Respiratory activity of isolated rat hepatocytes following cold storage and subsequent rewarming: a comparison of sucrose-based and University of Wisconsin solutions

Investigations were carried out on the respiratory function of isolated rat hepatocytes after cold storage alone for periods up to 48 h in either sucrose-based solution (SBS) or University of Wisconsin (UW) solution and after subsequent normothermic preincubation. In both SBS and UW, cold storage for 24 h depressed respiratory function (to 21 +/- 3 and 23 +/- 3 nmol O(2)/min/10(6) cells, respectively) compared to control cell values (31 +/- 3 and 33 +/- 5 nmol O(2)/min/10(6) cells; P < 0.01 in each case). However, normothermic preincubation for 60 min returned respiratory activity to control values (for SBS and UW storage: 41 +/- 6 and 40 +/- 5 nmol O(2)/min/10(6) cells; for control cells: 43 +/- 5 and 46 +/- 6 nmol O(2)/min/10(6) cells). Storage for 48 h in both SBS and UW allowed further depression of respiratory activity, with no recovery after preincubation. Stimulation of respiration by succinate in hepatocytes stored for longer periods was suggestive of increased membrane permeability. Both SBS and UW are effective storage solutions for isolated hepatocytes for up to 24 h as judged by aerobic metabolism, but significant damage was expressed in both solutions when preservation was extended.     

Effect of cultivation temperature on nucleic acid level in bacteria Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

The relationship between the multiplication of bacteria, the content of nucleic acid and the specific rate of their growth during their batch cultivation in nutrient broth and mineral medium at temperatures of 37 degrees C and 4-6 degrees C was studied in the causative agents of saprozoonotic infections with L. monocytogenes and Y. pseudotuberculosis used as typical representatives of such bacteria. The content of DNA was shown to remain practically unchanged after the alteration of cultivation temperature and the conditions of nutrition. The linear relationship between the content of RNA and specific growth rate was registered both at 37 degrees C and 4-6 degrees C. However a higher content of RNA at low temperatures was found to correspond to one and the same specific growth rate, which was linked with the additional synthesis of this nucleic acid.     

Cytokinin oxidase is key enzyme of cytokinin degradation

Cytokinin oxidase (EC 1.5.99.12) is an enzyme that catalyzes the irreversible degradation of cytokinin phytohormones that are extremely necessary for growth, development, and differentiation of plants. Cytokinin oxidase plays an important role in the regulation of quantitative level of cytokinins and their distribution in plant tissues. This review generalizes the available information on the structure, properties, and functional role of this enzyme in plant ontogeny under conditions of normal growth and under the influence of unfavorable environmental factors.     

Phytoindicational properties of the vegetation in landscape transformation studies on Sibay chalcopyrite deposits (Southern Urals)

Changes in biogeochemical, morphological, floristic, and phytocenotic vegetation properties around Sibay chalcopyrite deposits at different distances from mining facilities have been studied. Heavy metal (HM) (Cu, Zn, Fe, Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, Cr, and Mn) content has been measured in samples of soils, waters, bottom sediments, total aboveground phytomass, and several plant species (Artemisia austriaca, Salvia stepposa, Thymus marschallianus, Veronica incana, Caragana frutex, Phlomis tuberosa, Achilea setacea, Galium verum, and Phragmites australis). Groups (pleiadas) of species have been identified based on interspecific contingency coefficient. These pleiadas correspond to ecological conditions and level of anthropogenic stress of the habitats. The set of features for evaluating natural territorial transformations of complexes by means of phytoindication is proposed.     

A Framework for Decision-Making for Mass Distribution of Mectizan<Superscript>®</Superscript> in Areas Endemic for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Loa loa</Emphasis>

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of Loa loa encephalopathy following mass treatment of onchocerciasis with Mectizan(R) has adversely affected onchocerciasis control efforts in central Africa. Persons with very high densities of L. loa microfilaremia are at increased risk of encephalopathy, but little is known about the geographic distribution of these persons within central Africa. RAPLOA, a new technique that correlates the proportion of community members reporting a history of eyeworm with the prevalence of high-intensity L. loa microfilaremia in that community, may be useful for rapid assessment of areas at potential risk of treatment-related L. loa encephalopathy. Validation of RAPLOA is ongoing. The operational and risk-reduction advantages of RAPLOA over the current technique of village-by-village rapid epidemiologic assessment for onchocerciasis (REA) are unknown. METHODS: We developed a decision model to compare four strategies for minimizing sequelae of L. loa encephalopathy following mass treatment with Mectizan(R) in areas co-endemic for onchocerciasis and loiasis: REA; RAPLOA with threshold eyeworm prevalences of 40% and 20% (RAPLOA-40 and RAPLOA-20, respectively); and combined REA/RAPLOA-40. RESULTS: In the model, all four strategies significantly reduced risk of death and neurologic complications from L. loa encephalopathy, but RAPLOA-20 and REA resulted in half as many such cases as did RAPLOA-40 or combined REA/RAPLOA-40. CONCLUSION: RAPLOA is likely to be useful programmatically in reducing risk of L. loa encephalopathy following mass treatment with Mectizan(R). It also may be cost-saving. Before full-scale implementation, additional data are needed on geographic clustering of high-density L. loa microfilaremia and on RAPLOA's reliability and cost.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Loa loa</Emphasis> encephalopathy temporally related to ivermectin administration reported from onchocerciasis mass treatment programs from 1989 to 2001: implications for the future

