Protective and adaptogenic role of peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) in neutralization of oxidative stress induced by ionizing radiation.

A radioprotective effect of exogenous recombinant peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) was revealed and characterized using an animal model of whole body X-ray irradiation at sublethal and lethal doses. Prx2 belongs to an evolutionarily ancient family of peroxidases that are involved in enzymatic degradation of a wide variety of organic and inorganic hydroperoxides. Apart from that, the oxidized form of Prx2 also exhibits chaperone activity, thereby preventing protein misfolding and aggregation under oxidative stress. Intravenous administration of Prx2 in animals at a concentration of 20 µg/g 15 min before exposure to ionizing radiation contributes to a significantly higher survival rate, suppresses the development of leucopenia and thrombocytopenia, as well as protects the bone marrow cells from genome DNA damage. Moreover, injection of Prx2 leads to suppression of apoptosis, stimulates cell proliferation and results in a more rapid recovery of the cell redox state. Exogenous Prx2 neutralizes the effect of the priming dose on the second irradiation of the cells. The radioprotective properties of exogenous Prx2 are stipulated by its broad substrate peroxidase activity, chaperone activity in the oxidized state, and are also due to the signal-regulatory function of Prx2 mediated by the regulation of the level of hydroperoxides as well as via interaction with redox-sensitive regulatory proteins.

Droplet-like heterogeneity of aqueous tetrahydrofuran solutions at the submicrometer scale.

A droplet formation in aqueous solutions of tetrahydrofuran (THF) has been experimentally detected at the submicrometer scale using two independent laser diagnostic techniques (dynamic light scattering and laser phase microscopy) and described in terms of THF-water intermolecular hydrogen bonding. It is shown that the nanodroplets have a mean size of 300 nm, their refractive index is higher than that of the ambient liquid, and they are highly enriched with THF molecules. The maximum of light scattering intensity falls within the THF concentration range 2-8 mol. %, which corresponds to the volume number density of the nanodroplets ∼1010-1011 cm-3. A theoretical explanation of forming the nanodroplets with a high content of THF, which is based on a model of dichotomous noise being applied to the so-termed "twinkling" hydrogen bonds and involves spinodal decomposition in the unstable region enclosed within the dichotomous binodal, is proposed. The parameters of hydrogen bonds in the molecular system "water-THF" were found, and the phase diagram of the solution with allowance for cross-linking hydrogen bonds was constructed.

[On the Effect of α-Tocopherol on Protein Kinase C Activity in vitro].

The effect of the antioxidant α-tocopherol on rat brain protein kinase C activity as a model to study bimodal dose-dependent effect has been investigated. Enzyme activity has been monitored photometrically with a luciferase reporter assay that measures ADP produced by posphorylation. The inhibition of protein kinase C activity by α-tocopherol was found at the concentration range from 10(-3) to 10(-6) M with no effect of ultra low doses of the antioxidant (below. 10(-12) M). The absence of bimodal dose-dependent effect may be associated with the enzyme source.

[On peculiarities of temperature dependences of water spectra in the terahertz frequency domain].

We analyzed spectra of light and heavy water at temperatures from 4 up to 50 degrees C in a frequency range of 0.15 to 6.5 THz. It was shown that the amplitude of high-frequency relaxation absorption band with its maximum at 0.5 THz extends with increasing, temperature and this temperature dependence for light water has a marked feature at 35-40 degrees C as a sharp growth. This fact is noteworthy because this range corresponds to physiological values of a body temperature of the warm-blooded organisms. At the same time, the analogous temperature dependence for heavy water in the considered temperature range lacks this particular feature. Thus, the water with its properties differs significantly not only from other fluids, but also from its own isotopologues.