[The role of neutrophil myeloperoxidase in the development of inflammation after thermal skin burns]. / Rol' mieloperoksidazy neitrofilov v razvitii vospaleniia pri termicheskikh ozhogakh kozhi.

In the blood of children (n=16) with large thermal skin burns (> 20% of total body surface), luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) of neutrophils stimulated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in neutrophils and plasma were assayed in the early period (1-7 post-burn days). PMA-stimulated neutrophils in thermally injured patients produced higher CL than those in a reference group of healthy children (n=24), p<0.01. MPO activity was elevated in neutrophils and plasma in 40% and 57% of patients' blood samples, respectively. The albumin fraction isolated from plasma of burned patients enhanced the PMA-stimulated CL response of blood samples from healthy volunteer. Our results suggest that the acute inflammatory response induced by thermal injury involves activation of neutrophils and is accompanied by MPO release into the plasma. MPO-mediated modification of serum albumin induces its capacity to prime neutrophils and thus to enhance further inflammatory reaction.

Photoinduced formation of thiols in human hair.

Raman, scanning electron, and optical microscopy of hair and spectrophotometry of soluble hair proteins are used to study the effect of UV-vis radiation on white hair. The samples of a healthy subject are irradiated using a mercury lamp and compared with non-irradiated (control) hair. The cuticle damage with partial exfoliation is revealed with the aid of SEM and optical microscopy of semifine sections. Gel filtration chromatography shows that the molecular weight of soluble proteins ranges from 5 to 7kDa. Absorption spectroscopy proves an increase in amount of thiols in a heavier fraction of the soluble proteins of irradiated samples under study. Raman data indicate a decrease in the amount of SS and CS bonds in cystines and an increase in the amount of SH bonds due to irradiation. Such changes are more pronounced in peripheral regions of hair. Conformational changes of hair keratins presumably related to the cleavage of disulfide bonds, follow from variations in amide I and low-frequency Raman bands. An increase in the content of thiols in proteins revealed by both photometric data on soluble proteins and Raman microspectroscopy of hair cuts can be used to develop a protocol of the analysis of photoinduced hair modification.

[Disturbance of serum albumin conformation in patients with melancholic depression]. / Narushenie konformatsii al'bumina syvorotki u bol'nykh melankholicheskoi depressiei.

OBJECTIVE: Conformational protein changes may be an important component of the disturbance of molecular processes in the development of pathological process in the body. We studied conformations of albumin molecule in the blood of patients with depression using biophysical -nanotechnical approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 19 patients with depression and 25 healthy controls. Properties of serum albumin were compared in patients with typical melancholic depression and controls using spectroscopy (subnanosecond range) with K-35 fluorescent probe. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The properties of albumin binding sites in patients before and after treatment differed from those in controls. The authors suggest that it points to the changes in albumin molecule conformation that may influence the functional state of the protein. It has been suggested that these changes may be considered as biomarkers of pharmacotherapeutic efficacy.

Effects of ultra violet radiation on the soluble proteins of human hair.

Exposure of hair fibers from healthy volunteers to Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR) under laboratory conditions enhanced protein elution from the hair tresses into a buffer solution (pH 10.5). At the same time the UVR decreased the intensity of tryptophan fluorescence in the eluted proteins. After mechanical homogenization of these hair samples, the increase of soluble protein was registered for UVR treated hair as well as the rise in sulfhydryl group content of these proteins. Analysis of soluble proteins from hair samples homogenized before and after protein elution has shown that mainly proteins rich in sulfhydryl groups were eluted and as a result sulfhydryl content of proteins in hair shaft decreased. The hypothesis concerning the effects of environmental factors on the properties of hair shaft proteins was examined, the proximal and distal parts of normal hair (0-5 cm and 15-20 cm from hair root) were compared. In the distal parts there was a higher quantity of soluble proteins registered after homogenization, with decreased sulfhydryl group content and tryptophan fluorescence. It could be supposed that this difference results from the steady rupture of cystine in sulfur bridges and tryptophan under exposure to environmental factors (mainly, UVR), followed by elution of the resulting peptides.

[On mechanisms of fluorescence quenching by water].

Mechanisms of fluorescence quenching of aromatic chromophores by water are reviewed. The mechanisms include polarity of chromophore environment, proton or electron transfer between the excited chromophore and water. A hypothesis is proposed that the quenching can be a result of chromophore-solvent hydrogen bond breaking in the excited state.

[Human serum albumin modified under oxidative/halogenative stress enhances luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of human neutrophils].

