Systemic effect of human growth hormone after intramuscular injection of a single dose of a muscle-specific gene medicine.

A muscle-specific gene medicine is described that provides for long-term secretion of biologically active human growth hormone (hGH) from skeletal muscle into the systemic circulation. The hGH gene medicine is composed of a muscle-specific hGH plasmid expression system complexed with a protective, interactive, non-condensing (PINC) delivery system. The muscle-specific gene expression system, pSK-hGH-GH, was constructed by linking the promoter/enhancer regions of chicken skeletal alpha-actin to hGH gene. C2C12 myoblast transfection with pSK-hGH-GH resulted in the synthesis of hGH in a muscle-specific manner. Direct injection into rat tibialis cranialis muscle of pSK-hGH-GH complexed with a polymeric PINC delivery system, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), produced hGH levels in muscle that were 10- to 15-fold higher compared with plasmid formulated in saline at 14 days post-injection. Intratracheal instillation in rat lung of pSK-hGH-GH did not produce significantly detectable levels of hGH. In hypophysectomized rats, a single intramuscular dose of the pSK-hGH-GH/PVP complex resulted in hGH expression and a subsequent increase in serum levels of rat IGF-I and growth. hGH expression and effects on rat serum IGF-I levels were detectable up to 28 days after injection of formulated plasmid and effects on growth were detectable unto 21 days. Anti-hGH antibodies were detectable in serum at 14 days post-injection, reached a plateau at 21 days, and remained elevated through the study period. Cyclosporin treatment of the pSK-hGH-GH/PVP-injected animals completely inhibited the antibody response and resulted in increased hGH expression.

Reactivity and fate of benzene and formaldehyde in culture medium with and without fetal calf serum; relevance to in vitro mutagenicity testing.

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analyses were performed to determine the reactivity and fate of benzene (BEN) and formaldehyde (FA) in culture medium. BEN (solubility in water: approximately 500 ppm) does not react with culture medium, either with or without fetal calf serum, but its volatility, even in closed vials, is so great that 90% of a 250-ppm solution is lost to the head space after 1 h at 24 degrees C. FA, as a 37% aqueous solution, is a complex mixture that changes composition after 15-min incubation at 38 degrees C. FA is extremely reactive in culture medium containing fetal calf serum, and is much less reactive with medium components in the absence of serum. There is a dramatic increase in the number of daughter products in FA-treated medium over time, such that those seen immediately after FA is added to medium have been replaced after 60-min incubation (38 degrees C in closed vials) by many other interaction products. Methods ensuring maximum solubilization and minimal volatilization of BEN during exposure are essential for obtaining reproducible data on the mutagenic potential of BEN. The volatilization of FA from stock formalin solutions, and, more importantly, the interaction product(s) formed by this highly reactive compound with medium components, especially those in serum, are probably the critical aspects of an effective testing protocol for FA.

Formaldehyde-induced acentric chromosome fragments and chromosome stickiness in Chortophaga neuroblasts.

Embryos of the grasshopper Chortophaga viridifasciata were exposed in vitro to formaldehyde (FA), as formalin, at concentrations ranging from 10(-8)M (0.0003 ppm) to 10(-3) M (30 ppm) at 38 degrees C. A low frequency of distinct acentric chromosome fragments (0.02-0.04/cell) was observed in the neuroblasts after 1 hr exposure to 7.5 X 10(-4) or 10(-3) M FA plus 3 hr recovery, but not at lower concentrations, even with 4 hr exposure. There was no obvious relation between distinct fragment frequency and concentration of FA. Neuroblasts with sticky chromosomes were observed at 10(-4), 7.5 X 10(-4), and 10(-3) M FA, the percent of cells with slight, moderate, or severe stickiness varying with FA concentrations. Fragments were associated with the sticky chromosomes. The frequency of these sticky fragments at the two higher concentrations (0.15-0.30/cell) was greater than the frequency of distinct fragments. It is concluded that the distinct acentric fragments induced by FA result from breakage at a single sticky point (slight stickiness) between separating sister chromatids. The chromosome effects observed probably result from the action of daughter products that are formed by the interaction of FA with culture medium components, especially the fetal calf serum.

Mitomycin C effects on cell cycle progression, including inhibition of very late prophase, as seen in living neuroblasts of Chortophaga viridifasciata, with some observations on mitomycin C purity.

Observations were made on living neuroblasts (Nbs) of the grasshopper (Chortophaga viridifasciata) embryo during a 4-h recovery period following 1-h in vitro exposure to 10(-8), 10(-6), and 10(-4) M mitomycin C (MMC). None of these concentrations affected the duration of mid-mitosis (prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase), but one as low as 10(-8) M causes a small reduction in the rate at which Nbs move through the remainder of the cell cycle, primarily by retarding their progress through S. As the concentration is increased there is slower movement through S and also prophase (there are no true G1 and G2 periods in the rapidly dividing Nb: 4-h cell cycle at 38 degrees C). A significant proportion of the cells exposed to 10(-4) M are blocked for 1 or more h at very late prophase, i.e., just before nuclear membrane breakdown. In such retarded prophases the chromosomes resemble c-metaphase chromosomes even though the nuclear membrane remains intact. Mass spectrometry data revealed that one lot of the MMC used contained one or more impurities.

Recent developments in mass spectrometry for the analysis of complex mixtures.

Analytical chemists faced with complex problems such as food or drug analysis, chemical dump site analysis, or incorporation of xenobiotics and natural toxins into the food chain, require increasingly sophisticated analytical tools. Recent developments in mass spectrometry may be applied to some of these analytical problems. Negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry and to a lesser extent tandem mass spectrometry have passed the stage of expensive curiosities and are now vital screening tools. Negative chemical ionization is a powerful new method for the analysis of complex environmental samples for trace levels of both oxidizing and alkylating agents. Since these compounds comprise a large number of substances known to cause cancer or other environmental health problems, it seems likely that use of NCIMS will continue to grow. Tandem mass spectrometry has several advantages for the analysis of specific organic compounds in complex mixtures. Target compounds can be isolated and identified almost instantaneously at detection limits comparable and identified almost instantaneously at detection limits comparable to GC-MS with minimum sample preparation. A major deterrent to MS/MS is price ($400,000 or more). Also, the operator must know something about the sample and what to look for. Complete characterization of a sample by MS/MS is impractical. In the past, application of mass spectrometry to the determination of molecular weight and structure of polar (or thermally labile) compounds was severely limited. The limitations are due to inability to vaporize samples or to prevent thermal decomposition. The development of desorption chemical ionization, fast atom bombardment, secondary ionization mass spectrometry, and 252Cf plasma desorption mass spectrometry was in an attempt to rectify this situation. Each of the ionization techniques has advantages and limitations. With continued research into actual ionization/desorption process and continued instrumentation development (perhaps with a lower price tag), many of these techniques will become commonplace.

Organic compounds near dumpsites in Niagara Falls, New York.

Water and sediment samples were taken from sites adjacent to hazardous waste disposal areas in Niagara Falls, New York. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatographic mass spectrometry. The following compounds were identified: chlorobenzenes, chlorotoluenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon derivatives, cyclohexane derivatives, polychlorinated biphenyls, trichlorophenol and other phenols, benzotrifluorides, mirex and phenothiazine. A large number of benzyl derivatives and unusual fluorinated compounds were also found; they were probably waste by-products of industrial chemical production. The hazardous waste disposal sites were probably the major sources for most of the compounds.