Turnover of chromatin-bound and membrane lipids in the liver and thymus of gamma-irradiated rats

The turnover of nuclear and chromatin lipids from the liver and thymus of control and irradiated rats was studied by the incorporation of [14C]acetate. The chromatin-bound lipids were shown to possess a high metabolic activity which was especially well-pronounced in thymus cells. The higher specific radioactivity of the chromatin-bound lipids in comparison with that of intact nuclear lipids points to the structural uncoupling of chromatin lipids from other nuclear lipids.     

Changes in the composition of DNA-bound nonhistone protein in the thymus and liver of gamma-irradiated rats

A supramolecular DNA complex (SC DNA) and DNA of a phenol nuclear matrix (PNM DNA) were extracted, by the phenol method, from rat thymus and liver 15 min following 10 Gy gamma-irradiation. The method of electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel was used to study a composition of nonhistone proteins firmly bound to these DNA fractions. Irradiation was shown to induce the occurrence of new proteins and redistribution of proteins between SC DNA and PNN DNA of rat organs.     

Changes in the composition of phospholipids bound to supramolecular DNA of the thymus and liver in gamma-irradiated rats

The composition of supramolecular DNA (SM DNA)-bound phospholipids (PL) of thymus and liver of intact rats and those 2 min, 2, 6 and 24 h after gamma-irradiation (9,7 Gy) was studied. In norm, supramolecular DNA of the thymus was shown to contain 6.7 micrograms PL/mg DNA, and that of the liver, 6.1 micrograms PL/mg DNA, the main components of PL being cardiolipin (CL) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PEA). Substantial changes were detected in the PL composition of SM DNA of gamma-irradiated rat organs. During the postirradiation period the concentration of PEA and CL in thymus SM DNA changed symbatically and irreversibly decreased to traces; whereas in SM DNA of the liver, their concentrations changed antibatically and decreased only to a definite level thus maintaining the necessary "lipid volume". It was shown that PL were not restored in SM DNA of the radioresistant liver.     

Contractile proteins in the fractions of soluble and insoluble chromatin of liver and thymus

The proteins corresponding in molecular weight and solubility in salt solutions to skeletal muscle actin and myosin were revealed in liver and thymus chromatin fragments. When the ionic strength reached 0.3, about 60% of the myosin-like protein identified by electrophoretic mobility of high chains and the K+-EDTA-ATPase activity was cosedimented with nucleohistones. In the presence of ATP or PPi and Mg2+ the solubility of myosin in such salt solutions increased up to 90%, which was paralleled with significant stimulation of RNA release from the nucleohistones. The conformity in the degree of extraction and sedimentation of RNA and intranuclear myosin was also observed in other solutions used during myosin purification. The supposition that the nuclear system of contractile proteins causes labile, ATP-dependent binding of RNA to chromatin is discussed. No essential differences in the actin or myosin contents in the fractions of soluble and non-soluble chromatin were detected.     

Changes in the nuclear proteinase activity of the liver in gamma-irradiated rats

Activity of nuclear proteinases in rat liver was studied, by their capacity of splitting a casein substrate, 5-48 h following gamma irradiation. The proteinase activity of nuclei was shown to increase by more than two times in 2-5 h and to decrease by 3-4 times after 15-48 h compared to that of the nonirradiated controls. A sharp decrease in the proteinase activity was also noted in the nuclear matrix of irradiated rat liver.     

Restoration of the primer activity of gamma-irradiated DNA by nucleases from rat liver chromatin

gamma-Irradiation of DNA results in a several-fold decrease of its primer activity measured as one substrate synthesis catalyzed by DNA polymerase beta. However, the combined treatment of injured DNA with 3'----5' exonuclease and endonuclease I from rat liver chromatin almost normalizes primer activity of DNA. Therefore the above-mentioned nucleases are capable of excising the gamma-injured nucleotides from 3'-OH ends of DNA.     

