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S J Wagner

Publications and source records attributed to S J Wagner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Potential involvement of both type I and type II mechanisms in M13 virus inactivation by methylene blue photosensitization.

We have investigated the mechanism of virus photoinactivation with methylene blue (MB) by conducting deuterium oxide (D2O), azide ion (N3-) and oxygen-dependent studies. Inactivation of M13 bacteriophage and singlet oxygen (1O2) generation by MB photosensitization were irradiation dose dependent. Inactivation of M13 was enhanced by D2O and inhibited by N3-, suggesting that 1O2 participates in M13 inactivation by MB photosensitization. However, N3- did not inhibit M13 inactivation completely. On the other hand, deoxygenating the reaction solution still caused 52-67% of M13 inactivation observed in the presence of oxygen. These results suggest that 1O2-mediated (Type II) and sensitizer-mediated (Type I) reactions may both play roles in M13 inactivation by MB photosensitization.

Antiviral Agents↗

CD36 is palmitoylated on both N- and C-terminal cytoplasmic tails.

The membrane protein CD36 has been reported to carry out a wide range of potential functions, including serving as a receptor for thrombospondin, collagen, oxidized low density lipoprotein, fatty acids, anionic phospholipids, and Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasitized erythrocytes. This implicates CD36 in cellular adhesion, human atherosclerotic lesion formation, lipid metabolism, and malaria. A presumed rat homolog of CD36 was previously reported to be palmitoylated. We confirmed that human CD36 is palmitoylated and identified cysteines 3, 7, 464, and 466 as the palmitoylation sites using a mutagenesis approach. This result suggests that both the N- and C-terminal tails of CD36 are cytoplasmic. Published models for the topology of CD36 have the C terminus located in the cytoplasm but differ as to whether the N terminus is cytoplasmic or extracellular. To address this question, a C-terminal truncation mutant of CD36 was made by introducing a stop codon just upstream of the C-terminal transmembrane domain. This mutant was found membrane-bound when expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, indicating that the N-terminal hydrophobic domain serves as a transmembrane anchor, and thus supporting a CD36 topology with two transmembrane domains.

Animals↗

Comparison of bacteria growth in single and pooled platelet concentrates after deliberate inoculation and storage.

BACKGROUND: The ability to store pools of platelet concentrates (PCs) for extended periods would provide logistical flexibility. However, reports of severe adverse reactions due to the transfusion of contaminated PCs led to an examination of whether the total bacteria levels after storage of pools containing a deliberately inoculated platelet unit would be significantly different than the levels in paired unpooled concentrates. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A single PC was deliberately inoculated on Day 0 with one of three bacterial species (0.1-8.0 colony-forming units/mL). On Day 1, the deliberately inoculated PC was divided into three equal parts and either 1) pooled with 5 half-volume, ABO- and Rh-identical PCs; 2) similarly pooled and white cell reduced; or 3) kept as a control. Sterile connections were used during pooling; modified storage containers were used to ensure the correct surface-to-volume ratio of the single unit. RESULTS: Between Day 2 and Day 5 of storage, in 26 of 36 paired samples, nonfiltered pools containing Escherichia coli had greater total numbers of bacteria than did the paired single PCs. Day 2 pools had total bacteria levels approximately five times higher (colony-forming units/mL x container volume) than those in single units (p < 0.05). There was rapid growth of Staphylococcus aureus by Day 2 in pooled and unpooled PCs; by Day 3, total bacteria levels were approximately five times higher in pools than in single units (p < 0.05). Between Days 3 and 5 of storage, in 23 of 27 paired samples, nonfiltered pools containing S. aureus had greater total bacteria levels than the single PCs. By Day 5, 15 of 16 non-white-cell reduced pools had total levels of Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria approximately five times those in the paired single PCs. Greater total bacteria levels in pooled units than in single units generally occurred when bacteria in pools reached the stationary phase of growth (when bacteria concentration became constant), and they were well correlated with the sixfold volume of pooled units. White cell reduction did not substantially affect the time required to attain stationary phase. CONCLUSION: The potential during storage for greater total bacteria levels in pools than in single PCs is a consequence of the greater volume of the pool.

