Protection against radiation-induced testicular damage in Swiss albino mice by Mentha piperita (Linn.).

The protective effects of Mentha piperita leaf extract against radiation-induced damage in testis of Swiss albino mice have been studied. Animals (Male Swiss albino mice) were given M. piperita leaf extract orally (1 g/kg body weight/day) for three consecutive days before radiation exposure (8 Gy gamma-radiation). Mice were autopsied at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 days after irradiation to evaluate the radiomodulatory effect in terms of histological alterations, lipid peroxidation, and acid and alkaline phosphatases levels in testis. Radiation treatment showed reduction in the testis weight during all days of observation, however, in the M. piperita leaf extract-pretreated irradiated group there was a significant increase in testis weight. Radiation treatment induced moderate to severe testicular atrophy with degeneration of germ cells in seminiferous tubules. The tubules were shrunken and greatly depleted of germ cells. Sertoli cells with few germ cells were observed in the lumen. However, animals pre-treated with M. piperita leaf extract and exposed to radiation showed normal testicular morphology with regular arrangement of germ cells and slight degeneration of seminiferous epithelium. Significant decreases in the lipid peroxidation and acid phosphatase level and increase in level of alkaline phosphatase were observed in testis. The M. piperita leaf extract showed high amount of phenolic content, flavonoids content and flavonols. The results of the present study suggest that M. piperita has a significant radioprotective effect and the amount of phenolic compounds, the content of flavonoids and flavonols of M. piperita leaf extract may be held responsible for radioprotective effect due to their antioxidant and radical scavenging activity.

Optimization of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy for management of arthritis in rats.

Studies were undertaken to find out the effects of low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) in adjuvant induced arthritis (AIA) in rats, a widely used model for screening potential therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). AIA was induced by an intradermal injection of a suspension of heat killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis (500 mug/0.1 ml) into the right hind paw of male Wistar rats. This resulted in swelling, loss of body weight, increase in paw volume as well as the activity of lysosomal enzymes viz., acid phosphatase, cathepsin D, and beta-glucuronidase and significant radiological and histological changes. PEMF therapy for arthritis involved optimization of three significant factors, viz., frequency, intensity, and duration; and the waveform used is sinusoidal. The use of factorial design in lieu of conventional method resulted in the development of an ideal combination of these factors. PEMF was applied using a Fransleau-Braunbeck coil system. A magnetic field of 5 Hz x 4 muT x 90 min was found to be optimal in lowering the paw edema volume and decreasing the activity of lysosomal enzymes. Soft tissue swelling was shown to be reduced as evidenced by radiology. Histological studies confirmed reduction in inflammatory cells infiltration, hyperplasia, and hypertrophy of cells lining synovial membrane. PEMF was also shown to have a membrane stabilizing action by significantly inhibiting the rate of release of beta-glucuronidase from lysosomal rich and sub-cellular fractions. The results indicated that PEMF could be developed as a potential therapy in the treatment of arthritis in humans.

Modulation of serum phosphatases activity in Swiss albino mice against gamma irradiation by Mentha piperita Linn.

The modulatory influence of mentha oil (Mentha piperita Linn.) against a lethal dose (8.0 Gy) of gamma irradiation on the activities of serum phosphatases in Swiss albino mice was studied at various post-irradiation intervals between 6 h and 30 days. Mentha oil (40 microL/animal/day) given orally for 3 consecutive days prior to whole-body irradiation (8.0 Gy) showed a modulation of activity of serum phosphatases. The values of acid phosphatase activities were significantly higher in the irradiated groups throughout the experiment compared with the mentha treated unirradiated animals. However, the acid phosphatase activity of mentha treated irradiated animals showed a significant decline over untreated irradiated animals at all autopsy intervals, which attained the normal value on day 5. On the contrary, a marked decrease in serum alkaline phosphatase activity was noted in both irradiated groups but in the mentha treated irradiated group the values of alkaline phosphatase activity were found to be significantly higher than the respective control during the period of study being normal at day 5 post-irradiation and onwards.

