A study of the mechanism of the antiarrhythmic action of Allapinin

Allapinin (lappaconitine hydrobromide) is a drug used for the treatment of cardiac rhythm disturbances; its properties are characteristic of class IC antiarrhythmics. The mechanism of its electrophysiological action involves the blockade of Na⁺ channels with a subsequent decrease of depolarization rate leading to a slowing of impulse propagation and a decrease of excitability in the conductive system of the heart. Factors underlying the side effects of Allapinin (tachycardia, arterial hypertension, impaired coordination, etc.) are currently unknown, and therefore a study of the molecular mechanisms of its action seems relevant. The target genes of the drug were identified in rats with induced aconitine arrhythmia using the commercially available Rat Neuroscience Ion Channels & Transporters RT² Profiler? PCR Array kit (SA Biosciences). A comparison of expression levels of 84 genes in rats treated with Allapinin, after the induction of arrhythmia by aconitine (experiment) and in physiological saline-treated arrhythmic rats (control), revealed 18 mRNAs which were up- or downregulated twofold or more in the experiment relative to the control. Allapinin was shown to stimulate the expression of genes coding for various types of K⁺ channels (kcna6, kcnj1, kcnj4, kcnq2, and kcnq4), Ca²⁺ channel (cacna1g), and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (slc18a3). A decrease in mRNA levels was detected for genes coding for K⁺ channels (kcne1, kcns1), a Na⁺ channel (scn8a), and membrane transporter genes (atp4a, slc6a9). Our data shows that Allapinin administered to animals with aconitine arrhythmia modulates the expression of genes accounting for ion current conductances involved in the formation of various phases of action potential (I _Na , I _to , I _Ks , I _K1 , I _CaT ). The effect of the drug on the levels of mRNAs coding for acetylcholine and glycine transporters suggests the involvement of these neuromediators in the mechanisms underlying the antiarrhythmic effect of Allapinin.     

Microionophoretic study of the mechanism of action of gamma-hydroxybutyrate

The effect of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHBA) on the extracellularly registered spontaneous electrical activity of nervous cells of the rabbit brain sensomotor cortex was studied using the microionophoretic technique. GHBA decreased the frequency of action potential in the majority of the neurons studied. A specific gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) blocking agent bicuculline prevented GBHA inhibitory effect. GHBA is suggested to interact with central GABA-receptors. The frequency of discharges increased in some neutrons due to GHBA, while GHBA prevented the development of GABA inhibitory effect. This is indicative of probable competitive relations between GHBA and GABA during their interaction with the same receptor. The conditions for the development of such relations are discussed.     

A DFT method for the study of the antioxidant action mechanism of resveratrol derivatives

Quantum-chemical calculations using DFT, have been performed to explain the molecular structure antioxidant activity relationship of resveratrol (RSV) (1) analogues: 3,4-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene (3,4-DHS) (2); 4,4′-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene (4,4′-DHS) (3); 4-hydroxy-trans-stilbene (4-HS) (4); 3,5-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene (3,5-DHS) (5); 3,3′-dimethoxy-4,4′-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene (3,3′-DM-4,4′-DHS) (6); 2,4-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene (2,4-DHS) (7) and 2,4,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene (2,4,4′-THS) (8). It was found that all compounds studied were effective antioxidants with the exception of 3, 5-DHS. The high antioxidant activity of both 3, 3′-DM-4, 4′-DHS and 3, 4-DHS may be due to the abstraction of the two hydrogen atoms of the para and ortho-position hydroxyls respectively, to form a quinone structure. Our results revealed that the antioxidant pharmacophore of 2,4-DHS and 2,4,4′-THS, exhibiting higher antioxidant activity than resveratrol, is the 2-hydroxystilbene, rather than 4-hydroxystilbene. Experimental observations were satisfactorily explained and commented.     

