Antiproliferative effects of 9-beta-d-arabinofuranosyladenine in a mammalian cell line devoid of adenosine deaminase activity.

The effect of ara-A on cellular growth, DNA synthesis, and RNA synthesis, and RNA synthesis was measured in an established cell line (B-mix K-44/6) devoid of adenosine deaminase activity. Cells adapted to growth in a medium supplemented with horse serum provided an environment totally lacking adenosine deaminase activity whereas cultivation of cells in a medium supplemented with calf serum provided a system capable of deaminating ara-A to ara-H (half-life = 14 hours). Under deaminase-free conditions early log phase cells underwent 1.5 population doublings during 28 hours compared with 0.25 doublings in the presence of 37 micronM ara-A. When cells were grown in medium supplemented with calf serum the additionof 37 to 225 micronM ara-A resulted in a cessation of mitosis for periods of 5 to 30 hours respectively. Following this quiescent period growth resumed at the original rate. With 600 micronM ara-A mitosis was reversibly inhibited up to 35 hours after drug addition. The effects of ara-A on RNA and DNA synthesis were monitored by continuously or pulse labeling B-mix K-44/6 cells with [3H]-uridine or [3H]thymidine. Ara-A did not influence RNA synthesis as judged by labeled uridine incorporation. Under deaminase-free conditions, 5.4 micronM ara-A inhibited labeled thymidine incorporation by 50%. In the presence of the enzyme, approximately twice the ara-A concentration was required for the same inhibition; furthermore the initial inhibition was followed by a partial recovery in the rate of thymidine incorporation. Examination of thymidine incorporation. Examination of thymidine nucleotide pools during ara-A treatment revealed to changes in the labeling of dTMP, dTDP, and dTTP. Thus inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation by ara-A accurately reflected inhibition of DNA synthesis. We conclude that, in spite of an initial inhibition of DNA synthesis and mitosis by ara-A, B-mix K-44/6 cells recover from the inhibitory effects if the drug is removed either by a change in the culture medium or by metabolism to ara-H.     

Analysis of interpretations of full-mouth and panoramic surveys.

The purposes of this study were to determine differences in interpretation of radiographic findings of full-mouth and panoramic surveys by junior and senior dental students and differences in their interpretive skills. The parameters of interest were caries, incipiencies, lamina dura interruptions, periodontal membrane changes, and periapical bone changes. The questions to be answered regarding the differences between the full-mouth and panoramic surveys were: (1) In which type of radiograph were the most lesions found? (2) In which type of radiograph are the most "non-existing" lesions found? (3) In which type of radiograph are the most lesions undetected? (4) Does the junior or senior dental student demonstrate the most accuracy in his interpretation?