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Biomedical subjects

S Chatterjee

Publications and source records attributed to S Chatterjee.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

No character displacement for reproductive isolation between Drosophila bipectinata and Drosophila malerkotliana.

To test whether character displacement for reproductive isolation between Drosophila bipectinata and Drosophila malerkotliana exists, the degree of sexual isolation was measured between their sympatric and allopatric populations. Although the isolation indices vary in different crosses, the average isolation index for sympatric populations is very close to that for allopatric populations. This shows no difference in the degree of sexual isolation between sympatric and allopatric populations of D. bipectinata and D. malerkotliana. Thus there is no evidence for the existence of character displacement for sexual isolation between these two closely related sympatric species.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Maximal aerobic capacity of Bengali girl athletes of different sports activities.

The maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) and related cardiorespiratory parameters were determined on 67 Bengalee (Indian) girl athletes having nine different sports activities. VO2max was determined with a bicycle ergometer. The highest value for VO2maxl.min-1 was obtained by javelin throwers (1.95), being followed by pentathletes (1.92) and long-distance runners (1.90), whereas the lowest value was achieved by handballers (1.45). When VO2max was expressed in ml.kg-1.min-1, the long-distance runners registered the highest mean value (43.0), which was significantly higher than that of basketballers (34.9), handball players (36.2), badminton players (34.4), and swimmers (36.0). For this measurement, the sprinters (40.0), pentathletes (40.3), javelin throwers (40.0), and jumpers (39.4) did not differ significantly with each other, but each of the groups was significantly superior to basketballers, handballers, badminton players, and swimmers. No significant difference was also found amongst the latter groups. VO2maxl.min-1 was found to be significantly correlated with all the physical characteristics. It was predicted on the basis of age, height, weight, and body surface area using stepwise regression method.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Pulmonary function studies in healthy school boys of West Bengal.

The establishment of normal standards of dynamic pulmonary function measurements in the form of prediction equations will serve as a remedial measure of different aspects of obstructive pulmonary diseases, especially in children. With a view to achieving the target, dynamic pulmonary function measurements were undertaken on 328 healthy school-going children of West Bengal having age ranging between 9 and 18 years. All the spirometric measurements except PEFR were taken with the help of a 9 l closed-circuit type expirograph following the methods and techniques of American Thoracic Society. PEFR was measured by Wright Peak Flow Meter. Prediction equations were derived on the basis of age and height for all the pulmonary function measurements except FEV1% and FET. The prediction equations for FVC, FEV1, MVVF, and PEFR were reliable, but relative variability of predicted FEF25-75% and FEF75-85% was very large. A comparative study of FVC, FEV1, and PEFR values of our subjects, standardized for age and height, was much closer to the boys of Delhi in FVC but higher than South Indian boys in FEV1, North and South Indian boys in PEFR. In an attempt to compare FVC and FEV1 values of our subjects with foreign populations, it is revealed that boys of our study were much lower than American (White), European, and Jordanian boys but comparable with those of Chinese and Libyan boys.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Alkylating agent hypersensitivity in poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase deficient cell lines.

Starting with the V79 cell line, two poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase deficient mutants, designated ADPRT 54 and ADPRT 351, had been shown to be hypersensitive to x- and UV-irradiation and to topoisomerase I inhibitors but to be resistant to topoisomerase II inhibitors (Chatterjee, S.; Cheng, M. F.; Berger, N. A. Hypersensitivity to clinically useful alkylating agents and radiation in poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-deficient cell lines. Cancer Commun. 2:401-407;1990). We now report that these mutants were hypersensitive to a series of different alkylating agents, including alkylsufonates, alkylnitrosoureas, and nitrosoguanidine. In addition, they were hypersensitive to the UV-mimetic agent 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide. Our findings provide strong evidence that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase was involved in the repair of alkylating agent induced DNA damage as well as in the damage induced by UV- and x-irradiation and radiomimetic agents. The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase deficient cell lines showed a marked decrease in the shoulder region of their survival curves, suggesting that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase was involved in the repair of alkylating agent induced sublethal damage.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗
PubMed1991

Butalactin, a new butanolide antibiotic. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation and biological activity.

Butalactin, [2-(4',5'-epoxy-hex-2'(E)-en)oyl-2-hydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-2, 3-(Z)-butanolide] is a new antibiotic produced by Streptomyces sp. HIL Y-86,36923. Taxonomically, the producing organism most closely resembles Streptomyces corchorusii. The strain also produces cineromycin B. Though butalactin is structurally related to 'signal molecules' such as A-factor, the anthracycline inducing factors and the virginiae butanolides, it does not show inducing activity for antibiotic production or aerial mycelium formation in the indicator strain. Butalactin possesses a weak antibiotic activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

4-Butyrolactone↗
PubMed1991

Recurrent outbreaks of Japanese encephalitis in Nagaland (1985-1989)--a seroepidemiological study.

