Membrane lipids of brush border of the rat small intestine as affected by ionizing radiation]

It was established that single total X-ray irradiation in the doses of 0.1; 0.4; 1.0; 2.0; 3.0 and 6.0 Gy 24 hours after irradiation results in reliable changes in membrane lipids composition of brush border of enterocytes in doses over 1.0 Gy. By this changes under increase of dosage of irradiation it were marked differences in comparison with control in lipid-protein, total phospholipids-protein, cholesterol-protein and cholesterol-total phospholipids rations. In lipid composition major changes are connected with increase of lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine concentrations, decrease of sphingomyelin content and increase of that of phosphatidylethanolamine. Content of cholesterol and free fatty acids decreased reliably under irradiation in doses over 1.0 Gy as well. Data obtained proves that structural-functional properties of brush border membranes of enterocytes of small intestine are altered under irradiation in doses ranging from 1.0 to 6.0 Gy. Lower doses (0.1; 0.4) cause only trend of changes named above.     

Mechanism of action of small doses of radiation

Opposite changes occur in the intensity of UV-fluorescence (UVF) in irradiated (0.1 Gy and 5.0 Gy) HeLa cells. The radiometric study has demonstrated that there is a correlation between the number of tryptophan-containing proteins and UVF intensity in nonirradiated and irradiated (5.0 Gy) cells during culture growth. Such a correlation was absent in cells exposed to 0.1 Gy radiation. Low radiation doses (0.1 Gy) have maximum action on cytoplasm membrane fluorescence. Low-level radiation changes the intensity of the ANS probe fluorescence connected with cell membranes, and the intensity of the cell protein UVF. High radiation doses increase and low doses decrease the probe fluorescence.     

Body size distribution in flea communities harboured by Siberian small mammals as affected by host species,host sex and scale: scale matters the most

The distribution of body sizes of co-existing species at different scales reflects the scale-dependency of rules governing community assembly. Investigation of among-scale variation in community assembly is impeded by the methodological difficulties of establishing scale boundaries. Studying body size distribution in parasites allows us to avoid the problem of defining scale because parasite communities have clear boundaries and are represented by infracommunities (an assemblage harboured by an individual host), component communities (an assemblage harboured by a host population in a locality), and compound communities (an assemblage harboured by a host community in a locality). We studied body size distribution of fleas parasitic on small mammals in Western Siberia using null models. We asked whether body size ratios (i.e., size differences among coexisting species) in these communities demonstrate non-random segregated or aggregated patterns and whether these patterns differ between (a) host species, (b) host sexes and (c) infra-, component, and compound communities. No effect of host sex on the pattern of body size distribution was found at either scale, whereas an effect of host species was found in infracommunities only. We found a tendency of flea infracommunities toward segregation, whereas body size distributions in component and compound communities were consistently aggregated. We propose that the former could be caused by apparent competition (=?negative indirect interactions among fleas due to shared natural enemy, i.e. a host), whereas we the latter could be explained by host- and environment-associated filtering (=?factors restricting co-occurring species to a certain subset that share certain traits). We conclude that, counterintuitively, flea communities at the lowest hierarchical scale are mainly governed by evolutionary mechanisms, whereas communities at higher scale are assembled via ecological processes.     

Characteristic cytogenetic effects of small doses of ionizing radiation

A study was made of the frequency of chromosome aberrations in human lymphocyte culture after gamma-irradiation (60Co) with doses ranging from 0.05 to 1.0 Gy at dose--rates of 0,005, 0.05 and 0.5 Gy/min. The frequency of structural changes in chromosomes at low doses was higher than it was expected in the case of extrapolating the effect produced by high to low doses of radiation; within the dose range from 0.1 to 0.5 Gy a plateau was registered for aberrations of the exchange type (dicentrics and rings). The abnormal character of the dose dependence of the yield of chromosome aberrations persisted with all three dose - rates under study.     

Morphologic changes in the liver as affected by small intestine fistulae

Rat experiments have revealed the relationship between the liver pathomorphosis and the small-intestinal fistulae situated at various levels (high, low, or medium-height). Vacuolar dystrophy of the hepatocytes was found to be the major pathology in fistulae of the small intestine.     

Reliability of autoregulatory mechanisms of biosystems as affected by ionizing radiation

Reliability of biosystems in processes of adaptation and homeostasis after whole-body irradiation of rats with different doses was determined in terms of the stochastic process theory developed for the autoregulatory systems with random parameters. Fluctuations in the rate of spontaneous chemiluminescence of blood serum and accumulation of lipid peroxidation products by erythrocyte membranes of rat blood were taken as the initial material. The analysis of fluctuations of peculiar parameters permitted to predict the adaptability of the system and to make timely corrections.     

Experimental modeling of autoimmune reactions as affected by nonionizing microwave radiation

In experiments on albino Wistar rats the autoimmune reactions were shown to be stimulated by the effect of microwaves of 50 and 500 microW/cm2. The authors showed the possibility of the autoimmunity simulation by immunization of intact animals by the brain tissue of exposed albino rats. This process was dependent on the microwave radiation intensity.     

Response of barley seedlings to UV-B radiation as affected by NaCl

The response of barley seedlings, subjected to 150 mmol/L NaCl for 4 days at different light regimes (4 d in the light, 4 d in darkness and a 12 h light/dark cycle) before UV-B radiation was investigated. NaCl treatment resulted in a decrease of total chlorophyll content and an increase in H2O2, free proline and lipid peroxidation, as quantified by measurement of malondialdehyde. Significantly more proline was accumulated in the light than in darkness. The combination of UV-B and NaCl treatment produced an additive effect on most of the parameters studied. UV-B radiation reduced the chlorophyll/carotenoids ratio and photochemical efficiency of PSII as estimated by chlorophyll fluorescence. NaCl pre-exposure decreased H2O2 generation and lipid peroxidation and alleviated the inhibitory effect of UV-B on PSII activity. Proline accumulated under salt stress conditions might be one of the reasons for the observed tolerance of barley seedlings to UV-B radiation.     

Reactions of mammalian nerve cells to small doses of radiation

In experiments with rat brain slices it was shown that a radiation-induced short-term increase in spontaneous neuron activity was mainly a function of dose rate. Pulsed X-radiation (pulse length of 2 X 10(-8) s, doses of 3 X 10(-5) to 6 X 10(-4) Gy) caused the most pronounced reactions that were almost completely prevented by caffeine, euphylline, and norepinephrine (10(-4) to 10(-3) M).     

Viability of rat thymocytes as affected by radiation and combined radiation-heat damage

A share of damaged (nonviable) cells of rat thymus was quantitatively estimated on days 1 and 3 following irradiation with doses of 1, 3 and 6 Gy and a combined treatment with radiation and heat. The percentage of nonviable thymocytes was higher after the combined treatment than after the effect of radiation alone delivered in equivalent doses.     

Embryonic mortality of the root vole as an index of the effect of small doses of natural radioactivity on genetic processes in populations

A study was made of the pre- and post-implantation death of (F2--F4) Microtus oeconomus progeny whose parents lived in territories where natural radiation background was increased (an exposition dose-rate of 3.6-144.0 pC/kg X s). The spontaneous rate of pre- and post-implantation death of progeny of irradiated (experimental) animals was higher than that of intact ones (control). The animals kept in conditions of chronic irradiation (46.2 pC/kg X s) exhibited a more pronounced discrepancy in embryonal death rate. It is suggested that genetic differences in the populations were responsible for different rate of embryonal death of the control and experimental animals.