction of the human CD4 gene into murine cells does not render them susceptible to HIV-1 infection. Here we have established rabbit transfectant cell lines expressing human CD4 on the cell surface and demonstrated that the CD4+ rabbit transfectants could be readily infected by HIV-1 by co-cultivating with a HIV-1-infected human MOLT-4 T cell line (MOLT-4/HIV). Avid syncytia formation was observed upon co-cultivation and the syncytia abundantly produced HIV-1 mature particles, as revealed by electron microscopy. A significant increase of HIV-1 p24 antigen was also detected in the culture supernatant. The syncytia formation was blocked by pretreating the transfectant with anti-human CD4 or by pretreating the MOLT-4/HIV with anti-HIV-1 serum obtained from an infected individual, indicating that the syncytia formed as a result of the interaction of human CD4 on the rabbit transfectant with the HIV-1 envelope protein expressed on MOLT-4/HIV. In contrast, only a very small proportion of the rabbit transfectants expressed HIV-1-specific antigens upon infection with an HIV-1 stock. This may indicate that, although rabbit cells have partially acquired susceptibility to HIV-1 by transfection of human CD4 gene, rabbit cells may further require such a molecule as might be provided by MOLT-4 to become fully susceptible to HIV-1 infection. The possibility of the rabbit as a model for HIV-1 infection is also discussed.

Animals↗

Mycoplasma and AIDS.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