Hepatotropic activity of a betulonic acid based compound.

Using the model of cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced immunosuppression in C57BL/6 mice, the hepatotropic effects of a conjugate of betulonic acid with 9-(4-methylpiperazin-1-ylmethyl)-2-(1,2,3-triazolyl) oreozelone (BABC) have been studied. In the liver of treated animals the expression of genes for cytochromes (CYP 1A1, CYP 1A2, CYP 3A44, CYP 2B10, CYP 2C29, CYP 17A1), PPARA, and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-12α, IL-10) and the relative levels of NF-κB p65, GST-π, and NAT-1 proteins were determined. On day six after administration of the compound and CP to animals a significant (3.2-fold) increase in the expression of the CYP 2B10 as compared to the control group was observed. Treatment of mice with the compound and CP also caused a 2.4-fold increase in the mRNA level of the pro-inflammatory TNF-α gene as compared to the group of animals receiving CP. Administration of the studied compound to intact animals was accompanied by a 2.5-fold increase in the IL-1ß expression and a 1.8-fold decrease in the IL-10 expression as compared to the control group. An increase in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes in the liver of animals treated with the compound was accompanied by an increase in the content of NF-κB p65 (by 1.6 times), as well as an increase in the relative amount of NAT-1 protein (by 2.7 times) as compared to control animals.

The immunomodulatory activity of the betulonic acid based compound.

The immunomodulatory activity of a betulonic acid-based compound with furocoumarin (BABCF; 2-azido, 9-N-methylpiperazinomethyl oreozelone) has been investigated. Male C57BL/6 mice (aged 3 months) treated with the cytostatic agent cyclophosphamide (CP) and intact individuals served as experimental models. The expression of genes was studied in bone marrow (IL-12, IL-10, IL-1ß, TNF-α, TGF-ß, M-CSF, GM-CSF) or in the suspension of peritoneal cells (IL-12, IL-10; as the injection site). The surface markers of T-lymphocytes (CD3, CD4, and CD8) in fractions of venous blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) were determined by means of flow cytometry using antibodies. Histological and morphometric studies were performed to assess the impact of CP and BABCF on the thymus. BABCF caused a pronounced (about 3-fold) increase in relative expression of the GM-KSF gene. BABCF caused a local increase in the expression of IL-12 in the peritoneal cavity cells and restored the relative content of T-lymphocytes in the blood of CP-treated mice treated affecting mainly CD3⁺CD4⁺ lymphocytes. This substance reduced the tissue density of the thymic cortex and thymic medulla in CP-treated mice. Thus, results of this study suggest that BABCF exhibits a stimulating effect on the cellular link of immunity and promotes maintenance of the number of T-lymphocytes in the blood due to their migration from the central organs of the immune system.

[Recombinant strain producing thermostable lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus immobilized into nanocarbon silica matrices and properties of the prepared biocatalyzers].

Multicomponent composite biocatalyzers with lipolytic activity have been studied. These biocatalyzers were prepared through the immobilization of a recombinant producer strain of thermostable lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus into SiO2 xerogel, which contains a nanocarbon component, i.e., multilayered carbon nanotubes with varying diameters, and also bulblike structured carbon nanospheres ("nanobulb"). The properties of lipase were studied both in cell suspensions of a recombinant producer strain constructed based on E. coli BL21(DE3) and in the immobilized state with regard to the structure and dispersibility of the nanocarbon component used in the composition of the biocatalyzers. It was shown that the recombinant intracellular lipase exerted its activity in a reaction of tributirin hydrolysis on average comprising 50 U/mg of dried cells and had a high level of thermostability. Upon heating in olive oil at 100 degrees C, the inactivation constant and the period of semi-inactivation comprised 6 x 10(-3) min(-1) and 2 h, respectively, exceeding by one order the thermostability of lipase in a buffer solution. Biocatalyzers that contained aggregated "thick" nanotubes with a diameter of 20-22 nm had the maximum initial activity-250 U/g.

[Isolation of the recombinant proteins OspC and the fragment FlaA (F-FLAA) from the western-Siberian Borrelia garinii NT29 isolates and the study of their immunochemical properties].

The structural proteins OspC and FlaA of the Lyme disease (LD) agent are known to be the basic antigens, which induce the humoral immune response at the initial stage of the disease. The goal of this work was to obtain the recombinant OspC and a fragment of the FlaA protein (f-FlaA) from the Western Siberian Borrelia garinii NT29 isolates and to assess the possibility of their use for the LD diagnosis. Encoding regions of the OspC and f-FlaB genes were amplified using PCR inserted in the pREB expressive vectors and cloned in the E. coli str. BL21 and C-600, respectively. The recombinant OspC and f-FlaA proteins were purified using affinity chromatography on Ni-NTA-sepharose 6A, and their ability to bind serum antibody of patients with Lyme disease was tested using western-blot and ELISA methods. The results of the analyses suggest that these proteins can be considered as promising components for elaboration of diagnostic tests for LD. The prototype of the ELISA diagnostic test was designed on the basis of the OspC and f-FlaA recombinant antigens. This test provides satisfactory parameters of diagnostic specificity (70.0%) and sensitivity (85.0%).