Blood serum denaturation profile examined by differential scanning calorimetry reflects the effort put into ultramarathon by amateur long-distance runners.

The impact of participation in the ultramarathon on the health and mental and physical condition is very complex. Undoubtedly, exercise brings many benefits but also involves health risks. Especially such an extreme effort as the one associated with finishing the ultramarathon run, can be dangerous to the health of the runner. With the variety of possible biomarkers of excessive fatigue that threaten health and life, a question arises which of them are the best and which should be considered in amateur long-distance runners showing particularly high individual variability. In this study differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been applied to show the overall effect of the 12-h run on blood sera of participants. Serum samples were obtained from the blood of ten male amateur long-distance runners, collected before and immediately after the run. Distinct changes in the shape of DSC curves have been observed for serum after finishing the run relative to pre-race serum. Statistically significant differences between stages "before" and "after" ultramarathon running have been found for parameters of the endothermic transition associated with denaturation of serum proteins. An increase in the temperature (from 70.9 ± 0.9 to 75.8 ± 2.9 °C) and excess heat capacity (from 0.859 ± 0.201 to 1.102 ± 0.226 Jg-1 °C-1) at peak maximum, the enthalpy of serum denaturation (from 18.55 ± 6.52 to 22.08 ± 5.61 Jg-1) and the first moment of the thermal transition with respect to the temperature (from the value of 67.0 ± 2.1 to 72.6 ± 2.1 °C) has been observed. These results show a clear impact of running an ultramarathon on the participant's blood serum.

The Effect of Medium-Term Sauna-Based Heat Acclimation (MPHA) on Thermophysiological and Plasma Volume Responses to Exercise Performed under Temperate Conditions in Elite Cross-Country Skiers.

The influence of a series of ten sauna baths (MPHA) on thermophysiological and selected hematological responses in 14 elite cross-country skiers to a submaximal endurance exercise test performed under thermoneutral environmental conditions was studied. Thermal and physiological variables were measured before and after the exercise test, whereas selected hematological indices were studied before, immediately after, and during recovery after a run, before (T1) and after sauna baths (T2). MPHA did not influence the baseline internal, body, and skin temperatures. There was a decrease in the resting heart rate (HR: p = 0.001) and physiological strain (PSI: p = 0.052) after MPHA and a significant effect of MPHA on systolic blood pressure (p = 0.03), hematological indices, and an exercise effect but no combined effect of treatments and exercise on the tested variables. A positive correlation was reported between PSI and total protein (%ΔTP) in T2 and a negative between plasma volume (%ΔPV) and mean red cellular volume (%ΔMCV) in T1 and T2 in response to exercise and a positive one during recovery. This may suggest that MPHA has a weak influence on body temperatures but causes a moderate decrease in PSI and modifications of plasma volume restoration in response to exercise under temperate conditions in elite athletes.

Differences in cryostimulation and sauna effects on post-exercise changes in blood serum of athletes.

OBJECTIVES: There is a growing body of evidence supporting the role of whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) and sauna - bathing as treatments for relaxation, mental well-being and several health problems. Despite their polar opposite temperatures, both of these treatments come with a dose of similar health benefits. This study is designed to compare effects of WBC and sauna application on the athletes' response to exercise. DESIGN: The blood samples were collected from 10 professional cross-country skiers at four stages: before exercise, after exercise, at 1-h recovery and after 24 h of rest in sessions before and after 10 thermal treatments. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to examine the process of serum denaturation. The parameters of endothermic transition were compared at various stages of each exercise session. RESULTS: Post-exercise changes in DSC profiles of athlete's blood serum are similar in character but clearly stronger in the session held after sauna treatments and slightly weaker after WBC than those in the session not preceded by treatments. These changes can be, at least in part, explained by the exercise induced increase in the concentration of oxidized albumin. A return of serum denaturation transition to pre-exercise shape has been observed within a few hours of rest. It suggests relatively quick restoration of a fraction of non-oxidized albumin molecules during the recovery period. CONCLUSIONS: An exercise performed by athletes after a series of sauna treatments leads to temporary greater modification of the blood serum proteome than the similar exercise during the session preceded by WBC treatments.

Serum Autofluorescence and Biochemical Markers in Athlete's Response to Strength Effort in Normobaric Hypoxia: A Preliminary Study.

The human organism has the ability to adapt to hypoxia conditions. Training in hypoxia is used in sport to improve the efficiency of athletes; however, type of training affects the direction and scope of this process. Therefore, in this study, the usefulness of serum fluorescence spectroscopy to study the assessment of athlete's response to strength effort in hypoxia is considered in comparison with biochemical assay. Six resistance-trained male subjects took part in a research experiment. They performed barbell squats in simulated normobaric hypoxic conditions with deficiency of oxygen 11.3%, 13% 14.3% compared to 21% in normoxic conditions. Fluorescence intensity of tyrosine revealed high sensitivity on strength effort whereas tryptophan was more dependent on high altitude. Changes in emission in the visible region are associated with altering cell metabolism dependent on high altitude as well as strength training and endurance training. Significant changes in serum fluorescence intensity with relatively weak modifications in biochemical assay at 3000 m above sea level (ASL) were observed. Training at 5000 m ASL caused changes in fluorescence parameters towards the normobaric specific values, and pronounced decreases of lactate level and kinase creatine activity were observed. Such modifications of fluorescence and biochemical assay indicate increased adaptation of the organism to effort in oxygen-deficient conditions at 5000 m ASL, unlike 3000 m ASL. Fluorescence spectroscopy study of serum accompanied by biochemical assay can contribute to the understanding of metabolic regulation and the physiological response to hypoxia. The results of serum autofluorescence during various concepts of altitude training may be a useful method to analyze individual response to acute and chronic hypoxia. An endogenous tryptophan could be exploited as intrinsic biomarker in autofluorescence studies. However, these issues require further research.

