Distribution and replenishing of riboflavin in albino mice with acute alcoholic intoxication

It is shown that acute alcohol intoxication in the tissues of white mice accelerates riboflavin metabolism. In this case arrival of the exogenous vitamin with accompanying depletion of its endogenous resources is observed to intensify.     

Effect of thiamine and its derivatives on acetylcholinesterase activity of the blood and brain of albino mice

Thiamine, thiaminepyrophosphate and 4-methyl-5-beta-oxyethylthiazole are studied for their effect on the acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain, blood plasma and cells. The activity of acetylcholinesterase in blood cells is shown to be inhibited most of all by thiamine and thiazole. Acetylcholinesterase of the brain has been efficiently inhibited only by thiamine pyrophosphate.     

Blood thiamine and thiamine phosphate ester concentrations in alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases.

Thiamine state was investigated in patients with alcoholic liver disease, patients with various non-alcoholic liver diseases, and controls using a direct technique (thiochrome assay) to measure thiamine, thiamine monophospate, and the active coenzyme thiamine pyrophosphate in whole blood after isolating the fractions by ion exchange chromatography. Overall nutrition was similar in all groups as assessed by anthropometry, and no patient had clinical evidence of thiamine deficiency. There was no significant difference among the groups in mean concentration of any form of thiamine. The scatter was much greater in patients with alcoholic liver disease but only 8.7% had biochemical thiamine deficiency (defined as a blood concentration of the active coenzyme greater than 2 SD below the mean control value). An unexpected finding was of abnormally high total thiamine concentrations (greater than 2 SD above the mean control value) in 17.4% of patients with alcoholic liver disease, the highest concentrations being found in two patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. The ratio of phosphorylated to unphosphorylated thiamine was calculated as an index of phosphorylation and, although the mean did not differ significantly among the groups, the range was greatest in alcoholic liver disease. The lowest ratios occurred in the two patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, but neither had evidence of thiamine pyrophosphate deficiency. Contrary to studies using indirect assay techniques, these results suggest that thiamine deficiency is unusual in well nourished patients with alcoholic liver disease. The new finding of unexpectedly high thiamine concentrations in some patients may be due to abnormalities of hepatic storage or release in liver disease, particularly in severe alcoholic hepatitis. There was no convincing evidence of impaired thiamine phosphorylation in any patients with liver disease. Conclusions from studies using indirect assays on the prevalence and mechanisms of thiamine deficiency in liver diseases may not be valid.     

Changes in the phagocytic activity of the peritoneal macrophages of white mice caused by alcoholic intoxication

Observations made on white mice showed that doses of alcohol had a stimulating effect on the indices of macrophage acitivity (pagocytic number and phagocytic index), while longer administration of 40% ethyl alcohol solution (in doses of 0,1 ml for 21--30 days) suppressed the functional activity of macrophages. In vitro experiments in which macrophages were subjected to the action of ethyl alcohol showed that alcohol, depending on its concentration, had a direct effect on the cells of the microphage system.     

Modulatory potential of Spirulina fusiformis on testicular phosphatases in Swiss albino mice against mercury intoxication

Administration of mercuric chloride (HgCl2; 5.0 mg/kg body weight) to male Swiss albino-mice resulted in significantly higher levels of testicular acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities as compared to control. In combination group where S. fusiformis (800 mg/kg body weight) was given before and after HgCl2 treatment, the mercury induced toxicity reduced in terms of decreased levels of ACP and ALP activities in the testis. The animal treated with only Spirulina did not show any alteration in ACP and ALP values. It is suggested that oral administration of Spirulina can modulate mercury induced testicular toxicity.     

Changes in the cortical neuronal dendrites in experimental alcoholic intoxication

The state of the cortical neuron dendrites was studied in rats at various stages of alcohol intoxication; two categories of changes occurred in dendrites--destructive and compensatory. These changes depended on the stages of alcohol intoxication and individual peculiarities of the central nervous system of the animals.     

Ultrastructural detection of cholesterol in the liver in chronic alcoholic intoxication

The authors studied the deposits of cholesterol in the liver of alcoholic men and rats by means of cytochemical method. The localization of cholesterol in intracellular and extracellular compartments was shown. In numerous hepatocytes there were focal destructions in mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membranes.     

Influence of dietary supplementation with thiamine on lead intoxication in rats

The influence of dietary supplementation with thiamine on lead (Pb) contents in blood and tissues, blood δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD) activity, and urinary excretion of δ-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA) was evaluated in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Groups of randomly selected animals were given a thiamine-deficient diet, a diet containing normal thiamine (20 mg/kg), or a thiamine-supplemented diet (50 mg/kg), along with control drinking water or water containing 100 ppm Pb, for 4 mo. Animals fed the thiamine-supplemented diet (50 mg/kg) and Pb showed decreased urinary excretion of δ-ALA and a decreased inhibition of δ-ALAD activity in blood compared to those given Pb with normal thiamine diet. The liver, kidney, and blood of rats receiving supplemental thiamine also contained significantly less Pb than the other two treatment groups given Pb-containing water. The protective effect of thiamine against Pb toxicity may be attributed to its interference with retention of the metal in body tissue, possibly resulting from the formation of excretable thiamine-lead complexes.     

Signaling targets of alcoholic intoxication in human skeletal muscle

Intracellular signaling pathways were investigated in skeletal muscle cells at the early stages of alcohol addiction manifestations. No muscle fiber atrophy was observed in m. vastus lateralis of male patients. No significant changes in the signaling mechanisms that control protein degradation were detected as well. However, the concentration of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in blood plasma as well as the content of markers of intracellular signaling pathways regulating protein synthesis were significantly reduced compared to the control group.     

Correction with formate of metabolic disorders in alcoholic intoxication

Formate was studied for its effect on the content of acetaldehyde, activity of the total aldehyde dehydrogenase, content of substrates of glycolysis and tricarbonic-cycle and pool of free amino acids of rat tissues during alcohol intoxication. The introduction of formate during the acute alcohol intoxication lowers the acetaldehyde content in the blood; the ethanol load being prolonged--it increases the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase and normalizes the content of pyruvate, glutamate and malate in the liver and glutamate and oxaloacetate in the brain, that evidences for the correction of metabolic disturbances in the organism.     

Hemispheric lateralization of the visual-spatial function in chronic alcoholic intoxication in humans

A series of behavioural and electrophysiological parameters was recorded in subjects with chronic alcohol intoxication during solving of visual-spatial nonverbalized task. It is shown that in comparison with the healthy subjects, their reaction time (RT) of correct decisions was increased; it was more expressed when stimuli were presented in the left visual field, i.e., directly to the right hemisphere, and the number of correct reactions decreased at stimuli presentation directly to the left hemisphere. During repeated tests there were no changes in the number of correct reactions and RT value in the group with chronic alcohol intoxication. It is found that long-term taking of alcohol produces an increase of latency and decrease of the amplitude of the late positive wave P300, more pronounced in the right cerebral hemisphere.