Effects of Carrageenans on Biological Properties of Echinochrome.

Sea urchin pigment echinochrome A (Ech), a water-insoluble compound, is the active substance in the cardioprotective and antioxidant drug Histochrome (PIBOC FEB RAS, Moscow, Russia). It has been established that Ech dissolves in aqueous solutions of carrageenans (CRGs). Herein, we describe the effects of different types of CRGs on some properties of Ech.

Effect of carrageenans alone and in combination with casein or lipopolysaccharide on human epithelial intestinal HT-29 cells.

The research described here was focused on the effect on human intestinal epithelial cell monolayers of sulfated red algal polysaccharides (κ-, λ-, and κ/β-carrageenans) alone and in combination with casein or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). HT-29 cells were investigated under normal and stress conditions; stress was induced by exposure to ethanol. Cell viability was monitored with a real-time system.

[Comparative analysis of activity of different promoters for NIS gene expression in melanoma cells].

Development of targeted drug delivery system is key problem of cancer gene therapy. To ensure specific delivery of these therapeutic compounds to the tumor it is preferable for therapeutic gene expression to occur predominantly in cancer cells. Therefore, when testing drug in vivo, it is necessary to study distribution of therapeutic gene expression products in different tissues of the organism.

[Effect of acetaldehyde on ethanol- and aldehyde-metabolising systems of the liver and brain of rats].

Lately the mechanism of craving for alcohol has been related to the local level of brain acetaldehyde occurring in ethanol consumption and depending on the activities of the brain and liver ethanol and acetaldehyde-metabolizing systems. In this connection, we studied the effect of chronic acetaldehyde intoxication on the activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) and liver and brain catalase as well as ethanol and acetaldehyde levels in the blood. The results showed that the chronic acetaldehyde intoxication did not alter significantly the activities of liver ADH, MEOS and catalase as well as liver and brain ALDH.

LPO and ethanol biotransformation systems in the liver as markers of predisposition to ethanol hepatotoxicity.

An original experimental model for detecting organ-specific markers of predisposition to ethanol hepatotoxicity is proposed. A relationship between congenital activity of LPO processes in rat liver (before ethanol intoxication) and the type and severity of ethanol-induced damage to the liver was demonstrated using methods of mathematical modeling. It was proven that intact rats with genetically high MDA levels in the liver and more active systems of MDA generation in ascorbate- and NADPH-dependent reactions are prone to ethanol-induced damage to the liver.