Intensity of peroxidation processes and activity of antioxidant enzymes in rat tissues at high chromium level in the diet

The data on the influence of chromium in different tissues of rats at its consumption with mixed fodder in the form of CrCl3 x 6H2O on the intensity of peroxidation processes and activity of antioxidant enzymes are presented. The degree of high chromium content in the studied tissues of rats at its addition to mixed fodder in the amount of 200 microg/kg during 30 days was established. Chromium content in the rat tissues decreased in the order: the spleen, heart, kidneys, lungs, brain, liver, skeletal muscle. In all tissues of rats fed with mixed fodder with chromium addition, except for skeletal muscles, content of lipid peroxidation products--hydroperoxide and TBARS-products decreased. The content of lipid peroxidation products decreased in the spleen, kidneys, liver and lungs. Also in all organs and tissues of rats the activity of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and catalase increased at the action of chromium. In the brain and kidneys the level of reduced glutathione increased. Superoxide dismutase activity was significantly higher not only in the heart and skeletal muscles of animals and is probably equal in the lungs and liver, and in other organs--the brain, kidneys and spleen in animals of the studied group the enzyme activity was lower as compared to animals of the control group. Obtained results demonstrate the regulatory influence of chromium on free radical process in the rat tissues.     

Endotoxaemia in rats: role of leukocyte sequestration in rapid pulmonary nitric oxide synthase-2 expression.

Nitric oxide (NO), depending on the amount, time and source of generation may exert both, protective and deleterious actions during endotoxic acute lung injury (ALI). Evaluation of the expression and localization of NOS isoforms in the lung of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated rats may contribute to understanding the role of NO in pathogenesis of ALI. Tissue samples (lung, heart, liver, kidney and spleen) as well as peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) were collected from control male Wistar rats and LPS - treated animals, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 min after LPS injection (2 mg kg(-1) min(-1) for 10 minutes, i.v.). Levels of NOS-2 and NOS-3 mRNA and protein in tissues and PMNs were estimated by RT-PCR, Northern blotting and Western blotting. Additionally, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in tissue samples was assayed. NOS-3 mRNA as well as protein were detected in lungs of control animals; pulmonary NOS-3 expression was not influenced by LPS. The induction of NOS-2 mRNA in rat lungs and in PMNs isolated from peripheral blood was observed 15 minutes after LPS challenge. In contrast, increase of NOS-2 mRNA in the heart, kidneys, liver and spleen was observed 2-3 hours after LPS injection. In all tissues rise in NOS-2 mRNA was followed after 1-2 hours by increase of NOS-2 protein. Importantly, progressive leukocyte sequestration in the lung parenchyma that started as early as 15 min after LPS injection was revealed only in the lungs; in other organs no significant changes in MPO activity were detected up to 180 min after LPS injection. In conclusion, infusion of LPS caused much more rapid expression of NOS-2 in lungs as compared to the heart, kidneys, liver and spleen. Early induction of NOS-2 may depend on the LPS-stimulated rapid neutrophil sequestration within lung vasculature and fast induction of NOS-2 in sequestrated neutrophils.     

Biosynthesis of pregnancy-specific beta1-globulin in rats in an in vivo system

It has been demonstrated that pregnancy-specific beta1-globulin is synthesized by the rat placenta. Other organs of pregnant animals (liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, spleen) were incapable of synthesizing this antigen. The greatest amount of pregnancy-specific beta1-globulin is observed in the blood of intact animals on the 11th day after the introduction of ground placental tissue.     

57Co-bleomycetin pharmacokinetics in the body of mice with LIO-1 lymphosarcoma

Pharmacokinetics of 57Co-bleomycetin was studied on mice with lymphosarcoma LIO-1. It was found that at early periods of intravenous administration of the labeled antibiotic, i.e. within the period from 5 minutes to 1 hour its higher levels are detected in the liver, kidneys, blood serum, lungs, intestine and tumor. At later periods the drug levels in the organs and tissues gradually decrease and by the 72nd hour the concentration of 57Co-bleomycetin in the blood serum appears to be 30 times lower as that after 5 minutes. In the muscles and tumor its concentrations by that period are 15 and 2 times lower respectively. Radiometry of the animals showed that within the first 24 hours more than 85 per cent of 57Co-bleomycetin was excreted from the mice.     

Distribution and elimination of transplanted sarcoma JWS and leukemia L1210 cells in allogeneic recipients--inbred C57BL mice by intravenous route]

The distribution of neoplastic--JWS sarcoma and lymphatic leukemia L-1210 cells after intravenous injection into allogeneic recipients is presented. Cells were labelled with two labels: cytoplasmic (sodium chromate-51CR) and nuclear (iododeoxyuridine-125IUDR). Radioactivity of blood, lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys was measured 90 minutes and 24 hours after cell transplantation. The pattern of cell trapping, destruction and elimination from the circulation was characteristic of cell line injected. Destruction and elimination processed faster in allogeneic system than in syngeneic one.     

