Clinical immunological disorders in children from various observation cohorts exposed to radiation factor during various stages of oncogenesis

The immune status disorders and features depending on the radiation impact type in various cohorts of radiation observations long after the Chernobyl (CNPP) disaster and the possible role of these disorders in development of chronic somatic pathology in children are shown. Lymphocyte depletion, T-cell immunity component disorders in the form of cell contraction with CD3, CD4, CD8 markers and the B-cell immunity component disorders in the form of reducing the quantity of CD10, CD23 marker cells were observed in children subject to combined chronic irradiation by 131I, 137Cs, 90Sr radionuclides. The descendants of irradiated parents (the 1st generation; children of the Chernobyl accident consequences liquidators, children of the citizens of radiation contaminated territories with various 137Cs levels) had immunity disorders of different type. A change in the total amount of NK-cells (CD16(+)-lymphocytes) is the general sign for all radiation risk groups; however, people subject to direct radiation impact demonstrated reduction of the antitumor protection potency, whereas descendants of irradiated ones demonstrated its activation with typically increasing number of CD16(+)-lymphocytes. In all radiation risk groups, a tendency to reduction of a number of cells involved in the leukocytal activation with the "pluripotential activation" marker (CD38 marker cells), proliferating cells (CD71 marker cells) and the increase of relative amount of cells with apoptosis marker (CD95(+)-lymphocytes). Immune disorder markers under the radiation impact in various cohorts of children's observation are suggested: antigens: CD4, CD8, CD10, CD23, CD16, CD38, CB71, CD95.     

The intellectual development of the children exposed to the influence of the ionizing radiation

The mental development level of the children living in the territories polluted by the radioactive nuclide as the result of Cheernobil power plant damage, exposed to the prenatal irradiation, evacuated from the alienation zone, born from parents-liquidators (1st generation of the irradiated people) was evaluated. 177 children were examinated. The control group included 34 children not exposed to the radiation. The complex of psychometric methods--"D. Wexler children's intellectual test"--for 3-6-year-old children in the translation and adaptation of A.U. Panasyuk was applied for evaluating the intellect rate. In the structure of the observed groups the pathology diseases of nervous system, of digestion organs and the congenital anomalies prevailed. Clinical and instrumental investigation showed no differences in the neurology status between the observed and the control groups. It was proved that the intellect of the children exposed to the radiation corresponds the age standards. However, intellectual development of the children irradiated in the prenatal period and children evacuated from the 2nd zone of radioactive pollution (or living there) has a tendency to its decreasing. The determining role of social, of economic and of biologic factors (the parents' education, the region of living, the birth weight) in the intellect development was indicated.     

The influence of various small plasticisers and malto-oligosaccharides on the retrogradation of (partly) gelatinised starch

Ageing of gelatinised and partly gelatinised potato starch and wheat starch were investigated in the presence of plasticisers with increasing size and number of OH groups (ethylene glycol, glycerol, threitol, xylitol, glucose, and for potato starch also maltose). The influences of these plasticisers and of granular remnants (ghosts) on recrystallisation were determined by using X-ray diffraction. Recrystallisation of potato starch samples in the presence of plasticisers resulted in crystallinity indices of 0.5. The largest reduction in potato starch recrystallisation is found for threitol (4 OH) and xylitol (5 OH). In the plasticiser range examined, the crystallisation inducing effect of granular potato starch remnants is reduced better when the plasticiser contains more OH groups. Wheat starch recrystallises to a lesser extent than potato starch, resulting in crystallinity indices of 0.4. The results for wheat starch do not show clear trends for the influences of plasticiser size and of ghosts. The difference in behaviour of the two starches is probably caused by wheat starch having shorter amylopectin chains. Resulting from these shorter amylopectin chains, the remaining structure in wheat starch ghosts may resemble A-type crystallinity, making it more difficult to form B-type crystals. Alternatively, the trends as found for potato starch may occur, but are less manifest for wheat starch, due to the lower total extent of recrystallisation. Solid state CP/MAS NMR spectra of the wheat starch samples containing ethylene glycol were obtained, in order to compare completely and partly gelatinised systems. The spectra were identical, confirming that the ghost structures do not influence wheat starch recrystallisation. Apparently, wheat starch ghosts do not act as nuclei for crystallisation.

Similarly, the influence of various malto-oligosaccharides in combination with granular remnants (ghosts) was investigated on wheat starch ageing. Gelatinised and partly gelatinised wheat starch were plasticised with maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose or maltohexaose. This resulted in crystallinity indices of 0.2, with the largest reduction in recrystallisation for maltotriose and maltotetraose. No trend was found for the influence of ghosts. The presence of ghosts did not influence the ¹³C solid state HP/DEC NMR spectra. Less recrystallisation took place than with the previously mentioned smaller plasticisers that resulted in crystallinity indices of 0.4. The finding that maltose was able to reduce retrogradation better than glucose could be of practical importance.     

The ultrastructural organization of spruce needles of different ages exposed to radiation]

The ultrastructure of mesophyll cells of spruce needle of different age within the region of Chernobyl catastrophe has been investigated. The quantitative characteristics of chloroplasts are shown to be a function of the absorbed dose rate. The effect of ionizing radiation on the processes of needle tissue ageing is discussed.     

