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Biomedical subjects

M S Reddy

Publications and source records attributed to M S Reddy.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Effects of H-coil TMS on suicidality in major depression: A secondary analysis of data from a multisite randomized trial comparing accelerated to once-a-day stimulation.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in US adults. Standard once-daily repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can reduce suicidal ideation. Yet, antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects often take several weeks to emerge, while rapid improvement is often required. Accelerated TMS has been proposed as a strategy to hasten therapeutic response. A recent FDA-regulated multicenter trial evaluated accelerated intermittent theta burst Deep TMS with the H1-coil versus standard high-frequency Deep TMS in MDD. Both groups demonstrated high remission and response rates for depression, with the accelerated protocol showing non-inferiority and a shorter time to remission. The goal of this exploratory secondary analysis was to evaluate the impact of these two H-coil TMS dosing paradigms on suicidal ideation. The Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI), as well as suicidality items of HDRS, MADRS and CUDOS were collected and analyzed. On all scales, both accelerated and standard Deep TMS protocols were associated with meaningful reductions in suicidality. The accelerated protocol achieved a faster onset of improvement. Comparison between the timeline of improvement in suicidality and in overall depressive symptoms found a trend for faster improvement in suicidality, especially with the accelerated protocol. These findings highlight the importance of treatment frequency in determining time to clinical benefit and support the use of scalable accelerated protocols for patients requiring more rapid symptom relief.

Humans↗

Genetic variability and taxonomic position of ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus from India.

Eight ectomycorrhizal fungal isolates of Pisolithus associated with Eucalyptus species in different parts of India were collected and the genetic variability of these isolates was studied by ITS-RFLP and ITS sequencing. All the isolates showed same RFLP patterns with each restriction enzyme, indicating all these isolates of Pisolithus are of the same genotype. The sequence comparison of KN6 of Indian isolate showed high sequence similarities with the isolates of Pisolithus associated with Eucalyptus from Australia. Phylogeny analysis showed that all the isolates compared in this study clustered into four main groups The Indian isolate (KN6) clustered with Pisolithus albus isolates of group I, which are associated with Eucalyptus. These results suggested that Pisolithus isolates found in India are P. albus.

Basidiomycota↗

Survival and colonization of rhizobacteria in a tomato transplant system.

Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are used on crops most often as seed treatments; however, an alternative application method for transplanted vegetables is mixing PGPR into the soilless medium in which the transplants are grown. Studies were undertaken to compare root colonization and persistence of rifampicin-resistant mutants of PGPR strains Bacillus pumilus SE34 and Pseudomonas fluorescens 89B61, SE34r and 89B61r, on tomato as a function of application method. When the bacteria were incorporated into Promix soilless medium at log 6, 7, and 8 colony- forming units/g, populations of strain SE34r per gram of medium maintained the initial inoculum densities, while populations of 89B61r decreased approximately one to two orders of magnitude by 4 weeks after planting. The populations of each PGPR strain colonizing roots after application into the soilless medium showed a similar pattern at 6 weeks as that at 4 weeks after planting, with higher populations on the whole roots and lateral roots than on the taproots. Strain SE34r but not 89B61r moved upwards and colonized the phyllosphere when incorporated into the soilless medium. Following application as seed treatment, populations of SE34r were significantly higher on upper roots and on the taproot than were populations following application through the soilless medium. Conversely, populations were higher on lower roots and lateral roots following application through the soilless medium than were populations following application as seed treatment. While strain SE34 enhanced plant growth with application both to the medium and as seed treatment, the level of growth promotion was significantly greater with application in the soilless medium. The results indicate that PGPR can be successfully incorporated into soilless media in vegetable transplant production systems.

Bacillus↗

Biosolubilization of poorly soluble rock phosphates by Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus niger.

Three isolates of Aspergillus tubingensis and two isolates of Aspergillus niger isolated from rhizospheric soils were tested on solubilization of different rock phosphates. All the isolates of Aspergillus were capable of solubilizing all the natural rock phosphates. A. tubingensis (AT1) showed maximum percent solubilization in all the rock phosphates tested in this study when compared to other isolates. This isolate also showed highest phosphorus (P) solubilization when grown in the presence of 2% of rock phosphate. A. tubingensis (AT1) seems to be more efficient in solubilization of rock phosphates compared to other isolates reported elsewhere. This is the first report of rock phosphate solubilization by A. tubingensis and might provide an efficient large scale biosolubilization of rock phosphates intended for P fertilizer.

