[Catecholamine content in the adrenal gland of rat offspring in the model of prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia].

Catecholamine content has been studied in the adrenal gland of rat females whose pregnant mothers were loaded daily with L-methionine administered per os during all the pregnancy period, on the first day of postnatal life, and in one and two months after birth. The animal model of hyperhomocysteinemia used in the experiment has been shown to result in the catecholamine content decreasing in the adrenal gland of both newly born rat offspring with high serum level of homocysteine and one-month old offspring with their homocysteine level decreased to the normal values. It was found that nitrotyrosine level increased significantly in the blood serum of the offspring aged one and two months. The data obtained may testify to oxidative stress development.

[Age-associated reproductive cycle hypothalamic regulation impairment and its correction].

This review covers present-day ideas of the female organism reproductive system neuroendocrine regulation in aging. The literature data on the key role of the hypothalamus in formation, organization and age-related decline of the reproductive function in both mammals and humans are considered in detail. Special focus is on catecholamines, peptides and other biologically active compounds acting in these processes. The authors discuss data showing interaction between the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus and the pineal gland synchronizing circadian and diurnal rhythms of gonadotropine-releasing hormone being normally synthesised and secreted during the reproductive period, but failing in aging or under the influence of neurotoxic compounds. Molecular mechanisms of ovarian cycle hypothalamic regulation impairment and possible ways of its correction by means of melatonin and peptide preparations from the pineal gland are described. The data presented may be of utility to prevent premature aging of reproductive function.

[Age-related changes of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin excretion in stomach and colorectal cancer patients].

Circadian rhythm of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) excretion has been studied in stomach cancer (n = 89) and colorectal cancer (n = 86) patients. The excretion of aMT6s was decreased in cancer patients. The disturbances of the circadian rhythm of aMT6s excretion have been observed in the cancer patients as well. These changes were directly proportional to the extent of cancer process and to the extent of lymphogenic metastasis.

[The lipids peroxidation and atherogenesis level in aged patients].

The data presented have described the diagnostic possibilities of chemioluminescence' intensity research in patients with atherosclerosis. The investigation has been conducted on 48 aged patients with ischemic heart disease. Statistically significant correlation between chemoluminescence' intensity and atherogenesis factor as an atherosclerosis indicator was revealed.

[The definition of chemiluminescence intensity in experimental model of premature senescence].

The diagnostic possibilities of chemiluminescence's intensity research for premature senescence prognosis are described in this article. The definition of chemiluminescence's intensity enables to reveal the individuals stable to processes of premature senescence in the model of acute radiation.

[Verification of a decrease in the rigidity of the phage lambda DNA polymeric chain in low ionic strength aqueous solutions by testing the polymer-polymer interlink interactions].

Changes in the rigidity of the polymetric chain of phage lambda double-strand DNA have been studied by laser correlation spectroscopy. It was shown that, as the ionic strength increases, the effect of the screening of the hydrodynamic interaction of the links of the polymeric chain specific for polymeric coils arises in a DNA solution. It is assumed that the screening occurs when the threshold of the overlapping of DNA coils is achieved. The overlapping of coils is the result of a previously observed significant rise of DNA coil size from abnormally small DNA coils in low ionic strength buffers (about 10(-2) M Na+ or less) to maximum possible large coils in the 5SSC and 5SSC-like buffers. Further analysis of the far interlink interactions in linear lambda phage DNA coils in similar buffers at pH 7 and 4 confirms the earlier proposal about the role of H+ ions in the appearance of abnormally small DNA coils. The abnormal decrease in the DNA coil size in low ionic strength buffers is not a specific feature of lambda phage DNA only.

[Platelet melatonin levels in healthy donors].

A convenient and reliable enzyme immunoassay of platelet melatonin has been developed using the Melatonin ELISA kits (IBL Hamburg GmBH). The proposed methods permit the quantitative determination of platelet melatonin, which opens up new prospects for using this indicator for diagnostic purposes.

[Mechanisms of free radical oxidation and its role in aging].

The review covers enormous literature data arguing that oxidative stress is a reliable marker of aging. The role of mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial sources of free radical species in physiological aging and in pathogenesis of age-dependent diseases is discussed. The state of antioxidant systems of an organism in aging is described; special attention is paid to the studies of the interrelation between antioxidant enzyme activities and life expectancy, which becomes more apparent with transgenic animals. Data are presented on low molecular weight compounds that have antioxidant properties and serve their purpose as geroprotectors.

