Effect of corticotropin on the rate of 32P-orthophosphate incorporation into the synaptosome phosphoinositides of the ischemic rat brain

A high rate of 32P turnover in polyphosphoinositides (up to 80% of the total radioactivity) was found in synaptosomes of normal and ischemic rat brain. Corticotropin (ACTH) increases the rate of 32P turnover in polyphosphoinositides of normal synaptosomes and decreases it in ischemic synaptosomes. Depolarization (high KCl concentration in the incubation medium) activates polyphosphoinositide metabolism in normal (by 50%) and ischemic (by 30%) synaptosomes. The combined influence of depolarization and ACTH results in the additive effect. Thus, a stimulating effect of ACTH on phosphoinositide metabolism disturbed in ischemia was recovered during depolarization of ischemic synaptosomes.     

Properties of the high energy phosphate bonds of triphosphoinositide]

High heat of enzymatic hydrolysis of triphosphoinositide phosphate bonds and of high-energy phosphates is observed using microcalorimetry. Heats of hydrolysis of triphosphoinositide, ADP and ATP sharply increase with increasing pH values from 6.6 to 7.4. Heat of hydrolysis of diphosphoinositide correlates with that of low-energy phosphates, pK4 and pK5 values for triphosphoinositide are found to be 7.4 and 9.3 respectively by means of potentiometric titration deltaGo' values for diphosphoinositide and triphosphoinositide are -3.5 and -7.1 kcal/mole respectively, taking into consideration the correction for heat neutralization-ionization during hydrolysis. Rapid triphosphoinositide hydrolysis takes place in 1% aqueous pyridine solution at 100 degrees C. In contrast to diphosphoinositide and monophosphoinositide, infrared spectra of triphosphoinositide have an additional absorption band at 930 cm(-1). 31P NMR method has revealed the presence of one diester and two monoester groups in the molecule of triphosphoinositide. The differences described between triphosphoinositide and other compounds with phosphomonoester groups are suggested to be due to electrostatic nonbounded interaction of vicinal diequatorial phosphate groups.     

Endogenous neuropeptides and regulation of the brain functional plasticity

This review analysed the data about the neuropeptides secreted from the different brain structures. Involvement of the endogenous neuropeptides in synaptic plasticity was tested at the model of long-term potentiation (LTP) as a form of learning and the memory formation. The most of these neuropeptides or their fragments involves in the induction and maintenance of the LTP and provides the transformation of short-term excitability of the neurones into the long-term one. They may be considered as nootropic compounds. It is proposed that the system of peptidergic regulation of neuronal plasticity functionates in the brain and there are a possibility to correct the activity of this system during the different pathology.     

Metabolism of liver polyphosphoisositides in rats during stimulating and depressing influences on the organism]

Under normal conditions the rate of the 32P-orthophosphate incorporation into the polyphosphoinositides was 30--40 times greater than into the other phospholipid fraction of the normal rat liver. There was a rapid postmortem alteration of the polyphosphoinositide content in the liver. Under conditions studied the changes in the phospholipid content were revealed in the polyphosphoinositide fractions only. The changes in the content and in the metabolic intensity of rat polyphosphoinositide in the liver were in many respects similar to those in the brain. Polyphosphoinositide fractions were found to be the most labile of all the phospholipid fractions in the rat liver.     

Length polymorphism of the B2-VNTR minisatellite repeat of the bradykinin B2 receptor gene in healthy Russians and patients with coronary heart disease

Bradykinin B2 receptor is involved in many processes, including the regulation of blood pressure and smooth muscle contraction, vasodilation, inflammation, edema, cell proliferation, and pain. This receptor attracts special attention as one of the factors that have cardioprotective and infarct-limiting effects. Certain genetic variants of the coding and noncoding regions of the bradykinin B2 receptor gene (BDKRB2) may play a role in modulating its expression. The 3′-untranslated region of BDKRB2 exon 3 harbors a minisatellite repeat (B2-VNTR), which affects the mRNA stability. Hence, it is of interest to study a possible association of B2-VNRT alleles with various forms of coronary heart disease (CHD). In our work the allele and genotype frequency distributions of B2-VNTR were compared between healthy individuals and patients with CHD (angina pectoris or myocardial infarction (MI)) of the Russian ethnic group. Based on its length polymorphism, B2-VNTR was classed with low-polymorphic non-hypervariable minisatellites. Three B2-VNTR alleles, which consisted of 43, 38, and 33 repeats, were observed in all investigated cohorts. The alleles with 43 and 33 repeats were the most prevalent. The allele and genotype frequencies of B2-VNTR did not significantly differ between males and females in control group, and also between healthy males and males with angina pectoris or MI. Thus, B2-VNTR length polymorphism was not associated with these clinical forms of CHD in males. However, we do not exclude the possibility of an association of the short B2-VNTR alleles (38 and 33 repeats) with a cardioprotective effect in females with CHD. This hypothesis requires further investigation.     

Sucrose-Phosphate Synthase,Sucrose Synthase,and Invertase in Sugar Beet Leaves

The activity of sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS) in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves was shown to exceed considerably the synthesizing activity of sucrose synthase (SS). The rise in SPS activity was related to the daylight period; i.e., it was associated with the rate of photosynthesis. The highest SPS activity was characteristic of fully expanded source leaves. In young developing leaves (leaves expanded to less than half of their final size), which represent the sink organs, the SPS activity was 2.5 times lower. At all stages of leaf development, the synthesizing SS activity was rather low. The diurnal change of SS activity was independent of photosynthesis and showed a slight rise from 6:00–8:00 p.m. Under field conditions, the highest SPS activity was found in leaves in the terminal stage of their development (105-day-old plants); the synthesizing activity of SS showed little changes during this period. The activity of soluble acid invertase was characteristic of young leaves. In mature leaves, the activity of this enzyme correlated with the daylight period. These changes occurred on the background of low sucrose content in leaves. The regulation of SPS, SS, and invertase activity is discussed. It is supposed that compartmentation of these enzymes in the photosynthesizing cell is important for transport, metabolism, and the osmotic function of sucrose in leaves.     

Neuroprotective properties of l-carnosine in the brain slices exposed to autoblood in the hemorrhagic stroke model in vitro

Neuroprotective properties of L-carnosine have been studied in our in vitro model on olfactory cortex slices of hypertensive rats under a long autoblood (blood clot) influence. Application of L-carnosine (5 mg/ml) on slices before autoblood influence leads to restoration of the activity of glutamatergic and GABA-ergic receptors inhibited in the presence of autoblood and interferes with swelling of slices. L-carnosine protects a bioelectric activity of nervous cells in case of long influence of autoblood and also renders an anti edema effect. This model of hemorrhagic stroke may provide a perspective for investigating the mechanisms of neuroprotection.