The influence of various physiological challenges on permanent changes to the cardiovascular system

The concept of fetal programming provides an intellectual framework that links physiological adaptations that occur during development to permanent changes in postnatal regulatory systems. Recent research in the area of cardiovascular programming has highlighted the mechanisms by which these changes exert their effects. The aim of this review is to integrate some of the literature on nutritional changes, exposure to excess glucocorticoids and other challenges during development as they provide support for various mechanisms of programming of the cardiovascular system.     

Comparison of the influence of small GTPases Arl1 and Ypt6 on yeast cells' tolerance to various stress factors

The GTPases Arl1 and Ypt6 are involved in the intracellular transport of vesicles and their fusion with the trans-Golgi network. This work is focused on comparing the roles of these GTPases in the tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells to an increased concentration of alkali metal cations and other stress factors. We studied the phenotypes of arl1 or ypt6 deletions in combination with the deletions of genes encoding alkali-metal-cation transporters (ena1-4, nha1, nhx1, and kha1). Salt sensitivity of the arl1 and ypt6 mutants was shown to be independent of the tested cation transporters and electrochemical membrane potential. Phenotype manifestations of ypt6 deletion were usually more prominent than those of arl1 (cells were more sensitive to KCl, NaCl, LiCl, hygromycin B, increased temperature, and increased pH). At suboptimal temperature, the growth inhibition of arl1 and ypt6 mutants was approximately the same, and low pH was the only condition where arl1 mutants grew even worse than ypt6 mutants. Overexpression of the ARL1 gene suppressed the phenotypes of ypt6 deletion; however, this did not work vice versa (additional copies of YPT6 could not replace ARL1). Our results suggest partially overlapping functions of the GTPases in resistance to various stress factors, with Ypt6 being more efficient under physiological conditions and Arl1 more versatile when overexpressed.     

The influence of bursectomy and thymectomy on the primary antibody formation to various antigens

Neonatal bursectomy and irradiation led to a negative antibody response to bovine serum albumin andSalmonella paratyphi A. In the case of immunization with ΦX 174 phage and sheep erythrocytes a substantial depression of antibody formation was recorded. In addition, neonatal thymectomy and irradiation partially depressed the antibody response to BSA,Salmonella paratyphi A and ΦX 174 phage, on immunization with sheep erythrocytes the ability to form antibodies was almost uninfluenced     

The influence of various cell kinetic conditions on functional differentiation in the small intestine of the rat. A study of enzymes bound to subcellular organelles

The process of cell maturation and cell ageing of absorptive epithelial cells was investigated in normal rat duodenum. The development of a number of enzymes bound to subcellular organelles was studied by using microchemical analyses on various cell compartments dissected from crypts and villi from freeze-dried cryostat sections. The development of the ultrastructural features of the absorptive epithelium was investigated by electron microscopy of various cell positions along the whole length of the crypt and the base of the villus. The data obtained were related to cell position along the crypt and villus and to cell age during migration from the bottom of the crypt to the tip of the villus.The influence of changes in the life-span of the cells and of increasing proliferative activity was studied by comparing normal rat duodenum with that from germfree rats and rats recovering from low radiation doses (72 hr after 400 R).Our data show that the specific activity of nonspecific esterases mainly localized in the endoplasmic reticulum increases when the cells migrate along the upper half of the crypt and the basal part of the villus. Activity of alkaline phosphatase, measured as a marker for the microvilli, is absent in the crypt, but increases linearly from the base of the villus to the tip. The longer life-span of villus cells in germfree animals does not result in a higher activity of these enzymes than in normal animals. An increased proliferative activity in the crypt, as present 72 hr after X-irradiation, is accompanied by a decreased activity of both enzymes but the pattern of activity during cell migration remains the same. The specific activity of enzymes bound to mitochondria or lysosomes (monoamineoxidase and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase) are not affected by changing crypt cell kinetics.Electrophoretic analyses of isolated cell compartments showed that the increase during normal differentiation or the decrease after X-irradiation of esterase activity is due to changes in overall activity, not to the appearance or disappearance of specific isoenzymes. Electron microscopy showed that in the normal intestine there is a gradual development of ultrastructural features during migration of the cell along the crypt while the most drastic changes in cell structure occur at the moment the cell enters the villus. Contrary to our expectation, the ultrastructural development was not influenced by increased proliferative activity in the crypt 72 hr after irradiation, and hence the decrease in enzyme activity found cannot be related to changes in ultrastructure.     

The influence of small oligosaccharides on the immune system

In this study, oligosaccharides known to enhance the synthesis of penicillin by Penicillium chrysogenum have been presented to human immune cells and their effect measured. In addition a range of commercially available oligosaccharides have been tested. Results obtained indicate that oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerisation greater than 6 and with a tendency to form helical structures are most effective at influencing the immune system as measured by the production of reactive oxidising species. Laminariheptaose has been shown to increase reactive oxidising species production by up to 25%, whilst mannan-oligosaccharides with a DP of 6 to 7 decrease production by up to 44%. These and other results show that the immune system can recognise subtle differences in oligosaccharides and that these oligosaccharides could potentially be used to modulate the immune response.