The presence of pinworms (Enterobius sp.) in the mesenteric lymph nodes, liver and lungs of a chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes

This report describes a case of fatal enterobiasis caused by Enterobius sp. in the mesenteric lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels of mesentery, blood vessels of the liver and lungs of a chimpanzee from Qingdao Zoo, China. Based on pathological findings, it is likely that the pinworms obtained access to these organs via the lymphatic or haematogenous pathway. As far as we are aware, this is the first reported case of Enterobius sp. in the mesenteric lymph nodes and blood vessels of the lungs and veins of the hepatic triad in a chimpanzee.     

An Experimental Study of the Pharmacokinetics of the Antitumor Drug Aurumacryl

The distribution of the antitumor drug aurumacryl (intraperitoneally injected at a dose of 100 mg/kg) in the bodies of animals with Lewis lung carcinoma was studied. The determination of aurumacryl in the tumors and organs (blood, liver, kidneys, lungs, spleen, and brain) of mice was carried out for 48 h by measuring the gold content in the test tissues using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We found the preferential accumulation of the drug in the kidneys with an extremely low gold content in the brain and a relatively uniform distribution of aurumacryl between the tumor, liver, lung, and spleen tissues.

     

The transport and inactivation kinetics of bacterial lipopolysaccharide influence its immunological potency in vivo

The extraordinary potency and pathological relevance of gram-negative bacterial LPSs have made them very popular experimental agonists, yet little is known about what happens to these stimulatory molecules within animal tissues. We tracked fluorescent and radiolabeled LPS from a s.c. inoculation site to its draining lymph nodes (DLN), blood, and liver. Although we found FITC-labeled LPS in DLN within minutes of injection, drainage of radiolabeled LPS continued for >6 wk. Within the DLN, most of the LPS was found in the subcapsular sinus or medulla, near or within lymphatic endothelial cells and CD169(+) macrophages. Whereas most of the LPS seemed to pass through the DLN without entering B cell follicles, by 24 h after injection a small amount of LPS was found in the paracortex. In wild-type mice, ≥70% of the injected radiolabeled LPS underwent inactivation by deacylation before it left the footpad; in animals that lacked acyloxyacyl hydrolase, the LPS-deacylating enzyme, prolonged drainage of fully acylated (active) LPS boosted polyclonal IgM and IgG3 Ab titers. LPS egress from a s.c. injection site thus occurred during many weeks and was mainly via lymphatic channels. Its immunological potency, as measured by its ability to stimulate polyclonal Ab production, was greatly influenced by the kinetics of both lymphatic drainage and enzymatic inactivation.     

Possible growth hormone regulation of rat liver glutamine synthetase activity.

Hypophysectomy results in a marked decrease in glutamine synthetase activity of rat liver homogenates. The enzyme is affected to a lesser extent in the kidneys and is not influenced in the brain. Bovine growth hormone treatment of hypophysectomized rats elevates the diminished glutamine synthetase activity in liver and kidneys but has no effect on the brain enzyme. Adrenalectomy also results in decreased liver glutamine synthetase activity although less than the decline seen with hypophysectomy. Cortisol treatment has no effect on glutamine synthetase activity in hypophysectomized animals. Our results suggest that growth hormone is involved in the regulation of liver glutamine synthetase activity. This regulation may be important in the utilization of α-amino nitrogen from glucogenic amino acids associated with growth hormone enhanced glucose production.     

Blood amino acid composition of poikilothermic vertebrate under prolonged starvation

Free amino acids in the blood plasma of lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) and frog (Rana temporaria) have been determined quantitatively for the periods of deprivation of the exogenous feed. The lamprey's total amino acid pool increased by 74% from November to April and reached the lower limit known for the mammals. The amount of free amino acids in frogs decreased by 40% in the spring as compared with the autumn values. The difference is accounted for by certain features of the living cycles of these animals. A more energetic proteolysis in the lamprey tissues as compared with that in the frog tissues has been confirmed by quantitative determining of leucine, isoleucine and valine in the blood of these animals. Apart from the above, alanine, glycine, lysine, threonine and, in certain periods, tyrosine have been found to be quantitatively significant in the plasma of both animal species. The composition and proportion of the amino acids in blood plasma of these animals are due to specific features of their metabolism and connected with the energy state of the liver cells under starvation.     

