L-pyroglutamyl-D-alanine amide normalizes the function of the developing brain damaged by antenatal alcoholization in rats

The effects of the synthetic dipeptide, L-pyroglutamyl-D-alaninamide (LPDA) were studied in the experiments on offspring of alcoholized during the pregnancy (5 g/kg/day) females. This dipeptide, which revealed the nootropic activity in previous experiments, was injected to the pups in dose of 1 mg/kg from 8 to 19 days of life. LPDA was shown to prevent the delayed disturbances of learning in passive avoidance test, of extrapolatory behaviour in escape test, to attenuate the emotional hyperreactivity. LPDA normalized EEG power spectrum, decreased interhemispheric asymmetry. This substance attenuated the disbalance evoked by prenatal alcoholization.     

Expression,localization and possible functions of aquaporins 3 and 8 in rat digestive system

Although aquaporins (AQPs) play important roles in transcellular water movement, their precise quantification and localization remains controversial. We investigated expression levels and localizations of AQP3 and AQP8 and their possible functions in the rat digestive system using real-time polymerase chain reactions, western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. We investigated the expression levels and localizations of AQP3 and AQP8 in esophagus, forestomach, glandular stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, proximal and distal colon, and liver. AQP3 was expressed in the basolateral membranes of stratified epithelia (esophagus and forestomach) and simple columnar epithelia (glandular stomach, ileum, and proximal and distal colon). Expression was particularly abundant in the esophagus, and proximal and distal colon. AQP8 was found in the subapical compartment of columnar epithelial cells of the jejunum, ileum, proximal colon and liver; the most intense staining occurred in the jejunum. Our results suggest that AQP3 and AQP8 play significant roles in intestinal function and/or fluid homeostasis and may be an important subject for future investigation of disorders that involve disruption of intestinal fluid homeostasis, such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.     

On the correlation of S-S and C-S raman bands frequencies and intensities with conformations of disulfide bridges in proteins

We have studied dependence of the S-S and C-S raman bands frequencies and intensities on the conformation of disulfide bridges. These correlations have been analyzed on the basis of the normal coordinates treatment in the valence force field and from comparison of the raman and X-ray data for the model compounds and proteins. The found regularity of the intensity variations with conformation make it possible to distinguish these spectral perturbations from those associated with the change in the number of disulfide bridges in proteins. Particularly, this was demonstrated on the gamma-irradiated insulin solutions spectra. We also present some data appropriate for estimation of the content of disulfide bridges in proteins using internal intensity standards.     

X-ray diffraction and biochemical studies of W34F mutant ribonuclease binase

The structures of two crystal modifications of the W34F mutant ribonuclease from the bacterium Bacillus intermedius (binase) were solved and refined at 1.7 and 1.1 Å resolution. The kinetic parameters of the hydrolysis of substrates of different length (GpU, GpUp, and poly(I)) by binase and its W34F mutant were investigated and compared. The catalytic activity of the enzymes was shown to increase with increasing length of the substrate. The substitution of tryptophan for phenylalanine does not lead to a change in the activity of the enzyme but results in a decrease of the binding constants for substrates containing more than one phosphate groups. A comparison of the structure of the mutant enzyme with the previously established structures of binase and its complexes with sulfate ions and guanosine monophosphate showed that the difference in their kinetic parameters is related to the fact that the mutant ribonuclease cannot bind the second phosphate group. Both crystal modifications of the mutant binase contain dimers, like in the crystal structure of binase studied previously. In these dimers, only one enzyme molecule can bind the substrate molecule. Since the dimers were found in the crystals grown under four different conditions, it can be suggested that the enzyme can exist as dimers in solution as well. Mutants of binase, which could exclude the formation of dimers, are suggested.     

Accuracy of a real-time polymerase-chain-reaction assay for a quantitative estimation of genetically modified sources in food products

The accuracy of a real-time polymerase-chain-reaction assay for genetically modified sources in food products was determined using two official test systems (kits) of primers and samples. These kits were recommended by the Federal Center of State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance (Russian Ministry of Health) and the European Commission. We used the following three models of thermocyclers: iCycler iQ (BioRad, United States), Rotor-Gene 3000 (Corbett Research, Australia), and DT-322 (DNA-Technology, Russia). Studies of samples that contained 1% genetically modified sources showed that the error of a quantitative assay for genetically modified sources in food products corresponds to 20-30% and does not depend on the kit type and the thermocycler model used.     

Engineering Aspects of the Electromagnetic System of the TRT Tokamak

Plasma Physics Reports - The engineering and technical aspects of the creation of the electromagnetic system (EMS) developed using high-temperature superconductors (HTSCs) for the TRT project...     

Benzisothiazolones as modulators of macrophage migration inhibitory factor

Substituted N-phenylbenzisothiazolones have been investigated as inhibitors of the tautomerase activity of the proinflammatory cytokine MIF (macrophage migration inhibitory factor). Numerous compounds were found to possess antagonist activity in the low micromolar range with the most potent being the 6-hydroxy analog 1w. Compound 1w and the p-cyano analog 1c were also shown to exhibit significant inhibition of the binding of MIF to its transmembrane receptor CD74. Consistently, both compounds were also found to retard the MIF-dependent phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in human synovial fibroblasts.