Endogenous ouabain-like substances in animal tissues

Methods of purification and properties of the digitalis-like substances from different animal-origin sources are considered. Possible mechanisms of the cardiac glycoside-effect on the cardiac muscle and endogenous digitalis-like factors' effect on the smooth muscles of the blood vessels are discussed. Criteria that may be used to characterize the digitalis-like activity in samples and extracts obtained from different tissues are presented. The role of these substances in some types of pathologies, especially in the development of hypertension, is considered.     

Glutamate dehydrogenase from yeast and from animal tissues

The purification of glutamate dehydrogenase from yeast, beef intestinal mucosa and from beef brain is presented. A comparative study of stability of glutamate dehydrogenase from the indicated sources and from beef liver is presented. In all cases reduced NADP markedly decreases enzyme stability. The possible significance of these findings in relation to protein turnover are briefly discussed. Some of the kinetic and molecular parameters of yeast glutamate dehydrogenase are presented.     

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving tacrolimus

IntroductionIn rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving immunosuppressive treatments, vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae is recommended. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of tacrolimus (TAC) on immune response following administration of a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) in patients with established RA.MethodsPatients with RA (n = 133) were vaccinated with PPSV23. Patients were classified into TAC (n = 29), methotrexate (MTX) (n = 55), control (n = 35), and TAC/MTX (n = 14) treatment groups. We measured the concentrations of pneumococcal serotypes 6B and 23F by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and determined antibody functionality by using a multiplexed opsonophagocytic killing assay, reported as the opsonization index (OI), before and 4 to 6 weeks after vaccination. A positive antibody response was defined as at least a twofold increase in the IgG concentration or as at least a 10-fold increase in the OI.ResultsIgG concentrations and OIs were significantly increased in all treatment groups after PPSV23 vaccination. The TAC treatment group appears to respond in a manner similar to that of the RA control group in terms of 6B and 23F serotype concentration and function. In contrast, the MTX group had the lowest immune response. Patients who received a combination of TAC and MTX (TAC/MTX) also had a diminished immune response compared with those who received TAC alone.ConclusionsTAC monotherapy does not appear to impair PPSV23 immunogenicity in patients with RA, whereas antibody production and function may be reduced when TAC is used with MTX. Thus, PPSV23 administration during ongoing TAC treatment should be encouraged for infection-prone TAC-treated patients with rheumatic diseases.

Trial registration

University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry: UMIN000009566. Registered 12 December 2012.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13075-015-0662-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Rapid isolation of genomic DNA from animal tissues

A simple technique for the isolation of very high molecular weight genomic DNA from animal tissues and cells is described. The method involves rapid isolation of nuclei and their embedding in agarose beads followed by extraction of lipids and proteins with SDS. The protocol does not require proteolytic digestion and the whole procedure can be completed in 1 day. The isolated DNA is digestible by restriction enzymes and free of ligase inhibitors.     

Mitogenic effects of staphylococcal antigenic substances on irradiated lymphocytes from Wistar rats

Proliferation activity of lymphocytes from rats was studied using a micromethod of blasttransformation reaction after X-ray irradiation (absorbed doses for animals were 0.5 and 1 Gy). Staphylococcus protein A and peptidoglycan stimulated the proliferation of irradiated lymphocytes. It was assumed that staphylococcus antigen substances held radiation protective effects. Staphylococcus protein A may be used for stabilization of lymphopoesis and functional activity of humoral and cellular immunity in irradiated animals due to T- and B-mitogenic properties.     

Formation of malate from glyoxylate in animal tissues

1. Incubation of rat liver homogenate with [1-(14)C]glyoxylate, ATP and acetate shows a rapid sequential incorporation of radioactivity into malate, oxaloacetate and citrate. 2. In liver from normal rats the rate of the formation of each substance in question is higher than that in liver from thiamin-deficient rats. 3. The net accumulation of malate is greater with liver from thiamin-deficient rats. Its further metabolism is retarded, it is suggested, by inhibitors formed by a condensation of glyoxylate and oxaloacetate.     

Analysis of peptides from animal and plant tissues

A new technique was developed for the analysis of peptide compositions of extracts from various animal and plant tissues. It involves the acidic extraction of a peptide fraction from the starting material and its precipitation with acetone, fractionation of peptides by ion-exchange chromatography by using a stepwise elution of fractions and detection by means of ninhydrin color reaction, and computer processing of the results. For the presentation of the results of analysis, chromatographic profiles and peptidograms were proposed. The results of analysis can be stored in a database and used for the creation of "generalized peptide portraits" and "differential peptide portraits" of the subjects investigated, which allow the identification of peptides characteristic of the subjects. The amount of peptide undergoing analysis ranged from 1 to 10 nmol.