Modulatory effect of carnosine and related compounds on the oxidative burst in barium sulfate-activated leukocytes

The effect of carnosine and its natural derivatives on the generation of reactive oxygen species by leukocytes and on the myeloperoxidase reaction was studied. The chemiluminescence of samples in the course of cell activation was measured in the presence of luminol or lucigenin. Carnosine was found to produce a two-way effect, i.e., neutralization of singlet oxygen and hypochlorite anion simultaneously with activation of the system of superoxide-anion generation. Translated fromByulleten Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 11, pp. 463–465, November, 1994 Presented by I. P. Ashmarin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Effect of antibodies to red cell superoxide dismutase on its activity in the blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

A relationship is revealed between the level of antibodies to superoxide dismutase and the activity, course, and form of a disease. The production of antibodies to red cell superoxide dismutase increases as the pathological process progresses. By reducing the resistance of erythrocyte membranes to reactive oxygen species, antibodies to red cell superoxide dismutase promote the development of anemia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results indicate that inhibition of the active center of this enzyme by specific immunoglobulins is one of the causes of reduced activity of red cell superoxide dismutase or the lack of an appreciable increase in its activity during hyperproduction of reactive oxygen species. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 10, pp. 391–393, October, 1995 Presented by A. B. Zborovskii, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Granulomatous inflammation of the liver in mice with gadolinium chloride-blocked Kupffer cells

(CBA×C57B1/6) F₁ mice injected with zymosan intravenously developed granulomas in the liver; the number of granulomas in mice pretreated with gadolinium chloride, a selective blocker of Kupffer cells, was half that in the untreated animals. Kupffer cells isolated from the liver 5 days after zymosan injection, i.e., during the period when granuloma generation was at its height, displayed a high capacity for stimulating both the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of blood leukocytes (which is associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species) and the colony-forming activity of bone marrow cells; this capacity was much lower in mice pretreated with gadolinium chloride. It is shown that granulomatous inflammation of the liver is directly dependent on the activity of Kupffer cells. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 10, pp. 366–369, October, 1995 Presented by V. P. Kaznacheev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Is Na,K-ATPase the target of oxidative stress?

The susceptibility of Na,K-ATPase from bovine brain to various compounds containing active oxygen radicals is assessed. Sodium nitroprusside slightly inhibits Na,K-ATPase, while light-induced NO^o radicals (controlled by the rate of ascorbate oxidation) have no effect on the enzyme. When added in concentrations equally effective in the ascorbate oxidation assay, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite inhibit Na,K-ATPase by 70 and 25–30%, respectively. The Fe-dinitrosyl-cysteine complex is the most potent (K_0.5=20 μM) inhibitor of Na,K-ATPase. It is demonstrated that different free oxygen radicals accumulated in the ischemic brain cause different kinds of damage to Na,K-ATPase. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 121, N ^o 3, pp. 275–278, March, 1996 Presented by I. P. Ashmarin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

NO-synthase activity and generation of reactive oxygen species in the brain in old rats: Association with individual behavior

NO synthase activity and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured in different brain regions of old rats separated in an “emotional resonance” test into two groups: passive rats (those preferring a dark space) and active ones (those preferring a lighted space). In both groups, NO synthase activity and ROS generation were at the highest level in the cerebellum. In the tested brain regions of active rats, NO synthase activity was lower and ROS generation more strongly marked than in the respective regions of passive rats. Interregional positive linear correlations were discovered both for NO synthase activity and for ROS generation. When the two groups were considered together, negative correlations were detected between NO synthase activity and ROS generation. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 8, pp. 145–147, August, 1995 Presented by I. P. Ashmarin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

CO2 is a natural inhibitor of the generation of reactive oxygen species by phagocytes

The generation of reactive oxygen species in leukocytes from 73 healthy donors is studied using the luminol- and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminiscent methods and the nitroblue tetrazolium test. The results suggest CO₂ is a potent inhibitor of generation of reactive oxygen species in leukocytes under pressure close to that in the blood (37.5 mm Hg) and under high pressure (146 mm Hg). Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 10, pp. 395–398, October, 1994 Presented by F. I. Komarov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Hereditary cardiomyopathy in W/SSM rats: Biochemical mechanisms of development