Bacteria↗

Mammalian genotoxicity assessment of methylene blue in plasma: implications for virus inactivation.

BACKGROUND: The risk of adverse consequences of virus-inactivation procedures for plasma and cellular blood components must be less than the risk of transfusion-associated viral disease. Previous studies demonstrated that methylene blue, which is currently used in Europe for virus inactivation in fresh-frozen plasma, can elicit mutations in bacterial test systems. This study investigates the potential for methylene blue genotoxicity in two mammalian test systems. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Different concentrations of methylene blue were prepared in plasma (heat-treated at 56 degrees C for 1 hour to reduce cytotoxicity) and used, without illumination, in an in vitro mouse lymphoma cell assay designed to detect forward mutations in the gene encoding thymidine kinase. The assay was performed in the presence or absence of rat liver S9 microsomal fraction. Similarly prepared samples of methylene blue in heat-treated plasma were used in an in vivo mouse micronucleus assay. Each system included a negative vehicle control (heat-treated plasma without methylene blue) and a positive control consisting of a known genotoxic agent. RESULTS: Intravenous administration to mice of 62 mg per kg of methylene blue did not increase the frequency of micronuclei in polychromatic red cells harvested from bone marrow. However, methylene blue concentrations of 10 micrograms per mL (with S9 activation) and 30 micrograms per mL (without S9 activation) significantly increased the thymidine kinase mutation frequency of mouse lymphoma cells to approximately 110 x 10(-6), from a spontaneous frequency of 28 x 10(-6). CONCLUSION: Methylene blue is mutagenic in cultured mammalian cells. In contrast, results from the mouse micronucleus assay suggest that the genotoxicity is not expressed in vivo. Considerably more investigation will be required to assess the genotoxic potential of intravenously administered methylene blue used in virus-inactivation procedures, because of the likelihood of the formation of methylene blue photoproducts or the impact of metabolic conversion of methylene blue to leukomethylene blue in vivo.

Animals↗

Analysis of viral DNA, protein and envelope damage after methylene blue, phthalocyanine derivative or merocyanine 540 photosensitization.

Although numerous photosensitizers have been used experimentally to decontaminate viruses in cellular blood components, little is known about their mechanisms of photoinactivation. Using M13 bacteriophage and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as model viruses, we have investigated alteration of the viral genome, protein and envelope after phototreatment. Methylene blue (MB) and aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (AlPcS4) phototreatment inactivated bacteriophage M13 and decreased the fraction of single-stranded circular genomic DNA (sc-DNA) by converting it to linear form. This conversion was enhanced by treating the extracted DNA with piperidine at 55 degrees C. Piperidine-labile breaks were well correlated to phage survival (5.1% sc-DNA at 1.7% phage survival for MB) under conditions where only minor differences were seen in the relative abundance of M13 coat protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Neither aluminum phthalocyanine (AlPc) nor merocyanine 540 (MC540) inactivated M13 nor were there significant changes observed in DNA and coat protein. Methylene blue, AlPcS4 and AlPc inactivated VSV and inhibited fusion of the virus envelope to Vero cells at pH 5.7 (i.e. with plasma membrane). However, the degree of this inhibition was small compared to the extent of virus inactivation (43% inhibition vs. 4.7 log10 or 99.998% inactivation, for MB). In contrast, an antibody to VSV G-spike protein inhibited fusion at pH 5.7 by 52% with a concomitant decline in VSV infectivity of 0.15 log10 (30%). Few changes were observed in the relative abundance of G protein for MB and AlPcS4 phototreated samples and no additional protein bands were observed on SDS-PAGE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Differential sensitivities of viruses in red cell suspensions to methylene blue photosensitization.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies explored the feasibility of using the photosensitizer methylene blue (MB) as a virucidal agent in red cell suspensions. Under treatment conditions (5 microM [5 mumol/L] MB, 3.4 x 10(4) J/m2) that resulted in more than 6 log10 inactivation of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) or of the enveloped bacteriophage phi 6, red cell membrane alterations were observed. Increased red cell ion permeability and the binding of plasma proteins to the red cell surface were the most sensitive indicators, which varied in a dose-dependent fashion. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Inactivation of three additional extracellular viruses and intracellular human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was assessed after MB phototreatment of red cell suspensions. Potassium leakage and IgG binding also were characterized in MB-treated red cell suspensions that were exposed to low-fluence light (6 x 10(3) J/m2). RESULTS: Different viruses exhibit a wide range of sensitivities to MB photoinactivation. For example, phototreatment conditions (5 microM [5 mumol/L] MB, 3.4 x 10(4) J/m2) that inactivated more than 6 log10 of VSV did not inactivate the nonenveloped picornavirus, encephalomyocarditis virus. In contrast, lower fluences (6 x 10(3) J/m2) inactivated approximately 5 log10 or more of Sindbis virus and approximately 4log10 of extracellular HIV-1. These less stringent phototreatment conditions (5 microM [5 mumol/L] 6 x 10(3) J/m2) caused lower rates of red cell potassium leakage (reduction by 6-fold) and little or no binding of plasma proteins to the red cell surface, compared to values observed previously with higher fluences. However, neither 6 x 10(3) nor 4.1 x 10(4) J per m2 fluences resulted in any inactivation of intracellular HIV as represented by changes in the amount of p24 antigen produced during co-culture of actively infected H9 cells. CONCLUSION: MB-based protocols would require the use of high-efficiency (> 6log10) white cell-reduction filters or additional inactivation steps to deplete or inactivate intracellular virus.