It is shown that human serum albumin, previously treated with HOCl (HSA-Cl), enhances luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of neutrophils activated by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that addition of HSA-Cl to neutrophils promotes exocytosis of myeloperoxidase. Inhibitor of myeloperoxidase--4-aminobenzoic acid hydrazide, without any effect on lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence of neutrophils stimulated with PMA, effectively suppressed luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (IC50 = 20 microM) under the same conditions. The transfer of the cells from medium with HSA-Cl and myeloperoxidase to fresh medium abolished an increase in PMA-induced luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, but not the ability of neutrophils to respond to re-addition of HSA-Cl. A direct and significant (r = 0.75, p) correlation was observed between the intensity of PMA stimulated neutrophil chemiluminescence response and myeloperoxidase activity in the cell-free media after chemiluminescence measurements. These results suggest the involvement of myeloperoxidase in the increase of neutrophil PMA-stimulated chemiluminescence response in the presence of HSA-Cl. A significant positive correlation was found between myeloperoxidase activity in blood plasma of children with severe burns and the enhancing effects of albumin fraction of the same plasma on luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of PMA-stimulated donor neutrophils. These results support a hypothesis that proteins modified in reactions involving myeloperoxidase under oxidative/halogenative stress, stimulate neutrophils, leading to exocytosis of myeloperoxidase, a key element of halogenative stress, and to closing a "vicious circle" of neutrophil activation at the inflammatory site.

[Stress effect on the development of hemorrhagic stroke].

The objective of this work was to study how stress, activity in the open field test, and conformational properties of albumin-binding sites are associated with experimental hemorrhagic stroke in rats. The open-field behavioral pattern in rats was characterized by the previously developed by us activity index. In accordance with this activity index, rats were divided into two groups, i.e., active and passive animals. The animals were subjected to experimental hemorrhagic stroke with or without previous emotional stress. It was shown that the previous stress affected the stroke development. Stress loading before experimental stroke changed albumin conformational properties in rats with active and passive behavioral patterns in different ways. It was associated with different ability of the albumin globule to undergo pH-induced transition N-F and in different accessibility of albumin-bound fluorescent probe CAPIDAN to nitrate-induced fluorescence quenching.

Effects of fatty acids on human serum albumin binding centers.

Albumin is a carrier of nonesterified long-chain fatty acids and many other ligands. The status of its binding centers was studied for various proportions of nonesterified long-chain fatty acids and albumin as exemplified by palmitic acid. The status of the binding center was tested by recording K-35 probe fluorescence decay in the subnanosecond band. This method showed the work of three types of centers. Palmitic acid enhanced binding activity of all centers, though to a different degree: if the palmitic acid/albumin proportion increased to 2-3, the probe binding to type 1 centers (located in the drug center I region) increased 1.5 times, while binding to type 3 centers increased more than 3-fold. Modification of these centers by nonesterified long-chain fatty acids was similar in the isolated human albumin preparation and in diluted blood serum. Hence, K-35 probe showed the actual status of various albumin centers, their binding capacity depending to a different measure on the fatty acid charge of albumin.

[K-35, a fluorescent probe for albumin study: optical properties].

Fluorescent probe N-(carboxyphenyl)imide of 4-(dimethylamino)naphthalic acid, K-35, is used as an indicator of structural changes of human serum albumin molecules in pathology. The probe occupies albumin binding pockets where the probe environment is of very high polarity; probably, the pocket(s) contains protein polar groups and water molecules. At the same time rather small Stokes shift of K-35 fluorescence spectrum shows that the polar group motion is of one-two order of value lower than mobility of polar molecules in polar fluids. K-35 fluorescence decay in HSA can be described as a sum of three exponentials with time constants close to tau1=9 ns; tau2=3.6 ns and tau3=1.0 ns. A difference between excitation maxima of these three decay components shows that environment of these three species of K-35 molecules has been different before excitation. Different r values are probably a consequence of non-identical structure of several binding sites, or a binding site(s) can have a variable conformation.

Studies of oxidant-induced changes in albumin transport function with a fluorescent probe k-35. Effect of hypochlorite.

The dynamics of changes in albumin transport function during hypochlorite-induced oxidation of isolated albumin in blood plasma and serum was studied with a fluorescent probe K-35. Binding of the probe K-35 to albumin was characterized by effective concentration of albumin. Oxidative modification of proteins was evaluated by the content of carbonyl products of protein oxidation and bityrosine fluorescent products. Oxidation with hypochlorite was accompanied by a decrease in the effective concentration of albumin in albumin, diluted plasma, and serum and accumulation of carbonyl products of protein oxidation and bityrosine fluorescent products. The decrease in the effective concentration of albumin during oxidation with hypochlorite can be explained by oxidative damage to albumin binding sites. Oxidative modification of probe K-35 binding sites with hypochlorite contributes to a decrease in effective concentration of albumin under pathological conditions.