The mechanism of sulfonylurea stimulation of insulin release

The mechanisms for sulfonylurea stimulation of insulin release were explored by studying how these compounds interacted with beta-cell-rich pancreatic islets isolated from ob/ob-mice. Although sulfonylureas from the "second generation" were taken up to a greater extent, there was no direct correlation between the binding to the islets and the stimulation of insulin release. Drugs, which are known to augment the hypoglycemic action of the sulfonylureas, displaced these compounds from serum albumin to the islets. Sulfonylurea binding to the beta-cells is supposed to result from a hydrophobic interaction of the drug with the beta-cell surface counteracted by electrostatic repulsion from fixed negative charges at the cell surface. Like glucose, the sulfonylureas stimulate insulin release by promoting the Ca2+ influx into the beta-cells. The enhanced Ca2+ influx cannot be accounted for by Ca2+-ionophoretic activity but is secondary to a depolarisation of the beta-cells by a mechanism which may involve a reaction with thiol groups in the plasma membrane.     

水稻化感物质抑草作用机理的分子生物学研究

水稻化感作用是通过水稻植株体向环境中释放化感物质来实现的．水稻化感物质的主要抑草作用机理有：抑制杂草种子的发芽,影响激素平衡,破坏细胞膜系统的完整性,影响光合作用和呼吸作用,干扰对营养和水分的吸收,影响蛋白质合成和基因表达等．水稻化感作用是由多基因控制的,表现为数量性状．利用分子生物学技术和化感生物检测技术等研究手段检测到了多个水稻化感作用的主效应(QTLs)位点,但不同水稻化感种质其主效应QTLs位点明显不同．通过分子辅助选择和建立近等基因系的方法对检测到的QTLs作进一步的精细定位,最终实现水稻化感抑草有利基因的克隆是今后研究的重要方向。     

Protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocytes. A study of the mechanism of Co-eIF-2 action

The characteristics of component activities in Co-eIF-2 (where eIF is eukaryotic initiation factor) protein complex have been studied. (i) At limiting concentrations, Co-eIF-2 promoted rapid GDP binding to eIF-2 and also GDP displacement from eIF-2 X GDP during ternary complex formation in the presence of GTP and Mg2+ (Co-eIF-2C activity) but did not significantly stimulate ternary complex formation by eIF-2. (ii) At higher concentrations, Co-eIF-2 significantly enhanced ternary complex formation by eIF-2 and also rendered the complex stable to aurintricarboxylic acid presumably as Co-eIF-2 became physically bound to the ternary complex (Co-eIF-2A activity). (iii) Ternary complex preformed in the presence of Co-eIF-2 and without Mg2+ dissociated upon subsequent addition of Mg2+ (Co-eIF-2B activity). This dissociation reaction was presumably due to loss of interaction of the Co-eIF-2A component in Co-eIF-2 with the ternary complex (reversal of Co-eIF-2A activity) as the complex became increasingly sensitive to aurintricarboxylic acid with increasing Mg2+ concentration. In another study, purified eIF-2 was freed of bound GDP by treatment with alkaline phosphatase and the characteristics of native and GDP-free eIF-2 were compared. (i) One mM Mg2+ inhibited (60%) ternary complex formation by native eIF-2 but not by GDP-free eIF-2. Addition of exogenous GDP rendered GDP-free eIF-2 sensitive to Mg2+ indicating that Mg2+ inhibition is due to eIF-2-bound GDP. (ii) In the presence of Mg2+, Co-eIF-2 stimulated similarly ternary and Met-tRNAf X 40 S X AUG complex formation by both native and GDP-free eIF-2. Such stimulatory activity in each case was strongly inhibited by prior phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha subunit by heme-regulated translational inhibitor. (iii) Ternary complexes preformed using either native and GDP-free eIF-2 and excess Co-eIF-2A80 in the absence of Mg2+ did not form Met-tRNAf X 40 S X AUG complex. They required trace amounts of Co-eIF-2 for such activity.