Of the 207 Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) following treatment with Mectizan^® (ivermectin, Merck, Sharpe &; Dohme) that were reported from 1989 to 2001 through the passive SAE surveillance system required of all onchocerciasis mass treatment programs, 65 were cases of 'Probable' or 'Possible' Loa loa Encephalopathy temporally Related to treatment with Mectizan^® (PLERM).A retrospective analysis of these 65 PLERM cases revealed that 97% were from southern Cameroon, 85% were male and 93% were being treated with ivermectin for the first time. The mean time to onset of symptoms was 1.7 days (95% CI: 1.3, 2.2) but the mean time to receiving medical attention after the onset of symptoms was 2.0 days (95% CI: 1.5, 2.6). Hospitalization was reported in 53 cases with a mean duration of 27.5 days (95% CI: 13.3, 41.6, n = 35). Clinical outcome was reported in 34 cases: 64.7% recovered fully, 11.8% had partial neurologic deficit and 23.5% died. For the 32 cases where quantitative L. loa data were reported, the arithmetic means with 95% confidence intervals were for 1) peripheral blood: pre-treatment – 164,250 mf/ml (79,537, 248,963; n = 4); post-treatment within 1 month – 3926 mf/ml (2,128, 5,725; n = 21) and within 5 to 6 months – 7800 mf/ml (3417, 12,183; n = 7); and for 2) cerebrospinal fluid: 32 mf/ml (7, 37; n = 10) within 1 month post-treatment.Pending further research on practical methods to exclude individuals with high intensity L. loa infection from onchocerciasis mass treatment programs, more emphasis should be placed on surveillance and monitoring to ensure early recognition, referral and management of SAEs, during the first 2 years when majority of the population is presumably naïve to ivermectin.     

The biochemical mechanisms of energy support in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cells at a low cultivation temperature

The object of the study was the first stage of biological oxidation: the transfer of hydrogen electrons to the components of the respiratory chain of Y. pseudotuberculosis cells by NAD and NADF, coenzymes of pyridine-dependent dehydrogenases, having labile redox properties. The study revealed that in the low-temperature cultivation of Y. pseudotuberculosis an increase in the content of NAD and NADF was 1.5- to 2.0-fold greater than that observed at 37 degrees C, which was indicative of the fact that at low environmental temperature pyridine-dependent dehydrogenases played a more important role than at high temperature (37 degrees C). This, in combination with other mechanisms, made it possible for bacterial cells to maintain the level of energy metabolism, necessary for their survival, in the environment with low and constantly changing temperature.     

Reversible mitochondrial uncoupling in the cold phase during liver preservation/reperfusion reduces oxidative injury in the rat model

Reversible uncoupling of the mitochondrial electron-transport chain may be one strategy to prevent intracellular oxidative stress during liver cold preservation/warm reperfusion (CP/WR) injury. 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP) is a potent water-soluble uncoupling agent for supplementation of the hepatic CP solution. The aim of this work was to investigate the possible influence of DNP in the CP solution on the isolated rat liver state during CP/WR. Livers were subjected to CP at 4 °C in sucrose–phosphate based solution (SPS) for 18 h, followed by WR for 60 min in vitro. The final concentration of DNP was 100 μM. DNP presence during the CP stage led to partial ATP level decrease accompanied by a significant diminution in liver TBARS and a prevention of antioxidant enzyme activity decrease (catalase, GSH-PO, GSH-Red) when compared with livers stored without DNP. After DNP wash-out during WR, an improvement in the mitochondrial functional state (higher respiratory control indices and ATP levels, and a decrease in V₄ respiration rates) were observed. This was concurrent with lower TBARS levels, higher antioxidant enzyme activities and significant increase of bile production. The results suggest that reversible uncoupling may be one way to influence oxidative stress associated with hepatic cold preservation.