Study of high-resolution H1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the serum and its albumin faction in patients with the first schizophrenia episode.

We studied high-resolution (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the serum and serum albumin from patients with the first episode of schizophrenia and healthy individuals. A relative increase in signal intensities of CH(2) protons in serum LDL and VLDL in schizophrenia was demonstrated. Higher intensities of CH(2) and CH(3) protons of non-esterified fatty acids were found in (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of serum albumin. These data attest to an essential role of changes in lipid metabolism and changed ligand load of albumin in schizophrenia.

[Characteristics of serum albumin in patients with intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke].

Authors studied the influence of the psychoemotional stress preceding the stroke on the dynamics of neurological symptoms (Glasgo coma scale, Scandinavian stroke scale and Barthel index) and on the conformational changes of albumin in 59 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage due to arterial hypertension. The psychoemotional stress was associated with less favorable clinical course and outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage. Conformational properties of albumin were changed in all patients with intracerebral hemorrhage compared to controls. Psychoemotional stress preceding stroke aggravated changes in albumin molecule.

[Molecular motility of a fluorescent probe in binding sites of albumin molecules].

The molecular mobility of the fluorescent probe, N-(carboxymethyl)imide of 4-(dimethylamino)naphthalic acid (K-35) in three types of binding sites on a human serum albumin (HSA) molecule has been studied. The time-resolved decay of K-35 polarized fluorescence in HSA has been studied and it has been shown that probe molecules bound to different sites have different fluorescence decay time, which poses problems in the interpretation of polarization decay. However, it has been found that, in the case of rather slow thermal rotation of the probe, the decay of each of vertical and horizontal polarized fluorescence components can be approximated by three exponentials corresponding to three types of binding sites. The mobility of the probe in different sites was estimated. The mobility was different but hindered by tens of times in all sites as compared with the rotation of K-35 in water. The slowest motion occurred in the sites of the first type localized in the region of the well known first drug-binding site: here the rotational correlation was close to 72 ns or more. In the sites of the second type, the time was about 40 ns, and in the sites of the third type, the time was about 10 ns. It was found that the higher the rotation rate, the higher the fluorescence quenching rate. Probably, it is this motion that is responsible for different fluorescence decay times in different HSA sites.

[Effect of interleukin-1beta and interleukin-4 on serum albumin parameters in rats with various behavioural characteristics].

We studied the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta and antiinflammatory cytokine interleukin-4 on serum albumin parameters in rats with various behavioural characteristics in the open-field test. Under control conditions, the total concentration of serum albumin in active animals was higher than in passive those. However, the ratio of the effective-to-total concentration of albumin (i.e., binding capacity of this protein) was greater in passive rats. Administration of interleukins was accompanied by a decrease in the total content and effective concentration of albumin in passive and, particularly, in active rats. The initial intergroup differences in the ratio of the effective-to-total concentration of albumin were not found after injection of immunomodulating agents. It was mainly related to a more significant increase in this parameter in active animals. An increase in the binding capacity of albumin after cytokine treatment could be associated with conformational changes in the protein molecule. We believe that interleukin-1b and interleukin-4 exert similar effects on the properties of binding sites of serum albumin in rats with various behavioural characteristics.

[Features of the binding of the fluorescent probe K-35 to albumin].

The binding of the fluorescent probe K-35 (CAPIDAB, N-(carboxyphenyl)imide of 4-(dimethylamino)naphthalic acid), which is used as an indicator of albumin structural changes in pathology, to human serum albumin has been studied. Based on the data on the fluorescence decay of the probe, four types of sites of binding of K-35 to albumin have been recoonized, which differ by fluorescence decay time (tau) and binding constants (K). Probe molecules bound to the first type of sites have a decay time close to 8-10 ns; this value corresponds to a high fluorescence quantum yield of about 0.7. These sites have a maximal binding constant, K1 = 5 x 10(4) M(-1). Tau2 of the second type of sites is close to 3.6 ns and K2 = 1 x 10(4) M(-1), which is much lower than K1; however, the number of the sites is several times greater. The number of sites of the third type and the binding constant are close to those of the second type, but the decay time tau3 is equal to 1 ns, which is significantly lower than tau2. The binding of K-35 to sites of the second and the third types is characterized by a positive cooperativity. Their properties are similar but not completely identical. The total number of sites of these three types is about 2 per one HSA molecule. There are one to two sites of the fourth type where bound K-35 molecules have a very low decay time tau4 << 1; i.e. they are virtually nonfluorescent, and K4 = 1 x 10(4) M(-1). The major contribution to the steady-state fluorescence is made by probe molecules bound to sites of the first and second types. As a rule, the concentration of albumin binding sites in blood is significantly higher than the concentration of metabolites and xenobiotics transferred by albumin. Therefore, this metabolite or the probe in these experiments, is distributed between different sites in accordance with their K(i)n(i) values (n(i) is the number of sites of the ith type per albumin molecule). It was shown that the low occupation of the sites leads to an approximately equal number of K-35 molecules bound to different sites of types 1, 2, and 3. The competition of K-35 with phenylbutazone, a marker of the albumin drug-binding site I, allows one to suggest that the K-35 site of the first type is localized near the drug site I, while the sites of the second and third types are close to it.