[Effect of delta-sleep inducing peptide on free-radical processes in the brain and liver of mice during various light regimens].

Female SHR mice received 5-days long course of delta-sleep inducing peptide preparation "Deltaran" subcutaneously in daily dose of 5 mkg/mice per 24h under standard light regime (12h light: 12 h darkness) or constant illumination. Free-radical level and antioxidative activity in brain and liver was studied by standard methods. Constant illumination increased chemiluminescence in brain by 20 % and decreased liver glutationperoxidase activity by 60 %, as compared to the mice kept in standard light regime. In conditions of standard light regime deltaran increased levels of general antioxidative activity in brain by 9%, liver superoxide dismutase by 17% and lowered levels of glutationperoxidase of liver by 82%. In conditions of constant illumination Deltaran lowered levels of chemiluminescence in liver by 23%, raised the general antioxidative activity in liver by 19% and lowered levels of glutationperoxidase of liver by 69%. It was supposed that deltaran has an antioxidant effect under constant light regime.

[Biological activity of regulatory peptides in model experiments in vitro].

Biological effects of short regulatory peptides, pinealon, vesugen, vilon and epitalon were studied in model experiments in vitro. These peptides were found not to demonstrate direct antioxidant activity but be able to restrict lipid peroxidation of human lipoproteins by modification of their structure. The short peptides increase stability of red blood cell membranes toward osmotic hemolysis. They also elevate the stationary level of intracellular reactive oxygen species and at the same time decrease (all excepting epitalon) percent of dead cells in neuronal population. The suggestion was made that under in vivo conditions, short peptides may participate in apoptosis/necrosis regulation.

[Pineal gland and brain structures monoamine oxidase activity in rats of different age].

Total monoamine oxidase activity was investigated in the pineal gland (epiphysis) and in three brain structures with the use of spectrophotometric method based on kynuramine oxidative deamination, the product (4-hydroxyquinoline) formation being detected at 327 nm. Female Wistar rats used for the experiment were 1.5-2, 4-5 and over 12 months old. In the pineal gland, olfactory tubercle cortex and median eminence (with surrounding tissue) the lowest activities (nmol/min per mg of the protein, M +/- m) were found in the group of rats aged 4-5 months (1.20 +/- 0.11; 0.62 +/- 0.05 and 4.36 +/- 0.25, respectively), whereas in the medial preoptic area the lowest activity was found in rats aged 1.5-2 months (1.55 +/- 0.11). In all of the four structures the highest activities were found in the group of rats aged over 12 months (2.17 +/- 0.40; 0.8 +/- 0.04; 6.61 +/- 0.56 and 2,01 +/- 0.15, respectively). The data obtained agree with the hypothesis that low monoamine concentrations in some brain areas (including some hypothalamic structures) of aged rats, are due to, at least partly, an increase in monoamine oxidase activity.

[The effect of pineal peptide preparations on proliferative activity in organotypic culture of the preoptic hypothalamus area].

In investigations carried out with organotypic culture of mediobasal preoptic area (MPA) of hypothalamus it was established that pineal peptide preparations epitalon (2 ng/ml) and epithalamin (100 ng/ml) stimulate the development of proliferative activity of explants in 3 month and 24 months female rats. It has been shown that epithalamin is more effective in young rats in comparison with old animals, but epitalon as well as epithalamin have almost the same less pronounced inducing effect on growth zone in MPA explants from young and old animals. This effect is tissue specific and could be dependent on inhibition of apoptosis.

[Determination of human serum glutathione peroxidase activity, by using hydrogen peroxide and 5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)].

The method has been developed for the assay of human serum glutathione:H2O2-oxidoreductase activity. The reaction medium comprises tris-HCl buffer (0.04 M; pH 8.5), 4.4 mM EDTA, 10 mM NaN3, 1 mM GSH, 400 microM Y2O2. The incubation time of 60 seconds at 37 degrees C was chosen. There was a decrease in GSH in the reaction with 5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). This method is recommended for the application to the assay of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase because hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) used in this method is a more specific substrate than commonly used organic hydroperoxides.

