Prevention, using alpha-tocopherol and lidocaine, of damage to the monooxygenase system activity and ultrastructure of hepatocytes following acute ischemia of the liver

The experiments on rats have shown that alpha-tocopherol and lidocaine pretreatment leads to a decrease in the level of ischemic cell necrosis in the liver. The volume of cell necrosis in the liver was significantly decreased (more than threefold) in the case of drug pretreatment. The combination of alpha-tocopherol with lidocaine fully prevented the decrease in N-dimethylation of amidopyrine and cytochrome P-450 and b5 concentration, and the development of destructive alterations of cytoplasmic reticulum in the unaffected rat hepatocytes. alpha-Tocopherol and lidocaine pretreatment was effective for the retention of the depression of microsomal monooxygenases by phenobarbital in remote periods after acute hepatic ischemia.     

Interaction of Mercuric Ions with Different Marine Algal Species

The use of different seaweeds such as Sargassum sp., Turbinaria conoides, and Ulva sp. in removing mercury(II) from aqueous solutions were investigated. The initial experimental runs, conducted at different equilibrium pH conditions, demonstrated that brown seaweeds outperformed green seaweed in Hg(II) biosorption at all pH conditions. In particular, at pH 5, maximum biosorption capacities of 170.3 and 145.8 mg/g were recorded for the brown seaweeds T. conoides and Sargassum sp., respectively, compared with 138.4 mg/g for the green seaweed Ulva sp. Isotherm data were modeled and interpreted using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson, and Toth models, with the latter described the Hg(II) isotherms with high correlation coefficients and low % error values. The kinetic data indicate the rapidity of the biosorption process, with the equilibrium achieved within 90 min. Several models, including the Elovich, pseudo-first-order, and pseudo-second-order models, were examined for their suitability with the present data; the correlation coefficient and % error values, along with better prediction of equilibrium uptake values, favored the pseudo-first-order model. The desorption experiments were highly successful for T. conoides biomass with 0.05 M HCl, whereas for the other two seaweeds, 0.05 M HCl resulted in high biomass weight loss. Reusing T. conoides biomass in three successive sorption-desorption cycles resulted in only 8.8% reduction in Hg(II) biosorption capacity compared with its original uptake.     

Roentgeno-endovascular dilation of aortic coarctation]

The potentialities of roentgeno-endovascular dilation (RED) of various types of coarctation and aortic stenoses were studied in 12 patients aged 9 to 27. RED was performed by two Grüntzig's catheters with balloons not less than 7 mm in diameter. The main criterion of RED efficacy was a gradient of systolic pressure which was on the decrease by 25-40 mm Hg after using one catheter, and by 40-70 mm Hg after using both catheters. The same method was applied to dilation of stenosis of the abdominal aorta. The proposed method is low invasive and most effective in patients with aortic segmentation of segmental type, and makes it possible to avoid in many cases surgical intervention.     

Modified peroxiredoxins as prototypes of drugs with powerful antioxidant action

The possibility of using modified peroxiredoxins as powerful antioxidant agents has been considered. Peroxiredoxins immobilized on perfluorocarbon emulsions and PTD-modified peroxiredoxins have been studied. It has been shown that peroxiredoxins efficiently bind to particles of perfluorocarbon emulsions, while maintaining their antioxidant properties. A panel of PTD-modified peroxiredoxins has been created and peroxiredoxins most effective both in antioxidant properties and the ability to penetrate cells have been selected. The modified peroxiredoxins obtained may serve as the basis for the design of drug with powerful antioxidant action.     

Two peroxiredoxins 6 of Xenopus laevis

Two different genes of peroxiredoxin 6 are encoded in the genome of Xenopus laevis: xen1 (Acc.no. EMBL Data Bank - BCO54278) and xen2 (Acc.no. EMBL Data Bank - BC540309). Both genes were cloned and expressed in Escherichi coil. Proteins were purified and analyzed. The amino acid sequences of the enzymes Xen1 and Xen2 are 95% identical with the same peroxidase activity, pH and temperature optimums, as well as thermostability, being approximately equal. The expression of peroxiredoxin 6 genes significantly differ during ontogenesis of X. laevis. The expression of xen1 starts on a later stage of development 47-48, while the gene xen2 is expressed on all stages of development with the same increase starting from stage 0-5. The level of xen2 expression in embryos increased after incubation in presence of hydrogen peroxide. The comparison of amino acid sequences of proteins Xen1 and Xen2 shows that only the enzyme Xen2 may have phospholipase activity, since it has residues of phospholipase A2 active center: Ser31, His25, Asp139.     

Effect of vacuum chamber boronization on the plasma parameters in the L-2M stellarator

After boronization of the vacuum chamber of the L-2M stellarator, radiative losses from ohmically and ECR heated plasmas were reduced by a factor of 3–4. Under these conditions, radiative losses in the ECRH regime comprise only 10–15% of the input microwave power. Some effects have been detected that were not observed previously: a substantial increase in the gradient of the electron temperature near the separatrix, a preferentially outward-directed radial turbulent particle flux (both throughout the discharge phase and from shot to shot), and a longer (by a factor of 2–3) duration of the plasma cooling phase.     

High Dose Inhalation with Gaseous Nitric Oxide in COVID-19 Treatment

Biophysics - A method of treatment of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19 in patients undergoing high flow oxygenation is proposed and technically implemented; the method is based on high-dose...