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Biomedical subjects

Vishal Shah

Publications and source records attributed to Vishal Shah.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Development of a new approach for microbial decontamination of water using modified Fenton's reaction.

Microbial decontamination of water was carried out using a novel radical generating system consisting of ion exchange resin, copper and hydrogen peroxide. The system was successful in reducing the microbial load in water by more than 99% in 15 min and is effective against all the microorganisms tested. The method was also successful in decontaminating the flood water obtained from Industrial Canal and 17th Street Canal in New Orleans. Decontamination is due to the formation of hydroxyl radicals, formed during the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by the metal-polymer complex.

Copper↗
PubMed2006

Cyanobacterial flora from polluted marine shores.

Citation of cyanobacterial cultures from the shores of south west coast of Gujarat, India and their relationship with sea water quality, influenced by extensive pollutant runoff is reported in this study. Intensity of pollution was evaluated by physico-chemical analysis of water. Higher load of suspended solids (60-1000 mg l(-1)) and nutrients (PO4- P: 1.3-4 micromole l(-1) and NO3- N: 12.5-17.8 micromole l(-1)) were persistent throughout the analysis. Community structure is seen to be influenced by such persistent pollution. Twenty nine cyanobacterial species were isolated belonging to 9 genera of 4 families, with an elevated occurrence of Oscillatoria and Lyngbya species. No heterocystous cyanobacteria were isolated throughout the study.

Cyanobacteria↗
PubMed2006

Influence of dimethyl sulfoxide on extracellular enzyme production by Pleurotus ostreatus.

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is commonly used as a co-solvent to dissolve poorly water-soluble biologically active agents to assess their biological activities such as for enzyme induction. The question addressed was whether DMSO can be assumed to be an inert co-solvent. The influence of DMSO on the production of extracellular enzymes by Pleurotus ostreatus was investigated. DMSO functioned as either an inducer or a repressor, depending on the enzyme studied. The production of laccase and endo-1,4-beta-xylanase increased by 29 and 250%, respectively, in presence of DMSO. However, DMSO repressed the activities of manganese peroxidase, beta-glucosidase, beta-xylanase, and endo-1,4-beta-glucanase by 30, 33, 99 and 16%, respectively. These results raise concerns about the interpretation of bioactivity measurements when DMSO is assumed to function as an inert co-solvent to solubilize water-insoluble molecules.

Biotechnology↗
PubMed2006

Cyanobacterial flora from polluted industrial effluents.

Effluents originating from pesticides, agro-chemicals, textile dyes and dyestuffs industries are always associated with high turbidity, colour, nutrient load, and heavy metals, toxic and persistent compounds. But even with such an anthropogenic nature, these effluents contain dynamic cyanobacterial communities. Documentation of cyanobacterial cultures along the water channels of effluents discharged by above mentioned industries along the west coast of India and their relationship with water quality is reported in this study. Intensity of pollution was evaluated by physico-chemical analysis of water. Higher load of solids, carbon and nutrients were found to be persistent throughout the analysis. Sediment and water samples were found to be colored in nature. Cyanobacterial community structure was found to be influenced by the anthropogenic pollution. 40 different cyanobacterial species were recorded from 14 genera of 5 families and an elevated occurrence of Phormidium, Oscillatoria and Chroococcus genera was observed in all the sampling sites.

