Age-related effect induced by oxidative stress on the cerebral glutathione system

In the forebrain from male Wistar rats aged 5, 15 and 25 months, age-related putative alterations in the glutathione system (reduced and oxidized glutathione; redox index) were chronically induced by the administration in drinking water of free radical generators (hydrogen peroxide, ferrous chloride) or of inhibitors of endogenous free radical defenses (diethyl-dithio-carbamate, an inhibitor of superoxide dismutase activity). In hydrogen peroxide administered rats, both reduced glutathione and the cerebral glutathione redox index markedly declined as a function of aging, whereas oxidized glutathione consistently increased. In contrast, chronic iron intake failed to modify the reduced glutathione in forebrain from the rats of the different ages tested, whereas the oxidized glutathione was increased in the older brains. The chronic intake of diethyl-dithio-carbamate enhanced the concentrations of reduced glutathione in the forebrains from the rats of the different ages tested, the oxidized glutathione being unchanged. In 15-month-old rats submitted to chronic oxidative stress, ergot alkaloids (and particularly dihydroergocriptine) interfered with cerebral glutathione system, while papaverine was always ineffective. The comprehensive analysis of the data indicates that: (a) both the type of oxidative stress and the age of the animals modulate the cerebral responsiveness to the putative modifiers in the level of tissue free radicals; (b) aging magnifies the cerebral alterations induced by oxidative stress; the (c) cerebral glutathione system may be modified by metabolic rather than by circulatory interferences; (d) a balance between the various cerebral antioxidant defenses is present, the perturbation of an antioxidant system resulting in the compensatory modified activity of component(s) of another system.     

Electron spin resonance evidence for the formation of free radicals in plants exposed to ozone

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy was used to demonstrate that free radicals are formed in O₃-fumigated plant leaves prior to the formation of visible leaf injury. ESR signals with a g-value of 2.0037 to 2.0043, were observed in pea ( Pisum sativum L. cv. Feltham first) and bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Pinto) plants that had been fumigated for 4 h with 70–300 nl l⁻¹ of ozone after they had been treated with the spin-trap N- t -butyl-α-phenylnitrone (PBN). The size of the ESR signals increased with the concentration of ozone used but the nature of the trapped radicals could not be identified. However, further experiments using an inhibitor of ethylene biosynthesis, arninoethoxyvinyl glycine (AVG), showed that the reaction between ozone and ethylene is the cause for ozone toxicity.     

Population structure and responses to disturbance of the basidiomycete Resinicium bicolor

Summary Resinicium bicolor (Alb. & Schw. ex Fr.) Parm. [=Odontia bicolor (Alb. & Schw. ex Fr.) Bres.] is an outcrossing resupinate basidiomycete associated with root and butt rots of trees, but is itself only very weakly pathogenic. The distribution of genets among every spruce stump in a 70-year-old 1250 m² spruce stand was analysed using somatic incompatibility testing. R. bicolor was present on 40% of 8-to 10-year-old stumps. Nineteen genets were found occupying 32 stumps; yielding probabilities of colonisation following establishment by basidiospores of 0.20–0.24 and by mycelial extension or dispersal of 0.16–0.20. The probability of colonisation decreased with increasing distance from a point of establishment. R. bicolor responded to both enrichment and destructive disturbances by the formation of an extensive cord system which enabled it to colonise discontinuously distributed resources and to overgrow fungi adjacent to it in a single resource unit, including Heterobasidion annosum.     

