Effect of chronic carbon tetrachloride poisoning on the turnover of RNA fractions in rat liver tissue

Changes in the content and incorporation of 5-³H-uridine after brief exposure to its labeled precursor were studied in the individual liver RNA fractions of rats during administration of carbon tetrachloride for 24 weeks. These fractions were obtained by preparative electrophoresis in 2.5% polyacrylamide gel from previously isolated nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA. Administration of CCl₄ to rats was shown to reduce the quantity of transfer and ribosomal RNA in the liver tissue. Chronic CCl₄ poisoning also disturbs the synchronization of the turnover of the individual components of fast-labeled RNA.Laboratory of Biochemistry, Professor N. N. Petrov Scientific-Research Institute of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the USSR, Leningrad. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR S. N. Golikov). Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 423–425, April, 1977.     

Mechanisms of kindling induced by norbornan intoxication

Single injection of norbornan induced kindling by disordering postsynaptic GABAergic structures. Modulation of GABA_A receptor chlorine ionic channels is most crucial, while disturbances in postsynaptic low-affinity GABA_A receptors are less important for this phenomenon. It is unlikely that GABA_B, dopamine, and muscarinic neurotransmitter structures are involved into this process. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 125, No. 6, pp. 653–656, June, 1998     

The role of EGF-stimulated epidermis in the regulation of wound healing

Sluggish wounds are characterized by impaired proportions of proinflammatory cytokines, deficiency of fibrogenic growth factors, imbalance in the system of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors this preventing reparation. The study was made of biopsies obtained from patients with sluggish wounds before the treatment, 5, 10 and 15 days after transplantation on the wound of allogenic EGF-stimulated cryopreserved epidermis. The wound closure with biologically active coat was followed by the reduction of expression of proinflammatory cytokines and return to their normal correlations, higher production of fibrogenic growth factors, restoration of balance in the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1/TIMP-2.     

Apolipoprotein B 3'-VNTR polymorphism in Eastern European populations

Apolipoprotein B 3' (3' ApoB) minisatellite polymorphism was studied in healthy unrelated individuals from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, in 10 populations from five ethnic groups: Russians, Byelorussians, Adygeis, Kalmyks and Yakuts. The analysis was carried out using PCR and electrophoresis followed by silver staining. Overall, 25 alleles of the 3' ApoB minisatellite, ranging from 25 to 55 repeats, were detected. Heterozygosity indices were high and varied from 0.73 to 0.84. The distributions of alleles of this minisatellite in the Caucasoid populations (Russians, Byelorussians and Adygeis) had a bimodal character, whereas that for Mongoloid populations (Kalmyks and Yakuts) had a unimodal distribution. Nei's genetic distances between the populations studied and some reference populations of Europe and Asia were estimated. Despite their allele distribution homogeneity, different East Slavonic ethnic groups were clearly resolved by multidimensional analyses. The East Slavonic and Adygei populations revealed a high similarity with European Caucasoids. The Mongoloid populations (Kalmyks and Yakuts) were considerably different from those of the European Caucasoid populations, but were similar to other Asian Mongoloid populations. The results demonstrate the variability of 3' ApoB minisatellite polymorphism not only in distant populations but also, to a certain extent, in genetically relative ones.     

Association analysis of two candidate phospholipase genes that map to the chromosome 15q15.1-15.3 region associated with reading disability.

Molecular genetic studies have suggested a reading disability (RD, dyslexia) susceptibility locus on chromosome 15q. We have previously mapped this locus by association to the region surrounding D15S994. Very little is known about the neurobiological processes involved in RD, and therefore selecting positional candidate genes for analysis based upon function is difficult. Nevertheless we were able to identify two functional candidates based upon existing hypotheses. Both were phospholipase genes, phospholipase C beta 2 (PLCB2) and phospholipase A2, group IVB (cytosolic; PLA2G4B). D15S944 is located within PLCB2 and is 1.6 Mb from PLA2G4B. We examined each gene for association using a mixed direct and indirect association approach, a case (n = 164)/control (n = 174) sample, and a partially overlapping sample of 178 RD parent-proband trios from South Wales and England. Mutation analysis revealed 14 sequence variants in PLCB2 and 33 variants in PLA2G4B. All non-synonymous SNPs were genotyped as were SNPs across each gene with maximum distance between SNPs of 6 kb. Case-control analyses revealed modest evidence (0.01 < P < 0.05) for association between a single variant in PLCB2 and two variants in PLA2G4B. However, association was not confirmed in the family based sample. As the latter sample has previously generated replicated significant evidence for association between RD and markers/haplotypes surrounding D15S944, it should have sufficient power to detect association to variants in susceptibility gene itself. We conclude that neither gene accounts for the association signal we previously observed. As these are the only clear cut functional candidate genes in the region, identification of the putative susceptibility locus for RD on 15q will require more methodical non-hypothesis driven positional cloning approaches.     

Action of cisplatin and cycloplatam on the rat kidney

Laboratory of Evolution of the Kidney and Water and Salt Metabolism, I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. All-Union Oncologic Scientific Center, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, I. P. Ashmarin.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 108, No. 7, pp. 52–54, July, 1989.