Chlorophyll↗
PubMed2006

Sophorolipids block lethal effects of septic shock in rats in a cecal ligation and puncture model of experimental sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: Sophorolipids, a family of natural and easily chemoenzymatically modified microbial glycolipids, are promising modulators of the immune response. The potential of the therapeutic effect of sophorolipids was investigated in vivo in a rat model of sepsis and in vitro by analysis of nitric oxide and cytokine production. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized animal study. SETTING: Experimental laboratory. SUBJECTS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats, 200-240 g. INTERVENTIONS: Intra-abdominal sepsis was induced in vivo in 166 rats via cecal ligation and puncture (CLP); 60 rats were used to characterize the model. The remaining rats were treated with sophorolipids or vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide [DMSO]/physiologic saline) by intravenous (iv) tail vein or intraperitoneal (IP) injection immediately post-CLP (25/group). Survival rates were compared at 36 hrs after surgery. In vitro, macrophages were cultured in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) +/- sophorolipid and assayed for nitric oxide (NO) production and gene expression profiles of inflammatory cytokines. In addition, splenic lymphocytes isolated from CLP rats +/- sophorolipid treatment (three per group) were analyzed for cytokine production by RNase protection assay. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: CLP with 16-gauge needles optimized sepsis induction and resultant mortality. Sophorolipid treatment improved rat survival by 34% (iv) and 14% (IP) in comparison with vehicle controls (p < .05 for iv treatment). Sophorolipids decreased LPS-induced macrophage NO production by 28% (p < .05). mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1beta was downregulated by 42.5 +/- 4.7% (p < .05) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 was upregulated by 11.7 +/- 1.5% (p < .05) in splenocytes obtained 6 hrs postsophorolipid treatment. LPS-treated macrophages cultured 36 hrs with sophorolipids showed increases in mRNA expression of IL-1alpha (51.7%), IL-1beta (31.3%), and IL-6 (66.8%) (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of sophorolipids after induction of intra-abdominal sepsis significantly decreases mortality in this model. This may be mediated in part by decreased macrophage NO production and modulation of inflammatory responses.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

SIEGE: Smoking Induced Epithelial Gene Expression Database.

The SIEGE (Smoking Induced Epithelial Gene Expression) database is a clinical resource for compiling and analyzing gene expression data from epithelial cells of the human intra-thoracic airway. This database supports a translational research study whose goal is to profile the changes in airway gene expression that are induced by cigarette smoke. RNA is isolated from airway epithelium obtained at bronchoscopy from current-, former- and never-smoker subjects, and hybridized to Affymetrix HG-U133A Genechips, which measure the level of expression of approximately 22,500 human transcripts. The microarray data generated along with relevant patient information is uploaded to SIEGE by study administrators using the database's web interface, found at http://pulm.bumc.bu.edu/siegeDB. PERL-coded scripts integrated with SIEGE perform various quality control functions including the processing, filtering and formatting of stored data. The R statistical package is used to import database expression values and execute a number of statistical analyses including t-tests, correlation coefficients and hierarchical clustering. Values from all statistical analyses can be queried through CGI-based tools and web forms found on the 'Search' section of the database website. Query results are embedded with graphical capabilities as well as with links to other databases containing valuable gene resources, including Entrez Gene, GO, Biocarta, GeneCards, dbSNP and the NCBI Map Viewer.

Databases, Genetic↗
PubMed2005

Sophorolipids, microbial glycolipids with anti-human immunodeficiency virus and sperm-immobilizing activities.

The increased incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS disease in women aged 15 to 49 years has identified the urgent need for a female-controlled, efficacious, and safe vaginal topical microbicide. To meet this challenge, sophorolipid (SL) produced by Candida bombicola and its structural analogs have been studied in this report for their spermicidal, anti-HIV, and cytotoxic activities. The sophorolipid diacetate ethyl ester derivative is the most potent spermicidal and virucidal agent of the series of SLs studied. Its virucidal activity against HIV and sperm-immobilizing activity against human semen are similar to those of nonoxynol-9. However, it also induced enough vaginal cell toxicity to raise concerns about its applicability for long-term microbicidal contraception. Its structure-activity relationship has been established for creating new analogs with less cytotoxicity and higher activity.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed2004

Gene expression profiling of human lung tissue from smokers with severe emphysema.