Aspergillus↗

Characterization of a Pinus pinaster cDNA encoding an auxin up-regulated putative peroxidase in roots.

As part of a study to identify host plant genes regulated by fungal auxin during ectomycorrhiza formation, we differentially screened a cDNA library constructed from roots of auxin-treated Pinus pinaster (Ait.) Sol. seedlings. We identified three cDNAs up-regulated by auxin. Sequence analysis of one of these cDNAs, PpPrx75, revealed the presence of an open reading frame of 216 amino acids with the characteristic consensus sequences of plant peroxidases. The deduced amino acid sequence showed homology with Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., Arachis hypogaea L. and Stylosanthes humilis HBK cationic peroxidases. Amino acid sequence identities in the conserved domains of plant peroxidases ranged from 60 to 100%. In PpPrx75, there are five cysteine residues and one histidine residue that are found at conserved positions among other peroxidases. A potential glycosylation site (NTS) is present in the deduced sequence. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PpPrx75 is closely related to two A. thaliana peroxidases. The PpPrx75 cDNA was induced by active auxins, ethylene, abscisic acid and quercetin, a flavonoid possibly involved in plant-microorganism interactions. Transcript accumulation was detected within 3 h following root induction by auxin, and the amount of mRNA increased over the following 24 h. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide did not inhibit indole-3-acetic acid-induced transcript accumulation, suggesting that PpPrx75 induction is a primary (direct) response to auxin. This cDNA can be used to study expression of an auxin-regulated peroxidase during ectomycorrhiza formation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins from Mycobacteria. The carboxyl-terminal of domain of SSB is essential for stable association with its cognate RecA protein.

Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SSB) play an important role in most aspects of DNA metabolism including DNA replication, repair, and recombination. We report here the identification and characterization of SSB proteins of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Sequence comparison of M. smegmatis SSB revealed that it is homologous to M. tuberculosis SSB, except for a small spacer connecting the larger amino-terminal domain with the extreme carboxyl-terminal tail. The purified SSB proteins of mycobacteria bound single-stranded DNA with high affinity, and the association and dissociation constants were similar to that of the prototype SSB. The proteolytic signatures of free and bound forms of SSB proteins disclosed that DNA binding was associated with structural changes at the carboxyl-terminal domain. Significantly, SSB proteins from mycobacteria displayed high affinity for cognate RecA, whereas Escherichia coli SSB did not under comparable experimental conditions. Accordingly, SSB and RecA were coimmunoprecipitated from cell lysates, further supporting an interaction between these proteins in vivo. The carboxyl-terminal domain of M. smegmatis SSB, which is not essential for interaction with ssDNA, is the site of binding of its cognate RecA. These studies provide the first evidence for stable association of eubacterial SSB proteins with their cognate RecA, suggesting that these two proteins might function together during DNA repair and/or recombination.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Severe delayed thrombocytopenia associated with abciximab (ReoPro) therapy.

Acute thrombocytopenia associated with abciximab therapy has been well described, although the exact mechanism remains obscure. We report a case of delayed severe thrombocytopenia associated with abciximab therapy for percutaneous coronary intervention that occurred following hospital discharge. The detection of this phenomenon is important as it may portend heightened risk for severe or profound thrombocytopenia on subsequent reexposure to abciximab therapy.

Abciximab↗

Overexpression of the Arabidopsis thaliana MinD1 gene alters chloroplast size and number in transgenic tobacco plants.

The Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. minD gene (AtMinD1) was isolated and constitutively expressed in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants using the CaMV 35S promoter. Confocal and electron-microscopic analysis of the AtMinD1 transgenic tobacco lines revealed that the chloroplasts were abnormally large and fewer in number compared with wild-type tobacco plants. The abnormal chloroplasts were less prevalent in guard cells than in mesophyll cells. Chloroplast and nuclear gene expression was not significantly different in AtMinD1-overexpressing plants relative to wild-type tobacco plants. Chloroplast DNA copy number was not affected, based on the relative level of the rbcL gene in transgenic plants. Transgenic tobacco plants constitutively overexpressing AtMinD1 were completely normal phenotypically with respect to growth and development, and also displayed normal photosynthetic electron transport rates. These results show that the Arabidopsis MinD1 gene also functions in a heterologous system and confirm the role of the MinD protein in regulation of chloroplast division.

Arabidopsis↗

Effect of ondansetron pretreatment on pain after rocuronium and propofol injection: a randomised, double-blind controlled comparison with lidocaine.

