[Interrupted alcohol treatment and liver: free radical homeostasis, nitric oxide, adaptive mechanisms].

Alcohol administration can result in liver damage. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO) and their interaction are crucial factors in this process. The aim of work was to investigate, free radical state and mechanisms of adaptation of the antioxidant system (AOS) to stress, caused by interrupted alcohol intake. Repeated cycles of alcoholization caused an imbalance between production and utilization of various ROS. This imbalance was due to impairments in the system superoxide dismutase/catalase. Nevertheless, in most experimental groups there was clear reduction of lipid peroxidation (LPO) products evaluated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. This might be attributed to the antioxidant effect of NO. However, there was an increased level of transaminases in blood plasma. After 28 days of this experimental scheme all the parameters studied normalized.

[Heterogenicity of hepatic L-pyruvate kinase in fasting animals]. / Geterogennost l-pyruvatkinazy pecheni, vyiavliaemaia pri golodanii zhivotnykh.

Molecular forms of hepatic pyruvate kinase (PK) were separated by fractionating on DEAE-cellulose. 120-h food deprivation of rats entails a progressive decline in L-PK activity, but not the activity of M-type enzyme of the minor fraction. The rate of L-PK degradation depends on the fasting duration. A rapid inactivation phase is followed by a slower one with the speed constants 0.023 and 0.0065 h-1, respectively. To control the L-PK degradation rates in fasting diets, protein modification by phosphorylation can be employed.

[Regulation of gluconeogenesis in the liver of vitamin B1-deficient rats]. / Reguliatsiia gliukoneogeneza v pecheni vitamin B1-defitsitnykh krys.

Radiometric assays revealed that thiamine deficiency in rats to whom hydroxythiamine was administered in variable doses, is concomitant with activation of gluconeogenesis from pyruvate in liver tissue. The most probable mechanism of this effect is the cAMP-dependent activation of key enzymes of intracellular glucose synthesis. This process is facilitated by the diminution of the ratio of free forms of NAD+ and NADPH in the cytoplasm.

[Isoenzyme spectrum and kinetic properties of pyruvate kinase from the liver of thiamine-deficient rats]. / Izofermentnyi spektr i kineticheskie svoistva piruvatkinazy pecheni tiamindefitsitnykh krys.

Thiamine-deficiency in animals induced by everyday subcutaneous administration of oxythiamine in a dose of 4, 40 and 100 mg/kg of weight for 10 days results in a decrease of the total activity of pyruvate kinase in the liver tissue and does not affect the mentioned index in the kidney and heart tissues. It is shown that as a result of the enzyme fractionation in the column with DEAE-cellulose the total activity of pyruvate kinase in the liver tissue of rats with thiamine-deficiency decreases due to L-isoform while the content of M-isoform remains unchanged. Thiamine deficiency does not affect kinetic characteristics of the L-isoform, extracted from the liver and this shows the absence of changes in the degree of phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase L-isoform under these conditions.

[Effective method of isolating M4-lactate dehydrogenase from rat liver]. / Effektivnyi metod vydeleniia M4-laktatdegidrogenazy iz pecheni krysy.

Lactate dehydrogenase M4-isoform in the homogeneous state was isolated from the rat liver by successive application of sulphate-ammonium fractionation, phosphocellulose ion-exchange chromatography with high-affinity elution of 1 mM NADH and subsequent hydroxyl apatite fractionation. The method permits obtaining the preparation amounts of the enzymic protein with yield 37.5%, specific activity 386.8 units per 1 mg of protein. It is established that 1 mM NAD+, 10 mM pyruvate and 100 mM lactate are also effective as agents of the selective enzyme elution.