Changes in immunohistochemical staining of PSA, PAP, and TURP-27 following irradiation therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if tissue expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), and a prostate-associated monoclonal antibody (TURP-27) is retained after irradiation therapy and to compare these results with serum levels. METHODS: Immunohistochemical tests were performed on prostatic tissue obtained by needle biopsy or transurethral resection prior to and following definitive irradiation therapy for clinically localized prostatic carcinoma. PSA, PAP, and TURP-27 were studied. Results were compared with serum PSA and PAP values. RESULTS: All 20 preirradiation specimens stained positively for PSA and PAP; 19 of 20 stained for TURP-27. All 5 of the initial post-treatment biopsy specimens that showed recurrent tumor stained for all 3 markers. In 2 cases, staining for the 3 markers was greatly diminished. Only 8 of 15 post-treatment biopsy-negative specimens stained for all 3 markers. Six of 15 demonstrated loss of tissue expression for all 3 antigens. One specimen stained for PAP and TURP-27 but failed to stain for PSA. Serum PSA levels paralleled tissue expression in recurrent tumor specimens. However, 3 of the post-treatment biopsy-positive cases with PAP expressing tissue had normal serum PAP levels. CONCLUSIONS: No cases of recurrent tumor with marker-negative tissue were identified. However, benign epithelial prostate cells appear to sustain sufficient damage from irradiation to lose the capacity to produce certain proteins. Diminished contribution of benign glands to circulating PSA, in addition to decreased expression in malignant tissues, may explain the lower than anticipated serum PSA levels in patients who progress after irradiation therapy.

[Post-irradiation changes of metabolic and functional activity of adhesive macrophages]. / Postradiatsionnye izmeneniia metabolicheskoi i funktsionalnoi aktivnosti adgeziruiushchikh makrofagov.

Research into dose- and time-dependent alterations of quantitative and qualitative composition of the peritoneal cells has been carried out. Exposure at 3, 5, 7, or 9 Gy reduced the total number of peritoneal cells, increased the activity of the lactate-, malate-, and qlucoso-6-phosphate dehydrogenases, of the acid phosphatase and catepsin D; the amount of the cell protein in adhesing macrophages was also increased. The exposed macrophages showed enhanced phagocytic and cytotoxic activity as evidenced by the increase in luminol- and lucigenin-enhanced chemilumenscence in vitro. The most pronounced changes took place 7-9 days after exposure at 9 Gy.

Functional size of the thylakoid phosphatases determined by radiation inactivation.

Radiation inactivation technique was employed to determine the functional size of phosphatases from thylakoid membrane. The enzymatic activities of phosphatases decayed in a simple function with the increase of radiation dosage. D37 values of 18.8 +/- 2.4-14.1 +/- 1.5 Mrad were obtained, using phosphoserine, phosphothreonine, p-nitrophenol phosphate, and phospho-histone V-S, respectively, as substrates. The molecular masses of 48.2 +/- 6.3-61 +/- 5.7 kDa were yielded by target theory analysis. We thus speculate that the thylakoid alkaline phosphatase is probably a monomer while acid phosphatase is functionally a dimer in situ.

[Isoenzyme spectrum of lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, esterase and acid phosphatase of rat brain cells at different times after external 1 Gy gamma irradiation]. / Izofermentnyi spektr laktatdegidrogenazy, malatdegidrogenazy, ésterazy i kisloi fosfatazy kletok golovnogo mozga krys v raznye sroki posle vneshnego gama-oblucheniia v doze 1 gr.

The influence of external single gamma-irradiation with a dose of 1 Gy on the isoenzyme composition of lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, esterase and acid phosphatase in the cytoplasm of rat brain cells has been investigated. Irradiation was shown to cause differently directed changes in the ratio of the isoenzymes under study at different times after exposure. The isoenzyme spectrum of lactate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase was shown to be normalized on day 30 after irradiation, whereas the isoform composition of esterase and acid phosphatase was not stabilized at that time.

Modification of the effects of hyperthermia and neutron radiation on the activity of acid phosphatase in CaNT tumors.

