Comparison of the Effects of Septoplasty and Sinus Lifting Simulation in Rats on Changes in Heart Rate Variability

Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics - The effects of septoplasty and sinus lifting simulation in rats on changes in the frequency domain of heart rate variability were compared. In the early...     

A study of the mechanism of the antiarrhythmic action of Allapinin

Allapinin (lappaconitine hydrobromide) is a drug used for the treatment of cardiac rhythm disturbances; its properties are characteristic of class IC antiarrhythmics. The mechanism of its electrophysiological action involves the blockade of Na⁺ channels with a subsequent decrease of depolarization rate leading to a slowing of impulse propagation and a decrease of excitability in the conductive system of the heart. Factors underlying the side effects of Allapinin (tachycardia, arterial hypertension, impaired coordination, etc.) are currently unknown, and therefore a study of the molecular mechanisms of its action seems relevant. The target genes of the drug were identified in rats with induced aconitine arrhythmia using the commercially available Rat Neuroscience Ion Channels & Transporters RT² Profiler? PCR Array kit (SA Biosciences). A comparison of expression levels of 84 genes in rats treated with Allapinin, after the induction of arrhythmia by aconitine (experiment) and in physiological saline-treated arrhythmic rats (control), revealed 18 mRNAs which were up- or downregulated twofold or more in the experiment relative to the control. Allapinin was shown to stimulate the expression of genes coding for various types of K⁺ channels (kcna6, kcnj1, kcnj4, kcnq2, and kcnq4), Ca²⁺ channel (cacna1g), and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (slc18a3). A decrease in mRNA levels was detected for genes coding for K⁺ channels (kcne1, kcns1), a Na⁺ channel (scn8a), and membrane transporter genes (atp4a, slc6a9). Our data shows that Allapinin administered to animals with aconitine arrhythmia modulates the expression of genes accounting for ion current conductances involved in the formation of various phases of action potential (I _Na , I _to , I _Ks , I _K1 , I _CaT ). The effect of the drug on the levels of mRNAs coding for acetylcholine and glycine transporters suggests the involvement of these neuromediators in the mechanisms underlying the antiarrhythmic effect of Allapinin.     

MycoRed: Betalain pigments enable in vivo real-time visualisation of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) are mutualistic interactions formed between soil fungi and plant roots. AM symbiosis is a fundamental and widespread trait in plants with the potential to sustainably enhance future crop yields. However, improving AM fungal association in crop species requires a fundamental understanding of host colonisation dynamics across varying agronomic and ecological contexts. To this end, we demonstrate the use of betalain pigments as in vivo visual markers for the occurrence and distribution of AM fungal colonisation by Rhizophagus irregularis in Medicago truncatula and Nicotiana benthamiana roots. Using established and novel AM-responsive promoters, we assembled multigene reporter constructs that enable the AM-controlled expression of the core betalain synthesis genes. We show that betalain colouration is specifically induced in root tissues and cells where fungal colonisation has occurred. In a rhizotron setup, we also demonstrate that betalain staining allows for the noninvasive tracing of fungal colonisation along the root system over time. We present MycoRed, a useful innovative method that will expand and complement currently used fungal visualisation techniques to advance knowledge in the field of AM symbiosis.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza are mutualistic interactions formed between soil fungi and plant roots. This study presents the MycoRed system, which uses red plant pigments derived from beetroot to reveal how fungi establish symbiosis with living legume and wild tobacco roots.     

Synthesis of olean-18(19)-ene derivatives from betulin

The rare olean-18(19)-ene triterpenoids moradiol and moronic acid were synthesized from betulin, and their antiviral properties were investigated.     

Synthesis of triterpenoid acylates: Effective reproduction inhibitors of influenza A (H1N1) and papilloma viruses

The synthesis of a new group of triterpenoid acylates has been conducted on the basis of oleanolic, glycyrrhetic, and ursolic acids and betulin. 28-ortho-Methoxycynnamoylbetulin has been demonstrated to possess high activity against the influenza type A (H1N1) virus with the selectivity index SI > 100 while studying the activity of the synthesized compounds in relation to the reproduction of viral pathogens of respiratory infections. The high activity of 3,28-dinicotinoylbetulin against the papilloma virus (strain HPV-11) was detected with the selectivity index SI 35.     

