The strategy of “Useful Sun” improves physical endurance and adaptation of cardiac morphology

The action of solar light transformed by special screens has been studied on CD-1 male mice. In the active control group, mice were irradiated through screens absorbing the UV-component. In the experimental group, screens transforming the UV-component into the orange-red light were used. In the active control, changes in the swimming activity, as compared to the same parameter before irradiation, were manifested much less than in animals of the experimental group. A morphological analysis showed changes in the structure of all cardiomyocyte organelles studied: the relative area of mitochondria in the experimental mice increased by more than 20% compared to intact animals (p < 0.05). A significant increase in the area of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, by 23.4% (p < 0.05), and in the volume of the myofibrillar apparatus, by 19.4% (p < 0.05), was detected. The results of our experiment show that the irradiation with using an additional orangered component improves the physical endurance 1.5 times and initiates morphogenetic processes in cardiac muscle cells.     

Increased generation of hydroxyl radicals in the rat hypertrophied myocardium: in vivo study by microdialysis

A comparative study of the generation of hydroxyl radicals (OH*) in the hypertrophic myocardium of SHR-SP rats (n = 8) and in the myocardium of WKY (n = 5) and Wistar (n = 12) rats was performed using the microdialysis technique. The experiments were carried out on anesthetized open-chest male rats (ketamine intraperitoneally, 10 mg/kg) with artificial ventilation. The amount of OH* produced was estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection using as a marker 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA), a product of the reaction of the hydroxyl radical with salicylic acid added to the perfusate. The quantity of 2,3-DHBA in the dialysate was estimated by the external standard method and expressed in percent of the 2,3-DHBA concentration in the perfusion fluid. The mean baseline value of 2,3-DHBA in dialysate samples in SHR-SP rats (157 +/- 22%, n = 8) was significantly higher than in Wistar (90 +/- 15%, n = 12, p = 0.0001) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (106 +/- 12%, n = 5, p = 0.005). The basal 2,3-DHBA level in SHR-SP rats was positively correlated (r = 0.831, n = 7, p < 0.05) with the degree of hypertrophy of the left ventricle expressed as the ratio of the left ventricle weight to the body weight. The data presented demonstrate that the hypertrophy of the left ventricle in SHR-SP rats is accompanied by the elevation of the level of free oxygen radicals.     

Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in the Sensitivity of Rat Hypertrophied Myocardium to Ischemia

The relationship between hydroxyl radical (OH*) generation in the zone of ischemia/reperfusion and the size of infarction formed was investigated in 18-22-week-old anaesthetized male SHRSP and Wistar rats using a myocardial microdialysis technique. The marker of OH* generation, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA), was analyzed in dialyzates by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Myocardial ischemia was induced by ligation of the descending branch of the left main coronary artery for 30 min. The mean value of basal 2,3-DHBA level in the dialyzate samples from SHRSP (243 +/- 21 pg for 30 min) was significantly higher than that from Wistar rats (91 +/- 4 pg for 30 min, p < 0.0002); it positively correlated with left ventricular hypertrophy (r = 0.806; p < 0.05). During reperfusion total 2,3-DHBA output was 1.8-fold higher in SHRSP than in Wistar rats (659 +/- 60 pg versus 364 +/- 66 pg for 60 min, respectively, p < 0.0002). At the same time, 2,3-DHBA increase above the basal level was the same in Wistar and SHRSP rats (181 +/- 25 and 172 +/- 36 pg for 60 min, respectively). The infarct size in SHRSP (45.4 +/- 4.3%) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in Wistar rats (32.8 +/- 3.3%). There was a significant positive correlation between basal level of 2,3-DHBA and total reperfusion 2,3-DHBA content in SHRSP (r = 0.752; p < 0.05). Thus, data obtained clearly indicate that the hypertrophied myocardium of SHRSP was less tolerant to ischemia/reperfusion than that of Wistar rats due to chronically increased OH* production and enhanced total OH* output during reperfusion. Greater myocardial damage in SHRSP than in Wistar rats following the equal increase in OH* production above the basal level suggests the existence of deficit of the antioxidant defense in the hypertrophied myocardium.     

Early changes in the permeability of cellular and lysosomal membrane in rat testes after local heating of the scrotum

Immersion of rat scrotum into water (41 degrees C) for 30 min leads to gross impairment of spermatogenesis. During incubation in Ringer-Krebs solution at 33 degrees C for 1h, fragments of the decapsulated testes taken from the heated rats secrete to the medium a high amount of substances that increase the optical density of the incubation liquid at 270 nm. This phenomenon can be recorded shortly after scrotum heating is completed. The optical density increases further 12 and 24 h after heating. During incubation, fragments of the testes heated in vivo also secrete a high amount of the lysosomal enzymes, acid phosphatase and cathepsin D. It is assumed that post-thermal degeneration of the spermatogenic epithelium may be determined by a change in the permeability of cellular and lysosomal membranes.     

The weak neurotoxin from Naja kaouthia Cobra venom decreases the arterial blood pressure in rats]

The weak neurotoxin from the Naja kaouthia cobra venom was found to reduce, under the intravenous administration to rats, the arterial blood pressure and increase the heart rate.     

The peculiarities of the morphogenesis of some forms of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lupinus angustifolius</Emphasis> L.: III. The peculiarities of branching and sooting

The conducted research has shown that acrotony characterizes the sort Nemchinovsky 846 and bazitony is usual for the sorts with unlimited branching. Concerning the sort Nemchinovsky 846, its auxiliary buds and shoots unfolded from them twice outnumber the auxiliary buds and shoots of the sort Ladny and 1.5 outnumber the sort Dikaf 14. The realization of buds into the shoots depended both on their location in the shoot system and on the weather conditions.     

New polypeptide components from the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heteractis crispa</Emphasis> sea anemone with analgesic activity

Two new polypeptide components which exhibited an analgesic effect in experiments on mice were isolated from the Heteractis crispa sea tropical anemone by the combination of chromatographic methods. The APHC2 and APHC3 new polypeptides consisted of 56 amino acid residues and contained six cysteine residues. Their complete amino acid sequence was determined by the methods of Edman sequencing, mass spectrometry, and peptide mapping. An analysis of the primary structure of the new peptides allowed for their attribution to a large group of trypsin inhibitors of the Kunitz type. An interesting biological function of the new polypeptides was their analgesic effect on mammals, which is possibly realized via the modulation of the activity of the TRPV1 receptor and was not associated with the residual inhibiting activity towards trypsin and chymotrypsin. The analgesic activity of the APHC3 polypeptide was measured on the hot plate model of acute pain and was significantly higher than that of APHC2. Methods of preparation of the recombinant analogues were created for both polypeptides.     

Synthetic Analogs of 6-Bromohypaphorine,a Natural Agonist of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors,Reduce Cardiac Reperfusion Injury in a Rat Model of Myocardial Ischemia

Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics - The data available to date indicate that the activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) of α7 type can reduce heart damage resulting from...     

Synthesis and Biological Properties of a Number of Analogs of DSIP and Its KND Endogenous Prototype

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - We performed a computer search for the DSIP homologous structures in the protein data bases and found the KND peptide (WKGGDNASGE), which was closely...