In a randomised, controlled, double-blinded trial to study the effect of ondansetron pretreatment on the pain produced after intravenous injection of rocuronium and propofol in comparison with lidocaine, 60 patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 received 5 ml of intravenous 0.9% sodium chloride solution pretreatment, group 2 received ondansetron 4 mg (2 mg.ml-1 solution) diluted into a 5-ml solution, and group 3 received 50 mg lidocaine (5 ml 1% solution); this was followed 1 min later by rocuronium and propofol. Pain was reduced significantly in the ondansetron and lidocaine groups (p < 0.0001) compared with placebo, and significantly better with lidocaine than with ondansetron (p = 0.02). We conclude that ondansetron is effective in relieving the pain of rocuronium but is not as effective as lidocaine.

Adult↗

Assessment of antioxidant activity of some antileprotic drugs.

DPPH (alpha,alpha-diphenyl-beta-picryl hydrazyl) (CAS 217-591-8), a stable free radical can be used to determine the antioxidant activity (AOA) of some drugs. In the present study the DPPH method was used for the first time to test AOA of dapsone (CAS 80-08-0), clofazimine (CAS 2030-63-9) and rifampicin (CAS 13282-42-1) in vitro and deproteinated blood method. Ascorbic acid (CAS 50-81-7) was used as a control in the study, which showed concentration-dependent antioxidant activity. Rifampicin showed a per se effect but it showed concentration dependent decrease in the DPPH absorbance. Ascorbic acid, dapsone and rifampicin showed DPPH scavenging activity both in vitro and deproteinated blood method. Clofazimine did not have any influence on DPPH. This method may be extended to different drugs for testing their AOA in biological fluids.

Adult↗

Periodontal infection and preterm birth: results of a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that chronic periodontal infection may be associated with preterm births. The authors conducted a prospective study to test for this association. METHODS: A total of 1,313 pregnant women were recruited from the Perinatal Emphasis Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Complete periodontal, medical and behavioral assessments were made between 21 and 24 weeks gestation. After delivery, medical records were consulted to determine each infant's gestational age at birth. From these data, the authors calculated relationships between periodontal disease and preterm birth, while adjusting for smoking, parity (the state or fact of having born offspring), race and maternal age. Results were expressed as odds ratios and 95 percent confidence intervals, or CIs. RESULTS: Patients with severe or generalized periodontal disease had adjusted odds ratios (95 percent CI) of 4.45 (2.16-9.18) for preterm delivery (that is, before 37 weeks gestational age). The adjusted odds ratio increased with increasing prematurity to 5.28 (2.05-13.60) before 35 weeks' gestational age and to 7.07 (1.70-27.4) before 32 weeks' gestational age. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' data show an association between the presence of periodontitis at 21 to 24 weeks' gestation and subsequent preterm birth. Further studies are needed to determine whether periodontitis is the cause. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: While this large prospective study has shown a significant association between preterm birth and periodontitis at 21 to 24 weeks' gestation, neither it nor other studies to date were designed to determine whether treatment of periodontitis will reduce the risk of preterm birth. Pending an answer to this important question, it remains appropriate to advise expectant mothers about the importance of good oral health.

Adult↗

Current evidence regarding periodontal disease as a risk factor in preterm birth.

Preterm birth, resulting in babies born too little and too soon, is a major cause of morbidity. Evidence indicates that infections can be major risk factors in preterm birth. Case-control studies point to an association between periodontal infection and increased rates of preterm birth. This paper summarizes evidence to date and the strategies that ongoing intervention studies are using to answer the fundamental clinical question: can periodontal therapy reduce the risk of preterm birth?

Case-Control Studies↗

Binding of SSB and RecA protein to DNA-containing stem loop structures: SSB ensures the polarity of RecA polymerization on single-stranded DNA.

Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins play an important role in homologous pairing and strand exchange promoted by the class of RecA-like proteins. It is presumed that SSB facilitates binding of RecA on to ssDNA by melting secondary structure, but direct physical evidence for the disruption of secondary structure by either SSB or RecA is still lacking. Using a series of oligonucleotides with increasing amounts of secondary structure, we show that stem loop structures impede contiguous binding of RecA and affect the rate of ATP hydrolysis. The electrophoretic mobility shift of a ternary complex of SSB-DNA-RecA and a binary complex of SSB-DNA are similar; however, the mechanism remains obscure. Binding of RecA on to stem loop is rapid in the presence of SSB or ATPgammaS and renders the complex resistant to cleavage by HaeIII, to higher amounts of competitor DNA or low temperature. The elongation of RecA filament in a 5' to 3' direction is halted at the proximal end of the stem. Consequently, RecA nucleates at the loop and cooperative binding propagates the RecA filament down the stem causing its disruption. The pattern of modification of thymine residues in the loop region indicates that RecA monomer is the minimum binding unit. Together, these results suggest that SSB plays a novel role in ensuring the directionality of RecA polymerization across stem loop in ssDNA. These observations have fundamental implications on the role of SSB in multiple aspects of cellular DNA metabolism.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Advances in measurements of periodontal bone and attachment loss.

