The hypnogenic effects of delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) analogs: a comparative study in rabbits and rats]

Hypnogenic effects of 3 DSIP analogs with a higher stability against aminopeptidase activity have been studied in rabbits and rats using intraventricular administration (injections and infusions). An analog (D-Ala-2) DSIP augmented slow wave and paradoxical sleep within the 5th, 8th and 11th hours of the recording period. An analog (D-Val-2) DSIP made the same within the 8th and 10th hours, and hexapeptide (D-Ala-2) DSIP (1-6) increased sleep during the 1st, 3rd, and 5th hours. Both nonapeptides augmented sleep in rabbits as well as in rats, though hexapeptide produced this effect in rabbits only, that might be related to some difference in distribution and colocalization of endogenous DSIP-like peptide in the pituitary of two rodent species. It may be suggested that hypnogenic activity of DSIP analogs is determined by the structure of administrated molecule, being mediated by such hormones as GRF and CLIP.     

Interaction of delta sleep-inducing peptide and its analogues with cellular membranes: A structure-function analysis

The possibility of a correlation between the membrane properties of the delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) and its analogues and their biological activity in vivo was examined by a comparative study of the membrane effects of these peptides. The peptides exhibiting biological activity in vivo were shown to cause a statistically reliable disordering of lipids in thrombocyte plasma membranes similar to the effect of DSIP. The membrane effect of the D-Val²-, D-Tyr²-, and Tyr¹, Pro² analogues of DSIP had the same bimodal dose dependence characteristic of natural DSIP. Only a slight nonspecific lipid disordering was registered for Trp-Asp-Ala-Ser-Gly-Glu, a biologically inactive hexapeptide analogue. These results indicate a correlation between the biological activity of the peptides during in vivo tests and their membrane properties in vitro. The structure-function relationship was studied within the group of DSIP analogues examined in vitro. The DSIP modeling effect, especially pronounced under the action of stress factors, was suggested to be directly associated with the ability of DSIP to change the dynamic structure of biological membranes.     

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...     

Delta sleep inducing peptide (DSIP): effect on respiration activity in rat brain mitochondria and stress protective potency under experimental hypoxia

Neuromodulatory delta sleep inducing peptide (DSIP) seems to be implicated in the attenuation of stress-induced pathological metabolic disturbances in various animal species and human beings. Mitochondria, as cell organelles, are considered especially sensitive to stress conditions. In this work, the influence of DSIP and Deltaran((R))-a recently developed product based upon DSIP-on processes of oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production in rat brain mitochondria and rat brain homogenates was studied. A polarographic measurement of oxygen consumption was applied to evaluate the impact of DSIP on maximal rates of mitochondrial respiration and coupling of respiration to ATP production. We provide evidence that DSIP affected the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation on isolated rat brain mitochondria. This peptide significantly increased the rate of phosphorylated respiration V3, while the rate of uncoupled respiration V(DNP) remaining unchanged. It enhanced the respiratory control ratio RCR and the rate of ADP phosphorylation. DSIP and Deltaran exhibited the same action in rat brain homogenates. We also examined the influence of DSIP under hypoxia when mitochondrial respiratory activity is altered. In rats subjected to hypoxia, we detected a significant stress-mediated reduction of V3 and ADP/t values. Pretreatment of rats with DSIP at the dose of 120 microgram/kg (i.p.) prior to their subjection to hypoxia completely inhibited hypoxia-induced reduction of mitochondrial respiratory activity. The revealed capacity of DSIP to enhance the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation found in vitro experiments could contribute to understanding pronounced stress protective and antioxidant action of this peptide in vivo.     

Study of Secondary Specificity of Enteropeptidase in Comparison with Trypsin

A comparative study of secondary specificities of enteropeptidase and trypsin was performed using peptide substrates with general formula A-(Asp/Glu) _n -Lys(Arg)--B, where n = 1-4. This was the first study to demonstrate that, similar to other serine proteases, enteropeptidase has an extended secondary binding site interacting with 6-7 amino acid residues surrounding the peptide bond to be hydrolyzed. However, in the case of typical enteropeptidase substrates containing four negatively charged Asp/Glu residues at positions P2-P5, electrostatic interaction between these residues and the secondary site Lys99 of the enteropeptidase light chain is the main factor that determines hydrolysis efficiency. The secondary specificity of enteropeptidase differs from the secondary specificity of trypsin. The chromophoric synthetic enteropeptidase substrate G₅DK-F(NO₂)G (k _cat/K _m = 2380 mM^–1·min^–1) is more efficient than the fusion protein PrAD₄K-P26 (k _cat/K _m = 1260 mM^–1·min^–1).     