Inhibition of phospholipase activity in liver mitochondria of gamma-irradiated rats

Phospholipase activity of mitochondria of gamma-irradiated rat liver was inhibited at different times after irradiation with a dose of 10 Gy. A maximum radiation effect was registered 3-6 h following irradiation (65% of the control); the effect somewhat decreased (85% of the control) by the end of the first 24 h after exposure.     

Postirradiation changes in the cGMP system of the mouse thymus and liver

Changes have been revealed in the function of cyclic GMP system of thymus and liver of irradiated (8 Gy) mice. In the thymus the cGMP level increased during the first 60 min following irradiation. In the liver the concentration of cGMP exhibited two peaks: 30 min and 24 hr after irradiation. The changes observed in the cGMP level are connected with the increased guanylate cyclase activity of thymocytes and liver of irradiated mice and, less likely, with changes in the activity of cGMP phosphodiesterase of these tissues.     

Conformational changes in rat liver chromatin after liver regeneration.

N-Pyrenemaleimide, a fluorescent probe that specifically labels histone H3 of rat liver chromatin in situ, was used to monitor the accessibility of histone H3 in chromatin isolated from rat liver at different times during degeneration. At times of maximum DNA synthesis (18--24 h after hepatectomy), the accessibility of the probe was found to be markedly (40--50%) increased. This increase is abolished, however, by treatment of the chromatin fibres with high salt (2 M-NaCl) or detergent. Tryptophan fluorescence was also enhanced at points of maximum DNA synthesis, suggesting that some non-histone tryptophan-containing protein was being synthesized. The polarization of the labelled histone H3 is not markedly altered, suggesting that fibre aggregation or dissociation does not occur. Mononucleosomes extracted from sham-operated and hepatectomized animals did not exhibit any difference in binding to the probe. Also, analysis of the chromatin protein by electrophoresis on detergent- and acid/urea/ Triton-X-100-containing polyacrylamide gels showed no detectable difference in histone H3 : 1, H3 : 2 or H3 : 3 subclasses.     

Membrane lipid changes in erythrocytes, liver and kidney in acute and chronic experimental liver disease in rats

Lipid molecules in lipoprotein surfaces exchange with their counterparts in cell plasma membranes. In human or experimental liver disease, plasma lipoprotein surfaces are enriched in cholesterol and deficient in arachidonate; corresponding alterations occur in membrane lipids of erythrocytes. To determine whether similar changes take place in membranes of nucleated cells, the lipid content of plasma and of erythrocyte, liver and kidney membranes was measured in rats with acute (3-day) galactosamine-induced hepatitis or chronic (3-week) biliary obstruction. In both models of liver injury the cholesterol:phospholipid ratio in plasma and in erythrocytes was significantly increased (P less than 0.001). Although this ratio was also elevated in liver and kidney microsomes, only in liver microsomes of obstructed rats was the increase significant (P less than 0.001). However, the cholesterol:phospholipid ratio of kidney brush-border membranes, was significantly higher in bile-duct-ligated rats; presumably, compensating mechanisms limit cholesterol accumulation in intracellular membranes. Kidney brush-border membranes from obstructed rats were deficient in arachidonate as were plasma and erythrocytes. However, arachidonate levels were unchanged in kidney microsomes; renal delta 6-desaturase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the conversion of linoleic acid to arachidonic acid, was increased by 50% (P less than 0.001) and may have counteracted a reduced supply of exogenous lipoprotein arachidonate. We conclude that in experimental liver disease lipoprotein-induced lipid abnormalities can occur in renal membranes, although compensatory mechanisms may operate; the alterations seen, cholesterol accumulation and arachidonate depletion, would be expected to interfere with sodium transport and prostaglandin production, respectively. Our findings support the hypothesis that lipid abnormalities in kidney membranes contribute to the renal dysfunction which is a frequent complication of human liver disease.     

