[The influence of aromatic amino acid derivatives on the complement system under ionizing radiation].

Activities of the complement classical, alternative and lectin pathways were determined under conditions of X-radiation in the blood of rats treated and none-treated with synthetic Schiffbase aromatic amino acid derivatives, nicotinyl-L-tyrosinate or nicotinyl-L-tryptophanate, before irradiation. In case of activities of the alternative and lectin pathways no significant changes between irradiated animals and none-irradiated control animals were detected. However, the data obtained demonstrate significantly elevated activity of the classical complement cascade in the blood of irradiated animals (1 day after irradiation), as compared to those none-irradiated. This effect was less pronounced in rats treated with nicotinyl-L-tyrosinate or nicotinyl-L-tryptophanate 1 hour before irradiation. Based on the results obtained the ability of nicotinyl-L-tyrosinate and nicotinyl-L-tryptophanate to act as cyto-protectors is concluded.

[Circulating immune complexes in families with positive history of ischemic stroke].

The concentrations and protein composition of immune complexes circulating in the blood of patients with residuals of ischemic stroke and their healthy relatives from families with positive history of stroke have been determined. The data obtained have been compared with the results of our previous study on determination of concentration and protein composition of immune complexes circulating in the blood of patients with acute ischemic stroke and healthy subjects. Basing on the results obtained we conclude that the elevated level of immune complexes in the blood of patients with residuals of stroke is not genetically determined but rather reflects alterations developing as the result of previous stroke. However, the protein composition of the immune complexes, particularly the presence of C-reactive protein, may, to a certain degree, reflect genetic predisposition to stroke.

[Complement componenets, C3 and factors B, in the blood of patients with acute ischemic stroke].

Several studies suggest that activation of compliment cascade contributes to the development of the inflammatory immune response in ischemic stroke and results in tissue injury by initiating apoptosis and necrosis. It is proposed that suppression of the compliment activation may have positive effect on stroke severity and outcome. However, the majority of data relevant to involvement of the compliment in the pathogenethic mechanisms of stroke have been obtained in animal models of stroke that does not allow to extrapolate these data to humans. Our previous studies were the first ones demonstrated the involvement of both the classical and the alternative complement activation pathways in the pathogenetic mechanisms of generation and development of stroke in humans. In the present work, using immunoblotting, we determined the levels of key components of the classical and alternative pathways of complement activation, C3 and factor B, in the blood of patients with ischemic stroke. Comparing to healthy controls, patients with ischemic stroke are characterized by the increased level of C3 and decreased level of factor B.