Study of the oxidative stress in a rat model of chronic brain hypoperfusion

A multiple analysis of the cerebral oxidative stress was performed on a physiological model of dementia accomplished by three-vessel occlusion in aged rats. The forward rate constant of creatine kinase, k_for, was studied by saturation transfer ³¹P magnetic resonance spectroscopy in adult and aged rat brain during chronic hypoperfusion. In addition, free radicals in aging rat brain homogenates before and/or after occlusion were investigated by spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). Finally, biochemical measurements of oxidative phosphorylation parameters in the above physiological model were performed. The significant reduction of k_for in rat brain compared to controls 2 and 10 weeks after occlusion indicates a disorder in brain energy metabolism. This result is consistent with the decrease of the coefficient of oxidative phosphorylation (ADP:O), and the oxidative phosphorylation rate measured in vitro on brain mitochondria. The EPR study showed a significant increase of the ascorbyl free radical concentration in this animal model. Application of -phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) and 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) spin traps revealed formation of highly reactive hydroxyl radical (OH) trapped in DMSO as the CH₃ adduct. It was concluded that the ascorbate as a major antioxidant in brain seems to be useful in monitoring chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.     

Nukleolarvakuolen in den Zellen des Embryosackes vonJasione montana L.

Summary The transparent integument ofJasione montana ovules enables the observation of the nucleolar vacuolar pulsation in egg cell, in secondary nucleus and after the fertilization in zygote, in primary endosperm nucleus and in cells of embryo and endosperm too. The rate of vacuolar pulsation depends on their volume, on the total cell activity and with the endosperm cells on the length of their mitotic cycle. Vacuolar activity can be observed continuously during the developmental cycle of the endosperm cell nucleoli. It starts immediately after the nucleolus formation in telophase, it continues during entire interphase and it ends immediately before the nucleolus disappearence in the late prophase. The pulsation is not interrupted during the nucleoli fusion in prophase.

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Das Material für die Arbeit erhielten wir beim Drehen des wissenschaftlichen Filmes E 1751 am IWF in Göttingen. Für fachliche RatschlÄge, Durchführung der Filmaufnahmen und technische Mitarbeit danke ich Herrn Dr. H. K.Galle, Herrn H. H.Heunert und FrÄulein B.Milthaler. Die finanziellen Mittel stellte in dankenswerter Weise die DFG zur Verfügung.     

Multiple antibiotic resistance of heterotrophic bacteria in the littoral zone of Lake Shira as an indicator of human impact on the ecosystem

Resistance to Ampicillin and Kanamycin displayed by heterotrophic bacteria isolated in Summer and in Spring from the littoral and the central parts of Lake Shira (a therapeutic lake in the Khakasia Republic, Russia) has been investigated. It has been found that in Summer, human and animal microflora featuring multiple antibiotic resistance (to Ampicillin and Kanamycin) predominates in all the studied stations of the littoral zone of the lake. In Spring, concentrations of bacteria featuring multiple antibiotic resistance decrease significantly and bacteria sensitive to antibiotics predominate in the lake. Emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance in bacteria of Lake Shira is caused by the input of allochthonous bacteria into the lake; this feature of heterotrophic bacteria of Lake Shira can be used to monitor the impact on the ecosystem made by health resorts.     

Lipid peroxidation in and photo-damage to a light-sensitive chlorescence pea mutant

Leaves of 10- to 12-day-old chlorescence lethal Pisum sativum L. mutant are similar to control plants with respect to the content of chlorophylls, carotenoids, fatty acids and α-tocopherol. Subsequent development of the mutant under high irradiation resulted in th destruction of the photosynthetic pigments, polyunsaturated fatty acids, α-tocopherol, and also in the accumulation of liposoluble fluorescent products. No increase in the level of malondialdehyde was observed. In chloroplasts isolated from mutant plants the contents of chlorophyll a and β-carotene were decreased to a greater extent than the more oxidized pigments (xanthophylls and chlorophyll b ). The data obtained are discussed with special reference to the role of lipid peroxidation in the injury of plant cells under the action of visible light and to the antioxidative mechanisms stabilizing photosynthetic membranes.     

Stability of sugar-binding proteins: D-galactose/D-glucose-binding protein from Escherichia coli and trehalose/maltose-binding protein from Thermococcus litoralis

In this work we studied the structure and stability of sugar-binding proteins from mesophilic and thermophilic organisms which are of great importance for their possible use as sensing probe of biosensors aimed to glucose detection in the blood. The data obtained revealed the stabilizing effect of ligands on the structures of D-galactose/D-glucose-binding protein (GGBP) from Escherichia coli and trehalose/maltose-binding protein from thermophilic bacterium Thermococcus litoralis. It was found that TMBP possess an increased stability as its structure remains native even under heating up to 95 degrees C.     

Cytotoxicity of new polyfluorinated 1,4-naphtoquinones with diverse substituents in the quinone moiety

Fluorinated derivatives of 1,4-naphthoquinones are highly potent inhibitors of Cdc25A and Cdc25B phosphatases and growth of tumor cells. Eight new derivatives of polyfluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone were synthesized and their cytotoxicity in human myeloma, human mammary adenocarcinoma, mouse fibroblasts and primary mouse fibroblast cells as well as their mutagenic and antioxidant properties in a Salmonella tester strain were studied. The efficiency of suppressing the growth of two lines of tumor cells decreased in the order: 2-(2-hydroxy-ethylamino)-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (1), 2,3-dimethoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (2), 2-[2-hydroxyethyl(methyl)amino]-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (3), 2-morpholino-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (4), 2-[bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (5), 2-[(2-hydroxy)ethylsulfanyl)]-5,6,7,8-tetrafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (6), 2-methoxy-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (7), and 1,4-dioxo-3-(1-pyridinio)-1,4-dihydro-5,6,7,8-tetrafluoronaphthalene-2-olate (8). Taking into account these data together with the better cytotoxic effect against cancer cells as compared with normal mammalian cells, protecting of bacterial cells from spontaneous and H₂O₂-dependent mutagenesis, and lower general toxicity of the compounds towards different cells, one can propose that compounds 3-5 may be considered as useful potential inhibitors of growth of tumor cells.     

A pseudoaminic acid-containing O-specific polysaccharide from a marine bacterium Cellulophaga fucicola

The O-polysaccharide was isolated from the lipopolysaccharide of Cellulophaga fucicola and studied by chemical analyses along with (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The following new structure of the O-polysaccharide of C. fucicola containing 5,7-diacetamido-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-L-glycero-L-manno-non-2-ulosonic acid residue (pseudoaminic acid, Psep) was elucidated as the following: