ABSTRACT
The aim of the work was to determine the concentration of low-molecular-weight plasma DNA (lmDNA) in patients with COPD and chronic non-obstructive bronchitis (CnonB) of two age groups - 34-59 and 60-80 years. The levels of lmDNA in healthy donors, patients with CnonB, healthy relatives of patients with COPD did not differ, while the concentration of lmDNA in patients with COPD was significantly lower. In COPD patients aged 34-59 years, the level of lmDNA was reduced by more than 7 times, and in COPD patients who survived to 60-80 years, it was 3 times lower compared to the value of this biochemical indicator in healthy donors of the same age. The reduction of lmDNA reflected a reduced systemic apoptotic activity in the body of patients with COPD. A significant difference in the concentration of lmDNA in patients with COPD and CnonB in remission can be used for differential diagnosis of the development of these pathological processes. An increase in the low level of lmDNA in COPD patients during aging may indicate the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in life extension.
Subject(s)
Asthma , Bronchitis, Chronic , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive , DNA/genetics , Humans , Plasma , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/diagnosis , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/geneticsABSTRACT
The purpose of this work was to study changes in the level of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the blood of young and old rats in the normal state and with induced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups-young (3 months), old (20 months), intact, or with testosterone-induced BPH. Groups with BPH were subjected to surgical castration and administration of testosterone esters at a dose of 25 mg/kg for a total of 7 injections for 20 days. In intact animals, the level of cfDNA in old rats (2.00 ± 0.14 ng/µl) was significantly higher than that in the young (1.02 ± 0.30 ng/µl). The body and the prostate weights of old rats were 1.6 and 1.4 times larger than those of the young, without an increase in the prostate index (PI). The testosterone level in the blood of young rats was 1.6 times higher than that of old (6.20 ± 0.93 nmol/l vs. 3.77 ± 0.55 nmol/l; NS). In animals with BPH, the level of cfDNA in old rats (3.14 ± 0.76 ng/µl) was significantly higher than that in young rats (0.80 ± 0.14 ng/µl). The body and the prostate weights in old rats were 1.8 and 2.3 times larger, than those in young rats, with an increase in the PI. The level of testosterone in the blood of young (15.76 ± 0.51 nmol/l) and old (16.99 ± 1.1 nmol/l) rats was not significantly different. Morphological signs of BPH were observed in the prostate of both young and old rats. During the induction of BPH in the experiment, according to the level of cfDNA, cell death processes have not changed significantly in young rats but significantly increased in old rats. A similar trend was observed in the group of intact animals. The obtained data indicate that apoptosis processes are enhanced during the development of BPH despite the growth of tissues in the prostate itself.
ABSTRACT
AIM: To characterize the value of low-molecular-weight DNA in blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of acute stroke of ischemic and hemorrhagic types early after the onset of the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: DNA from plasma and cerebrospinal fluid was isolated by phenol deproteinization, analyzed by gradient polyacrylamide electrophoresis. Content of low-molecular-weight DNA was determined on the electrophoregram by comparison with standards. RESULTS: Authors discovered the differences in the changes in the content of low-molecular-weight DNA in the blood plasma of patients with acute ischemic and hemorrhagic types of cerebrovascular accident within 3 days after onset. Patients with hemorrhagic stroke were characterized by an increase in low-molecular-weight DNA after 3 hours, while patients with ischemic stroke after 24 hours from onset. Low-molecular-weight DNA was also detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with ischemia during the first day of the disease. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a role of apoptosis in the formation of ischemic lesion.
ABSTRACT
Low-molecular-weight DNA (180 bp) appears in blood plasma of irradiated rats. Its amount correlates directly with the irradiation dose. The cloned low-molecular-weight DNA is enriched with G/C pairs (48% compared with 40% in the rodent genome). Computer search against EMBL data showed that the sequence of these clones is homologous to various genomic repetitive elements. The program for identification of nucleosome-positioning sequences in eukaryotic nuclear DNA has shown that low-molecular-weight DNA fragments are able to form rather sustainable nucleosomes and have some peculiarity. The difference in the composition of low-molecular-weight DNA isolated from blood plasma of rats after irradiation at doses of 8 and 100 Gy consisted of the change in the levels of two dinucleotides (CpG and CpT). The DNA in question originates from different types of cells.
Subject(s)
DNA/blood , Radiation, Ionizing , Animals , Cloning, Molecular , DNA/chemistry , DNA/genetics , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Male , Molecular Weight , RatsABSTRACT
There is high-molecular DNA in the blood of unirradiated rats which moves as a single fraction during electrophoresis in 0.5% agarose. At short times (2-5 h) after gamma-irradiation at doses from 1 to 100 Gy a low-molecular species of DNA appears (about 180 nucleotide pairs), the amount of which is directly proportional to exposure dose at 5 h after exposure. It has been established by Southern hybridization that the low-molecular DNA has few nucleotide sequences common with those of the high-molecular DNA, but it shows homologously to genomic sequences.