Encephalomyocarditis virus↗

Transfusion-associated bacterial sepsis.

The incidence of sepsis caused by transfusion of bacterially contaminated blood components is similar to or less than that of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis C virus infection, yet significantly exceeds those currently estimated for transfusion-associated human immunodeficiency and hepatitis B viruses. Outcomes are serious and may be fatal. In addition, transfusion of sterile allogenic blood can have generalized immunosuppressive effects on recipients, resulting in increased susceptibility to postoperative infection. This review examines the frequency of occurrence of transfusion-associated sepsis, the organisms implicated, and potential sources of bacteria. Approaches to minimize the frequency of sepsis are discussed, including the benefits and disadvantages of altering the storage conditions for blood. In addition, the impact of high levels of bacteria on the gross characteristics of erythrocyte and platelet concentrates is described. The potentials and limitations of current tests for detecting bacteria in blood are also discussed.

Bacterial Infections↗

Assessment of the hemostatic effectiveness of human platelets treated with aminomethyltrimethyl psoralen and UV A light using a rabbit ear bleeding time technique.

The photochemical aminomethyltrimethyl psoralen (AMT), in conjunction with UV A light (UVA), has been shown to inactivate human immunodeficiency virus-1 and model viruses in platelet suspensions under conditions that have only a minimal effect on in vitro platelet properties. A rabbit ear bleeding time technique was used to assess the hemostatic effectiveness of human platelet suspensions treated with AMT/UVA. New Zealand White rabbits were made thrombocytopenic by a combination of irradiation and heterologous antirabbit platelet antiserum. Reticuloendothelial function in these rabbits was suppressed by the intravenous administration of ethyl palmitate. The hemostatic function of 1- and 5-day-old human platelet suspensions (14.5% plasma) that had been treated on day 1 with 40 micrograms/mL AMT and 24 kJ/m2 UVA (1 x UVA) was evaluated by measuring microvascular bleeding times after a standard incision. Comparable bleeding times were observed after infusion with both control and AMT/UVA-treated platelets stored for either 1 or 5 days. With the transfusion of AMT/1 x UVA-treated platelets stored for 5 days, the mean (+/- SD) bleeding time was 156.3 +/- 39.2 seconds (n = 10). With untreated platelets (no AMT/no UVA), stored for 5 days, the mean bleeding time was 189.2 +/- 36.4 seconds (n = 10). Neither AMT nor 1 x UVA treatment alone influenced the observed bleeding times. In contrast, the hemostatic effectiveness of human platelet suspensions was diminished if they were exposed to three times the standard UVA dose (72 kJ/m2) on day 1 and stored for 4 more days, regardless of whether AMT was present, with the mean bleeding time increasing to 442.2 +/- 122.6 seconds (n = 15, AMT present) or 396.0 +/- 45.9 seconds (n = 10, AMT absent). These results are consistent with data obtained from in vitro studies and indicate that virucidal AMT/1 x UVA treatment does not influence platelet hemostatic function. However, the final conditions to achieve these results must be carefully controlled.

