Anxiety level during morphine abstinence correlates with the status of nitrergic system in the rat hippocampus

Opiate addiction is accompanied by long-term structural and functional changes in brain regions persisting during abstinence, this status being an experimental model of the aberrant neuroplasticity. Nitric oxide is known to be involved in mechanisms of psychopathological events during opiate abstinence. In this study, indices of a nitregic system (nitric synthase activity--NOS, nitrites and nitrates concentration--NOx-) were measured in the rat brain region during morphine abstinence. Prior to this, the rats were tested for anxiety in an elevated plus maze. NOS activity increased in hippocampus 3 days after morphine withdrawal, while NOx--6 days after withdrawal. No changes of the nitrergic system could be revealed in other brain regions under study. Six days (but not 3 days) after morphine withdrawal, rats visited the open arms of the plus maze more frequently and spent more time in these arms as compared with respective controls. The data suggest that nitrergic system changes in the hippocampus may be involved in molecular mechanisms of behavioural alteration during morphine abstinence in rats.     

Mapping the amino acid properties of constituent nucleoporins onto the yeast nuclear pore complex

Visualization of molecular structures aids in the understanding of structural and functional roles of biological macromolecules. Macromolecular transport between the cell nucleus and cytoplasm is facilitated by the nuclear pore complex (NPC). The ring structure of the NPC is large and contains several distinct proteins (nucleoporins) which function as a selective gate for the passage of certain molecules into and out of the nucleus. In this note we demonstrate the utility of a python code that allows direct mapping of the physiochemical properties of the constituent nucleoporins on the scaffold of the yeast NPC׳s cytoplasmic view. We expect this tool to be useful for researchers to visualize the NPC based on their physiochemical properties and how it alters when specific mutations are introduced in one or more of the nucleoporins. The code developed using Python is available freely from the authors.     

The study of DNA integrity in somatic cells and spermatozoa by single cell gel electrophoresis with silver staining

In present work we studied DNA damage in human and bovine lymphocytes and spermatozoa by means of single cell gel electrophoresis followed by silver staining. The spontaneous frequency of DNA damage estimated manually in spermatozoa from healthy donors did not exceed 9% (on average -- 4.8 +/- 1.2%). The frequency of DNA damages in bull sperm after short (less than a year) and long period (more than 20 years) of cryopreservation was assessed as 3.1 +/- 0.9 and 4.3 +/- 0.5%, correspondingly. The comparative estimation of DNA damages in lymphocytes followed by silver staining is a valuable tool to estimate DNA damage in populations of somatic and reproductive cells.     

Dependence of creatine kinase and glycogen synthetase activities of skeletal muscles on state of adenine nucleotide phosphorylation and cAMP metabolism

Changes in the contents of adenine nucleotides, creatine phosphate, inorganic phosphate, creatine, glucose-6-phosphate and glycogen and the activity of adenylate cyclase, creatine kinase, glycogen phosphorylase 31:51-AMP-phosphodiesterase and glycogen synthetase in muscles and of blood catecholamines were studied in adult rats before loading, immediately after the cessation of the muscular activity, and at rest. Adenine nucleotides are established to play a regulatory role in catabolic and anabolic processes nucleotides are established to play a regulatory role in catabolic and anabolic processes related to the muscular activity. It is established that compensation and supercompensation of the working losses of muscular creatine phosphate and glycogen are due to activation of anabolic processes under conditions of higher phosphorylation of the adenylic system.     

Some characteristics of the process of forming autophagocytic vacuoles in the hepatocytes of regenerating rat liver]

This work deals with the previously described process of cellular autophagocytosis in regenerating rat liver. The experimental data obtained indicate that the early appearance of acid phosphatase positive cytoplasmic vacuoles (with diameter more than 2 mu) occur only in a certain portion of the parenchymal cell population (nearly 30% of the total number of hepatocytes) and mainly in the central area of the hepatic lobule. It may be concluded that the observed reaction of the cell vacuolar apparatus concerns hepatocytes that undergo the entry into the mitotic cycle much later than does the main part (ca 60%) of cell population.     

Changes in the content of various types of cholesterol and phospholipids in rat tissues during cold acclimation

Acclimation of rats to cooling (10 and 3 degrees C) for 2 weeks is accompanied by changes in the content of cholesterol, various forms of phospholipids and the degree of saturation of their fatty acids. No changes in the lipid composition of tissues were noted which might indicate pathological condition in animals.