A new role for PGRP-S (Tag7) in immune defense: lymphocyte migration is induced by a chemoattractant complex of Tag7 with Mts1

PGRP-S (Tag7) is an innate immunity protein involved in the antimicrobial defense systems, both in insects and in mammals. We have previously shown that Tag7 specifically interacts with several proteins, including Hsp70 and the calcium binding protein S100A4 (Mts1), providing a number of novel cellular functions. Here we show that Tag7–Mts1 complex causes chemotactic migration of lymphocytes, with NK cells being a preferred target. Cells of either innate immunity (neutrophils and monocytes) or acquired immunity (CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ lymphocytes) can produce this complex, which confirms the close connection between components of the 2 branches of immune response.     

Pulmonary circulation in embolic pulmonary edema

The ultrasonic method was used in acute experiments on cats with open chest under artificial lung ventilation to obtain blood flow in low-lobar pulmonary artery and vein, the blood pressure in pulmonary artery, as well as the left atrial pressure in fat (olive oil) and mechanical (Lycopodium spores) pulmonary embolism. It is shown that pulmonary embolism produces the decrease in the blood flow in pulmonary artery and vein, the increase of the pressure in pulmonary artery and left atria, the increase of lung vessels resistance. The decrease is observed of systemic arterial pressure, bradycardia, and extrasystole. After 5-10 min the restoration of arterial pressure and heart rhythm occur and partial restoration of blood flow in pulmonary artery and vein. In many experiments the blood flow in vein outdoes that in the artery--it allows to suppose the increase of the blood flow in bronchial artery. After 60-90 min there occur sudden decrease of systemic arterial pressure, the decrease of the blood flow in pulmonary artery and vein. The pressure in pulmonary artery and resistance of pulmonary vessels remain high. Pulmonary edema developed in all animals. The death occurs in 60-100 min after the beginning of embolism.     

Coronary circulation in cats exposed to different gaseous media

The ultrasonic method was used in acute experiments on cats with open chest and under artificial lung ventilation to study the coronary circulation, the minute and stroke volumes of the heart during changes in gaseous medium. Hypoxic hypoxia and hypercapnia were demonstrated to induce a considerable increase in the coronary circulation in the presence of a slightly elevated minute volume of the heart. The authors assume that the induced changes in the phasic coronary circulation point to the increased resistance of the coronary vessels to mechanical compression during systoles.     

Pulmonary circulation in experimental pulmonary edema during diverse artificial respiration regimes

In acute experiments on cats with closed chest by ultrasonic method the authors studied the blood flow in low-lobar pulmonary artery and the vein, the blood pressure in pulmonary artery, lung vessels resistance in experimental pulmonary edema caused by intravenous infusion of mixture fatty acids at artificial ventilation of increased frequencies or volumes, at was shown, that artificial ventilation of increased frequencies in pulmonary edema reduces the pressure increase in pulmonary artery, lung vessels resistance and increases the blood flow in pulmonary artery and vein. Artificial ventilation of increased volumes produces more intense pressure increase in pulmonary artery and lung vessels resistance than in initial ventilation but the blood flow was slightly changed. The authors assume that artificial ventilation of increased frequencies or volumes in pulmonary edema due to pulmonary circulation change reduces the pulmonary edema intensity at the beginning.     

AmylPepPred: Amyloidogenic Peptide Prediction tool

We present an efficient computational architecture designed using supervised machine learning model to predict amyloid fibril forming protein segments, named AmylPepPred. The proposed prediction model is based on bio-physio-chemical properties of primary sequences and auto-correlation function of their amino acid indices. AmylPepPred provides a user friendly web interface for the researchers to easily observe the fibril forming and non-fibril forming hexmers in a given protein sequence. We expect that this stratagem will be highly encouraging in discovering fibril forming regions in proteins thereby benefit in finding therapeutic agents that specifically aim these sequences for the inhibition and cure of amyloid illnesses.

Availability

AmylPepPred is available freely for academic use at www.zoommicro.in/amylpeppred     

Pulmonary circulation in experimental pneumonia

The ultrasonic technique was used in acute experiments on open-chest cats under controlled lung ventilation to test the blood flow in damaged and undamaged lung lobes in experimental pneumonia. It was shown that the absolute values of the linear and volumetric blood flow rate in the lower artery of the damaged lobe were similar to those in the analogous undamaged lobe. The blood flow in the damaged focus seems limited, while the blood volume passed through the vessels of the undamaged lobe is normal. This opinion is confirmed by high blood flow values in the artery supplying the damaged lobe with blood, when compared to the data on the absence of marked arterial hypoxaemia.     

Phrenic blood flow in cats with closed abdominal cavity]

By means of ultrasonic method, used in acute experiments on cats with closed abdominal cavity under nembutal narcosis, the authors studied the linear and volumetric blood flow velocity in left phrenic artery, the resistance of vascular bed of the phrenic artery, systemic blood pressure, respiration excursions during asphyxia, hypoxia, infusion of some biologically active substances. It was shown, that shortening of the diaphragm has definite influence on the blood flow and resistance of the vascular bed of the phrenic artery; the degree of the decrease of the blood flow in inspiration (on relation to the value of the blood flow in expiration, that passed as 100%) does not differ significantly in quiet and intensive respiration. Under the influences, the resistance of vascular bed of the phrenic artery decreases, the linear and volumetric blood flow increases, that indicates large reserve of the vascular bed of the phrenic artery for the increase of the blood flow.