Successful immunotherapy with matrix metalloproteinase-derived peptides in adjuvant arthritis depends on the timing of peptide administration

We have recently found that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are targets for T-cell and B-cell reactivity in experimental arthritis. In the present article, we investigate whether modulation of MMP-specific T-cell responses could influence the course of adjuvant arthritis (AA). Lewis rats were treated nasally with MMP peptides prior to or after AA induction. Administration of the MMP-10 or the MMP-16 peptide prior to AA induction reduced the arthritic symptoms. In contrast, administration of the MMP-10 peptide after AA induction aggravated the arthritic symptoms. The present study shows the possible usefulness of MMP peptides for immunotherapy. However, a clear understanding of proper timing of peptide administration is crucial for the development of such therapies.     

A role and a place of ultrasound diagnosis of acute ileus

The main purpose of the authors is to present their view of a place of present-day ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute small and large intestinal obstruction. A comparatively sizable material covering 218 verified cases of acute ileus, including 77 patients with large intestinal obstruction and 141 patients with impaired passage of the intestinal contents along the small bowel was used to outline the aspects of ultrasound techniques and the symptomatology of ileus, by differentiating its some types. Along with the general assessment of the methodological and semiotic aspects of ultrasound diagnosis of acute uleus, the authors emphasizes a role of sonography in the detection of large intestinal obstruction by outlining their modified procedure of ultrasound irrigoscopy. For greater objectivization of their positive assessment of the place of ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute ileus and large intestinal obstruction, the authors comparatively studied X-ray and ultrasound studies to reveal this pathology. In addition to their purely personal assessment of a role of ultrasound in the diagnosis of large intestinal obstruction, the lecture also shows its authors' opinion as to the organizational issues associated with the necessity of correcting the existing diagnostic algorithm to detect large intestinal obstruction.     

Effects of medium viscosity on kinetics of the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by bacterial RNase

Effects of medium viscosity on kinetic parameters of poly(U) hydrolysis catalyzed by RNase from Bac. intermedius 7P (binase) were studied in solutions of sucrose (4-50 wt. %) and glycerol (35-62 wt. %) in Tris--sodium acetate buffer (pH 7.5) at 25 degreesC. The rate constant of reaction kcat was practically unchanged over a wide range of viscosities (1-15 cP for sucrose and 2.5-3 cP for glycerol). In glycerol solutions, kcat slightly increased with viscosity increase from 4 to 10 cP. Addition of NaCl to the buffer medium resulted in an inhibitory effect of Na+ on kcat, prevented by 50% sucrose or 60% glycerol. It is concluded that binase-catalyzed poly(U) cleavage occurs through a "tense"-substrate mechanism, similarly to reactions catalyzed by alpha-chymotrypsin, trypsin, and laccase.     

Granule-bound starch synthase: structure, function, and phylogenetic utility

Interest in the use of low-copy nuclear genes for phylogenetic analyses of plants has grown rapidly, because highly repetitive genes such as those commonly used are limited in number. Furthermore, because low- copy genes are subject to different evolutionary processes than are plastid genes or highly repetitive nuclear markers, they provide a valuable source of independent phylogenetic evidence. The gene for granule-bound starch synthase (GBSSI or waxy) exists in a single copy in nearly all plants examined so far. Our study of GBSSI had three parts: (1) Amino acid sequences were compared across a broad taxonomic range, including grasses, four dicotyledons, and the microbial homologs of GBSSI. Inferred structural information was used to aid in the alignment of these very divergent sequences. The informed alignments highlight amino acids that are conserved across all sequences, and demonstrate that structural motifs can be highly conserved in spite of marked divergence in amino acid sequence. (2) Maximum-likelihood (ML) analyses were used to examine exon sequence evolution throughout grasses. Differences in probabilities among substitution types and marked among-site rate variation contributed to the observed pattern of variation. Of the parameters examined in our set of likelihood models, the inclusion of among-site rate variation following a gamma distribution caused the greatest improvement in likelihood score. (3) We performed cladistic parsimony analyses of GBSSI sequences throughout grasses, within tribes, and within genera to examine the phylogenetic utility of the gene. Introns provide useful information among very closely related species, but quickly become difficult to align among more divergent taxa. Exons are variable enough to provide extensive resolution within the family, but with low bootstrap support. The combined results of amino acid sequence comparisons, maximum-likelihood analyses, and phylogenetic studies underscore factors that might affect phylogenetic reconstruction. In this case, accommodation of the variable rate of evolution among sites might be the first step in maximizing the phylogenetic utility of GBSSI.      