Blood Serum Calorimetry Indicates the Chemotherapeutic Efficacy in Lung Cancer Treatment.

Chemotherapy is a primary treatment for the metastatic lung cancer patients. To select the most effective combination of drugs, we need an efficient way of assessing tumor response. Here, we showed that differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of blood serum proteins could reveal the patient response to the treatment. If chemotherapy is effective, serum proteins DSC curve of non-small cellular lung cancer (NSCLC) case is similar to the those of the healthy individuals. If treatment fails, notable changes occur in the DSC profile of NSCLC patient's blood serum. Our preliminary work illustrates how thermal analysis of changes in the heat capacity of blood serum proteins can provide an insight into patient response to chemotherapy - the essential information for any successive lung cancer treatment.

Fluorescence spectroscopy as tool for bone development monitoring in newborn rats.

Autofluorescence of the mandible and femur bones taken from newborn rats (7-, 14- and 28-day old) was studied. Endogenous fluorophores were excited with 231 nm, 291 nm, 340 nm and 360 nm wavelengths. Modifications in content and microenvironment of both noncolagenous and collagenous constituents of bone tissue as well as metabolic coenzymes during the bone formation with age were reflected in fluorescence emission spectra. The increase of emission from peptide bonds and tryptophan residues was noted with rat age while for collagen and metabolic coenzymes at the first 2 weeks only. After maternal administration of indinavir the changes in fluorescence intensity and shifts in position of peak maximum were found. The distinct drop of emission from peptide bonds and tryptophan residues in studied bones was detected. In the case of collagen and metabolic coenzymes the red shift of peak maximum was revealed. Fluorescence spectroscopy could be used to follow bone development in newborn rats and effect of maternal indinavir administration on offspring.

The rod-shaped conformation of Starmaker.

Fish otoliths are calcium carbonate biominerals responsible for gravity sensing and the perception of sound. The otoliths formation is controlled by Starmaker (Stm), a protein which belongs to a class of intrinsically disordered proteins. Here, we utilized analytical ultracentrifugation along with Ferguson's analysis of the electrophoretic data to demonstrate that Stm exists in solution as a monomer. The Stm frictional ratio has an unusually high value ranging from 2.6 to 3.1 depending on the method used to analyse the data obtained from analytical ultracentrifugation or gel filtration experiments. These unusually high values of frictional ratio indicate that monomeric Stm has a significantly extended rod-shaped conformation. Calcium ions, which are putative ligands of Stm, induce compaction of the extended conformation of Stm. In particular, increasing the calcium ion concentration from 1 mM to 50 mM lowered the Stokes radius by about 9.5 A. Gel filtration experiments done under denaturing conditions showed only small changes in the dimensions of Stm, which suggests the presence of residual ordered structures. These structures were estimated to be 23% of the Stm structure by detailed analysis of the data obtained by differential scanning microcalorimetry. The elongation of Stm polypeptide chain may facilitate its simultaneous interaction with other components of the composed calcium carbonate crystals which build up otoliths.

Effect of UVC radiation on conformational restructuring of human serum albumin.

The study of the influence of UVC-254 nm radiation on spectroscopic and calorimetric properties of human serum albumin in aqueous solutions was conducted. This radiation did not only accelerate aging of albumin solutions but also caused the other qualitative changes. The dose dependent effect on conformational restructuring and thermal stability of albumin for exposure periods from 10 to 60 min was shown. The differences in response to UVC-irradiation between non-defatted and fatty acid-free albumins were found.

Long-term normal-appearing brain tissue monitoring after irradiation using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in vivo: statistical analysis of a large group of patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to detect the non-neoplastic white-matter changes vs. time after irradiation using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in vivo. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 394 1H MR spectra were acquired from 100 patients (age 19-74 years; mean and median age, 43 years) before and during 2 years after radiation therapy (the mean absorbed doses calculated for the averaged spectroscopy voxels are similar and close to 20 Gy). RESULTS: Oscillations were observed in choline-containing compounds (Cho)/creatine and phosphocreatine (Cr), Cho/N-acetylaspartate (NAA), and center of gravity (CG) of the lipid band in the range of 0.7-1.5 ppm changes over time reveal oscillations. The parameters have the same 8-month cycle period; however the CG changes precede the other by 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the oscillative nature of the brain response to irradiation, which may be caused by the blood-brain barrier disruption and repair processes. These oscillations may influence the NMR results, depending on the cycle phase in which the NMR measurements are performed in. The earliest manifestation of radiation injury detected by magnetic resonance spectroscopy is the CG shift.

Differential scanning microcalorimetry study of the thermal denaturation of haemoglobin.

A study of thermal denaturation of human haemoglobin A0 (HbA0) and methaemoglobin (mHb) was carried out by differential scanning calorimetry. DSC haemoglobin profiles were scan rate dependent and only partly reversible. Thermal unfolding of protein was analysed with the use of both equilibrium thermodynamic and kinetic approaches. The fittings based on the simple equilibrium/dissociation model were good and much more satisfactory than those based on "fully-kinetic" models. However the presence of some kinetic distortion during the unfolding process should be noted due to the scan-rate effect on DSC transitions. The calculated first-order kinetic constant for mHb was higher by two orders than the one for HbA0 (stabilised form). The average activation energy for HbA0 was found to be 289 +/- 28 kJ M-1 while for mHb it was about 100 kj M-1 lower.