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Biomedical subjects

R K Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to R K Johnson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Diabetes mellitus in the juvenile dog: a report of four cases.

In four cases of diabetes mellitus in juvenile dogs, clinical and clinicopathologic findings were similar to those of juvenile onset diabetes mellitus in man. However, histopathologic findings varied from the usual findings in the human disease, and lack of plasma insulin was not proved in the canine cases.

Animals

Median nerve entrapment syndrome in the proximal forearm.

Median nerve compression in the proximal forearm is relatively uncommon. This study reviews 71 cases over a 20 year period. Of the 71 in this series, 51 were treated surgically. The time of onset to definitive treatment ranged from 6 months to 5 years, with an average of 9 months. The ages of patients varied from 15 to 56 years and there were 13 males and 58 females. Past criteria for making the diagnosis are reviewed and an added series of clinical observations is made, including three definitive stress tests. In all cases surgically treated compression of the median nerve has been found at one of three levels, in the following order of frequency: the pronator teres, the flexor superficialis arch, and the lacertus fibrosus. Follow-up has been from 6 months to 19 years and four cases in the series were considered to be failures.

Adolescent

Experimental antitumor activity of aminoanthraquinones.

The activity of a number of substituted alkylaminoanthraquinones was compared in transplanted murine tumor systems including P388 and L1210 leukemias, B16 melanoma, and colon carcinoma 26. The structure-activity relationships among this class of compounds are discussed. Several derivatives had very high antitumor activity in several tumor systems. Two of the most active derivatives, namely, 1,4-bis(2-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethylamino)-9,10-anthracenedione (bisalkylAAD) and 1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis(2-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethylamino)-9,10-anthracenedione (dihydroxybisalkylAAD), which had curative activity in the above-mentioned tumors, were compared in considerable detail. DihydroxybisalkylAAD showed distinct advantages over bisalkylAAD in several tumor systems and is tenfold more potent with respect to effective dose range. This last difference is important for two reasons. First, these aminoanthraquinones are strong and persistent blue dyes and the administration of lower doses would minimize a potential cosmetic drawback of these compounds. Second and most important, iv administration of dose levels of bisalkylAAD which are within the therapeutic dose range on intermittent dose schedules produced convulsions and immediate death. IV administration of dihydroxybisalkylAAD also caused acute toxicity, but, because of its increased potency relative to antitumor activity and delayed toxicity, this acute toxicity was apparent only at doses well above the therapeutic dose range. All of the aminoanthraquinones evaluated, regardless of their activity as antitumor agents in vivo, proved to be potent inhibitors of DNA and RNA synthesis in vitro and bound strongly to DNA as evidenced by deltaTm values (deltaTm = upward shift in DNA melting temperature). Thus, the strong antitumor activity of aminoanthraquinones would appear to be due to some mechanism other than, or in addition to, DNA binding and inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis.

Animals

Therapy for mouse tumors and human tumor xenografts with the antitumor antibiotic AT-125.

The antimetabolite antibiotic L-(alphaS,5S)-alpha-amino-3-chloro-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazoleacetic acid (AT-125) showed significant antitumor activity against L1210 and P388 mouse leukemias and the M5076 mouse ovarian tumor. Depending on the schedule of administration, increases in lifespan of greater than 100% were observed. Activity was observed after ip, oral, or sc inoculation of AT-125 in mice inoculated with L1210 by the ip route. Lewis lung carcinoma and B16 melanoma were not affected by AT-125. The compound was used to treat human tumor xenografts in athymic (nude) mice. The MX-1 mammary tumor regressed when treated with either 8 or 16 mg/kg/day for 10 days, while a dose of 32 mg/kg was toxic. On an every-4-days x 3 schedule there was a marked slowing of MX-1 tumor growth at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. The LX-1 lung tumor xenograft growth was slowed significantly by a dose of 32 mg/kg. Growth of colon tumors, CX-1, CX-2, and CX-3, was not affected by AT-125.

Animals

Active efflux of daunorubicin and adriamycin in sensitive and resistant sublines of P388 leukemia.

Significantly decreased uptake and retention of daunorubicin (DAU) and Adriamycin (ADR) have been reported in sublines of P388 leukemia resistant to these anthracyclines. We studied the effects of inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation on uptake and retention of DAU and ADR in order to characterize the transport process for these anthracyclines and to clarify further the alteration in resistant cells. In glucose-free medium, uptake of DAU and ADR was accelerated by metabolic inhibitors to a greater extent in resistant cells than in sensitive cells. Under these conditions, drug uptake was similar in sensitive and resistant cells. When glucose was added to the incubation medium in the presence of 2,4-dinitrophenol, efflux of DAU from both sensitive and resistant cells was observed. Net efflux of ADR was also observed with the resistant cells, whereas glucose markedly inhibited 2,4-dinitrophenol-stimulated uptake of ADR by the sensitive cells. Furthermore, in sensitive and resistant cells preloaded with ADR and DAU, efflux of the drugs was inhibited by the addition of 2,4-dinitrophenol. These results suggest that there is an active outward transport mechanism for anthracyclines in P388 leukemia cells and that enhanced activity of this efflux process renders cells highly resistant to the cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of ADR and DAU.

Animals

Mechanisms of sensitivity or resistance of murine tumors to N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate (PALA).

