ABSTRACT
The present experiment was performed to assess if hypomagnesemia can influence antioxidant status in mice heart. The results could explain possibly a free radical theory of heart damage in magnesium deficiency. We used a rodent model of hypomagnesemia. The magnesium sufficient group received a standard diet whereas a magnesium deficient group received the diet containing a trace amount of magnesium. The activities of the most important antioxidant enzymes--catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were assessed in mice heart and liver in a time dependent manner, on the 10th and the 20th day of experiment. The level of magnesium in plasma of animals receiving the magnesium deficient diet dropped twice after the 8th day and four times after the 13th day and then reached a plateau value. The activity of catalase in heart in the magnesium deficient group increased gradually and was significantly (P < 0.05) elevated by 27% on the 20th day of experiment whereas the superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased by 17% on the 20th day. Glutathione peroxidase activity was insignificantly elevated. The alterations of antioxidant enzyme activities in the heart indicate cardiomyocytes's exposure to oxidative stress, which can be responsible for the cardiac lesions observed during hypomagnesemia.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/metabolism , Catalase/metabolism , Magnesium Deficiency/metabolism , Myocardium/metabolism , Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism , Animals , Diet , Free Radical Scavengers/metabolism , Glutathione Peroxidase/metabolism , Liver/enzymology , Magnesium Deficiency/blood , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB CABSTRACT
Metallothioneins take part in homeostasis of the ions of metals which are necessary for proper metabolism of the organism (zinc, copper), biosynthesis regulation and zinc proteins activity as well as in the processes of detoxication of cells from toxic metals. Besides, they also protect cells from the reactive forms of oxygen, radiation, electrophilic pharmacological agents used in the cancer therapy, and the mutagenes. The aim of the study was to determine the level of metallothioneins in tissue of rats intoxicated with ethanol and morphine. The experiment was to state whether the applied narcotic agents cause the change in the metallothionein's level in the liver, brain and kidneys of the intoxicated animals. The experiment was carried out on 6-month-old rats of Wistar strain, weighing 150-200 g, which were given ethanol intragastrically and morphine intraperitoneally for 5 days. The metallothioneins level in tissues was determined by cadmium-hemoglobin affinity assay, using the cadmium isotope (109 Cd). It was found that the level of metallothioneins in the group of animals intoxicated with ethanol was elevated (in kidneys it increased 1.5 times, in the liver--3.5, and in the brain--10 times). In the case of morphine-intoxicated rats the level of metallothioneins also increased in all the examined tissues; the increase was fifteen-fold in the brain, threefold in the liver, and twofold in kidneys. It results from the above studies that the narcotic agents used for the animals' intoxication produce the increase in the level of metallothioneins in all the examined rats' tissues. The examinations prove different force of metallothioneins induction according to a tissue.
Subject(s)
Ethanol/toxicity , Metallothionein/drug effects , Morphine/toxicity , Animals , Brain/metabolism , Kidney/metabolism , Liver/metabolism , Metallothionein/metabolism , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
The objective of the studies was evaluation of the level of magnesium in children hospitalized for severe respiratory infections (mainly pneumonia and bronchitis). The criterion for the evaluation of the magnesium level in the serum of the children hospitalized for severe respiratory infections were the following parameters: general condition of the child at the time of admittance, feeding pattern and psychosomatic development in the children with respiratory infection. The level of magnesium in the serum of the children admitted with median general condition was higher than that of the children admitted with poor general condition. The level of magnesium in the serum of breastfed children and those with correct psychosomatic development was higher than the level of magnesium in children fed artificially and representing backward psychosomatic development.
Subject(s)
Magnesium/blood , Respiratory Tract Infections/blood , Hospitalization , Humans , InfantABSTRACT
Metallothioneins (MTs) protect the cell against reactive forms of oxygen, ionizing radiation, pharmacological agents and mutagens. Metallothioneins are also responsible for neoplastic cell resistance to cytostatic drugs. The aim of this study was to determine the MT level in cell fractions as well as to determine whether there is any change in the concentration of these proteins in a neoplastic cell, and in which cell fractions this change takes place. The neoplastic tissue examined was histopathologically ductal carcinoma invasive, and the control tissue was mastopathic tissue with proliferated connective and glandular tissue. The level of MTs was determined using cadmium isotope (109Cd). It was determined that there was an increase in MT level in the neoplastic tissue, the highest level being found in the mitochondrial fraction obtained from the control and mastopathic tissues. The greatest changes in MT concentrations in breast carcinoma were observed in the nuclear and cytosol fractions. In the nuclear fraction in the breast carcinoma tissue, the MT level was almost three times that of the control group.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/chemistry , Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/chemistry , Metallothionein/analysis , Adult , Breast Neoplasms/physiopathology , Cadmium Radioisotopes , Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/physiopathology , Cell Nucleus/chemistry , Cytosol/chemistry , Female , HumansABSTRACT
Metallothioneins (MT) are the widespread proteins in animal world. These proteins are characterized by the great invariability of their structure. While isolated from the different organs of different animals they only slightly differ in the aminoacid composition from one another. Studies on the structure and biological functions of MT have identified four major isoforms (MT-I, -II, -III and -IV) in mammals. Both MT-I and MT-II genes are expressed in various organs and they are inducible by a variety of metals, hormones, cytokines and xenobiotics. MT-III is expressed only in brain and no specific environmental regulators have been identified. MT-IV is only expressed in differentiating cells of stratified squamous epithelia.