Animals↗

Red cell alterations associated with virucidal methylene blue phototreatment.

Several red cell storage properties were evaluated following phototreatment with methylene blue (MB) under conditions that inactivated > or = 6 log10 of added vesicular stomatitis virus. Red cell 2,3 DPG levels were similar to untreated controls throughout conventional 42-day storage at 4 degrees C. Plasma hemoglobin levels were elevated approximately twofold in MB-phototreated samples, and morphology scores were 5 percent lower after 42-day storage. ATP levels declined 30 percent in phototreated samples and in a control sample containing MB and not exposed to light. Lipid peroxidation was not observed in treated or control cells, nor were differences observed in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of ghost membranes derived from phototreated and control samples. Phototreated cells exhibited enhanced ion permeability; sodium and potassium levels approached equilibrium with the suspending medium within 4 to 7 days after treatment. Direct agglutination tests using rabbit anti-human IgG or rabbit anti-human serum albumin on MB-phototreated cells indicated that serum proteins had absorbed to the surface of treated red cells. Plasma depletion by washing red cells prior to phototreatment did not prevent protein binding upon subsequent addition of untreated autologous or group AB plasma. To a much smaller extent, phototreatment of plasma resulted in IgG association with untreated red cells. The addition of glutathione to red cell suspensions prevented IgG binding to phototreated red cells but did not prevent enhanced ion permeability. Taken together, these data suggest that the red cell surface is altered by virucidal MB phototreatment of vesicular stomatitis virus.

2,3-Diphosphoglycerate↗

Factors affecting Yersinia enterocolitica (serotype O:8) viability in deliberately inoculated blood.

Interpretation of in vitro experiments using Yersinia enterocolitica in blood components requires information on factors affecting the organism's survival. Several factors were found to influence the survival of Y. enterocolitica (serotype O:8) in blood components. A 20-minute room-temperature incubation with plasma-containing components resulted in approximately 2 log10 inactivation. Inactivation could be prevented by preincubation treatment of the plasma at 55 degrees C for 1 hour, which suggests the involvement of heat-labile plasma factors. No antibacterial activity was observed in washed red cells during the 20-minute room-temperature incubation. However, Y. enterocolitica colony-forming units declined by up to 2 log10 in washed red cells during the first days of 4 degrees C storage. Use of a white cell-reduction filter on freshly inoculated samples removed approximately 1 log10 of the organism regardless of whether bacteria were suspended in saline or washed red cells. Thus, bacterial levels may be affected by plasma, cellular components, and white cell-reduction filters. However, caution should be exercised in interpreting in vitro spiking studies designed to investigate the potential benefits of white cell reduction to eliminate the growth of Y. enterocolitica because of potential differences between naturally infected and experimentally inoculated blood.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

Antiviral activity of gilvocarcin V plus UVA radiation.

Gilvocarcin V (GV), a coumarin, is a nucleic acid photosensitizer that is phototoxic to bacteria and mammalian cells at picomolar levels in the presence of near-UV radiation (UVA). We evaluated the effectiveness of GV plus UVA for inactivation of several viruses, including herpes simplex virus, type 1 (HSV) and the bacterial viruses phi X174, T7, PRD1 and phi 6. Some inactivation of the bacterial viruses was observed with UVA radiation alone (4-50% survival at 26 kJ/m2). Additional photosensitized inactivation was observed only with T7 and phi 6 at 2.0 microM GV. On the other hand, HSV was photoinactivated with concentrations of GV three orders of magnitude lower (1.0 nM). Similar to the case with UV (254 nm) inactivation, the GV-UVA survival curve for HSV indicated multicomponent inactivation kinetics, which could not be explained by photobleaching of GV. The wide range of photosensitivities of these viruses to GV cannot be adequately explained by models based only on viral nucleic acid content or presence of lipid envelopes.