Efficient use of a combination of ampicillin and chymotrypsin]

The effect of chimotripsin on the level and duration of the ampicillin concentration increase in rats, as well as the effect of the enzyme on the in vitro antibiotic detection in the blood serum and organ homogenates of the animals was studied. It was found that rational combined use of ampicillin and chimotripsin required the enzyme administration not later than 1 hour before the antibiotic injection. Chimotripsin provided increased ampicillin levels in the blood serum and liver of the rats for at least 5 hours and in the kidneys and lungs for at least 4 hours. The enzyme present in the rats for 2 hours had no effect on determination of ampicillin activity in vitro in the presence of the blood serum and organ homogenates of the animals.     

Untersuchungen zur Weiterentwicklung der Futtermittelanalyse

Afiatoxin caused some reduction in moisture contents of chest and liver, lipids of thigh and blood, blood glucose, muscular protein and GOT in liver. It led also to increase of moisture contents of thigh and kidneys; chest lipids; blood cholesterol; protein of liver, kidneys and blood and blood creatinine.

The different supplements used herein led to increasing moisture of muscles, liver and kidneys (except on oil addition); lipids of muscles (except of chest on high energy diet) and blood (except on amino acids‐supplemented diet); blood cholesterol (except on high energy one); protein of thigh (except on high protein one) and blood (except on high energy or amino acids diets) and liver GPT (except on high energy diet). The additives led also to low blood glucose; protein of chest (except on high energy), liver, and kidneys; blood creatinine; liver GOT (particularly with high energy or amino acids); plasma GOT (on high amino acids) and plasma GPT.

The 2‐week withdrawal period led to low moisture contents of muscles and kidneys of most treatments, although they continued higher than in the control for chest, liver and kidneys. It increased blood glucose and cholesterol with continuous higher lipid content of muscles and blood and blood cholesterol than in the control. It led to elevated protein content of muscles, liver (except on the control or supplements mixture), kidneys (on the aflatoxin alone or with the amino acids) and blood (except on the control or afiatoxin alone or with high protein) and blood creatinine (except on the control or on the high energy or the supplements mixture). It increased the total proteins in all treatments than in the control (except muscular proteins on supplements mixture and liver protein on high energy) and also blood creatinine (except on high energy or supplements mixture). Thus, this period was not enough for complete recovery of kidney disturbances. Values of either hepatic transaminases presented nearly no differences among treatments.     

The effect of taurine administration on vitamin C levels of several tissues in mice

Summary. Taurine (2-aminoethane sulphonic acid), a sulphur-containing beta amino acid, is the most prevalent free intracellular amino acid in many human and animal tissues. Vitamin C metabolism is also fluenced by sulphur-containing amino acids. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of taurine administration on the vitamin C levels of plasma and several tissues (brain, liver, kidneys) in mice with incisional skin wounds. Animals were divided into two as control and taurine groups. Taurine was freshly dissolved in sterile saline and administered daily (60µl, ip) for five days in the taurine group. At the end of the fifth day, the animals were killed by decapitation. The brain, liver and kidneys were immediately removed. Vitamin C levels were measured in plasma and several tissues. The administration of taurine had no effect on the plasma vitamin C levels (P>0.05) but significantly increased in liver and kidneys (P<0.001). In conclusion, taurine may affect the vitamin C metabolism in tissues by different mechanisms.     

Functional activity of the thyroid gland and distribution of its hormones in peripheral tissues under experimental liver disease

Experimental acute toxic hepatitis causes functional reconstruction of the thyroid gland accompanied by intensified levels of total iodine and its hormonal compounds in blood. In most of non-thyroid tissues a decrease in the total and hormonal iodine content is revealed, but in kidneys these indices are considerably higher. The level of the nonhormonal iodine compounds in blood and tissues under study does not essentially vary and only in the liver, heart and lungs the expressed lowering of inorganic iodides is observed.     

Changes of regional blood flow induced by atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in conscious rats

The effect of synthetic atrial natriuretic factor (ANF 101-126) has been studied on regional blood flow distribution. Microspheres (15 +/- 3 microns), labelled with either 113Sn or 57Co, were injected through an intraventricular cannula into conscious rats while a reference blood sample was withdrawn. Two minutes after the first microspheres injection either ANF or NaCl were injected. Five minutes later, the second microspheres injection was administered, and after two minutes the animals were sacrificed, and several tissues removed and counted. Percent of flow distribution, cardiac output and tissue blood flow were calculated by standard formulas. ANF produced a significant increase in absolute blood flow in lungs, heart, spleen, kidneys and testes. Total renal blood flow and total splanchnic blood flow were also increased in ANF-injected animals. No significant changes were observed in cardiac output. It is suggested that the natriuretic and hypotensive responses to ANF in vivo may be, at least partially, explained by its hemodynamic effects.     

