[Ecological analysis of the fauna of infusoria of the family Trichodinidae Claus, 1874 (Ciliophora Dofflein, 1901, Peritrichida F. Stein, 1859) in pond fishes of Kaliningrad province].

A total of 21 Infusoria species of the family Trichodinidae parasitize in pond fishes of Kaliningrad Province. Species of the genus Trichodina dominate, being represented by 15 species. The majority of revealed Infusoria are characterized by wide specificity. Narrow specificity is characteristic of Trichodina urinaria (the bass) and Trichodinella lotae (the burbot). Extensiveness and intensity of the invasion depends on host species, its biology, and the character of the reservoir.

[The efficacy of oxynicotinic acid a nd its derivatives in respect of functional activity of hepatocytes during acute toxic hepatopathy].

Hepatoprotective activity of oxynicotinic acid and its derivatives XC-2, XC-2, XC-4, XC-9 in destructive processes in the liver induced by CCl4 injection has been studied. It was found in that injection of oxynicotinic acid derivatives in toxic lesion of the liver decreases cytolysis, cholestasis, hepatodepressive and mesenchymal-inflammatory syndromes. Membrane-stabilizing and antioxidant effects of oxynicotinic acid derivatives increase in the following sequence: XC-1 --> XC-2, XC-3 --> XC-4, mexidol --> XC-9.

[Cationic oligopeptides modified with lipophilic fragments: use for DNA delivery to cells].

Cationic oligopeptides, including the amphipathic alpha-helical peptides, are applied to the targeted delivery of DNA to eukaryotic cells due to their DNA-compacting properties and the ability to destabilize the cell lipid bilayer in some cases. We synthesized the peptides differing in the number and location of residues of decanoic acid covalently attached to Lys residues in order to combine the DNA-binding and the membrane activities in a single molecule. We chose peptide structures that assisted in the formation of alpha-helices. The DNA-binding ability of the peptides and the membrane activity of their complexes with DNA were shown to depend on the structure. The study of erythrocyte hemolysis by complexes with DNA of the pCMV LacZ plasmid and the peculiarities of transfection of these complexes revealed a correlation between the hemolytic activity and the expression level of the lacZ gene in the cells.

[Dissociation action of cationic peptides with hydrophobic radicals on functional coupling between serpentine type receptors and GTP-binding proteins]. / Razobshchaiushchee vliianie kationnykh peptidov, soderzhashchikh gidrofobnye radikaly, na funktsional'noe sopriazhenie retseptorov serpantinnogo tipa s GTF-sviazyvaiushchimi belkami.

The coupling of hormone-activated receptor and heterotrimeric G protein is an important step of the signal transduction through adenylyl cyclase signal system (ACS). The numerous literature data and own results show that G protein-interacting regions, that are localized in cytoplasmic loops of receptors, have considerable positive charge, can form amphiphilic alpha-helices and are tightly associated with the membrane. We studied the influence of model cationic peptides on both basal and stimulated by hormones and nonhormonal agents adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity and on GTP binding activity of heterotrimeric G proteins in skeletal muscles of rats and smooth muscles of mollusc Anodonta cygnea. Peptides with hydrophobic radicals of caprinoyl acid (C10): Lys(C10)-His-Glu-Lys-Lys-(C10)-His-Glu-Lys-Lys(C10)-His-Glu-Lys-Lys(C10)- His-Glu-Lys-Ala-amide (peptide I), Cys-Lys(C10)-X-Tyr-Lys-Ala-Lys7-Trp-Lys-amide (II), Cys-X-Trp-Lys-Lys(C10)-Lys2-Lys(C10)-Lys3-Lys(C10)-Tyr-Lys-Lys(C10)-Lys-Lys- amide (III), where X--epsilon-aminocaproyl acid residue, were synthesized by solid-phase methodology. IC50 values for inhibiting the influence of peptides on serotonin-(molluscs) and isoproterenol-stimulated (rats) AC activity were: for peptide I--56 and 70 mkM, for peptide II--32 and 47 mkM, for peptide III--22 and 28 mkM, respectively. At the same time the peptides weakly decreased AC activity stimulated by nonhormonal agents (NaF, Gpp[NH]p, forskolin). Peptides I--III stimulated basal activity of the enzyme in both investigated tissues. The maximum stimulating effects (28--52%) of the peptides were observed at their concentration 10 mkM. Peptides (10--100 mkM) increased Gpp[NH]p binding in plasma membranes of mollusc and rat muscles and strongly decreased the influence of the hormones on the binding. Based on the obtained data we supposed that cationic peptides with hydrophobic radicals mimic G protein-binding regions of the receptors and can be involved in the regulation of functional coupling between the receptors and G proteins.

[Molecular mechanisms of action of dendrons, containing 48-60 sequence of HIV-1 TAT-protein, on the functional activity of the adenylyl cyclase signaling systems]. / Molekuliarnye mekhanizmy vliianiia zvezdoobraznykh polikationnykh peptidov, soderzhashchikh posledovatel'nost' 48-60 TAT-belka VICH-1, na funktsional'nuiu aktivnost' adenilattsiklaznoi signal'noi sistemy.