Aminoglycosides↗

Determination of residual 4'-aminomethyl-4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen and mutagenicity testing following psoralen plus UVA treatment of platelet suspensions.

Psoralens and UVA light have been used in the laboratory to study the inactivation of viruses that may be infrequently present in platelet concentrates that are prepared for transfusion. In order to evaluate safety aspects of the treatment of platelet suspensions with 4'-aminomethyl-4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen (AMT), we have investigated the residual levels and mutagenic potential of AMT after UVA phototreatment. 4'-aminomethyl-4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen, at a final concentration of 40 micrograms/mL, was added to platelet suspensions which contained 16% plasma and a synthetic medium. Platelet suspensions containing AMT were irradiated with up to 7.2 J/cm2 UVA light under normal oxygen levels. Residual levels of AMT were determined by HPLC and a bioassay based on bacteriophage phi 6 inactivation. The photodestruction of AMT or its activity by UVA was characterized by a D37 value of 0.6 and 0.3 J/cm2 with HPLC or bioassay, respectively. At 2.4 J/cm2 UVA, which results in approximately 5 log10 inactivation of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and retention of platelet in vitro properties, 12% (HPLC) to 9% (bioassay) AMT remained. Like other psoralens, AMT was found to bind to serum proteins as shown by ultrafiltration. Results are consistent with approximately 36% of the initial drug load binding primarily to serum albumin. It was determined using 3H-AMT that 9 to 18% of radioactivity was bound to platelets in the absence of irradiation. Similar fractions (13 to 18%) of AMT were bound to platelets after 3.6 J/cm2 UVA irradiation, and 8 to 10% of total AMT was associated with saline-washed irradiated platelets and is presumably tightly bound.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bacteriophages↗

The glnA gene of the cyanobacterium Agmenellum quadruplicatum PR-6 is nonessential for ammonium assimilation.

The glnA gene of the cyanobacterium Agmenellum quadruplicatum PR-6 (Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002) was isolated by complementing an Escherichia coli strain auxotrophic for glutamine (YMC11) with a PR-6 cosmid library. PR-6 glnA is a single-copy gene that encodes a deduced amino acid sequence that is highly homologous to the deduced glnA amino acid sequences reported for other bacteria. No homology was found between the PR-6 glnA flanking sequences and the ntrB, ntrC, or glnB genes of other bacteria. Northern (RNA) and primer extension analyses of PR-6 RNA revealed one predominant and several minor glnA transcripts of about 1.5 to 1.7 kb. The steady-state amounts of these transcripts increased three- to fivefold when the cells were starved for nitrogen. However, we found that mutant PR-6 cells lacking glnA were still able to use nitrate or ammonium as a sole nitrogen source. Although no RNA homologous to an internal fragment of the glnA gene could be detected in the mutant cells, they retained about 60% of wild-type glutamine biosynthetic activity. The mutant cells were more sensitive than the wild-type cells to methionine sulfoximine, a transition state analog of glutamate, a result that might indicate the presence of an additional glutamine synthetase; however, cell extracts of wild-type PR-6 cells and those lacking glnA were both able to use carbamyl phosphate instead of ammonium as a nitrogen donor for the synthesis of glutamine, a result that indicates the use of carbamyl phosphate synthetase to assimilate ammonium and produce glutamine.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Virucidal levels of ozone induce hemolysis and hemoglobin degradation.

The animal virus, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), and the bacterial virus, phi 6, were inactivated by greater than 4 log10 in response to incubation with 13 to 14 mL of 1.4 mmol per L (65 micrograms/mL) to 1.6 mmol per L (75 micrograms/mL) of overlaid ozone in virus-spiked, dilute, red cell suspensions. Virus inactivation was greatly inhibited when ozone was overlaid in the presence of high-hematocrit red cells or, to a lesser degree, high levels of plasma. At hematocrits at which 5 to 6 log10 of VSV were inactivated, ozone caused 30-percent hemolysis, as measured by the loss of total cellular hemoglobin. Unexpectedly, this level of hemolysis could not be observed in supernatants because of the ozone-induced destruction (bleaching) of extracellular hemoglobin. These results suggest that ozone may have little biological specificity for damaging viruses over red cells.

Animals↗