Prostaglandins and functional specificity of central neurons of Helix pomatia

The effect of extra- and intracellularly injected prostaglandins (PG) E₂ and F₂ on electrical activity and responses to acetylcholine and serotonin were studied in experiments on identified neurons ofHelix pomatia. As a rule prostaglandins modified the typical electrical activity of the identified neurons: PG E₂ enhanced and PG F₂ depressed it. These substances mainly weakened responses of the nerve cells to mediators: PG E₂ caused a greater change in the response to serotonin and PG F₂ in the response to acetylcholine. Effects of the prostaglandins when injected extracellularly and intracellularly differed. The possible molecular-cellular mechanisms of the central action of prostaglandins are discussed in the light of their functional connections with other universal regulators of cellular metabolism and with proteins specific for nerve tissues.P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 13, No. 6, pp. 580–588, November–December, 1981.     

Multifactorial study of the combined effect of rifampicin and microbial peptidoglycan in experimental plague infection

The combined effect of rifampicin and a microbial peptidoglycan was studied in multifactorial experiments on noninbred mice with plague infection. The effect of rifampicin and the immunomodulator was shown to be synergistic. The results of the multifactorial experiments provided designing of polynomial statistic models of the second order characterizing the animal survival rate and mean life-span and plotting of nomograms or equal level lines useful in optimization of the combined therapy parameters.     

Thyroid hormones and lipid metabolism

Some major pathways of lipid metabolism are under control of thyroid hormones. Thyroxine changes the lipid composition of different cell membranes. Modification of thyroid hormone metabolism during ontogenesis is one of the reasons of changes in lipid composition and function of cell nuclei and its other structures. Atherosclerosis and obesity may be a result of the thyroid dysfunction and modulation of the cellular lipid metabolism.     

Paleo-Balkan and Slavic Contributions to the Genetic Pool of Moldavians: Insights from the Y Chromosome

Moldova has a rich historical and cultural heritage, which may be reflected in the current genetic makeup of its population. To date, no comprehensive studies exist about the population genetic structure of modern Moldavians. To bridge this gap with respect to paternal lineages, we analyzed 37 binary and 17 multiallelic (STRs) polymorphisms on the non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome in 125 Moldavian males. In addition, 53 Ukrainians from eastern Moldova and 54 Romanians from the neighboring eastern Romania were typed using the same set of markers. In Moldavians, 19 Y chromosome haplogroups were identified, the most common being I-M423 (20.8%), R-M17* (17.6%), R-M458 (12.8%), E-v13 (8.8%), R-M269* and R-M412* (both 7.2%). In Romanians, 14 haplogroups were found including I-M423 (40.7%), R-M17* (16.7%), R-M405 (7.4%), E-v13 and R-M412* (both 5.6%). In Ukrainians, 13 haplogroups were identified including R-M17 (34.0%), I-M423 (20.8%), R-M269* (9.4%), N-M178, R-M458 and R-M73 (each 5.7%). Our results show that a significant majority of the Moldavian paternal gene pool belongs to eastern/central European and Balkan/eastern Mediterranean Y lineages. Phylogenetic and AMOVA analyses based on Y-STR loci also revealed that Moldavians are close to both eastern/central European and Balkan-Carpathian populations. The data correlate well with historical accounts and geographical location of the region and thus allow to hypothesize that extant Moldavian paternal genetic lineages arose from extensive recent admixture between genetically autochthonous populations of the Balkan-Carpathian zone and neighboring Slavic groups.     

Binding of Bis-linked Netropsin Derivatives in the Parallel-Stranded Hairpin Form to DNA

Abstract

Cis-diammine Pt(II)- bridged bis-netropsin and oligomethylene-bridged bis-netropsin in which two monomers are linked in a tail-to-tail manner bind to the DNA oligomer with the sequence 5′-CCTATATCC-3′ in a parallel-stranded hairpin form with a stoichiometry 1:1. The difference circular dichroism (CD) spectra characteristic of binding of these ligands in the hairpin form are similar. They differ from CD patterns obtained for binding to the same duplex of another bis-netropsin in which two netropsin moieties were linked in a head-to-tail manner. This reflects the fact that tail-to-tail and head-to-tail bis-netropsins use parallel and antiparallel side-by-side motifs, respectively, for binding to DNA in the hairpin forms. The binding affinity of cis -diammine Pt(II)- bridged bis-netropsin in the hairpin form to DNA oligomers with nucleotide sequences 5′-CCTATATCC-3′ (I), 5′-CCTTAATCC-3′ (II), 5′-CCTTATTCC-3′ (III), 5′-CCTTTTTCC-3′ (IV) and 5′-CCAATTTCC-3′ (V) decreases in the order I = II > III > IV> V. The binding of oligomethylene-bridged bis-netropsin in the hairpin form follows a similar hierarchy. An opposite order of sequence preferences is observed for partially bonded monodentate binding mode of the synthetic ligand.     

Binge Drinking and Blood Pressure: Cross-Sectional Results of the HAPIEE Study

Objectives

To investigate whether binge drinking pattern influences blood pressure independently from drinking volume or whether it modifies the effect of volume of drinking.

Methods

We used cross-sectional data from population samples of 7559 men and 7471 women aged 45–69 years in 2002-05, not on antihypertensive medication, from Russia, Poland and Czech Republic. Annual alcohol intake, drinking frequency and binge drinking (≥100 g in men and ≥60 g in women in one session at least once a month) were estimated from graduated frequency questionnaire. Blood pressure was analysed as continuous variables (systolic and diastolic pressure) and a binary outcome (≥140/90 mm Hg).

Results

In men, annual alcohol intake and drinking frequency were strongly associated with blood pressure. The odds ratio of high blood pressure for binge drinking in men was 1.62 (95% CI 1.45–1.82) after controlling for age, country, body mass index, education and smoking; additional adjustment for annual alcohol intake reduced it to 1.20 (1.03–1.39). In women, the fully adjusted odds ratio of high blood pressure for binge drinking was 1.31 (1.05–1.63). Binge drinking did not modify the effect of annual alcohol intake. Consuming alcohol as wine, beer or spirits had similar effects.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the independent long-term effect of binge drinking was modest, that binge drinking did not modify the effect of alcohol intake, and that different alcoholic beverages had similar effects on blood pressure.     

Enzymes of sucrose dissimilation as targets for nitrate in early ontogenesis of garden pea

We experimentally tested a possibility that nitrate regulates sucrose synthase (SS) in the roots, vacuolar acid invertase (AcI) in the stems, and alkaline invertase (AlI) in the leaves of garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) where they were predominantly located. In the course of early ontogenesis of the seedlings (0–20 days), NO₃^- stimulated solely SS. We detected three peaks of nitrate-dependent enzyme activity: the greatest peak was observed in the very beginning of germination (48 h from seed imbibition), the intermediate peak corresponded to the most intense utilization of cotyledonal reserves (sixth to eighth day of growth), and the lowest peak coincided with development of autotrophy (tenth to 20th day). In the period of their greatest activity (sixth to 14th day), neither invertases noticeably respond to nitrate. At the first peak, NO₃^- affected SS already at a concentration of 1 mM; this influence was maintained at concentrations rising to 10 mM, which points to a signal nature of the effect. We discuss a functional aspect of the effect of nitrate on SS involved in the system of the enzymes of sucrose dissimilation upon the initiation and development of different physiological processes occurring in this period, as well as its possible applied role in agricultural biotechnologies.