Resistance to superinfection of Vero cells persistently infected with Junin virus.

Two non-virogenic Vero cell lines persistently infected with the arenavirus Junin (JUNV), named V3 and V7, were characterized with respect to their resistance to superinfection with homologous and antigenically related viruses. Both lines were refractory to JUNV multiplication and partially resistant to other arenaviruses. JUNV was able to adsorb and penetrate persistently infected cells and, although V3 and V7 were able to support synthesis of antigenomic sense viral RNA, protein production of superinfecting virus was totally blocked. This resistance was not mediated by defective interfering particles but rather by a "cell-associated factor" that could be cell to cell transmitted. Prolonged thermal treatment of V3 and V7 abrogated expression of the viral nucleoprotein (N) and turned persistently infected cells permissive to JUNV multiplication. Thermal treated cells cultured at 37 degrees C resumed the expression of N in association to the recovery of resistance. Results strongly suggest a correlation between the presence of the viral nucleoprotein and superinfection exclusion.

Análogos de somatostatina marcados con 99m-TC / Somatostatine analogs marked with 99m-TC

El objetivo del presente trabajo es el estudio biológico y radioquímico de dos análogos de la somatostatina, el péptido RC-160 y el Tyr3-Octreotide (TOC), marcados con 99mTc por método directo e indirecto usando como quelantes mercapto acetil triglicina (MAG3) e hidrazinonicotinamida (HYNIC) respectivamente. Se realizó la síntesis del benzoil MAG3-RC-160 y del HYNIC-Tyr3-Octreotide los cuales se marcaron con 99mTc obteniéndose purezas radioquímicas mayor que 70 por ciento y mayor que 95 por ciento respectivamente. Se realizaron biodistribuciones en ratas Wistar normales y los resultados se correlacionaron con los datos cromatográficos y de unión a proteinas, encontrándose que a menor lipofilicidad de los complejos se incrementaba la excreción renal. Se realizaron ensayos de unión a receptores utilizando como fuente de los mismos membranas de corteza de cerebro de rata. Los mejores resultados se obtuvieron con el conjugado de HYNIC-TOC marcando con tricina como coligando

Spectroscopic analysis of roman wall paintings from Casa del Mitreo in Emerita Augusta, Mérida, Spain.

The use of visible spectroscopy, applied to chromatic characterization of Roman wall paintings, allows an easy and trustworthy grouping of the samples studied. The use of other spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in conjunction with X-ray diffraction (XRD) allows a good identification of the substances present in the pictorial layers that define and differentiate each chromatic group. In this paper, a study of 40 Roman wall painting samples, from Pinturas Báquicas of Casa del Mitreo in Emerita Augusta (Mérida, Spain), is described. In these samples, some pigments of high quality and cost, as well as some unusual mixtures, not described in the bibliography, have been found.

Synthesis and expression of viral antigens in Vero cells persistently infected with Junin virus.

Two Vero cell lines persistently infected with XJCl3 and Cl67 strains of Junin virus and named V3 and V7, respectively, have been characterized with respect to the presence and expression of the nucleoprotein (N) and the glycoprotein precursor (GPC) viral genes. After the acute phase of infection, where a marked CPE and high titers of virus were obtained, JV persistently infected cells became morphologically undistinguishable from Vero cells and virus production dropped to undetectable levels. V3 and V7 were resistant to the superinfection with antigenically related viruses. This fact could not be attributed to the presence of defective interfering particles or non-infectious virus in the supernatant. Expression of N was consistently detected in both cultures and accumulation of two degradation products of N was evident during the late passages. Although no G1 (main surface glycoprotein) expression was observed, a marked fusogenic capacity was detected in both cultures indicating at least, the synthesis of a GPC derived fusogenic glycoprotein. Cell lysates from V3 and V7 subjected to RT-PCR, using specific primers for N gene, or to a nested RT-PCR using specific primers for GPC (G1 region) confirmed the presence of both viral genes. No viral DNA sequences could be detected in JV persistently infected cells.

Optimization of the small-scale synthesis of DOTA-Tyr3 -octreotide.

The clinical potential of 111In and 90Y labelled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid conjugated Tyr3-octreotide (DOTA-TOC) have been reported in a number of publications, and Phase II clinical trials of 90Y-DOTA-TOC are currently in progress. However, to date, only a summary of the large-scale preparation of these radiopharmaceuticals has been published. This publication aims to describe our experience of the small-scale synthesis of DOTA-TOC in the hope that this will assist others in the preparation of this and other similar radioconjugates. DOTA in the form of the tri-t-butyl ester was coupled to the Lys5 (BOC) protected Tyr3-octreotide in N,N-dimethylformamide or N-methyl-2-pyrolidinone, in a three-step reaction involving conjugation, using O-(7-azabenzotriazole-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (HATU) and diisopropylethyamine (DIPEA) as coupling reagents, deprotection with trifluoroacetic acid and HPLC purification of the conjugates. The product was obtained in final yields of 60+/-5%. The purified product was characterized by mass spectroscopy, showing a molecular weight of 1421.55+/-0.08. In somatostatin receptor binding assays, the unlabelled DOTA-TOC showed an effective displacement of 99mTc labelled HYNIC-TOC (where HYNIC is hydrazinonicotinamide) (IC50=0.31+/-0.07 nm), confirming the retention of receptor-binding affinity. The conjugate could be efficiently labelled with 111In by addition of 111InCl3 and ammonium acetate buffer pH5 and heating (95 degrees C, 20 min).

In vivo evaluation of three different 99mTc-labelled radiopharmaceuticals for sentinel lymph node identification.

This work was designed to compare sentinel lymph node (SLN) uptake of 99mTc-labelled human serum albumin colloid (99mTc-HSAC), 99mTc-labelled antimony sulphur colloid (99mTc-SC) and a 99mTc-labelled dextran 70 solution (99mTc-Dx) and their selectivity in the identification of this node in the right rear footpad (RRF) of normal mice and tumour bearing mice. Radiopharmaceutical uptake in the SLN (popliteal lymph node) and the lumbar lymph node (LLN), the second lymphatic node station from RRF, were measured at different time points post-intradermal or intratumoural injection into the RRF of NIH normal mice and of Balb/c mice harbouring the murine mammary tumour M2. 99mTc-HSAC uptake in the SLN was significantly higher than LLN uptake. The 99mTc-SC demonstrated high uptake in SLN, but accumulation in LLN was also high. 99mTc-Dx showed low uptakes in both SLN and LLN. The intradermal injection resulted in a more effective radiopharmaceutical accumulation in SLN than did the intratumoural inoculation. Data also show that increments in tumour volume reduced radiopharmaceutical uptake in the SLN. Our results show that 99mTc-HSAC exhibits the highest uptake in the SLN combined with the smallest amounts of radiopharmaceutical passing through to the LLN. Therefore, 99mTc-HSAC appears to be the best radiopharmaceutical for sentinel node detection.