Net Mg2+ uptake in relation to the amount of exchangeable Mg2+ in the Donnan free space of ryegrass roots

Ammonium acetate and BaCl₂-triethanolamine were used to desorb Mg²⁺ from the root Donnan free space (DFS) of 23-d-old ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. cvs. Gulf and Wilo). Amounts of desorbed Mg²⁺ increased with the increase in Mg²⁺ activity of the nutrient solution. Slightly less Mg²⁺ was desorbed by Ba²⁺ than by NH₄ ⁺. Previously published data on short-term net Mg²⁺ uptake by intact 23-d-old ryegrass plants of the two cultivars were linearly related to the amount of exchangeable Mg⁺ desorbed from the root DFS (r²=0.90 and 0.81 for the desorption by NH₄ ⁺ and Ba²⁺, respectively). A sward of Mg²⁺ ions attracted to the negative charges of the cell surface is suggested to represent a part of a pool of Mg²⁺ available for active transport through the plasmalemma.     

The meaning of interaction parameters in two-state protein complexes

The theory of interaction parameters has thus far been based on the free-energy relationships in the formation of ternary complexes formed between a pair of ligands and a protein molecule. The concept has been formulted in terms of a thermodynamic square comprised of the free protein, the two binary complexes, and the ternary complex. However, an increasing number of proteins have been found to exist as equilibrium mixtures of two macrostates. The equilibrium constants for such two-state transitions vary quite considerably between the various binary and ternary complexes of a given protein. We show here that the interpretations of interaction parameters in such two-state systems, requiring the use of a thermodynamic cube, are much more complex than those based on the classic thermodynamic square commonly employed. We demonstrate the use of enthalpies of interaction and heat capacities of interaction to analyze the source of observed free enerigies of interaction in such systems. Specifically, we find that measured negative interaction parameters may arise simply from the inability of a system to achieve all of the positive component effects anticipated by the conventional formulation.     

Inheritance of antagonistic properties and lytic enzyme activities in sexual crosses of Talaromyces flavus

Two wild-type strains and three benomyl-resistant mutants of the antagonistic ascomycete Talaromyces flavus were crossed in six combinations, two of which yielded hybrid cleistothecia. Parental strains and their ascospore progenies varied in several traits considered to play an important role in the capacity to control soilborne fungal pathogens: extracellular activities of glucose oxidase and cell-wall degrading enzymes, antibiosis towards Verticillium dahliae, and parasitism and biocontrol of Sclerotium rolfsii. A non-Mendelian quantitative mode of inheritance was found for β-1, 3-glucanase and chitinase activities but only the latter exhibited a normal frequency distribution. Some of the progenies exhibited higher glucanase and chitinase activities than those found in the parental strains. Progeny analysis for chitinase, glucanase, cellulase, and glucose oxidase activities revealed no genetic association between any two of these enzymes. Antibiosis was correlated with glucose-oxidase activity in one cross, but not in the other. The ability to reduce bean root rot caused by S. rolfsii was correlated with mycoparasitic activity against S. rolfsii sclerotia in one cross, but not in the other. One out of the 20 progenies tested was able to reduce bean root rot more effectively than its parent strains, thus demonstrating the feasibility of improving a biocontrol agent by conventional breeding.     

Interaction of free fatty acids with the erythrocyte membrane as affected by hyperthermia and ionizing radiation

The interference of hyperthermia and ionizing radiation, respectively, with the effects of capric (100), lauric (120), myristic (140), oleic (cis-181) and elaidic (trans-181) acids on the osmotic resistance of human erythrocytes was investigated. The results are summarized as follows: (A) not only at 37°, but also at 42° and 47°C lauric acid (120) represents the minimum chain length for the biphasic behaviour of protecting against hypotonic hemolysis at a certain lower concentration range and hemolysis promotion at subsequent higher concentrations; (B) with increasing temperatures the protecting as well as the hemolytic effects occur at lower concentrations of the fatty acids; (C) the increase of temperature promotes the extent of hemolysis and reduces the extent of protection against hypotonic hemolysis; (D) Gamma-irradiation of erythrocytes selectively affects the concentration of oleic acid at which maximum protection against hypotonic hemolysis occurs, without altering the minimum concentration for 100% hemolysis.     