Acid phosphatase activity was measured in implanted murine CaNT tumors of varying volumes. There is a clear monotonically increasing relation between acid phosphatase activity and tumor volume. Also the tumors were subjected to either induced artificial hypoxia or hyperthermia (41.0 degrees C) alone, or combined with neutron irradiation (3.8 Gy). Changes in the activity of this enzyme following radiation damage could reflect tissue damage associated with metabolic disturbances. The effect on enzyme activity after sequential hyperthermia and neutron irradiation is not synergistic, as is shown in the quantitative experimental data. This implies that the mechanisms of heat damage differ from that of neutron beam damage, as reflected by acid phosphatase activity. The CaNT tumor was also shown to be thermosensitive after administration of mitoxantrone. Finally, the role of exogenous ATP was shown to provide heat protection by modification of those thermal effects resulting in the activity of acid phosphatase. The augmentation of this hydrolytic enzyme probably represents initial metabolic damage in the tumor after different modalities of radiation alone, or combined with mitoxantrone and exogenous ATP.

Acid phosphatase response in murine rhabdomyosarcoma for various tumour volumes and after different doses of neutron irradiation, alone or combined with exogenous ATP.

Acid phosphatase activity measured in a methylocholanthrene-induced murine rhabdomyosarcoma showed a monotonically increasing relation between enzyme activity and tumour volume. This could be related to the lytic activity of the enzyme in large tumours which become more hypoxic and necrotic, and hence enhance degradation and turnover of damaged tumour cells. The tumours were also subjected to irradiation using doses of 2.0, 3.8 and 6.0 Gy from a neutron therapy facility p(66MeV)/Be. The correlation between different doses and response of acid phosphatase activity could reflect the relation of magnitude of damage from metabolic disturbances, with dose. Furthermore exogenous ATP was shown to provide radioprotective action against neutron irradiation in two different experiments. The ATP reduced the activity of this lytic enzyme in irradiated tumours and also decreased tumour growth delay. This radioprotective role of exogenous ATP in a murine tumour could be related to physiological regulatory processes during defence mechanisms to maintain self-organisation in response to the radiation damage.

Effects of 60Co gamma-irradiation of mice on the temporal changes of acid phosphatase activity in spleen and liver.

Acid phosphatase activity and protein content of spleen and liver, and organ weight of whole-body 10 Gy 60Co gamma-irradiated mice were measured every four hours during a 24-hour period. In irradiated mice, in comparison with those non-irradiated, increased acid phosphatase activity in spleen related to both 1 mg of protein at 20.00I, 04.00, 08.00, 12.00, 16.00 and 20.00II and 1 g of fresh tissue at 20.00I, 08.00, 12.00, 16.00 and 20.00II; decreased weight of spleen and protein amount in spleen during the whole 24-hour period, as well as fluctuations in all the parameters measured in spleen, except the level of protein related to 1 g of fresh tissue, were observed. In irradiated mice, compared with the controls, the increased acid phosphatase activity in liver calculated per both 1 mg of protein at 24.00, 08.00 and 16.00 and 1 g of fresh tissue at 08.00 and 16.00; the decreased protein concentration in liver related to 1 g of fresh tissue and the whole organ weight at 12.00, as well as temporal changes in the protein level in liver expressed per 1 g of fresh tissue, were found. 60Co irradiation of mice influenced the acid phosphatase activity and protein concentration in liver are less than in spleen.

Morphological study of the effect of abdominal compression on acute intestinal radiation syndrome. I. Local irradiation with 14 Gy.

The effect of abdominal compression on acute intestinal radiation syndrome in rats was studied morphologically using light microscopic and histochemical methods. It was confirmed that the method of abdominal compression introduced by Svoboda et al. does not induce either acute or later changes (until 11 months) of the structure of abdominal cavity organs. The structure of intestinal mucosa of rats exposed to local irradiation of the abdomen with 14 Gy of gamma radiation from a Co60 source with or without abdominal compression was quite different with respect to acute changes. Ischemia of the intestine wall protects stem cells of intestine epithelium and subsequently allows a rapid and pronounced regeneration of radiation injury.

Dose- and time-dependent increase of lysosomal enzymes in embryonic cartilage in vitro after ionizing radiation.

