Protective effects of polyphenolics in red wine on diabetes associated oxidative/nitrative stress in streptozotocin‐diabetic rats

Increased accumulation of NT (3‐nitrotyrosine) and PARylated [poly(ADP‐ribosyl)ated] proteins in the tissues of diabetics are associated with diabetes complications (diabetes neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy). Red wine (its polyphenols are considered to be the main active components) can act as ROS (reactive oxygen species) scavengers, iron chelators and enzyme modulators. This study is novel in investigating the effect of red wine in preventing the accumulation of NT and PARylated proteins in the sciatic nerve, DRG (dorsal root ganglia), spinal cord, kidney and retina of diabetic animals. We have shown that during the experiment the body weight of control and diabetic groups of rats with consumption of red wine was significantly increased, by 52% and 19% accordingly. The significant increase in the content of NT in the sciatic nerve, DRG, spinal cord, kidney and retina, and PARylated proteins in the sciatic nerve, renal glomeruli and retinae of diabetic rats was partly or completely prevented by treatment with red wine. Red wine and its polyphenol preparations might be a promising option in the prevention and treatment of diabetic complications.     

Tritium planigraphy comparative structural study of tobacco mosaic virus and its mutant with altered host specificity.

Spatial organization of wild-type (strain U1) tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and of the temperature-sensitive TMV ts21-66 mutant was compared by tritium planigraphy. The ts21-66 mutant contains two substitutions in the coat protein (Ile21-->Thr and Asp66-->Gly) and, in contrast with U1, induces a hypersensitive response (formation of necroses) on the leaves of plants bearing a host resistance gene N' (for example Nicotiana sylvestris); TMV U1 induces systemic infection (mosaic) on the leaves of such plants. Tritium distribution along the coat protein (CP) polypeptide chain was determined after labelling of both isolated CP preparations and intact virions. In the case of the isolated low-order (3-4S) CP aggregates no reliable differences in tritium distribution between U1 and ts21-66 were found. But in labelling of the intact virions a significant difference between the wild-type and mutant CPs was observed: the N-terminal region of ts21-66 CP incorporated half the amount of tritium than the corresponding region of U1 CP. This means that in U1 virions the CP N-terminal segment is more exposed on the virion surface than in ts21-66 virions. The possibility of direct participation of the N-terminal tail of U1 CP subunits in the process of the N' hypersensitive response suppression is discussed.     

The development of modified human Hsp70 (HSPA1A) and its production in the milk of transgenic mice

The production of major human heat shock protein Hsp70 (HSPA1A) in a eukaryotic expression system is needed for testing and possible medical applications. In this study, transgenic mice were produced containing wild-type human Hsp70 allele in the vector providing expression in the milk. The results indicated that human Hsp70 was readily expressed in the transgenic animals but did not apparently preserve its intact structure and, hence, it was not possible to purify the protein using conventional isolation techniques. It was suggested that the protein underwent glycosylation in the process of expression, and this quite common modification for proteins expressed in the milk complicated its isolation. To check this possibility, we mutated all presumptive sites of glycosylation and tested the properties of the resulting modified Hsp70 expressed in E. coli. The investigation demonstrated that the modified protein exhibited all beneficial properties of the wild-type Hsp70 and was even superior to the latter for a few parameters. Based on these results, a transgenic mouse strain was obtained which expressed the modified Hsp70 in milk and which was easy to isolate using ATP columns. Therefore, the developed construct can be explored in various bioreactors for reliable manufacture of high quality, uniform, and reproducible human Hsp70 for possible medical applications including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.     

The effect of gamma radiation on bacterial nodule formation

Summary Seeds ofTrifolium andTrigonella were planted after exposure to different dose rates 61.0, 75.8, 116.6 and 265.0 r/day from a radium tube for a period of seven days. The general effect was a tendency towards increase in the number of nodules and of lateral roots per plant, especially at a total dose of about 816 r.Colchicine treatment was found to have a similar effect.     

Evidence of the co‐circulation of enteric viruses in sewage and in the population of Greater Cairo

Aims: To characterize major enteric viruses (enterovirus, rotavirus, norovirus, astrovirus and adenovirus) in the sewage of Greater Cairo and to compare the results with clinical data collected during the same period. Methods and Results: Seventy‐two sewage samples from two waste water treatment plants were collected from April 2006 through February 2007. Enteroviruses, noroviruses (NoVs) and rotaviruses (RVs) were detected by RT‐PCR in 22%, 18% and 8·3% of the samples, respectively. No adenovirus and astrovirus was detected. G2P[8], G9P[8], G1P[8], G2P[4] and rare G12 RV isolates were detected in the environment as well as a bovine RV. The environmental NoV strains mostly belonged to genogroup I (84%). Rotaviruses and some of the NoVs were similar to those found in the clinical samples at the same time. Conclusions: The comparison of environmental and clinical data suggests that similar RV and NoV isolates were circulating in the environment and in the population during the same period. Significance and Impact of the Study: Few studies have investigated the prevalence and the epidemiology of RVs and NoVs in Cairo. This work is the first to establish a correlation between viral gastroenteritis and the concomitant presence of enteric viruses in the environment for Greater Cairo where combined environmental and clinical surveys should help to prevent infections caused by these major pathogens.