The frequency composition of the brain electrical activity in rats after the use of the delta-sleep peptide and its analogs]

Frequency spectra of brain electrograms in the course of 1 h after peripheral and central administration of the delta-sleep peptide (DSIP) or two its analogues were studied in freely moving rats. In autumn series of experiments carried out on 18 animals was revealed the phase action of DSIP being manifested in initial (up to 20 min after the injection) suppression of fast (20-26 Hz) oscillations in electrocorticograms and their augmentation in subsequent intervals. Under the identical conditions analogues of DSIP induced the effects characteristic for different phases of DSIP action. In spring-summer series of experiments carried out in 6 animals was revealed a significant increase of the delta-waves in electrical activity of the Putamen after intraperitoneal injection of DSIP and its first analogue. Under the conditions of intraventricular injection DSIP induced stable augmentation of oscillations in a diapason of 14-16 Hz in the neocortex, and its analogues induced similar changes in a nearby frequency diapason of 9.6-11 Hz.     

Isolation and characteristics of antibodies against synthetic fragments of oncoproteins. I. Antiserum against the transforming protein p28sis of simian sarcoma virus

To generate the antibodies to the transforming protein (p28sis) of simian sarcoma virus (SSV), the rabbits were immunized with peptides, corresponding to 200-206 and 201-210 sequences of p28sis, conjugated with protein carriers by different ways. The synthesis of peptides was carried out by the classical techniques in solution by using the benzyl type side protecting groups. Antibody titres against peptides were determined by ELISA and protein specificity by radioimmunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. It was shown that the antibodies to 201-210 peptide recognize p28sis and its dimer p56sis in marmoset and rat cells transformed by simian sarcoma virus.     

Antioxidant and detoxifying activities of analogues of the delta sleep inducing peptide

Sixteen peptides differing in structure from the delta sleep inducing peptide (DSIP) by one to two substitutions of amino acid residues have been synthesized to study the possibility of their application in oncology. The antioxidant properties of the peptides in vitro and their detoxifying activity in vivo have been examined on a model of toxicosis caused by cisplatin, a cytostatic drug widely used in the therapy of tumor diseases. It has been shown that almost all DSIP analogues examined exhibit a direct antioxidant activity, with the activity of the ID-6 analogue being higher than that of DSIP and comparable with that of vitamin C and β-carotene. This analogue shows the most pronounced detoxifying activity toward the action of cisplatin, which manifests itself as a decrease in the death of animals from acute toxicity to 17% compared to 50–67% in the control and the restoration of some biochemical parameters of blood, in particular, a decrease in the activity of the enzymes, aspartate and alanine aminotransferases, and the concentration of the end products of nitrogen exchange: creatinine and urea. Thus, the peptides of the DSIP family may appear promising agents for decreasing the toxic effects of cytostatics used in oncology.     

Interaction of delta sleep-inducing peptide and its analogues with cellular membranes: a structure-function analysis

The possibility of a correlation between the membrane properties of the delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) and its analogues and their biological activity in vivo was examined by a comparative study of the membrane effects of these peptides. The peptides exhibiting biological activity in vivo were shown to cause a statistically reliable disordering of lipids in thrombocyte plasma membranes similar to the effect of DSIP. The membrane effect of the D-Val2, D-Tyr2, and Tyr1, Pro2 analogues of DSIP had the same bimodal dose dependence characteristic of natural DSIP. Only a slight nonspecific lipid disordering was registered for Trp-Asp-Ala-Ser-Gly-Glu, a biologically inactive hexapeptide analogue. These results indicate a correlation between the biological activity of the peptides during in vivo tests and their membrane properties in vitro. The structure-function relationship was studied within the group of DSIP analogues examined in vitro. The DSIP modeling effect, especially pronounced under the action of stress factors, was suggested to be directly associated with the ability of DSIP to change the dynamic structure of biological membranes.