Diazepam metabolism by multiple forms of cytochrome P-450 in rat liver microsomes

The synthesis of pharmacologically active diazepam metabolites (oxazepam, 4-hydroxydiazepam, N-demethyldiazepam) in liver microsomes of intact and phenobarbital-, 3-methylcholanthrene- and dexamethasone-induced male and female Wistar rats as well as in a reconstituted system with isolated forms of cytochrome P-450 (P-450a, P-450b, P-450c, P-450d and P-450k according to the Ryan nomenclature) was studied. Marked sex-dependent differences in the rates of diazepam metabolism in liver microsomes of intact and induced animals were revealed. The changes in the spectrum of diazepam metabolites in liver microsomes of induced rats (as compared to control animals) were revealed. In a reconstituted system only phenobarbital-induced cytochromes P-450b and P-450k were found to be active participants of diazepam N-demethylation; none of the isoenzymes tested were shown to be involved in diazepam hydroxylation.     

The phenobarbital-type induction of rat liver microsomal monooxygenases by perfluorodecalin

Induction of perfluorodecalin (PFD) of the liver microsomal system of metabolism of xenobiotics has been studied and compared with the inductions by phenobarbital (PB) and 3-methylcholanthrene (MC). It has been shown that PFD increases the content of cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity. Like PB, PFD induces the activities of benzphetamine-N-demethylase, aldrine-epoxidase, 16 beta-androstendion-hydroxylase. Using specific antibodies against cytochromes P-450b and P-450c (which are the main isoenzymes of cytochrome P-450 in the PB- and MC-microsomes respectively), an immunological identity of the cytochrome P-450 isoforms during PFD and PB induction has been found. According to the rocket immunoelectrophoresis the content of cytochrome P-450 in PFD-microsomes, which is immunologically indistinguishable from P-450b, was approximately 70% of the total cytochrome P-450. Two forms of cytochrome P-450 were isolated from the liver microsomes of PFD-induced rats and purified to homogeneity. A comparison of these forms with cytochromes P-450b and P-450e obtained from the PB-induced rat liver microsomes revealed their similarity in a number of properties, e.g., chromotographic behavior on DEAE-Sephacel column, molecular weight determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel, immunoreactivity, peptide mapping, catalytic activity. The data presented demonstrate that PFD induced in rat liver microsomes the cytochrome P-450 forms whose immunological properties and substrate specificity correspond to those of the PB-type cytochrome P-450. These findings suggest that PFD and PB, which differ in their chemical structure, induce in the rat liver microsomes identical forms of cytochrome P-450.     

Interactions of some acceptors with superoxide anion radicals formed by the NADPH-specific flavoprotein in rat liver microsomal fractions.

In rat liver microsomal fractions oxidation of adrenaline was effected by superoxide anion radicals (O2-), whereas cytochrome c, 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol and ferricyanide accepted electrons from NADPH-specific flavoprotein only directly. Nitro Blue Tetrazolium was reduced both by O2- and by the direct acceptance of electrons. Elevation of pH and addition of menadione shift the Nitro Blue Tetrazolium reduction towards the O2--dependent pathway. From the values of the kinetic constants for interaction of adrenaline and Nitro Blue Tetrazolium with NADPH-specific flavoprotein, the rates of generation of O2- in rat liver microsomal fraction were determined.     

Plant virus infection development as affected by heavy metal stress

The work was focused on the investigation of possible dependencies between the development of viral infection in plants and the presence of high heavy metal concentrations in soil. Field experiments have been conducted in order to study the development of systemic tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection in Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv. Miliana plants under effect of separate salts of heavy metals Cu, Zn and Pb deposited in soil. As it is shown, simultaneous effect of viral infection and heavy metals in tenfold maximum permissible concentration leads to decrease of total chlorophyll content in experiment plants mainly due to the degradation of chlorophyll a. The reduction of chlorophyll concentration under the combined influence of both stress factors was more serious comparing to the separate effect of every single factor. Plants' treatment with toxic concentrations of lead and zinc leaded to slight delay in the development of systemic TMV infection together with more than twofold increase of virus content in plants that may be an evidence of synergism between these heavy metal's and virus' effects. Contrary, copper although decreased total chlorophyll content but showed protective properties and significantly reduced amount of virus in plants.     