The mechanism by which inhaled smoke causes the anatomic lesions and physiologic impairment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remains unknown. We used high-density microarrays to measure gene expression in severely emphysematous lung tissue removed from smokers at lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) and normal or mildly emphysematous lung tissue from smokers undergoing resection of pulmonary nodules. Class prediction algorithms identified 102 genes that accurately distinguished severe emphysema from non-/mildly emphysematous lung tissue. We also defined a number of genes whose expression levels correlated strongly with lung diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide and/or forced expiratory volume at 1 s. Genes related to oxidative stress, extracellular matrix synthesis, and inflammation were increased in severe emphysema, whereas expression of endothelium-related genes was decreased. To identify candidate genes that might be causally involved in the pathogenesis of emphysema, we linked gene expression profiles to chromosomal regions previously associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in genome-wide linkage analyses. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of the LVRS samples revealed distinct molecular subclasses of severe emphysema, with body mass index as the only clinical variable that differed between the groups. Class prediction models established a set of genes that predicted functional outcome at 6 mo after LVRS. Our findings suggest that the gene expression profiles from human emphysematous lung tissue may provide insight into pathogenesis, uncover novel molecular subclasses of disease, predict response to LVRS, and identify targets for therapeutic intervention.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Supramolecular assemblies of a naturally derived sophorolipid.

Acidic sophorolipid (SL) molecules derived from yeasts represent a novel type of asymmetrical bolaamphiphiles due to their unique structural features that include an asymmetrical polar head size (disaccharide vs COOH), a kinked hydrophobic core (cis-9-octadecenoic chain), and a non-amide polar-nonpolar linkage. Light microscopy, small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, FT-IR spectroscopy, and dynamic laser light scattering were used to investigate the supramolecular structures of the self-assembled aggregates of SL molecules at different pH values. In acidic conditions (pH < 5.5), giant twisted and helical ribbons of 5-11 microm width and several hundreds of micrometers length were observed for the first time. Increase in solution pH values slowed ribbon formation, decreased ribbon yield, and increased the helicity and entanglements of the giant ribbons. An interdigitated lamellar packing model of acidic SL-COOH molecules with a long period of 2.78 nm, stabilized by both the strong hydrophobic association between the cis-9-octadecenoic chains and strong disaccharide-disaccharide hydrogen bonding, is proposed. The neutralization of SL-COOH in water to SL-COONa produced clear solutions with the formation of short-range ordered aggregates. At concentrations below 1.0 mg/mL, the size of self-assembled aggregates increased as the concentration increased. At concentrations above 1.0 mg/mL, narrowly distributed micellar aggregates with a constant hydrodynamic radius (R(h)) of about 100 nm are formed. The large micelles show strong angular dependence with the fast mode appearing at scattering angle theta >/= 60 degrees.

Glycolipids↗
PubMed2004

Effects of cigarette smoke on the human airway epithelial cell transcriptome.

Cigarette smoke is the major cause of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death, and of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Using high-density gene expression arrays, we describe genes that are normally expressed in a subset of human airway epithelial cells obtained at bronchoscopy (the airway transcriptome), define how cigarette smoking alters the transcriptome, and detail the effects of variables, such as cumulative exposure, age, sex, and race, on cigarette smoke-induced changes in gene expression. We also determine which changes in gene expression are and are not reversible when smoking is discontinued. The persistent altered expression of a subset of genes in former smokers may explain the risk these individuals have for developing lung cancer long after they have discontinued smoking. The use of gene expression profiling to explore the normal biology of a specific subset of cells within a complex organ across a broad spectrum of healthy individuals and to define the reversible and irreversible genetic effects of cigarette smoke on human airway epithelial cells has not been previously reported.

Bronchi↗
PubMed2004

Decolorization of synthetic dyes using a copper complex with glucaric acid.

Selected azo, acridine, triphenyl methane, anthraquinone and thiazine-based dyes were decolorized using a catalytic system consisting of Cu(II)/glucaric acid/H(2)O(2). More than 90% decolorization was obtained with 100 ppm Acridine Orange, Azure B, Chicago Sky Blue, Crystal Violet, Methyl Orange, Poly B-411, Reactive Black 5, Reactive Blue 2, and Remazol Brilliant Blue R within 24 h. Seventy to eighty percent decolorization was achieved within the first 6 h. The decolorizaton was not affected by pH. The involvement of hydroxyl radicals produced in the system in the decolorization of the dye molecules was confirmed by electron spin resonance study.