Glycyrrhizic acid derivatives as Dengue virus inhibitors

Dengue virus (DENV) is one of the most geographically distributed pathogenic flaviviruses transmitted by mosquitoes Aedes sps. In this study, the structure-antiviral activity relationships of Glycyrrhizic acid (GL) derivatives was evaluated by the inhibitory assays on the cytopathic effect (CPE) and viral infectivity of DENV type 2 (DENV2) in Vero E6 cells. GL (96% purity) had a low cytotoxicity to Vero E6 cells, inhibited DENV2-induced CPE, and reduced the DENV-2 infectivity with the IC50 of 8.1 μM. Conjugation of GL with amino acids or their methyl esters and the introduction of aromatic acylhydrazide residues into the carbohydrate part strongly influenced on the antiviral activity. Among compounds tested GL conjugates with isoleucine 13 and 11-aminoundecanoic acid 17 were found as potent anti-DENV2 inhibitors (IC50 1.2–1.3 μM). Therefore, modification of GL is a perspective way in the search of new antivirals against DENV2 infection.     

Intussusception in canine recipients of hematopoietic cell grafts and surgical correction

Intussusception is a common complication after canine hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The present study was undertaken to evaluate predisposing factors of intussusception and to test whether intussusception can be managed surgically during the period immediately after HCT. We determined the incidence of intussusception after HCT was performed in 325 canine recipients (autologous, n = 43; allogeneic, n = 282) during the interval from January 2002 to May 2005. Intussusception was diagnosed in 16 of 325 dogs (4.9%). Intussusception was not significantly associated with the dose of irradiation, source of hematopoietic graft, use of immunosuppressive agents, gender, or age at transplant. A group of 9 of the affected dogs underwent small-bowel resection after diagnosis, and 7 were managed without surgical intervention. Despite complicating factors such as gastrointestinal toxicity and low neutrophil and platelet counts induced by the marrow conditioning regimen and the use of immunosuppressive agents, successful surgical management of intussusception was achieved in 6 of 9 dogs, as compared with successful management of 0 of 7 without surgery. Intussusception did not recur after surgical intervention in any dog. Recent HCT and post-transplant immunosuppressive therapy are not absolute contraindications to surgical intervention for intussusception in canine recipients of HCT.     

Studies of fluorescent components of the “heparin” drug and its complexing with phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan

Impurities of free aromatic amino acids (Phe and Tyr) and the elastin protein were found in the heparin commercial drug (Hep) by spectral luminescent and spectrophotometric methods. The fluorescence quenching of the Trp, Tyr, and Phe amino acids by the Hep drug was studied, and the Stern-Folmer constants (K) that reflected stability of the Hep complexes with amino acids were determined. The stability of AA-Hep complexes increased in the following sequence: Trp < Tyr < Phe (K = 19 ± 2 < 39 ± 3 < 710 ± 70 M^?1, respectively). These values probably determined the dominant contribution of the phenylalanine impurity in the heparin drug. The contamination of animal elastin whose structure differed from that of the human elastin is thought to be a reason for allergic reactions and even anaphylactic shock during medical treatment with this drug.     

Uraline,a New Norditerpenoid Alkaloid from Aerial Parts of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Delphinium uralense</Emphasis> Nevski

Uraline, a new norditerpenoid alkaloid, was isolated from aerial parts of Delphinium uralense. The structure of 1α,7,8-trihydroxy-6β,14α,16β-trimethoxy-18-N-(2-methyl)succinylanthranoyloxyaconane was ascribed to the new compound on the basis of ¹H and ¹³C NMR, IR, and mass spectra. The known alkaloids methyllycaconitine and delcorine were also isolated from the plant.__________Translated from Bioorganicheskaya Khimiya, Vol. 31, No. 4, 2005, pp. 425–429.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Gabbasov, Tsyrlina, Spirikhin, Danilov, Yunusov.