Preparation of pro-oncogenic mutant forms V659E and V659Q of the transmembrane domain of receptor protein kinase ErbB2 for structural studies

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) play an important role in intercellular signal transduction through the plasma membrane. RTKs are integral membrane proteins activated upon lateral homo- or heterodimerization involving their transmembrane domain. The polymorphism and mutations in RTK transmembrane (TM) domains are directly associated with a number of human diseases. The family of epidermal growth factor receptors, ErbB, is an important class of RTKs participating in human cell growth, development, and differentiation. In order to investigate the influence of pathogenic mutations in ErbB TM domains on the structural and dynamic properties of these receptors and on specific interactions of their TM domains, we have developed highly effective systems of bacterial expression and purification of recombinant transmembrane fragments ErbB2_641–684 with pro-oncogenic substitution of Val⁶⁵⁹ by Glu or Gln. Transmembrane fragments were obtained in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS as a fusion protein with thioredoxin A. The purification protocol includes immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) and cation-exchange chromatography. The application of the protease Thrombin for hybrid protein hydrolysis considerably reduces financial expenditure as compared to the analogous protocols. The described techniques allow obtaining the milligram quantities of ErbB2 transmembrane fragments and its ¹⁵N-/[¹⁵N, ¹³C]-isotope-labeled derivatives for the analysis of their spatial structure using high-resolution heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy in a membrane-mimicking milieu.     

Population Genetic Diversity of Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida) of Russian Arctic Seas

Journal of Ichthyology - We present the data on genetic variation of Arctic cod Boreogadus saida assessed using seven microsatellite loci in four samples collected in the Kara, Laptev, and...     

Extramedullary hematopoiesis in a case of benign mixed mammary tumor in a female dog: cytological and histopathological assessment

Backgroud  

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is defined as the presence of hematopoietic stem cells such as erythroid and myeloid lineage plus megakaryocytes in extramedullary sites like liver, spleen and lymph nodes and is usually associated with either bone marrow or hematological disorders. Mammary EMH is a rare condition either in human and veterinary medicine and can be associated with benign mixed mammary tumors, similarly to that described in this case.     

Effect of hemagglutinin glycosylation on influenza virus susceptibility to neuraminidase inhibitors

Inhibition of neuraminidase (NA) activity prevents release of progeny virions from influenza-infected cells and removal of neuraminic (sialic) acid moieties from glycans attached to hemagglutinin (HA). Neuraminic acid moieties situated near the HA receptor-binding site can reduce the efficiency of virus binding and decrease viral dependence on NA activity for replication. With the use of reverse genetics technique, we investigated the effect of glycans attached at Asn 94a, 129, and 163 on the virus susceptibility to NA inhibitors in MDCK cells and demonstrated that the glycan attached at Asn 163 plays a dominant role in compensation for the loss of NA activity.     

Functional characteristics of cytochromes P-4501A1 and P-4501A2 in rodent liver

Antibodies to mouse liver cytochrome P3-450 (anti-P3-450) and antibodies to rat liver cytochrome P-450d (anti-P-450d-c) inhibit the 0-deethylation of 7-ethoxyresorufin (ER) in liver microsomes of benz(a)pyrene-induced (BP) mice but do not inhibit the 0-deethylase activity in liver microsomes of BP-induced rats. Anti-P3-450 and anti-P-450c inhibit BP-hydroxylation in BP-induced mouse liver microsomes by 20%, but they do not inhibit this reaction at all in BP-induced rat liver microsomes. In a reconstituted monooxygenase system isolated cytochrome P3-450 metabolized 7-ER and BP. In contrast, its homologue, cytochrome P-450d, did not metabolize these substrates. The fraction containing cytochrome P1-450 metabolized 7-ER at a low rate and BP at a rate of 3.6 nmol product/min/nmol cytochrome. Western blot analysis with anti-P-450c + d revealed two bands in SDS-PAGE gels containing BP-induced mouse liver microsomes. The interaction of mouse liver BP-microsomes with anti-P3-450 and anti-P-450d-c was accompanied by the appearance of a single band (cytochrome P3-450).