Age-related changes of lipid spectrum, level of lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant defence in the liver and blood of rats

It has been shown that the lowest level of total lipids, cholesterol, triacylglycerols and products of lipid peroxidation of blood and liver, as a rule, is specific to adult rats. These characteristics are significantly higher for old and young animals. At the same time, the level of glutathione and alphatocopherols in adults' liver is much higher than in young and old rats. It suggests the lower level of processes of lipid peroxidation in adult mature rats. The relative high level of products of lipid peroxidation and low content of alpha-tocopherols in old rats' liver (against the background of higher activity and glutamineperoxidase, and glutathionereductase than in adults) suggests tocopherol deficiency in old animals. High content of total lipids, cholesterol and cholesterol entering into the composition of lipoprotein of different density, triacylglycerols, diene conjugates and malonic dialdehide, activity of glutathione-dependent enzymes of antioxidant defence in young animals as compared with these levels in adult rats seems to be associated with agerelated hypercholesterolemia and intensive plastic changes of a growing organism.     

The effect of ionizing irradiation on the lipid biosynthesis by thymus and liver

New Zealand rabbits, fasted for 12 hours, were subjected to 500 rads of whole-body irradiation. Analysis of thymus lipids, at various time intervals following irradiation, showed a threefold increase of triglycerides at 24 hours. Fatty acid composition of the 600 X g supernatant was not affected at 24 hours after irradiation. Lipid biosynthesis from acetate-1-14C by the thymus homogenates was increased to a small extent at 4 hours following irradiation, while the radioactivity distribution into fatty acids was not considerably affected. Contrary to the above findings, fatty acid synthesis from acetate-l-14C by the liver preparations showed a decreased incorporation between the fourth and twelfth hour following irradiation. Counting of the radioactivity of the separated fatty acids suggested that the system for synthesis of short-chain fatty acids was impaired as early as 4 hours following irradiation.     

Postirradiation changes in the chromatin structure of thymocytes in irradiated rats

In this work the antibodies were obtained against chromatin isolated from thymocytes of intact and irradiated rats (2 h after exposing to 10 Gy) and against polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDN) extracted from thymus nuclei 6 h following irradiation. All the antibodies under study reacted more readily with the chromatin obtained from the thymus of exposed rats than with the control chromatin. The complexes of DNA with the most firmly bound non-histone proteins, obtained from the three objects under study, reacted with the antibodies with equal efficiency. Thus, a higher reactivity of PDN and chromatin from thymocytes of exposed rats was associated with the decondensation of the latter leading to an increase in availability of a part of antigenic determinants. Using the immunoblotting method we failed to discover any qualitative differences in the protein composition of the chromatin from control and exposed rats.     

Radiation metabolomics. 4. UPLC-ESI-QTOFMS-Based metabolomics for urinary biomarker discovery in gamma-irradiated rats

Radiation metabolomics has aided in the identification of a number of biomarkers in cells and mice by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-coupled time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOFMS) and in rats by gas chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry (GCMS). These markers have been shown to be both dose- and time-dependent. Here UPLC-ESI-QTOFMS was used to analyze rat urine samples taken from 12 rats over 7 days; they were either sham-irradiated or γ-irradiated with 3 Gy after 4 days of metabolic cage acclimatization. Using multivariate data analysis, nine urinary biomarkers of γ radiation in rats were identified, including a novel mammalian metabolite, N-acetyltaurine. These upregulated urinary biomarkers were confirmed through tandem mass spectrometry and comparisons with authentic standards. They include thymidine, 2'-deoxyuridine, 2'deoxyxanthosine, N(1)-acetylspermidine, N-acetylglucosamine/galactosamine-6-sulfate, N-acetyltaurine, N-hexanoylglycine, taurine and, tentatively, isethionic acid. Of these metabolites, 2'-deoxyuridine and thymidine were previously identified in the rat by GCMS (observed as uridine and thymine) and in the mouse by UPLC-ESI-QTOFMS. 2'Deoxyxanthosine, taurine and N-hexanoylglycine were also seen in the mouse by UPLC-ESI-QTOFMS. These are now unequivocal cross-species biomarkers for ionizing radiation exposure. Downregulated biomarkers were shown to be related to food deprivation and starvation mechanisms. The UPLC-ESI-QTOFMS approach has aided in the advance for finding common biomarkers of ionizing radiation exposure.