One mechanism shown to be responsible for the occurrence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in rats of the W/SSM strain, in which this disease is genetically determined, is impairment of cellular membrane integrity resulting from increased hexose transport to cells, generation of hydroxyl radicals, and intensified lipid peroxidation. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 8, pp. 151–154, August, 1995     

Modulation of the oxidative burst in mouse macrophages and human neutrophils by superlow concentrations of GM1 ganglioside

It is shown that ganglioside GM1 in picomolar concentrations stimulates the phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-induced generation of active forms of oxygen by neutrophils and peritoneal macrophages. GM1 (10⁻¹¹ M) is found to enhance the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence induced by 10⁻⁸ M PMA in mouse macrophages in comparison with the effect of PMA alone. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 1, pp. 44–46, January, 1994 Presented by A. N. Klimov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

The development of free radical processes in experimental bronchospasm. Effect of the bronchodilator preparation troventol

The development of bronchospasm is shown to be accompanied by lipid peroxidation (LPO) activation; 3-fold and 8-fold rises of malondialdehyde concentration are found in homogenate of lung from sensitized animals and from animals provoked with egg albumin antigen, respectively. The use of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) reveals that in sensitized rats the production of oxygen free radicals is increased by alveolar macrophages activated with phorbol myristate acetate. Troventol at 10⁻³ mg/ml inhibits the CL response of phagocytes both in intact and in sensitized rats and lowers the level of Fe²⁺-induced LPO in lung tissue but not in the liver of intact animals. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 6, pp. 619–621, June, 1994     

Effect of catalin on radical production in aqueous solutions and cross-linking in deoxyribonucleoprotein complex

The effect of catalin on cross-linking in the DNA-protein system is studied after illumination with visible and UV light. Catalin is shown to stimulate this process. The use of a hydroxylamine trap reveals that catalin (10–100 μM) induces the accumulation of free radicals in aqueous solutions as soon as 10 minutes after irradiation. A considerable amount of O ₂ ^- is fixed in the medium during illumination of catalin aqueous solution. Superoxide dismutase added to the incubation medium considerably reduced the number of recorded radicals. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 8, pp. 142–144, August, 1994 Presented by I. P. Ashmarin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Reproduction of the primary rhythms of excitation in cardiac activity of neonatal rat pups

It is shown that during activation of the central N-cholinergic systems, the cardiac pacemaker elements in neonatal rat pups are capable of switching between discontinuous rhythmic activity and the generation of periodic excitation, when complexes of cardiac contractions at a rate of 60 min⁻¹ alternate with 5–15-sec intervals of rest. This type of activity is close to the primary rhythms of excitation, which are characteristic of the activity of excitatory structures during the early phylo- and ontogenetic stages of development. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 4, pp. 422–424, April, 1994     

Effects of calcium ions on extracellular and intracellular processes of production of reactive oxygen species in blood phagocytic cells

Preincubation of phagocytes with ryosidine and EGTA increases the intracellular production of reactive oxygen species and decreases their extracellular production in cells activated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Ryosidine and EGTA decreased intra-and extracellular production of reactive oxygen species in formyl peptide-stimulated leukocytes. The addition of the ionophore A23187 led to the appearance of reactive oxygen species in the extracellular, but not in the intracellular, medium. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 126, No. 9, pp. 334–337, September, 1998     

Activity of NO-synthase and radical formation in rat brain compartments: Age dependence

The relationship between age and the activity of NO-synthase and generation of free radicals in different compartments of the brain was studied in male Wistar rats. No-synthase activity was highest in the cerebellum and lower in the cerebral cortex. It increased with age in the cerebellum and remained unchanged in the cortex, being virtually the same in the right and left hemispheres. Radical generation was much higher in the cerebellum than in the cortex and, as a rule, was age-dependent. The ratio of NO-synthase activity to radical generation was age-dependent: a tendency toward a positive linear correlation was observed in young animals, no correlation could be traced in adults, and a negative one was observed in old rats. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 7, pp. 54–56, July, 1995 Presented by I. P. Ashmarin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Morphological characteristics of lymphocyte-hepatocyte contacts in various periods of liver regeneration in mice