For the aims of studying molecular mechanisms of functioning of adenylyl cyclase signaling systems (ACS), we investigated the influence of synthetic polycationic peptides of the star-like structure (dendrons), containing 48-60 sequence of HIV-1 TAT-protein, on the functional activity of ACS components in smooth muscles of the mollusc Anodonta cygnea and in rat skeletal muscles. It has been shown that the following peptides (Gly-Arg-Lys-Lys-Arg-Arg-Gln-Arg-Arg-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gln)2-Lys-epsilonAhx(= epsilon-aminohexanoic acid)-Cys(Acm), referred to as peptide I, (Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Gly-Arg-Lys-Lys-Arg-Arg-Gln-Arg-Arg-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gln)2-Lys-epsilonAhx-Cys(Acm) (peptide II), [(Gly-Arg-Lys-Lys-Arg-Arg-Gln-Arg-Arg-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gln)2-Lys-epsilonAhx-Cys]2 (peptide III), and [(Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Gly-Arg-Lys-Lys-Arg-Arg-Gln-Arg-Arg-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gln)2-Lys-epsilonAhx-Cys]2 (peptide IV) inhibit in a dose-dependent manner the adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity stimulated by both nonhormanal agents (GppNHp and forskolin) and hormones, such as serotonin (mollusc) and isoproterenol (rat). Peptides III and IV (tetrameric dendrons) were most effective in comparison with peptides I and II (dimeric dendrons). The AC activity stimulated by hormones and forskolin was most sensitive to the action of dendrons. All dendrons stimulated GTP-binding activity of G-proteins: dimeric dendrons were most effective at 10(-5) M concentration, whereas tetrameric dendrons at 10(-6) M. In the presence of dendrons, the affinity of beta-antagonist [3H]-dihydroalprenolol to P-adrenergic receptor in rat muscle mem- branes was unchanged. At the same time, the affinity of beta-agonist isoproterenol to the receptor decreased, and no shift to the right was observed on the curve of isoproterenol-induced [3H]-dihydroalprenolol displacement in the presence of GTP. The obtained data show the disturbance of the coupling between the receptor and G-protein, which is the main reason of dendron inhibitory action on AC stimulation by hormones. Besides, these data demonstrated that hormones could disturb the functional activity of AC, i.e. a catalytic component of ACS.

[Risk factors of ischemic heart disease and lipid metabolism in cardiorespiratory diseases]. / Faktory riska ishemicheskoi bolezni serdtsa i pokazateli lipidnogo obmena pri kardiorespiratornykh zabolevaniiakh.

Clinicobiochemical parameters and factors of risk of ischemic heart disease in patients with cardiorespiratory diseases (CRD) were examined for correlations. The risk factors, impairment of lipid spectrum and antioxidant defense were assessed in patients aged 27 to 70 years with CRD. The patients were divided into three groups: patients with chronic nonspecific pulmonary diseases (CNSPD), ischemic heart disease patients (IHD), those with CNSPD plus IHD. The results suggest that in CNSPD patients such risk factors as smoking, low physical activity, stress, arterial hypertension, hereditary predisposition to IHD occurred in more than 50% of cases. Compared to IHD patients, these patients' dyslipoproteinemia was characterized by greater frequency of hypercholesterolemia and less frequency of hypoalphacholesterolemia. Combination of atherosclerosis with CNSPD aggravates the course of vascular disorders.

[The efficacy of treating patients with allergic diseases at a health resort with a gastroenterologic profile]. / Effektivnost' lecheniia bol'nykh s allergicheskimi zabolevaniiami na kurorte gastroénterologicheskogo profilia.

45 allergic patients were treated in gastrointestinal sanatorium. Balneological and speleo modalities were employed. The clinical symptoms and humoral immunity indicated high efficacy of such treatment. The complex is recommended for introduction in gastrointestinal sanatoria.

[Central, pulmonary and hepatic hemodynamics at the developmental stages of cardiopulmonary insufficiency]. / Sostoianie tsentral'noi, legochnoi i pechenochnoi gemodinamiki na étapakh razvitiia legochno-serdechnoi nedostatochnosti.

The analysis of correlations between the time and speed parameters found out that in healthy subjects and patients with chronic nonspecific bronchitis (CNB) the blood flow in great hepatic vessels is provided by the amount of blood entering the aorta in the systole. When central hemodynamics is affected in the CNB exacerbation, this factor becomes essential also for the arterial inflow into middle-size and small branches of the hepatic artery. Persistent bronchial obstruction and labile pulmonary hypertension rise as a result of failure of adequate relations between systemic, pulmonary and hepatic hemodynamics. The condition of great arterial vessels of the liver gets dependent on lesser and greater circulation. The response of the middle-size and small branches of the hepatic artery in chronic obstructive bronchitis (functional class II) is independent of the vascular tone of the lesser and greater circulation. The conclusion is made that intrahepatic blood flow in patients with secondary pulmonary hypertension is regulated by vasoactive factors acting at the level of the organ (mainly kallikrein-kinin system and prostaglandins).

[The unique nature of the formation of parasitic fish fauna in the reservoirs of the Daugava River]. / Svoeobraznyi kharakter formirovaniia parazitofauny ryb vodokhranilishch reki Daugavy.

The formation of parasite fauna of fishes from water reservoirs of the Daugava differs from that of plain type water reservoirs of the moderate zone. Instead of expected flourishing of limnophilic elements an intense, increasing with years impoverishment of the specific composition of nearly all systematic groups of fish parasites is observed in the studied reservoirs. The impoverishment of the parasite fauna in the water reservoirs is associated first of all with their relatively small sizes, frequent and strong fluctuations of the water level and repeated dryings of large bottom areas. The investigations show that such a picture of fish parasite fauna genesis is observed in all relatively small water reservoirs with frequent and strong fluctuations of water level.