Radiation doses of 20, 50 or 100 Gy caused the same time related decrease for RNA and proteoglycan (PG) synthesis in embryonic cartilage in vitro (4 days culture). In this paper, participation of lysosomes in this radiation response is investigated. Therefore, we employ a cytochemical method using beta-glycerophosphate as substrate for acid phosphatase (AP) detection. Increase of AP was found 2 days after irradiation and increased during the whole culture period. The increase was more pronounced with a higher radiation dose. Stimulation of AP activity explains the observed radiation response of RNA and PG synthesis.

New experimental technique for detecting the effect of low-frequency electric fields on enzyme structure.

A new experimental approach has been developed to determine kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the inactivation of an enzyme under labile conditions both with and without exposure to electrical currents as sources of perturbation. Studies were undertaken to investigate if low-frequency electric currents can accelerate the thermal inactivation of an enzyme through interactions with dipole moments in enzymatic molecules and through related mechanical stresses. The experiments were conducted with the enzyme acid phosphatase. The enzyme was exposed to a 50-Hz current at different densities (10 to 60 mA/cm2 rms) or to a sinusoidal or square-wave current at an average density of 3 mA/cm2 and frequencies from, respectively, 50 Hz to 20 kHz and 500 pulses per second (pps) to 50,000 pps. Positive-control experiments were performed in the presence of a stabilizer or a deactivator. The results indicate that the technique is sensitive to conformational changes that otherwise may be impossible to detect. However, exposure to electric currents under the experimental conditions described herein showed no effects of the currents.

[The mechanism of action of low-energy monochromatic coherent light on the lysosomal function of the retina]. / K mekhanizmu deistviia nizkikh énergii monokhromaticheskogo kogerentnogo sveta na sostoianie lizosom setchatoi obolochki.

A study of the state of retinal lysosomes under the action of low-energy monochromatic coherent light has shown that helium-neon laser radiation (lambda = 632.8 nm) to possesses a lysosomotropic action, changing structural functional parameters of lysosomal membranes, and the directness and intensity of the membranotropic effect on lysosomal structures of the retina depend on energy characteristics of the radiation used.

Rose bengal-induced photodamage to subcellular membranes and enzymes.

Studies were made of photodamage (photolysis) caused by Rose Bengal + light of peroxisomes, mitochondria, and lysosomes, as well as inhibition of the respective marker enzymes: catalase, sulfite oxidase, and acid phosphatase. The time-dependence of lipid peroxidation caused by the same system and measured by the increase of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances was also examined. The most sensitive to photolysis were the peroxisomes and the least susceptible were lysosomes as the inhibition of their marker enzymes followed this order. The sensitivity of the subcellular membranes to digitonin (a sterol binding agent) showed the opposite dependence. The importance of the cholesterol content for the membrane stability to active oxygen species, as well as the role of lipid peroxidation in photodynamic damage of the systems studied, is discussed.

[Effect of lethal and superlethal doses of gamma-irradiation on the lysosomal enzyme activity in radio-sensitive and radio-resistant tissues in the rat]. / Vliianie letal'nykh i sverkhletal'nykh doz gamma-oblucheniia na aktivnost' lizosomnykh fermentov v radiochuvstvitel'noi i radiorezistentnoi tkaniakh krys.

Activities of acid phosphatase and cathepsin D were studied in liver, spleen tissues and in blood serum of Wistar male rats with a body mass of 180-200 g within various periods after total gamma-irradiation using 137Cs (1.9 Gr/min) at doses of 7.5 and 30 Gr. Acid phosphatase was maximally activated in the non-sedimented fraction of spleen within 72 hrs at the dose of 7.5 Gr; activity of cathepsin D was decreased in the fraction and exceeded the control values only within 11 days. Activity of both enzymes was decreased in the fraction of precipitate. In liver tissue the enzymatic activity was only slightly altered at the dose used. The dose of 30 Gr altered the acid phosphatase activity both in spleen and liver tissues; the enzymatic activity was increased in non-sedimented fraction and--decreased in precipitate. In blood serum the acid phosphatase activity increased gradually up to the animal death.