Biomedical subjects

S Persad

Publications and source records attributed to S Persad.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1989

Mutagenic activity in groundwater in relation to mobilization of organic mutagens in soil.

In this study, the presence of mutagenic activity (Ames Salmonella-microsome assay) in different types of uncontaminated Dutch soils is demonstrated. The mutagenic activity can be mobilized by eluting the soils with organic solvents. The highest mutagenic activity was obtained using dimethylsulfoxide. It is also shown that the organic mutagens can be mobilized by percolating the soils with rain water, although this phenomenon is not always observed. Finally, the results of this study suggest that the organic mutagens found in groundwater may, at least in part, arise from mobilization of organic mutagens in soil by rain water.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

A paramagnetic agent causing ochronotic arthropathy.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified a paramagnetic substance in the hyaline cartilage of the hips and knees in a patient with ochronosis. Chemical studies characterized the paramagnetic agent as melanin. The free radicals contained in melanin were shown to initiate cytotoxicity. The loss of cartilage in ochronotic arthropathy now can be explained at the electron level using the superoxide theory of oxygen toxicity. Inappropriate metabolism of oxygen also may explain early cartilage degeneration in hemochromatosis, hemosiderosis, and Wilson's disease.

Cartilage, Articular↗

PubMed1988

Phototoxicity of chlorpromazine on retinal pigment epithelial cells.

As it is known that chlorpromazine (CPZ) can bind to melanins as well as cause ocular phototoxicity, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of UV-visible irradiation of melanotic and amelanotic retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in the presence of CPZ. At low concentrations (5 micrograms/ml) of CPZ a photosensitization reaction took place which lysed the cells as measured by the release of 51Cr from cells labelled with chromium. At concentrations of CPZ less than 5 micrograms/ml, no significant cell lysis occurred when the cells were incubated at 37 degrees C in the dark. As the concentration of CPZ was increased to 25 micrograms/ml or more, high percentages of cells were lysed. When the melanotic RPE cells were exposed to different concentrations of CPZ and grown in culture, the cell growth (multiplication) diminished drastically with low concentrations (less than 2 micrograms/ml CPZ). Vitamin E decreased the cell lysis both in the dark and upon irradiation. Oxygen radical scavengers such as glutathione, B-carotene, mannitol, D-penicillamine as well as superoxide dismutase and catalase did not decrease cell lysis. The phototoxic effects of CPZ was found not to be due to stable photoproducts formed during irradiation of CPZ.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Is there any difference in the photobiological properties of melanins isolated from human blue and brown eyes?

Investigations were carried out to determine whether the melanin present in the blue and brown eyes were eumelanin, the melanin present in black hair and dark skin, or pheomelanin, the melanin present in red hair and the skin of people with red hair. Our results showed that UV-visible irradiation of blue or brown eye melanin did not produce any superoxide. Irradiation of 51Cr-labelled Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in the presence of blue or brown eye melanin did not produce significant cell lysis. The electron spin resonance (ESR) signals of blue and brown eye melanins were very similar to those of eumelanin. Comparison of these findings with our previous results indicated that the blue and brown eye melanins are essentially eumelanin. The ESR signals further suggested that in the case of both blue and brown eye melanins the iris, ciliary body, choroid, and retinal pigment epithelium did not differ.

Aged↗

PubMed1986

Effects of melanin-induced free radicals on the isolated rat peritoneal mast cells.

Pheomelanin from human red hair (RHM) produces considerably more cellular damage in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells when subjected to radiations of wavelength 320-700 nm than eumelanin from black hair (BHM). Irradiation of RHM generated large amounts of superoxide while BHM did not produce detectable amounts of superoxide. The present investigations describe the effects of irradiation of mast cells in the presence of various natural and synthetic melanins. Irradiation of mast cells in the presence of RHM and red hair melanoprotein released large amounts of histamine while BHM and synthetic melanins prepared from dopa, cysteinyldopa, or a mixture of dopa and cysteinyldopa did not release histamine. The release of histamine at lower concentrations of RHM was not accompanied by the release of 51Cr from chromium-loaded cells, suggesting that this release was of noncytotoxic nature. On the other hand, the release of histamine at higher concentrations of RHM was due to cell lysis since both histamine and cytoplasmic marker 51Cr were released to the same extent. The release evoked by large concentration RHM was not inhibited by superoxide dismutase or catalase. This suggests that the cell lysis under these conditions was not due to H2O2 or O-2. The finding that mast cells release histamine when irradiated in the presence of RHM suggests that the immediate and late-phase reactions seen in sunburn may in part be due to the release of mediators from these cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Role of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in cell lysis during irradiation in vitro of Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma cells in the presence of melanin.

The reactive species involved in the cell lysis during ultraviolet irradiation of Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma cells in the presence of red hair melanin (RHM) were investigated by determining 51Cr release from labeled cells. Cysteine at 1 mM in the presence of RHM increased the cell lysis during the incubation in the dark as well as during irradiation; this lysis was enhanced by superoxide dismutase (SOD). Catalase abolished the dark reaction and inhibited the cysteine-induced increase of cell lysis during irradiation. The cell lysis by the superoxide-generating xanthine oxidase system was not significantly increased by SOD, but was significantly decreased by nitroblue tetrazolium and completely abolished by catalase. The cell lysis induced by the supernatants obtained from the suspensions of RHM either irradiated alone or with cysteine was abolished by catalase. Sediments of irradiated RHM when incubated in the dark with the cells did not release 51Cr. Irradiation of the cells in the presence of the same sediments produced lysis which was not inhibited by catalase. These studies suggest that superoxide per se is not toxic to the cells, but the H2O2 formed by dismutation of superoxide produces cell lysis either directly or by generating OH through Fenton-type reactions. A large part of the cell lysis seen during irradiation of cells in the presence of RHM is not due to H2O2, but may possibly be due to the melanin free radicals formed during irradiation.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells cultured in vitro: growth characteristics, morphology, chromosomes, phagocytosis ability, tyrosinase activity and effect of freezing.

We compared the bovine melanotic and amelanotic retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells cultivated in vitro using a number of parameters. Both cell types could be readily harvested from the eye by dissection or by enzyme treatment of the RPE. Both types of cells grew equally well in the primary culture, and in serial subcultures for over 600 days, and also after being stored frozen for over two months. The two types of cells were similar in their growth patterns, morphology, chromosome characteristics and phagocytic activity but they differed in their tyrosinase activity. Although in long-term cultures cells showed chromosome loss, a high proportion of the cells retained their normal diploid chromosome number (2n = 60) with apparently normal karyotype.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

Novel free radicals in synthetic and natural pheomelanins: distinction between dopa melanins and cysteinyldopa melanins by ESR spectroscopy.

Synthetic pheomelanins from enzymic oxidation of the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) derivative 5-S-cysteinyldopa have been examined by ESR spectroscopy. These alkalisoluble polymers contain a novel kind of free radical that is spectroscopically distinct from that found in eumelanins. Delocalization of the unpaired electron onto a nitrogen atom and the ability of the radical to chelate complexing metal ions strongly suggest an o-semiquinonimine structure. The synthetic pheomelanin was compared with natural red pigments extracted from human red hair and from red chicken feathers. Spectroscopically, the chicken feather pheomelanin is almost identical to synthetic cysteinyldopa pheomelanin. In contrast, the pigment from red hair has a major spectral component very similar to that found in dopa melanin, with a smaller component corresponding to that found in cysteinyldopa melanin.

Cysteinyldopa↗