Recurrent epidemics of encephalitis in Nagaland, a North-Eastern State of India, following its first appearance in 1985, were investigated both epidemiologically and virologically. Although, no viral agent could be isolated from any of the clinical samples and mosquitoes, detection of JE specific IgM antibodies in many of the CSF and acute blood samples, together with presence of HI and CF antibodies to JE antigen in a number of acute and convalescent sera established the etiologic role of JE virus in this region. A total number of 83 clinically diagnosed cases could only be investigated virologically between 1985-89, where evidence of JE could be established in 34 (40.9 per cent) and flavivirus (including JE in majority) in 17 (21.5 per cent) cases. A limited serological survey among the close contacts of the victims in 1985 revealed JE antibody in 26.6 per cent of them. Analysis of the epidemiological and serological findings of different years revealed that while the outbreaks of 1985, 1987 and 1988 were due to JE infection, the episodes of 1986 and 1989, on the other hand, had chiefly features of high and prolonged fever with limited number of CNS involvement of undetermined origin, where the possibility of malarial infection has been a suspect apart from JE etiology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Effects of chlorpromazine on growth and development of Dictyostelium discoideum.

Chlorpromazine (5 x 10(-3) M) administered to Dictyostelium discoideum cells inhibited its growth and morphogenesis. Cells treated with chlorpromazine were found to have distorted morphology. At lower doses of chlorpromazine the development was delayed. Early developmental events such as cell streaming, cell aggregations, development of EDTA stable cell contacts, cAMP-chemotaxis etc, were inhibited. Chlorpromazine was also found to inhibit spore formation. Culturing D. discoideum cells on chlorpromazine agar, in supernatant taken from the chlorpromazine treated cells, or co-culturing of chlorpromazine-treated and control cells, inhibited the development of normal Dictyostelium cells. Chlorpromazine-treated cells showed a higher cAMP-dependent extracellular phosphodiesterase activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Physical growth pattern for girls (9-17 yr) from rural West Bengal.

With a view to assessing the growth pattern, a cross-sectional study was made on 656 Indian Bengalee girls (aged 9-17 yr) of the lower and middle class families of rural West Bengal. The mean height and weight of the Bengalee girls were found to gradually increase up to the age of 17. The average age at menarche was 13 yr and the girls aged 13 yr (currently) reached 98 per cent of height and 83 per cent of weight, as compared to 17 yr old girls. The subjects were found to have heights and weights comparable with the American population while they were shorter and lighter than their British counterparts. On comparison with reported figures for girls of other Indian states, all the physical parameters were found to be almost identical at the age of 17 except for girls of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Bengalee girls studied by us were taller than their peers (in an earlier longitudinal study) up to 14 yr of age, but were similar at later ages. Bengalee girls in the present study were shorter and lighter as compared to the Indian norms for girls from higher socio-economic group, but were taller and heavier than those from the low socio-economic groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of grip strength and isomeric endurance between the right and left hands of men and their relationship with age and other physical parameters.

Maximum handgrip strength and endurance of fatiguing isometric handgrip muscle contraction at 40% of maximum voluntary contraction of the dominant hand were assessed separately for both right and left hands of 99 right-handed men aged 7-73 years. Subjects below 10 years (n = 6) could not follow up the endurance test methods and were excluded. The relationship of handgrip strength and endurance with age and other physical parameters was also assessed. Maximum grip strength and endurance of fatiguing submaximal contraction of the right hand were significantly greater than that of the left hand for most age groups. Grip strength was positively correlated with age from 7-19 years (r = 0.94 for right and r = 0.89 for left) and was negatively correlated with age from 20-73 years (r = -0.74 right and r = -0.69 left). Grip strength was positively correlated with the weight (r = 0.86 right and r = 0.87 left), height (r = 0.88 right and r = 0.87 left) and body surface area (r = 0.9 for both) of the subjects. Endurance of contraction of both hands did not show any relationship with age, different physical parameters or grip strength of the subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Effect of vibrating steering on grip strength in heavy vehicle drivers.

The grip strength in both hands of thirty-two heavy vehicle drivers and twenty-two nondrivers ranging from 30 to 60 years of age was investigated. Blood pressure, heart rate and other physical parameters were also investigated. The subjects were drawn at random from the employees of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation and Civil Aviation. Heavy vehicle drivers perform their duties 8 hr per day with an average speed of 60-70 km hour for 4-5 hr of continuous driving at a time. The only significant difference in the physical characteristics of heavy vehicle drivers and nondrivers was their body weight (p less than 0.05). The right and left wrist power of heavy vehicle drivers was respectively 6% and 3% higher than that of nondrivers. The mean blood pressure, heart rate and wrist width were found to be almost same in heavy vehicle drivers and nondrivers. From our studies we concluded that vibrating steering probably has no influence on the grip strength and that performing 8 hr of driving daily does not affect the blood pressure and heart rate in heavy vehicle drivers. However, further studies are needed to determine the influence of vibrating steering on grip strength.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Opinion survey of physicians on ethical issues in medical research.

