Evaluation of magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of new nitroxyl radicals on the model of RLS lymphoma

Toxic and magnetic resonance contrast characteristics of new nitroxyl radicals Fur-135 and Fur-176 were studied in experiments on mice. The test compounds exhibited low toxicity and allowed us to increase contrasting of transplanted RLS lymphoma. Fur-135 differs by the type of contrasting from Gd³⁺-containing preparation omniscan and locates the tumor focus with high precision. __________ Translated from Byulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 143, No. 2, pp. 202–205, February, 2007     

Biokinetics of Transdermal Therapeutic Medicinal Form of Phenazepam

We studied the rate of phenazepam absorption into the blood and its transport to the brain from a transdermal therapeutic system and bioavailability of the drug in this system. Hydrogel matrix consisting of polyvinyl alcohol and 1,2-propylene glycol was used for application. Transdermal application of 0.1-0.4 mg phenazepam in a dose of 14 mg/kg provided a stable level of this drug during application interval (1-48 h), while its bioavailability for blood plasma and brain was 0.63 and 0.2, respectively (determined for 0.4 mg phenazepam). The rate of drug penetration into the blood and brain was 46 and 60 ng/ml/h, respectively.     

Generation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to protein kinase 2 (CK2) beta subunit

Protein kinase 2 (CK2) is a ubiquitous and constitutively active serine/threonine protein kinase with various cell functions. It typically forms tetrameric complexes consisting of two catalytic (alpha and/or (alpha') and two regulatory (beta) subunits. The aim of this study was to produce monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the CK2beta subunit and to characterize their suitability for Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, and immunohistochemical applications. Bacterially expressed CK2beta-6His-GST recombinant protein has been used as an antigen. Balb/c mice were immunized and given a final boost, and their spleen cells were collected and fused with SP2/0 myeloma cells using PEG 2000. The fused cells were then selected in the HAT-RPMI medium. Anti- CK2beta high-titer antibody-producing hybridoma cell lines were identified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and then subcloned by limiting dilution in HT-RPMI medium supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS). A total of 10 IgG-producing cell lines were selected and further tested for their reactivity with the CK2beta subunit using ELISA, Western blots, immunoprecipitation, and immunostaining of formaldehyde-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The results obtained clearly indicate that several clones produce antibodies that recognize specifically recombinant and endogenous CK2beta subunit in Western blotting and immunoprecipitation, and are suitable for immunohistochemical analysis. In summary, the produced antibodies will be useful for researchers investigating signaling pathways involving CK2 kinase and their deregulation in human pathologies.     

Hyperventilation syndrome in bronchial asthma, essential hypertension and organic neurosis. Clinical picture and external respiration function

The external respiration function was studied in 100 patients with hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) divided into 3 groups: 40 patients with HVS and bronchial asthma (group 1) consisting of 15 males and 25 females (age median--45 years, 25 percentile--37 years, 75 percentile--53 years); 39 patients with HVS and essential hypertension (group 2) consisting of 8 males and 31 females (age median 49, 25 percentile--40 years, 75 percentile--57 years); 21 patients with HVS without concurrent somatic diseases of group 3 (7 males, 14 females, age median 45 years, 25 percentile--28 years, 75 percentile--45 years). It is shown that different disorders of pulmonary ventilation correspond to different clinical manifestations of HVS. Thus, in bronchial obstruction (group 1) HVS manifests with "weak respiration", in restrictive pulmonary disorders (group 2) HVS manifests as "heavy respiration", in high parameters of bronchial permeability (group 3)--"shallow respiration".