Histopathological observation of immunized rhesus macaques with plague vaccines after subcutaneous infection of Yersinia pestis

In our previous study, complete protection was observed in Chinese-origin rhesus macaques immunized with SV1 (20 μg F1 and 10 μg rV270) and SV2 (200 μg F1 and 100 μg rV270) subunit vaccines and with EV76 live attenuated vaccine against subcutaneous challenge with 6×10(6) CFU of Y. pestis. In the present study, we investigated whether the vaccines can effectively protect immunized animals from any pathologic changes using histological and immunohistochemical techniques. In addition, the glomerular basement membranes (GBMs) of the immunized animals and control animals were checked by electron microscopy. The results show no signs of histopathological lesions in the lungs, livers, kidneys, lymph nodes, spleens and hearts of the immunized animals at Day 14 after the challenge, whereas pathological alterations were seen in the corresponding tissues of the control animals. Giemsa staining, ultrastructural examination, and immunohistochemical staining revealed bacteria in some of the organs of the control animals, whereas no bacterium was observed among the immunized animals. Ultrastructural observation revealed that no glomerular immune deposits on the GBM. These observations suggest that the vaccines can effectively protect animals from any pathologic changes and eliminate Y. pestis from the immunized animals. The control animals died from multi-organ lesions specifically caused by the Y. pestis infection. We also found that subcutaneous infection of animals with Y. pestis results in bubonic plague, followed by pneumonic and septicemic plagues. The histopathologic features of plague in rhesus macaques closely resemble those of rodent and human plagues. Thus, Chinese-origin rhesus macaques serve as useful models in studying Y. pestis pathogenesis, host response and the efficacy of new medical countermeasures against plague.     

A model of Ph' positive chronic myeloid leukemia-blast crisis cell line growth in immunodeficient SCID mice.

A human Philadelphia-chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia-blast crisis (CML-BC) cell line BV173 proliferated in the hematopoietic tissues, infiltrated various organs and caused the death of immunodeficient SCID mice. Leukemia spreading was assessed with diminished number of bone marrow cells and caused splenomegaly. The leukemic colonies grew from single cell suspension of bone marrow, spleen and peripheral blood. Bcr-abl m-RNA was detectable in bone marrow, spleen, peripheral blood, liver, lungs and brain. Dying mice demonstrated severely hypoplastic bone marrow, splenomegaly and massive metastases in the liver and kidneys. The survival time of animals was dependent on the number of inoculated leukemia cells.     

Transdiaphragmatic lymphatic transport of intraperitoneally administered marker in hamsters.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether transdiaphragmatic transport in hamsters is similar to that described in other animals by examining transport of an intraperitoneally administered marker. METHODS: Monastral blue B suspension was administered intraperitoneally to 28 male Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Four hamsters each were euthanized 7, 15, and 30 min, and 1, 2, 3, and 24 h later. Specimens were examined microscopically for presence of marker. RESULTS: Marker was present in intrathoracic lymphatic vessels and cranial and caudal mediastinal lymph nodes by 7 min after its administration. The amount of marker in lymph nodes increased with time. The subcapsular distribution of marker was consistent with lymphatic transport. By 1 h after its administration, marker was present in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and mesenteric and mandibular lymph nodes. Patterns of marker distribution in these tissues were consistent with hematogenous transport, but the amount of marker was considerably less than that in the intrathoracic lymph nodes at corresponding times. CONCLUSIONS: Particulates were most likely translocated from the hamster peritoneal cavity to intrathoracic lymph nodes via transdiaphragmatic lymphatic vessels. A portion of the translocated particulates entered the blood, where they were distributed to a variety of tissues within a short time.     

Lymphocyte migration in internally irradiated animals. Effect of internal gamma radiation on the migration properties of spleen lymphocytes labeled with 51Cr

In experiments on CBA mice it was shown that migration of 51Cr-labeled spleen lymphocytes, injected intravenously, to lymph nodes of intact recipients was suppressed 6-24 months after the administration of a radiopharmaceutic preparation of selenium-75-selenomethionine in a quantity forming the doses of 1 Gy and 1.5 Gy absorbed within the whole body and lymphoid organs, respectively. Migration of labeled lymphocytes to the liver, kidneys and lungs, as well as their retention in the circulating blood, were increased. As the result of the migration disorders the specific affinity of lymphocytes for peripheral lymphoid tissue decreased.     

Pharmacokinetic study of rifampicin in the body of pregnant animals]

The study on distribution of 14C-rifampicin administered intramuscularly to pregnent animals showed that its concentrations in the blood, liver, kidneys, lungs and other organs did not practically change from those in nonpregnant animals. The concentration of 14C-rifampicin in the fetus organs was much lower than that in the organs of the adult animals. The liver and kidneys of the pregnant animals, as well as the fetus though to a less extent had a capacity for metabolism of 14C-rifampicin. The following products of biotransformation were detected: N-oxide of rifampicin, 25-deacetylrifampicin, 3-formylrifamycin SV and rifamycin SV.