The histo-and ultrastructure of regenerating murine liver is studied after excision of 2/3 of its tissue. Counts of leukocytes and lymphocytes are found to be increased in the intertrabecular spaces after the operation. Lymphocytes come in close contact with hepatocytes and reticuloendotheliocytes forming microtunnels at the sites of contact. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 2, pp. 176–179, February, 1994     

Evalution of changes in secretion of active oxygen forms by polymorphonuclear lymphocytes

The increased NBT activity of leukocytes in immunized rabbits is found to be dependent on the antigen concentration and is probably related to the direct effect of antigen on the cells. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 2, pp. 163–165, February, 1994 Presented by Yu. A. Vladimirov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Carnosine and related compounds inhibit chemiluminescence of human plasma lipoproteinsin vitro

The antioxidant activity of carnosine and related compounds (5 and 10 mM) is assessed from the chemiluminescence curve using a model of Fe-initiated lipid peroxidation of human serum apoB-lipoproteins. These agents lower to different degrees the amplitudes of “fast” and “slow” bursts, the reaction rate, and the chemiluminescence light sum; the latency is prolonged, which may occur upon reduction of lipid hydroperoxides and/or inactivation of free radicals. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 2, pp. 152–154, February, 1995 Presented by I. P. Ashmarin. Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Oxidative metabolism of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes in experimental massive pulmonary embolism

Oxidative metabolism of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes circulating in the blood was studied by chemiluminescent analysis and the nitroblue tetrazolium reduction test. Pronounced activation of oxidative metabolism of polymorphonuclear leukocytes was observed by the third and sixth hours of massive embolism of the pulmonary arteries. Comparison of the examined parameters of oxidative metabolism of leukocytes isolated simultaneously from venous and arterial blood indicates a delay of the most active cell fraction in pulmonary vessels during massive embolism. The transfer of functionally active leukocytes from the circulating to the marginal pool of the lungs suggests their participation in damaging the pulmonary microvascular endothelium and in increasing its permeability. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 12, pp. 640–644, December, 1994 Presented by V. V. Kupriyanov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Increased anxiety and reduced pain sensitivity in offspring of rats after prenatal morphinization

Administration of morphine to outbred female rats is shown to result in increased anxiety in the conflict test and reduced pain sensitivity in the tail flick test in 2.5-monthold offspring. In prenatally morphinized offspring the analgetic effect of morphine was enhanced, while the anxiolytic effect of buspirone was lower than in intact animals, which suggests rearrangements in the opioid and serotoninergic systems of the brain. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 8, pp. 154–156, August, 1994 Presented by M. D. Mashkovskii, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Functional activity of human leukocytes exposed to a hypotonic medium

This study, in which zymosan-stimulated luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of leukocytes was used to examine the osmotic resistance and functional activity of peripheral blood leukocytes from 23 patients with purulent septic lesions and 11 healthy donors before and after exposure of these cells to a hypotonic medium (0.45% NaCl), showed that this medium stimulated their spontaneous chemiluminescence while reducting their reserve capacities. The effects of the hypotonic medium on cells from the patients were more strongly marked. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 7, pp. 93–94, July, 1994 Presented by D. S. Sarkisov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Effects of chick embryo homogenate and cyclophosphamide on the growth and metastatic spread of pliss sarcoma in rats: A comparative study

A chick embryo homogenate inhibited the growth and metastatic spread of Pliss sarcoma in rats and prolonged their survival. The histological picture of extensive tumor tissue necrosis with a characteristic infiltration by leukocytes and macrophages suggests that the mechanism underlying the antineoplastic action of the embryonal homogenate is quite different from that of cyclophosphamide and involves the activation of cell-mediated immunity. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 12, pp. 610–612, December, 1995