Synthesis and pharmacological activity of amides and ozonolysis product of maleopimaric acid

The synthesis of a new group of maleopimaric acid amides containing fragments of the methyl esters of amino acids, aliphatic amines, imidazole and N-methylpiperazine was carried out. Ozonolysis of methyl maleopimarate flows through the cleavage of double bond C18(19) and the disclosure of anhydrous cycle with formation of secotriacid. As a result of screening of anti-inflammatory and antiulcer activity of maleopimaric acid derivatives new effective compounds such as methyl esters of maleopimaric acid and product of ozonolysis - diterpenic secotriacid, maleopimaric acid amide with L-leucine were revealed. An important advantage of the compounds studied is the low toxicity and the presence of bidirectional activity in the absence of adverse effects on the animal.     

Structural organization and localization of cytochromes P450 in the membrane

The secondary structure prediction of 19 microsomal cytochrome P-450s from two different families was made based on their amino acid sequences. It was shown that there is a structural similarity between the heme-binding sites of these enzymes and the bacterial P-450cam. An average predicted secondary structure of cytochrome P-450 proteins with 70% accuracy contains about 46% alpha-helices, 12% beta-strands, 9% beta-turns and 33% random coil. In the region of the 35-120 residues in microsomal P-450s two adjacent beta alpha beta-units (the Rossmann domain) were recognized, which may interact with the NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. Using the procedure of identification of hydrophobic and membrane-associated alpha-helical segments of 23 cytochromes, only one N-terminal transmembrane anchor was predicted. Also the heme-binding site perhaps includes surface-bound helix. A model of vertebrate microsomal P-450s is proposed. That is an amphypathic membrane protein located on the cytoplasmic face of the endoplasmic reticulum, their active center lies out/on the bilayer border.     

Inhibition of the Ca-ATPase activity of heavy meromyosin by phosphorylating analogs of the substrate

Mixed anhydrids of AMP, ADP, ATP and IMP and mesitylene carboxylic acid (AMP-MC, ADP-MC, ATP-MC and IMP-MC) are efficient irreversible inhibitors of the Ca-ATPase activity of myosin and heavy meromyosin. The highest rate of inhibition is observed in the case of AMP-MC: at AMP-MC concentration of 1,5.10(-3) M the half inactivation time for heavy meromyosin varies in different protein preparations from 10 to 20 min. The rates of inhibition in the presence of ADP-MC and ATP-MC are roughly the same and are far lower than those for AMP-MC (half inactivation time is 1,5-2 hrs). However, in the latter case the inhibition is complete, the time of the analogs interaction with the protein being increased up to several hours. In the presence of IMP-MC the inhibition is also time-dependent but is never complete. A necessary condition for the manifestation of irreversible inhibition of the Ca-ATPase activity of TMM by phosphorylating analogs of the substrate is the presence of bivalent cations. No inhibition occurs in the presence of EDTA. An addition of ADP or ATP to the preincubation medium causes a sharp decrease of the inhibition rate (a protective effect), which suggests a specific interaction of the analogs with TMM at the substrate binding site.     

Oxidative modification of cytochrome P-450 during its function. I. Comparative study of the inactivation of cytochrome P-450 LM2 in various systems

The changes in the content of purified isolated cytochrome P-450 LM2 under the action of hydrogen peroxide and during its operation in a soluble reconstituted system were studied. It was found that cytochrome P-450 LM2 inactivation by hydrogen peroxide is accompanied by a decrease in the hemoprotein activity, loss of heme, oxidation of SH-groups and changes in the oligomeric state of the enzyme. There were some differences in the mechanisms of cytochrome P-450 LM2 inactivation under the action of H2O2 and during catalysis.     

Protective effect of the aerosol immunization of mice with the polycomponent vaccine Immunovac VP-4 after the challenge of the animals with Klebsiella pneumoniae virulent strain

Used four schemes of the administration of the preparation with different time of the exposition of the animals in an aerosol chamber were tested with their subsequent intraperitoneal challenge with K. pneumoniae virulent strain K16. Irrespective of the number of immunization courses, the administration of the preparation made at intervals of 1 day, or daily, did not ensure any protective effect, but only led to an insignificant increase in their survival time in comparison with nonimmunized animals. After intervals between immunizations were increased to 3 days the protective effect of aerosol immumization was obtained (the survival rate was 65-80 % and considerably differed from that of the controls). The protective effect of aerosol immunization thus obtained was comparable with the effectiveness immunization made in a single subcutaneous injection. Aerosol immunization resulted in low antibody titers to the antigens contained in the vaccine, while after a single subcutaneous injection high antibody titers to Klebsiella and Proteus antigens were detected. The antigen-stimulated blast transformation of spleen lymphocytes in mice subjected to aerosol immunizations in 5 exposures was high. After subcutaneous immunization significant changes in such characteristics were detected on day 15. The data thus obtained were indicative of good prospects in the development Immunovac VP-4 as the medicinal form intended for use in aerosols.     

Transgenic Belarussian-bred potato plants expressing genes for antimicrobial peptides of the cecropin-melittin type

Binary vectors for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation were constructed to express the genes for antimicrobial peptides (APs) of the cectropin-melittin type under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter in plants. It was shown with Escherichia coli and Agrobacterium tumefaciens cells that the cassettes could be cloned in pB1121-based vectors with deletion of the 3-D-glycuronidase gene only in the orientation opposite to that of the original vector. Transgenic potato plants were obtained using the Belarussian varieties Odyssey, Vetraz, and Scarb. Their cells expressed the MsrA1 or CEMA peptides of the cecropin-melittin type. The expression was shown to confer higher resistance to bacterial (Erwinia carotovora) infection and extremely high resistance to fungal (Phytophtora infestans and Alternarla solani) infections.     

Effect of prodigiozan on the glucocorticoid and insulin ratio in the blood serum of white rats

Significant hypertrophy of the adrenal glands was observed in Wistar rats the day after a single prodigiozan administration. This did not change the level of glucocorticoids in blood serum, but increased the concentration in insulin. Analysis of steroidogenesis in the adrenal glands indicated significant increase in steroid's production in the experimental group of rats as compared to the control. An increase of glucoso-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and hexokinase activity in adrenal tissue was also observed. The results suggest that stimulation of corticosteroid's secretion was accompanied by an increase in their reception to tissues which caused an increase of nonspecific resistance of the organism.