Subject(s)
Metallothionein/biosynthesis , Animals , Brain/metabolism , Epithelium/metabolism , Metallothionein/chemistry , Metallothionein/genetics , Metallothionein 3 , Metals/metabolism , Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: In this work we determined zinc level in the brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen and thigh muscle of the ethanol- and morphine-intoxicated mice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The experiment was conducted on mice, which were divided into four groups of ten mice each. They were given ethanol intragastrically, morphine--intraperitoneally, and a combination of ethanol and morphine. The concentration of zinc was determined spectrophotometrically, using spectrophotometer Pye Unicam SP-192. RESULTS: The narcotic drugs affected zinc level and zinc distribution in the tested tissues. All the narcotic agents caused an increase in zinc concentration in blood serum and a decrease of this microelement in the brain. Ethanol intoxication caused a decrease of zinc level in all the tissues except the heart. Morphine- as well as morphine-and-ethanol intoxication, however, caused an increase or decrease of this microelement.
Subject(s)
Ethanol/toxicity , Morphine/toxicity , Zinc/blood , Zinc/metabolism , Animals , Brain/drug effects , Brain/metabolism , Heart/drug effects , Kidney/drug effects , Kidney/metabolism , Liver/drug effects , Liver/metabolism , Mice , Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Myocardium/metabolism , Spleen/drug effects , Spleen/metabolism , Tissue DistributionABSTRACT
The study aimed at testing the effects of Venoruton on the early postradiation damage in the lungs of rats. The chests of the rats were irradiated with Co-60, fractional dose 250 cGy/DD, total dose 2500 cGy/DD. Venoruton was given intraperitoneally, in quantities of 0.1 ml once daily for 90 days. The experiment have proved that Venoruton lowers the intensity of the early postradiation changes, mainly those which depend on the vascular damage.
Subject(s)
Hydroxyethylrutoside/analogs & derivatives , Lung/pathology , Radiation Injuries, Experimental/prevention & control , Radiation-Protective Agents/pharmacology , Animals , Culture Techniques , Disease Models, Animal , Hydroxyethylrutoside/pharmacology , Injections, Intraperitoneal , Lung/drug effects , Lung/radiation effects , Radiation Dosage , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
It was found that intoxication of rats with cadmium results in a significant increase of metallothioneins content in various organs, especially in kidneys and liver and in lower degree in spleen, muscle, brain and heart.
Subject(s)
Cadmium/toxicity , Metallothionein/biosynthesis , Metallothionein/drug effects , Animals , Brain/drug effects , Brain/metabolism , Cadmium/administration & dosage , Culture Techniques , Disease Models, Animal , Heart/drug effects , Kidney/drug effects , Kidney/metabolism , Liver/drug effects , Liver/metabolism , Lung/drug effects , Lung/metabolism , Myocardium/metabolism , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
The activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) was studied in the tissue of breast cancer and in the blood serum of the women suffering from this neoplasm. The comparative material was the physiological tissue of mammae and blood serum of the healthy women. The activity of ICDH in neoplasm tissue was more higher than in physiological tissue. In the blood serum of ill patients activity of this enzyme was higher than in control serums too.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/enzymology , Isocitrate Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Female , Humans , In Vitro Techniques , Isocitrate Dehydrogenase/blood , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
Metallothioneins are intracellular proteins binding metals. There proteins are involved in zinc and copper homeostasis as well as in organism detoxication of heavy metals. The induction of metallothioneins synthesis is caused not only by metal ions but also by the interleukins, by tumor necrosis factor and by glycocorticoids or the stressing factors. Metallothioneins prove the protective action in cadmium toxication and prevent interaction of cadmium with thiol groups -SH proteins. In neoplasms the increase of metallothionein level occurs both in tumors and in liver, the level of these proteins is correlated with the size of the tumor.
Subject(s)
Metallothionein/physiology , Animals , Cadmium/toxicity , Copper/metabolism , Homeostasis/physiology , Humans , Interleukins/physiology , Neoplasms/metabolism , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/physiology , Zinc/metabolismABSTRACT
The aim of the present study was to estimate the concentration of Cu, Zn, Mg, Ca in the following tissues: brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney and femoral muscles in conditions of experimentally induced hyperthyreosis. In general, in state of hyperthyreosis the concentration of all elements was considerably higher compared to euthyreosis. However, there are a few exceptions. Liver and heart tissue possessed higher concentration of Zn and Cu and kidney of Cu in euthyreosis.