[The light diffusion technique for estimation of the size of urine particles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Tamm-Horsfall protein precipitation].

Tamm-Horsfall uroprotein accounts for more than 50% of the urinary proteins in healthy individuals. In abnormalities, it creates a favorable background for detecting smaller-sized uroproteins and for diagnosing pathological processes from the results of native urine tests. In this connection, there is a need for precipitating Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein while applying laser correlation spectroscopy to analyze the size of urine particles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Eighty patients with this condition concurrent with different stages of diabetic nephropathy and 23 apparently healthy individuals were examined. The findings suggest that the subfraction urine composition before and after Tamm-Horsfall protein precipitation is different in apparently healthy individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus concurrent with diabetic nephropathy. This is most likely to be due to the change in the qualitative composition of protein as renal lesion progresses, to the specific features of protein excretion at different stages of a pathological process, and to different concentrations of other low and high molecular-weight proteins.

[Myeloperoxidase in the human placenta at preterm labor]. / Mieloperoksidaza v platsente cheloveka pri prezhdevremennykh rodakh.

In the present study the level of myeloperoxidase in the human placenta at premature was investigated. Mycloperoxidase content did not depend on its localization in placenta and decreased at premature labour. It is suggested that the decrease in the myeloperoxidase content in placenta results in the weakening of antimicrobial barrier in the system mother-placenta-fetus and plays an important role in pathogenesis of premature delivery at later term.

[Significance of determination of medium weight molecules in urine in normal pregnancy, in complicated pregnancy and in newborns with hypoxia]. / Znachenie opredeleniia srednikh molekul v moche pri normal'noi i oslozhnennoi beremennosti i u novorozhdennykh s gipoksiei.

Women with normal gestation and with gestosis and diabetes and newborns exposed to chronic intrauterine hypoxia were examined in order to elucidate the diagnostic value of measuring the content of low- and medium-weight molecules (MWM) in the urine in some obstetrical and gynecological abnormalities. Urinary content of MWM was increased at late terms of pregnancy (25-40 weeks). In first-degree nephropathy and type I diabetes without vascular complications the content of MWM in the urine did not change. A drop of MWM level was observed in second-third-degree nephropathy and proteinuria, which can be attributed to impaired function of the kidneys. In healthy newborns no differences in MWM content were detected during the first day of life, but in newborns exposed to chronic intrauterine hypoxia MWM level was increased. Hence, measurement of MWM level in the urine can have prognostic significance in diseases involving gestosis and fetal hypoxia.

[Changes in rigidity of the polymeric chain of the lambda-phage DNA in aqueous solutions with low ionic strength over the pH range 4-9.5]. / Izmenenie zhestkosti polimernoi tsepi DNK faga lambda v vodnom rastvore s nizkoi ionnoi siloi v diapazone pH 4-9,5.

It was shown that the decrease in the rigidity (persistent length) of phage lambda DNA, revealed previously by laser correlation spectroscopy, occurs in an aqueous solution at concentrations of sodium salts less than 10(-2) M in the pH range 4-9.5. DNA coils of anomalously small size (approximately twofold less than the size reported by other authors) are formed. The formation of these coils is likely to be due to the separation of "normal", i.e., rigid DNA coils into two phases, which occurs as the concentration of sodium salts decreases to 1.5 x 10(-3) M and pH of the solution decreases to 4. The phase of small-size (nonrigid) coils makes the major contribution to the scattering spectra. The phase of large-size coils disappears at pH 9.5. As pH increases, the size of small coils increases. The occurrence of coils of anomalously small size was registered by another method, quick precipitation. It is assumed that the phase separation of coils is related to the structural features of water.

[Effect of pineal peptide on parameters of the biological age and life span in mice]. / Vliianie peptida épifiza na pokazateli biologicheskogo vozrasta i prodolzhitel'nost' zhizni myshei.

Female CBA mice were injected with s.c. synthetic tetrapeptide Epithalon from a 6-month age until death. The drug failed to affect the body weight or food consumption, physical activity or behavioural parameters. However, it slowed down the age-related switching off of the estrus function, decreased body temperature, decelerated free redical processes, prolonged the mice life span with an accompanying drop in spontaneous tumour incidence.