Chemiluminescent characteristics of ubiquinones

The paper deals with peculiarities of antioxidative activity of natural antioxidants (exemplified by ubiquinones) which permit their participation in the control of peroxidation intensity of membrane lipids. Ability of different ubiquinone forms to react with peroxide radicals is evaluated by chemiluminescent method. It has been shown that only reduced forms with free hydroxyl groups are highly effective.     

The role of the surface antigens of Pseudomonas pseudomallei in the pathogenesis of melioidosis]

As established with the use of electron-immunochemical techniques, glycoprotein antigen 6 is the outer membrane component of P. pseudomallei cell wall, while glycoprotein antigen 8 is localized on the cell surface as a capsule-like formation. Antigen 6 plays no perceptible role in the realization of the pathogenic properties of the infective agent, but serves as a reliable sign in the differentiation of P. pseudomallei strains into serovars. Subcultures, defective in the synthesis of antigen 8, have sharply reduced virulence for laboratory animals. As revealed in this study, the pathogenetic action of antigen 8 is linked with its pronounced antiphagocytic function. Thus, antigen 8 is considered to be one of the key pathogenicity factors of P. pseudomallei.     

Iron as an inducer of nitric oxide formation in the animal body

Citrate iron complex injections to mice or rats resulted in the nitric oxide formation detected by nitric oxide binding to iron-diethyldithiocarbomate complexes. The mononitrosyl iron complexes formed were paramagnetic and EPR active. The maximal nitric oxide concentrations in rat livers were 15-20 nm per gram of tissue. Phenosan-K (an antioxidant) inhibited partly the iron capacity to nitric oxide formation in animal organisms. The nitric oxide formation was proposed to be due to some endogenic amino groups oxidation by active oxygen agents or products of lipid or non-saturated fatty acid production under the prooxidant action of the iron.