Therapy of severe stenocardia with ultraviolet blood irradiation (UVB) and various action mechanisms of this therapy

We observed 70 male patients with a seriously proceeding Chronic myocardial ischemia. They were hospitalised because of frequent, permanent and serious attacks of stenocardia at rest and in stress situations. More than 2/3 of these patients had suffered from a myocardial infarct. In the course of two weeks an intensive therapy with all modern preparations for vasodilatation was made. This therapy proved to be unsuccessful. Nearly all patients were administered more than 10 tables of nitroglycerin per day and, in addition, they were injected analgetics as a compensation of attack. The ultraviolet own blood irradiation (UVB) had a positive therapeutic effect in all patients. There was a good success in 46 patients, in all patients satisfactory results could be registered. The effect of therapy was evident by the decrease of administration of nitroglycerin required, by an increase in the degree of stress capacity, and by an easier treatment of stenocardia attacks. The observation time for patients amounted to 2-8 months. The success of therapy remained in 38 patients. After this time the success of therapy could partially be regained by a repeated number of irradiation series. Then, it remained positive in 9 of 22 patients who had been followed-up for 10 months. The half decay period of eliminating 131I from an intradermal depot could be normalised under the influence of ultraviolet own blood irradiation. This ultraviolet own blood irradiation had no significant influence on the fibrinogen level, fibrinolytic activity, and erythrocyte aggregation (examined in 11 patients). A 2 1/2-fold diminution of monomer fibrin complexes in the blood could be observed. The titre of antistreptolysin-O was increased in all patients who had got over the infarct. It had completely normalised a week after finishing the ultraviolet own blood irradiation. Spectroscopic examinations of the blood and plasma made after ultraviolet own blood irradiation revealed that this irradiation will not only affect the properties of Hb, but will also cause a photochemical transformation accompanied by a destruction of some plasma proteins, of the membrane of formed blood elements, and a photosynthesis of biochemically active compounds. The mechanism of action of ultraviolet own blood irradiation is complicated and requires further exact investigations. Even today, however, this method can be recommended as a complex therapy in patients with severe myocardial ischemia.     

Antigen-binding activity,structural characteristics and use of monoclonal antibodies to human alpha-1-microglobulin

Four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), G6, F9, H8, and B2, against human alpha-1-microglobulin (A1M) have been produced and characterized. The parameters of affinity (K_p ～ 10⁹ M^?1), epitope specificity (the additively binding G6/F9, G6/H8, G6/B2, F9/H8, and F9/B2 pairs), and the observed effect of reversibility of structural changes induced by chemical agents allow use of these mAbs in biospecific methods of A1M purification and quantitative determination. The application of mAbs to an A1M enzyme immunoassay (analytical sensitivity—0.5 μg/l) and one step isolation of pure A1M by immunoaffinity chromatography was described.     

The proteins of the ejaculatory bulbs in different species of Drosophila

A comparative electrophoretic study or ejaculatory bulb proteins in 29 different Drosophila species has been carried out. In all analyzed species, ejaculatory bulb contains a major component (designated as PEB). It has molecular mass of 61-65 kDa in the species of virilis group, 33-36 kDa in species of obscura group, and 34-56 kDa in species of melanogaster group. Using immunoblotting technique, we have demonstrated that PEB is introduced into organs of female sex tract during mating. The nature and significance of revealed interspecific differences in PEB proteins has been discussed.     

Hypoxic stress and the transport systems of the peribacteroid membrane of bean root nodules

When the roots of Vicia faba L. beans were subjected to hypoxic stress, the activity of H⁺-ATPase on the peribacteroid membrane, as well as the transport of dicarboxylates (malate and succinate) mediated by this enzyme, decreased. Since malate and succinate are the main carbon-containing metabolites involved in the energy supply to bacteroids, this caused a change of the relation type from mutualism to commensalism, and the domination of the eukaryotes over the prokaryotes consequently increased.