Changes in the Activity of Superoxide Dismutase in Rauwolfia serpentina Benth. Callus Cultures Grown under Standard Conditions and Heat Shock

The rate of superoxide dismutase (SOD) accumulation inRauwolfia serpentinaBenth. cell culture under heat shock conditions (3 h, 45°C) decreased insignificantly (by 4%), whereas low positive temperature (24 h, 7°C) caused a drastic drop (by 48%). The observed decrease in the level of SOD activity resulted from a slowdown of the biosynthesis rate of the enzyme and a decrease in its concentration in the cultivated cells. In addition, a compensatory decrease in degradation of the active protein (K _d) was observed at low positive temperatures and, consequently, an increase in its half-life (tt _1/2), compensating partially for a deficiency in de novo synthesized SOD molecules. The parameters studied were restored to normal after a 24-h adaptation of cells under standard temperature conditions.     

Characteristic of reproductive structure in the hemipopulation of a bat-parasitizing nematode Thominx neopulchra (Nematoda, Capillariidae)

Features of reproductive structure of the Thominx neopulchra hemipopulation from Daubenton's bat from Zhiguli State Reserve are studied. It is established, that females and males of Th. neopulchra have different dynamics of coming in the host population. Males of the parasite invade the of Daubenton's bat population during all the year, while females infest the host only from May to November. Maturing of helminthes become slowed in winter period. Only about a half of of the host population is involved in the forming of the reproductive structure of Th. neopulchra hemipopulation.     

The lipid status of young of the year mykiss <Emphasis Type="Italic">Parasalmo mykiss</Emphasis> and coho salmon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus kisutch</Emphasis>

The young of the year mykiss Parasalmo mykiss and coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch which perform downstream migration and which stay in the coastal zone during the period of primary dispersion represent different phenotypic groups. They differ in weight, length, and lipid status. Such differentiation is a factor controlling the formation of intrapopulation diversity and of the life strategy of fish. It may determine the timing of smoltification in the future and, further on, of the return for spawning. There were found some analogies and differences in characteristics of lipid metabolism in the investigated species. The content of total lipids decreases by autumn in underyearlings of both species. Furthermore, changes in the content of particular lipid fractions are multidirectional and various scaled, seemingly being related to physiological preparation for the wintering.     

Analysis of mtDNA indicates weak temporal genetic heterogeneity in pink salmon spawning runs in two rivers on Sakhalin Island

Both odd- and even-year pink salmon populations were sampled during the spawning runs in Firsovka and Bakhura rivers on Sakhalin Island. Four collections of 30 fish spaced at 2-week intervals were taken from each river in 2 consecutive years. Four restriction endonucleases were used to examine 2·15% of the mitochondrial genome. Eighteen variable sites and three types of insertion defined 37 haplotypes among 449 fish. Heterogeneity tests showed highly significant differences among temporal collections taken in the odd year from Bakhura River, and no significant differences among temporal collections from the other three spawning runs. However, probabilities of homogeneity among temporal collections were low in all tests, and an integral estimate of the probability of homogeneity for the total set of tests was less than 0·001, indicating highly significant overall temporal heterogeneity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), revealed that a small portion of the variance was distributed among temporal collections, and small φ_ST values that differed significantly from zero only in the odd-year population in Bakhura River. Temporal differences in spawning are probably adapative, and allow greater productivity in areas of high spawning densities.     

3D hydrogen bonded heteronuclear Co, Ni, Cu and Zn aqua complexes derived from dipicolinic acid

The heteronuclear water-soluble and air-stable compounds [M(H₂O)₅M′(dipic)₂] · mH₂O (M/M′ = Cu^II/Co^II (1), Cu^II/Ni^II (2), Cu^II/Zn^II (3), Zn^II/Co^II (4), Ni^II/Co^II (5), m = 2-3; H₂dipic = dipicolinic acid) have been prepared by self-assembly synthesis in aqueous solution at room temperature, and characterized by IR, UV-Vis and atomic absorption spectroscopies, elemental and X-ray diffraction single crystal (for 1 and 2) analyses. 1-5 represent the first examples of heteronuclear dipicolinate compounds with 3d metals. Extensive H-bonding interactions involving all aqua ligands, dipicolinate oxygens and lattice water molecules further stabilize the dimetallic units by linking them to form three-dimensional polymeric networks.     

Dependence of the circadian organization of heart rate regulation by prolonged musical sensory influence

It's shown that prolonged acoustic sensory influence in the form of classic music may change neurovegetative control of heart rate, enhancing the parasympathetic influences on heart rate variability, especially in night. These alterations increase expression of diurnal rhythm of ergotropic and trophotropic systems activity and lead to normalization of circadian profile of heart rate.