Prolonged action of tuftsin on penicillin-induced epilepsy

Brain Research Institute, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow. Institute of Biological Research, Belgrade, Yugloslavia. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 114, No. 7, pp. 56–58, July, 1992.     

The need-informational theory of emotions

As an evolvement of Pavlov ideas on higher nervous (psychic) activity 'the need-informational theory of emotions' was suggested by the author in 1964. According to it an emotion is a function of two major factors: (1) power and quality of actual need (or drive, or motivation) and (2) estimation of probability (possibility) of need satisfaction on the basis of phylo- and ontogenetic experience. In the process of experimental testing of 'the need-informational theory of emotions' the role of different cerebral structures (frontal neocortex, hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus) in the genesis of emotional states and in the organization of goal-directed behavior was elucidated. The experimental data showed that these 4 brain structures play the major role in estimation of signals coming from environment and in the choice of subject's reactions. The individual characteristics of the interaction between the 4 brain structures must be taken into consideration in discussing neurophysiological backgrounds of different types of the higher nervous activity (temperaments), parameters of extra-introversion and neurotism (emotionality), the formation of main types of neurosis.     

Rapid isolation, characterization, and glycan analysis of Cup a 1, the major allergen of Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica) pollen

BACKGROUND: A rapid method for the purification of the major 43-kDa allergen of Cupressus arizonica pollen, Cup a 1, was developed. METHODS: The salient feature was a wash of the pollen in acidic buffer, followed by an extraction of the proteins and their purification by chromatography. Immunoblotting, ELISA, and lectin binding were tested on both the crude extract and the purified Cup a 1. Biochemical analyses were performed to assess the Cup a 1 isoelectric point, its partial amino-acid sequence, and its glycan composition. RESULTS: Immunochemical analysis of Cup a 1 confirmed that the allergenic reactivity is maintained after the purification process. Partial amino-acid sequencing indicated a high degree of homology between Cup a 1 and allergenic proteins from the Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae families displaying a similar molecular mass. The purified protein shows one band with an isoelectric point of 5.2. Nineteen out of 33 sera (57%) from patients allergic to cypress demonstrated significant reactivity to purified Cup a 1. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry indicated the presence of three N-linked oligosaccharide structures: GnGnXF(3) (i.e., a horseradish peroxidase-type oligosaccharide substituted with two nonreducing N-acetylglucosamine residues), GGnXF(3)/GnGXF(3) (i.e., GnGnXF with one nonreducing galactose residue), and (GF)GnXF(3)/Gn(GF)XF(3) (with a Lewisa epitope on one arm) in the molar ratio 67:8:23. CONCLUSION: The rapid purification process of Cup a 1 allowed some fine studies on its properties and structure, as well as the evaluation of its IgE reactivity in native conditions. The similarities of amino-acid sequences and some complex glycan stuctures could explain the high degree of cross-reactivity among the Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae families.     

Enhanced mitochondrial degradation of yeast cytochrome c with amphipathic structures

The dispensable N-terminus of iso-1-cytochrome c (iso-1) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was replaced by 11 different amphipathic structures. Rapid degradation of the corresponding iso-1 occurred, with the degree of degradation increasing with the amphipathic moments; and this amphipathic-dependent degradation was designated ADD. ADD occurred with the holo-forms in the mitochondria but not as the apo-forms in the cytosol. The extreme mutant type degraded with a half-life of approximately 12 min, whereas the normal iso-1 was stable over hours. ADD was influenced by the ⁺/^– state and by numerous chromosomal genes. Most importantly, ADD appeared to be specifically suppressed to various extents by deletions of any of the YME1, AFG3, or RCA1 genes encoding membrane-associated mitochondrial proteases, probably because the amphipathic structures caused a stronger association with the mitochondrial inner membrane and its associated proteases. The use of ADD assisted in the differentiation of substrates of different mitochondrial degradation pathways.     

Effects of central opiate and serotoninergic structures on heart rhythm during acute myocardial ischemia

Electrostimulation of the central gray matter in the sylvian aqueduct and nucleus raphe magnus produced an antiarrhythmic effect during acute myocardial ischemia. Stimulation and blockade of opiate receptors in the central amygdaloid nucleus and lateral hypothalamus with dalargin and naloxone induced the same effect. Destruction of the central gray matter in the sylvian aqueduct and nucleus raphe magnus decreased electrical stability of ischemic myocardium.     

四种脊椎动物血细胞亚显微结构的比较观察

用透射电镜观察了罗非鱼、虎纹蛙、家鸽和家兔各类血细胞的亚显微结构、结果表明：鱼、蛙。鸽的红细胞呈长椭圆形、长梭形或长橄榄形，有核，核周异染色质明显：而兔的红呈两面凹陷的圆盘状、无核、胞内充满血红蛋白、鱼、蛙、鸽血中尚见到血栓细胞，其形状与红细胞相似，体积较小，胞核较大；兔血小板呈不规则形，无核。鱼、蛙、鸽、兔的白细胞，形状结构基本相似，除能见到核和细胞器之外，胞质内的特殊颗粒以及细胞伸出的伪足、微     

Study of the substructure of the Morgagni and Brunescens cataract with the TAO non-coating technique

Lens tissue from a Morgagni cataract was examined by SEM and TEM. For SEM, after prefixation with glutaraldehyde and postfixation with the tannic acid/arginine/OsO₄ non-coating (TAO) technique, and for TEM, after prefixation with glutaraldehyde, postfixation with OsO₄/K₄Fe(CN)₆ and poststaining with uranyl acetate/lead citrate. The TAO technique seems to be a particularly suitable postfixation method for the SEM investigation of cararact tissue because of the presence of the protein structures present. The cortical region showed areas of radially, instead of concentrically, arranged lens fibres, degenerated lens fibres with holes (vacuoles), broken ball and socket connections between the lens fibres, and oval or spherical structures varying in size from 0.5–20 m, the largest resembling a golfball, arising from the cytoplasm of degenerating lens fibres. The smallest, 0.2–0.5 m, appear to have been expelled from the furrowed lens epithelium.     

Role of sialoglycan structures for the function of the epidermal growth factor receptor and the in vitro proliferation of head and neck cancer

Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck have been found to show a high expression of the receptor for epidermal growth factor (EGF). This overexpression of the receptor has been associated with malignant transformation of cells, although there is still debate as to what extent this receptor takes part in the proliferation of malignant cells and which function it fulfills. The factors which determine receptor-ligand interaction are also not clearly defined. That the extracellular domain of the EGF receptor carries carbohydrate or sialoglycan structures might be important for function of the receptor. Since tumor specific enzymes can possibly alter such structures, it was the aim of our study to investigate the role of these structures on the EGF receptor during the proliferation of head and neck carcinomas. We used the human laryngeal squamous carcinoma cell line HLaC 79 and altered, for the first time, specific glycan structures with sialidase α-2,3 and α-2,6, causing desialylation. Changes were also produced by endo-β-galactosidase and sialyltransferase. Findings were monitored by labeling with bromo-deoxyuridine. To determine receptor affinity, ¹²⁵I-labeled EGF was employed. Results showed that both cell proliferation and receptor affinity depended on the level of sialylation of the receptor carbohydrate side chains. Desialylation led to a statistically significant reduction of tumor cell proliferation to 65 ± 33% (P < 0.01), while receptor affinity decreased to 70 ± 26% (P < 0.01).The importance of EGF receptor for the proliferation of malignant cells seems to depend on the level of sialylation of glycan structures on receptor protein. A release of enzymes by tumor cells may then produce auto-control of tumor proliferation on its own. Received: 5 November 1997 / Accepted: 21 April 1998