Periodontal probing and measurements using intraoral radiographs are widely utilized clinical techniques to measure attachment and bone levels, respectively. Determination of progressive disease, healing, or regeneration in clinical studies may require maximal sensitivity and attention to measurement error in order to assure that changes detected by new methodology are accurate. Both types of methods are susceptible to errors due to resolution, repeatability, and accuracy of the technique. While both probing and radiographic methods are useful in clinical trials they vary widely with respect to these errors. For example, manual probing is repeatable to within 1 mm better than 90% of the time, and state-of-the-art radiographic methods, such as digital subtraction radiography, can detect as little as 1 mg of bony change.

Alveolar Bone Loss↗

Periodontal disease progression.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this investigation is to use noninvasive, state-of-the-art, diagnostic techniques to measure periodontal disease progression and model periodontal disease activity over time. In this investigation, digital subtraction radiography and an electronic controlled force periodontal probe capable of attachment level measurement were used to measure bone loss and attachment loss, respectively. The use of these nearly continuous measures of attachment and bone loss allowed detection of small amounts of disease activity and provided data to be used in modeling of the disease process over time. METHODS: Forty-four patients were studied for 18 months. Examinations used clinical attachment level measures at 1-month intervals and quantitative radiology at 6-month intervals. The sites were analyzed by regression for statistically significant changes. These data were used to determine sites of periodontal disease activity for testing various models of periodontal disease progression. RESULTS: Overall 22.8% of sites lost attachment, 5.4% gained, and 71.7% demonstrated no statistically significant change. The mean time to lose 1 mm of attachment was 8.4 +/- 0.6 months. In the first model tested a step-wise discriminant analysis was used to determine whether or not baseline measurements of plaque (PI), gingival inflammation (GI), attachment loss, and probing depth (PD) could be used to derive a satisfactory model for disease progression. Although the overall model was statistically significant with PI, PD, and GI contributing to the model (Wilks' lambda = 0.859, F = 5.71, P <0.0012), its predictive power was relatively weak. A considerably stronger significant model resulted when the rate of attachment loss over the first 6 months, baseline PI, and baseline GI were included (Wilks' lambda = 0.712, F = 14.17, P<0.00001). A significant model also resulted when bone loss during the first 6 months and baseline probing depth were included (Wilks' lambda = 0.438, F = 61.48, P<0.00001). When the last model was applied to each site, the sensitivity in predicting disease progression was 80.0% and the specificity in ruling out progressive disease was 93.9%. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that clinically significant progression of attachment loss in posterior tooth sites occurs as a frequent event in adult periodontitis. The modeling data also suggest that short-term (6 month) measures of periodontal disease progression greatly improve the ability to model attachment loss over a longer period in untreated periodontitis patients.

Calibration↗

Topical diclofenac sodium for treatment of postoperative inflammation in cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To study the effect of a topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug as an alternative to topical steroids for postoperative control of inflammation in cataract surgery. METHODS: The effect of diclofenac sodium 0.1% following cataract surgery was studied and compared to routine corticosteroid, dexamethasone phosphate 1% in a prospective, double-blind randomized study. Both groups were similar in baseline parameters. Postoperative inflammatory response, intraocular pressure and best-corrected visual acuity following standard extracapsular cataract extraction were assessed in both groups in the initial 21 days and the severity of these parameters was graded. The severity of postoperative inflammatory response to the two drugs was graded at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days. Intraocular pressure and visual acuity at baseline and endpoint were compared and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The two groups did not differ statistically in treatment effect for any of the variables including aqueous cells, flare, ciliary congestion, Descemet's folds, visual acuity and intraocular pressure (p < 0.001). However there seemed to be a trend towards quicker improvement with corticosteroid when cells in the anterior chamber were considered. There were no side effects from topical diclofenac, and it was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Diclofenac sodium is as effective as topical corticosteroid and can be used as an alternative in routine postoperative treatment following uncomplicated cataract surgery.

Anterior Chamber↗