Effect of Blocking of Calcium Channels on Cognitive Processes and General Motor Activity in Normal and Stressed Rats

In Wistar rats, we studied the effects of injections of a Ca²⁺ channel blocker, verapamil, on realization of a food-procuring operant conditioned reflex, OCR, and general motor activity within intersignal periods in the norm and under conditions of stress-induced disorders. The OPRs and a few behavioral phenomena (immobilization, grooming, research behavior, orientational and locomotor activity, vertical stands, and intersignal limb movements in a manger) were recorded. The acute stress state was induced by intense acoustic stimulation (a loud ringing sound presented in the course of OCR realization). Inhibition of the conditioned reflex activity (immobilization of the animal within an interstimulus period) and weakening of attention to the manger resulted from stress induction. Stress-related behavioral effects evoked by intense auditory stimulation were eliminated against the background of the action of verapamil, while the OCR and motor activity were not inhibited. Verapamil suppressed reactions of fear and anxiety in a dose-dependent manner and promoted concentration of attention; these effects improved the integrative functions and abilities to adequately estimate the signals in a given situation of the OCR performance. Such effects can be based on weakening of stress-related adrenaline release and certain normalization of the state of the cardiovascular systems due to partial blocking of calcium channels.     

Functional state of the endogenous opioid peptide system in traumatic shock in rats]

The experiments have been performed on 120 Wistar rats and 546 CBWH mice. Met-enkephalin (ME) and beta-endorphin (BE) levels were determined to increase in blood and mid-brain 3 hours later after soft tissue compression of pelvic extremities. 48 hours later after six-hour compression BE and ME level in blood was increased, BE concentration in blood was also increased, and enkephalins' content in brain and blood was decreased as against the control. Opioid peptides influence on the host compression period has been studied. D-agonists were established to decrease, but mu-agonists were established to increase mice survival in shock. Opioid peptides' significance in traumatic shock pathogenesis is being discussed.     

Polymorphism of the Catalase and Glutathione Peroxidase Genes and Macrovascular Complications in Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetic Hypertensives

Allelic and genotypic distributions of the polymorphic markers C1167T and Pro197Leu of the genes of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX1), respectively, were studied in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and hypertension without complications (the control group, n= 52) and with complications: myocardial infarction (MI, n= 53) or stroke (n= 50). No significant differences were found between complicated and uncomplicated patients with respect to the allelic or phenotypic distribution. Thus, there were no association between these polymorphic regions and either MI or stroke in hypertensive NIDDM patients.     

Synthesis and properties of a new conformational antigen which models an extracellular region of β1-adrenoreceptor

Two fragments corresponding to the 125–133 and 206–218 sequences of a molecule of the β1-adrenoreceptor (autoantibodies to this protein are often found in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy) were synthesized by the solid phase method with the use of Fmoc technology. Two new conformational antigens were prepared by directed (regioselective) and undirected (spontaneous) formation of intramolecular and intermolecular disulfide bridges between the corresponding cysteine residues of the synthesized peptides. One of these antigens consisted of a mixture of disulfide isomers, and another antigen was an isomer with a natural arrangement of S-S bridges. Immunosorbents were obtained by immobilization of the synthesizes antigens on the bromocyanogen-activated sepharose and applied to the removal of autoantibodies in a β1-adrenoreceptor from the blood plasma of patients. We demonstrated that the sorbents on the basis of the conformational antigens were more effective in comparison with those containing linear peptide precursors.     

Changes in the Leaf Polypeptide Patterns of Barley Plants Exposed to Soil Flooding

Exposure of barley plants (Hordeum vulgare L.) to soil flooding for 72 – 120 h led to decrease in the content of the both subunits of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The effect was more pronounced on the small subunit. Further, the changes in protein pattern were observed, mainly proteins with molecular masses 30 – 85 kD were down-regulated. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.