Effect of orally administered l-carnitine on selected biochemical indicators of lactating Tuj-ewes

The effect of orally administered l-carnitine on biochemical parameters was examined in lactating Tuj-ewes. Ewes were orally given 500 mg of l-carnitine daily for 3 weeks. To evaluate the changes on selected blood indicators (total protein, albumin, glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, urea, aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, lipase, triiodothyronine and thyroxine), blood samples were collected at the beginning of the study, and at the end of 1st, 2nd and 3rd week of study. Oral administration of supplemental carnitine significantly decreased serum triglyceride (P < 0.05), glucose (P < 0.05), cholesterol (P < 0.05) and triiodothyronine (P < 0.05) concentrations. In addition, serum thyroxine (P < 0.001) and albumin (P < 0.01) concentrations were significantly elevated as a result of oral carnitine treatment. These results suggest that supplemental l-carnitine improves selected biochemical indicators in Tuj-ewes.     

Combined biochemical and immunochemical comparison of peptidylarginine deiminases present in various tissues

We have performed a combined biochemical and immunochemical study on the identity of peptidylarginine deiminases (EC 3.5.3.15) present in various mammalian tissues. First, we purified peptidylarginine deiminase from rat skeletal muscle. It gave a single band of molecular weight 83,000 in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Next we immunized rabbits with the purified enzyme. The resulting antibodies reacted specifically with the antigen in Western blot assay. Most of the enzyme activities present in rat skeletal muscle, brain, spinal cord, submaxillary gland and spleen could be characterized as the same muscle-type enzyme by immunoprecipitation and Western blot assay. The antibodies did not react with enzyme samples obtained from rat hair follicles and bovine epidermis. The lack of immunoreactivity of the epidermal enzyme could not be accounted for by the species difference, since the antibodies reacted with a 83 kDa polypeptide of bovine brain, which was thought to represent a bovine counterpart of the muscle-type enzyme. The epidermal enzyme could be distinguished from the other enzyme samples by its high activity towards benzoylarginine. These data suggest the existence of at least three types of peptidylarginine deiminase in mammalian tissues, i.e., a muscle type, a hair follicle type, and an epidermal type.     

Electrophoretic and biochemical studies of human aldehyde dehydrogenase isozymes in various tissues

Four major ALDH isozymes have been identified in human tissues using starch gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. The isozyme bands have been termed as ALDH I, II, III and IV according to their decreasing electrophoretic migration and increasing isoelectric point. The isozymes have been partially purified via preparative isoelectric focusing. Kinetic characteristics of ALDH I and II were found to be quite similar to ALDH enzyme 2 and enzyme 1 described earlier by Greenfield and Pietruszko (Biochem Biophys Acta, $\text{483}$ 35–45 1977). ALDH III and IV showed a very high Km for propionaldehyde (1.0–1.5 mM at pH 9.5) and were not inhibited by disulfiram at pH 9.5. A variant phenotype of ALDH which lacked in isozyme I was detected in various tissues from Japanese individuals. Comparative kinetic properties of normal and variant enzyme are given.     

Effect of the external electrostatic field on the conformation of a macromolecule containing charged groups

A method for calculating the free energy of a macromolecule containing charged groups in electrostatic field in aqueous solution was proposed. The non-electrostatic component of free energy was calculated with consideration of van der Waals interactions between uncharged parts of the macromolecule. The electrostatic component of free energy was calculated with regard for the interactions of charged groups of the macromolecule with each other and with water molecules. It was found that, depending on the strength of external electric field, the free energy of the system passes through a minimum, whereas the internal energy passes through a maximum. By minimizing the free energy, relative changes in the mean radius 'r' and the distance between the termini of the macromolecule 'h' were calculated. It was found that, at some values of field strength, both 'r' and 'h' decrease. An increase in strength led to an increase in 'r' and 'h'. The regularities observed depend on the charge of the macromolecule and the spatial redistribution of macromolecules and counterions.     

The adaptational changes in lipid peroxidation under the chronic action of an electrostatic field

Experiments on young puberal Wistar rats have shown that chronic effect of the electrostatic field brings lipid peroxidation (LPO) to a new level of the dynamic equilibrium. Metabolism of lipids proved to be sensitive to this factor. But the systems regulating LPO actively holds a new equilibrium state. Inert LPO products of the lipopigments type can bind vitamin E whose content in tissues remains unchanged.     

Controlling effect of T lymphocyte suppressors on the proliferation of cells in various tissues

The changes in mitotic index of mouse bone marrow, spleen, liver, kidneys, small intestine, cornea were studied during alterations in the number of T-suppressors. It was found that mitotic activity in all tissues investigated enhanced significantly after a decrease in the number of T-suppressors caused by single injection of an antiserum against T-suppressors. On the contrary, the mitotic index diminished significantly after the transfer of tolerant spleen lymphoid cell suspension enriched by T-suppressors to normal syngeneic mice. These data indicate that T-suppressors are responsible for the control over cell proliferation in nonlymphoid tissues.     

Modification of the effect of high temperature on biochemical processes by perturbed geomagnetic field

The biochemical data on the influence of perturbed geomagnetic field on the hormonal-mediator regulation systems are presented. The possibility of biological effects modification under combined action of perturbed geomagnetic field and high temperature of environment is discussed.     

Effect of irradiation on the intracellular reception of glucocorticoids in tissues with various radiosensitivities

The experiments with albino female rats showed that whole-body gamma-irradiation with a dose of 1 Gy caused various alterations in concentrations of cytoplasmic and nuclear glucocorticoid receptors depending on tissue radiosensitivity (liver, thymus) and postirradiation time-intervals (1, 3, 10, 30, and 60 days). There was also a change in the receptor affinity to glucocorticoids.