Several biochemical parameters were examined relative to the sensitivity or resistance of representative rodent tumors to N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate (PALA). The activity of the target enzyme, L-aspartate transcarbamylase (ATCase), was evaluated in homogenates of a spectrum of murine neoplasms. ATCase activity was significantly lower in PALA-sensitive as opposed to PALA-refractory tumors. However, among tumors sensitive to PALA, there was no clearcut relationship between ATCase activity and degree of sensitivity to PALA. Thus, a number of hypotheses were proposed to explain differential sensitivity to PALA in vivo. Enzyme activities in the salvage pathway which phosphorylate pyrimidine nucleosides and deoxynucleosides were found to be greater in refractory tumors. The uptake of PALA, in vitro, though quite slow, was found to be two to eight times greater in two sensitive tumors as compared to the refractory L1210 leukemia. However, in vivo, 24 hours following graduated doses of PALA, nearly identical intratumoral drug concentrations were observed in representative sensitive and refractory tumors. Thus, ultimately, PALA transport would not appear to correlate with differences in drug sensitivity. A number of other biochemical parameters were also found to have no association with sensitivity to PALA in vivo. These included: kinetics of inhibition of ATCase, capacity for restitution of ATCase activity after a dose of PALA, degree of inhibition of ATCase at various doses of PALA, detoxification of PALA by tumor cells, kinetics of uptake of uridine, or catabolism of pyrimidines or pyrimidine nucleosides.

Animals

Effects of local tumor hyperthermia on the growth of solid mouse tumors.

The sensitivity to local tumor hyperthermia (43 degrees, 60 min) of a spectrum of eight different solid mouse tumors (Lewis lung carcinoma, M5076 ovarian carcinoma, colon carcinoma 38, colon carcinoma 26, mammary adenocarcinoma C3HBA, mammary adenocarcinoma 16C, glioma 26, and B16 melanoma) was investigated. A microwave (2.45-GHz) apparatus produced localized heating of the tumors without generation of whole-body hyperthermia. The temperature at the center of the heated tumors was regulated to within +/- 0.1 degrees while the temperature uniformity within the tumor was +/- 0.5 degrees. The local hyperthermia treatments reduced the size and retarded the growth of the treated tumors compared with control values for each of the tumors tested. The faster-growing Lewis lung carcinoma and B16 melanoma were the least responsive to treatment, while the slower-growing colon 38 and M5076 ovarian carcinomas were the most responsive. Multiple treatments resulted in longer grwoth delays and greater tumor growth inhibition than did single treatments. No consistent difference in life span between the control and treated groups was measured, and only five of 188 treated animals were cured.

Animals

In vivo antitumor evaluation of antibiotics. Selected results from the Drug Evaluation Program of the National Cancer Institute, U.S.A.

A summary is given of the in vivo screening results for selected antitumor antibiotics in various stages of the National Cancer Institute drug development program. In addition a brief description of general screening practices of the program is given. After long-term usage of leukemia L1210 as a primary screen, a new screening panel is being initiated with P388 leukemia as a prescreening system. Illustrative data on anguidine, actinomycin D, macromomycin, aclacinomycin, and other fermentation products are shown.

Animals

Biochemical parameters of resistance of an adriamycin-resistant subline of P388 leukemia to emetine, an inhibitor of protein synthesis.

The effects of emetine on protein and DNA synthesis in vitro and in vivo were compared in P388 leukemia cells (P388/S) and in an adriamycin-resistant subline of P388 leukemia (P388/ADR), which was completely cross-resistant in vivo to emetine. In P388/ADR cells in vitro no apparent resistance to emetine was found; no difference in cytotoxicity was evident in P388/S or P388/ADR cells exposed to emetine in vitro for 1 or 6 hours. Protein and DNA synthesis was inhibited to a similar extent in P388/S and P388/ADR cells at equivalent concentrations of the drug. However, inhibition of protein synthesis by emetine in P388/ADR cells was more reversible than in P388/S cells when the cells were exposed to emetine and subsequently incubated in drug-free medium for 1 hour prior to addition of labeled L-leucine. Differences between P388/S and P388/ADR cells were evident in vivo. The duration of inhibition (greater than 90%) of protein and DNA synthesis in P388/ADR cells was about 8 hours compared to 24 hours in P388/S cells following administration of a therapeutic dose of 25 mg emetine/kg to tumor-bearing mice. The level of radioactivity in the P388/ADR cells 24 hours after in vivo administration of the emetine analog, (+/-)-[3'-14C]2,3-dehydroemetine, was only 26% of that in P388/S cells. This evidence suggests that the resistance of P388/ADR to emetine is due to decreased retention of the drug.

Animals

In vivo characteristics of resistance and cross-resistance of an adriamycin-resistant subline of P388 leukemia.

A subline of P388 leukemia resistant to adriamycin (P388/ADR) was developed by exposure to the drug in vivo. Resistance to adriamycin proved to be a stable characteristic of P388/ADR. There was no significant inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis in P388/ADR cells in vivo following a dose of 10 mg/kg of adriamycin in contrast to a prolonged and complete inhibition, particularly of DNA synthesis, observed in parental sensitive P388 leukemia cells. P388/ADR proved to be completely cross-resistant to a spectrum of anthracycline derivatives. Cross-resistance was observed to nonanthracycline DNA intercalating agents (with the exception of anthramycin), to agents which interfere with mitotic spindle function, and to antineoplastic inhibitors of protein biosynthesis (with the exception of bruceantin). P388/ADR was sensitive to antimetabolites and alkylating agents. Cross-resistance was also observed to several agents (ICRF-159, a terephthalanilide, taxol, lymphosarcin, bouvardin, and a crude extract of Ervatamia hyneana) whose mechanisms of action have not yet been clearly defined. This observation has proved useful in providing a lead for determination of mechanism of action of some of these drugs. The pattern of cross-resistance of a subline of P388 leukemia resistant to daunorubicin, though not studied extensively, appears to be similar to that of P388/ADR.

Animals