A total of 3622 physicians registered in the Association of Physicians of India were contacted through mail and requested to respond to a semistructured questionnaire pertaining to different aspects of medical ethics, with particular focus on informed consent. Six hundred twenty-nine physicians (17.4%) responded to the questionnaire; 86% of the respondents reported having had no formal training in medical ethics; 49% of the subjects who undertook research obtained oral consent only. Majority of the respondents noted the relevance of ethics in different medical situations, though in certain areas like community health and research using animals ethical issues were felt to be less important. Patients' inability to come for regular follow-up and illiteracy were opined to be the main constraints in obtaining consent. Opinion on the amount of information to be imported to research participants as part of informed consent was at variance with standard guidelines. Physicians who reported having had an orientation course in medical ethics and those with prior research experience were more aware of ethical issues. Majority of the professionals desired for inclusion of ethics in medical curriculum.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1991

Further insights into the pathophysiology of hyperapobetalipoproteinemia: role of basic proteins I, II, III.

Hyperapobetalipoproteinemia (hyperapoB), a familial lipoprotein disorder characterized by an increase in small, dense, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, is strongly associated with coronary artery disease. There are two metabolic defects in hyperapoB: an increased synthesis of a very-low-density lipoprotein in liver, resulting in an overproduction of LDL, and a delayed clearance of post-prandial triglyceride and free fatty acids. To date, defects in the apolipoprotein B gene do not appear to explain the hyperapoB phenotype. Defect(s) in the uptake or intracellular metabolism of free fatty acids have been found in cells from hyperapoB patients. Three basic proteins (BPs)--BP I (Mr 14,000, pI 9.10), BP II (Mr 27,500, pI 8.48), and BP III (Mr 55,000, pI 8.73)--were isolated from normal human serum. Compared with normal fibroblasts, cultured hyperapoB fibroblasts incubated with BP I, which appears to be the same protein as acylation-stimulating protein (ASP), showed 50% less stimulation of triglyceride acylation and cholesterol esterification, whereas BP II markedly stimulated cholesteryl ester formation, and BP III caused no difference in response vs normal fibroblasts. However, in cultured normal human monocyte macrophages, BP III, but not BP I or BP II, stimulated cholesteryl esterification two- to threefold. BP I, BP II, and BP III may provide new insights into normal metabolism of lipids, lipoproteins, and free fatty acids and the pathophysiology of hyperapoB.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Mechanism of epipodophyllotoxin-induced cell death in poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) synthesis-deficient V79 Chinese hamster cell lines.

Mutant Chinese hamster V79 cells selected for alterations in poly(ADP-ribose) metabolism were shown to be resistant to epipodophyllotoxin (VP-16)-induced cytotoxicity. Cell lines ADPRT 54 and ADPRT 351 have reduced activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. N2, N3, and N4 cell lines grow in the absence of nicotinamide, with total NAD levels 1.5-3% of those found in parental V79 cells grown in complete medium. When grown in complete medium, the mutant cell lines are 2.3- to 9.6-fold resistant to VP-16-induced cytotoxicity. All of the cell lines respond to VP-16 treatment by formation of protein-cross-linked DNA strand breaks. Upon drug removal, all the cell lines reverse the DNA strand breaks at similar rates. Our studies show a clear dissociation between induction of DNA strand breaks and cytotoxicity. However, there is a good correlation between drug-induced sister chromatid exchanges and cytotoxicity. Thus, N3 cells, with low levels of VP-16-induced sister chromatid exchanges, show reduced levels of cytotoxicity relative to parental V79 cells, despite the fact that both cell lines show similar levels of VP-16-induced protein-cross-linked DNA strand breaks. Additional studies show that the time course of VP-16-induced cytotoxicity correlated better with the time course of sister chromatid exchange formation than with protein-cross-linked DNA strand break formation. These studies provide strong support for the proposal that VP-16-induced cytotoxicity involves the induction of sister chromatid exchanges. Thus, we suggest that drug-induced stabilization of topoisomerase II-DNA complexes stimulates induction of sister chromatid exchanges, which consequently lead to cell death.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Expression of HSV-1 glycoproteins in tunicamycin-treated monkey kidney cells.

The role of glycosylation in transport and expression of HSV-1 glycoproteins on the surface of HSV-1-infected African green monkey kidney cells was investigated by using tunicamycin (TM). A concentration of 0.05 microgram/ml of TM inhibited the replication of HSV-1 by greater than 99%. Immunoblot analysis of TM-treated and virus-infected cells indicated that 0.05 microgram/ml of TM blocked the addition of N-linked oligosaccharides into glycoproteins B, C and D. An immunofluorescence assay of TM-treated (0.05 and 0.1 microgram/ml) and virus-infected cells demonstrated the presence of nonglycosylated gC, gD and a reduced amount of gB on the surface of infected cells. The results suggest that the addition of N-linked oligosaccharides on the studied HSV-1 glycoproteins was not necessary for their transport and expression on the virus-infected cell surface.

Animals↗