Catalysis↗
PubMed2003

Apoptosis genes in human alveolar macrophages infected with virulent or attenuated Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a pivotal role for tumor necrosis factor.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-dependent apoptosis of alveolar macrophages (AM) after infection with avirulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) results in bacillary death and the destruction of a growth niche for the pathogen. This response is minimized after infection with virulent strains of Mtb. To study the genetic control of Mtb-induced apoptosis, we used microarrays to interrogate the expression profile of infected human AM. Although we found variation in gene expression between different donors of AM, a set of genes were constant for each condition. A group of proapoptotic genes were downregulated after infection by virulent Mtb strain H37Rv, whereas infection with avirulent Mtb H37Ra led to a gene expression profile that would favor macrophage apoptosis. Neutralizing TNF in macrophage cultures infected with H37Ra changed the gene expression profile to one that resembled the profile of macrophages infected with H37Rv. These data reveal that apoptosis-related genes are regulated differently by virulent or attenuated Mtb strains, and are consistent with the hypothesis that virulent Mtb interfere with TNF death signaling. Given the importance of TNF in host defense against tuberculosis, the ability to repress the expression of genes activated by TNF may constitute a bacillary virulence mechanism.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed2002

Lignin degrading system of white-rot fungi and its exploitation for dye decolorization.

With global attention and research now focused on looking for the abatement of pollution, white-rot fungi is one of the hopes of the future. The lignin-degrading ability of these fungi have been the focus of attention for many years and have been exploited for a wide array of human benefits. This review highlights the various enzymes produced by white-rot fungi for lignin degradation, namely laccases, peroxidases, aryl alcohol oxidase, glyoxal oxidase, and pyranose oxidase. Also discussed are the various radicals and low molecular weight compounds that are being produced by white-rot fungi and its role in lignin degradation. A brief summary on the developments in research of decolorization of dyes using white-rot fungi has been made.

Coloring Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Amino acid conjugated sophorolipids: A new family of biologically active functionalized glycolipids.

Sophorolipids (SLs) are extra cellular glycolipids produced by Candida bombicola ATCC 22214 when grown in the presence of glucose and fatty acids. These compounds have a disaccharide head group connected to a long-chain hydroxyl-fatty acid by a glycosidic bond. To explore structure-activity of modified SLs, a new family of amino acid-SL derivatives was prepared. Synthesized analogs consist of amino acids linked by amide bonds formed between their alpha-amino moiety and the carboxyl group of ring-opened SL fatty acids. Their preparation involved the following: (i) hydrolysis of a natural SL mixture with aqueous alkali to give SL free acids, (ii) coupling of free acids to protected amino acids using dicarbodiimide, and (iii) removing amino acid carboxyl protecting groups. These conjugates were evaluated for their antibacterial, anti-HIV, and spermicidal activity. All tested analogs showed antibacterial activity against both gram +ve and gram -ve organisms. Leucine-conjugated SL was most efficient. For example, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for Moraxella sp. and E. coli were 0.83 and 1.67 mg/mL, respectively. Among the alkyl esters of amino acid conjugated SLs, the ethyl ester of leucine-SLs was most active. Against Moraxella sp., S. sanguinis, and M. imperiale, MIC values are 7.62 x 10(-4), 2.28 x 10-(3) and 1.67 mg/mL, respectively. All compounds displayed virus-inactivating activity with 50% effective concentrations (EC50) below 200 microg/mL. The EC50 of leucine-SL ethyl ester was 24.1 microg/mL, showing that it is more potent than commercial spermicide nonoxynol-9 (EC50 approximately 65 microg/mL).

Amino Acids↗