[Disturbance of monoaminooxidase activity and indices of endogenous intoxication in patients with the first episode of schizophrenia].

An aim of the paper was to study some biochemical parameters of drug-naïve patients with the first episode of schizophrenia. Activities of platelet monoaminooxidase (MAO) and semicarbazide, a sensitive blood serum aminooxidase (BSA), levels of middle-sized molecules (MSM) and malonic dialdehyde (MDA), parameters of functional state of serum albumin were assessed in 16 patients. Severity of symptoms in patients with the first episode of schizophrenia was assessed as moderate (PANSS scores 73.1+/-12.5) before the treatment. The increase of MAO by 107%, reduction of BSA by 29% and increase of MSM level by 140% was found in patients compared to controls (p<0.01). The study of other biochemical (MDA level) and biophysical (effective albumin concentration) parameters did not yield unequivocal results. It has been suggested that MAO and BSA are integral components of pathogenetic mechanisms in patients with the first episode of schizophrenia.

[Conformational disturbances of serum albumin binding sites in schizophrenia].

The properties of serum albumin binding sites were studied using quenching of fluorescence of the molecular probe CAPIDAN (N-carboxyphenylimide of dimethylaminonaphthalic acid) with the nitrate anion. The samples of serum were obtained from 24 patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 24 healthy volunteers. In the absence of quencher the specific probe fluorescence was 1,4 times higher in patients than in volunteers. Fluorescence quenching constant for the probe bound to albumin was (M+/-m) 2,48+/-0,17 l/mol in patients versus 4,65+/-0,37 l/mol (p<0,01) in volunteers (p<0,01). The fluorescence fraction assessable to quenching was significantly (p<0,01) lower in schizophrenic patients as compared to controls (0,60+/-0,03 and 0,76+/-0,03) respectively). Thus, it is shown that in patients with schizophrenia the conformational state of albumin binding sites is significantly changed as compared to controls that can lead to the changes in the protein-ligand interaction and, thus, contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease and patient's response to treatment.

Characteristics of albumin molecule binding centers in patients with anxious depression. Study by the fluorescence quenching method.

The state of binding centers in albumin molecule in patients with anxious depression was studied by the method of quenching of fluorescence of molecular probe (dimethyl-aminonaphthaleic acid carboxyphenylimide) with nitrate ions. Serum samples from 24 donors without somatic and mental diseases and 26 patients were analyzed. In the absence of the quenching agent, specific fluorescence of the probe (standardized by albumin concentration) was lower in patients with depression. The fluorescence quenching constant and the percentage of fluorescence available for quenching were also lower in serum samples from patients. These data indicate that the parameters of binding centers in albumin molecule in patients with anxious depression are significantly modified in comparison with normal subjects. The detected changes can play a role in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders.

Conformational properties of serum albumin binding sites in rats with different behaviour in the open field test.

In this study, the hypothesis was tested that behaviour of rats under the open field test condition and effects of subsequent acute stress relate to conformational properties of the main plasma carrier protein, albumin.To evaluate albumin properties, fluorescence intensity of a molecular probe CAPIDAN (N-carboxyphenylimide of dimethylaminonaphthalic acid) at N (at pH 7.4) and F (at pH 4.2) albumin conformations was measured and the N-F signal ratio was calculated. The data obtained showed that CAPIDAN fluoresces selectively from albumin in rat serum and its fluorescence is sensitive to binding of fatty acids and some other ligands to albumin. Behaviour of 78 Wistar male rats was characterized from the fraction of time taken for exploratory and ambulatory activity during the open field test. In rats not subjected to stress (n = 40), a negative correlation was revealed between open field activity and CAPIDAN N-to-F ratio for albumin (r = - 0.55, p < 0.0005). In the group of rats subjected to acute stress (immobilization plus stochastic electrocutaneous stimulation) the correlation between behavioural activity and the albumin conformational properties was significantly positive (r = 0.59, p < 0.0001): the CAPIDAN albumin fluorescence ratio increased in the highly active rats and decreased in the low-activity rats. The mechanisms of the observed effects may involve differences in nonesterified fatty acid production during stress.