Comparison of linoleate,palmitate and acetate metabolism in rat ventral prostate

Rat ventral prostate incorporated (1-¹⁴C)acetate, (1-¹⁴C)palmitate and (1-¹⁴C)linoleate into different phospholipids in a time-dependent process. The rate of incorporation into total phospholipids was higher with linoleate (10.0 nmol/g) than with either palmitate (5.8 nmol/g) or acetate (4.7 nmol/g). Predominant labelling with all the radioactive substrates assayed was found in choline glycerophospholipids (PC). The radioactive profiles for linoleate in the other ventral prostate phospholipids differed from those obtained with palmitate and acetate. Specifically linoleate was incorporated into inositol glycerophospholipids plus lysoethanolamine glycerophospholipids (PI+LPE) and not into sphingomyelin (SM), while palmitate and acetate incorporated into SM but not into PI+LPE. Acetate showed the highest oxidation to CO₂ whereas no differences were observed in the radioactivity incorporated into CO₂ from a saturated (palmitate) or an essential unsaturated fatty acid (linoleate). These studies also show zinc-dependence by the acetate to CO₂ oxidation.Abbreviations PL total phospholipids - PC choline glycerophospholipids - PE ethanolamine glycerophospholipids - PI+LPE inositol glycerophospholipids plus lysoethanolamine glycerophospholipids - PS serine glycerophospholipids - SM sphingomyelin     

Anaerobic energy metabolism in the oligochaeteLumbriculus variegatus Müller

Summary Anoxia tolerance, glycogen degradation, free amino acid pool, adenylate energy charge and the accumulation and excretion of end products were monitored inLumbriculus variegatus Müller throughout 48 h of anoxia. A transition period lasting about 4 h could be distinguished from subsequent events during which malate, present in high amounts in the resting animals, is utilized, probably by conversion to succinate. Up to the 12th hour of anoxia there is an increase in concentration of free amino acids, except aspartate. Glutamate increases rapidly during the first half hour but decreases thereafter. Beginning with the second hour of anoxia the alanine concentration increases at the same rate glutamate concentration decreases, but the source of nitrogen during the first hour is unknown. It is argued that the nitrogen required for the synthesis of some of the amino acids is ultimately derived from proteolysis. After about 3 h of anoxia propionate and acetate are synthesized. At first these acids accumulate in the tissues, but after 4–6 h they are excreted into the surrounding medium. Acetate is excreted over the whole experimental period at a constant rate, whereas the excretion rate of propionate decreases slowly with time. The propionate/acetate ratio is in excess of 2. Classic malate dismutation is by far the most important mechanism in the maintenance of redox balance. Depletion of glycogen stores appears to play an important role in determining anoxic survival time. Due to extremely low activity of PEPCK the ratio of the specific activities of PK and PEPCK is very high. Further, the kinetic properties of pyruvate kinase do not support the assumption of a shift of the glycolytic carbon flow at the PEP level.Abbreviations PK Pyruvate kinase - PEPCK phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase - PEP phospho(enol)pyruvate - FBP fructose-1,6-bisphosphate - AEC adenylate energy charge - EMP-scheme Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas scheme of glycolysis - f _w fresh body weight - dw dry body weight     

ESR检测大鼠肺巨噬细胞释放的活性氧自由基

用ESR捕捉技术检测大鼠AM释放的活性氧自由基的性质表明:1.PMA和BCG均能刺激AM产生较强的OH·;能刺激人末稍血白细胞释放活性氧自由基的ConA和顺铂在本实验条件下未能使AM产生活性氧自由基信号。2.经膜活性剂PMA刺激的AM所释放活性氧自由基的高峰在刺激后2min,而经颗粒性物质BCG刺激,AM释放自由基的高峰时间明显后移。3.测试体系中的AM数过多或过少都不适合捕捉ESR信号。在本实验条件下,捕捉到最高自由基信号的AM终浓度为5×10⁷AM/ml。4.测试体系中存在DETAPAC或EDTA,可使捕捉到的自由基信号明显增强。