Indolicidin analogs with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and low hemolytic activity.

To create a broad-spectrum peptide biocide, we synthesized 45 analogs of antimicrobial peptide indolicidin (H-Ile-Leu-Pro-Trp-Lys-Trp-Pro-Trp-Trp-Pro-Trp-Arg-Arg-NH). Among them the peptides H-Ile-Leu-Pro-(2-Me)Phe-Lys-(2-Me)Phe-Pro-(2-Me)Phe-(2-Me)Phe-Pro-(2-Me)Phe-Arg-Arg-NH and HN-(CH)-Ile-Leu-Pro-D-Phe-Lys-D-Phe-Pro-D-Phe-D-Phe-Pro-D-Phe-Arg-Arg-NH have the broadest spectrum of antimicrobial activity and the lowest hemolytic activity. They are active against all 11 tested strains of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi with MIC from 0.

Breaking a one-parameter 'poor man's' scaling approach in the Luttinger liquid.

Using a previously derived effective theory we explore the conductance in the Luttinger model with one impurity. A new approach to the renormalization group (RG) analysis of this model is developed. It is based on the original Gell-Mann-Low formulation of RG.

Macro- and Microelement Status in Animal and Human Hypertension: the Role of the ACE Gene I/D Polymorphism.

Genetic factors that predispose to hypertension may contribute to element disturbances observed in hypertensive patients. We tested the hypothesis that the deletion allele of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene is associated with element imbalances in hypertension. The concentrations of elements in genetically predisposed to hypertension rats (SHRs) and their controls (WKY rats) were also examined.

[Not Available].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between the angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE I/D (rs4340) polymorphism and DNA damage in pati-ents with essential hypertension (EH). The I/D polymorphism of ACE was determined by polymerase chain reaction in 170 male hypertensive patients and 64 normotensive blood donors. We used flow cytometry to determine the levels of cell death, micronuclei and accumulation of peripheral blood leukocytes in G1/G0, S, G2/M phases of the cell cycle.

Retrograde endoscopic lithotripsy using the innovative nanosecond electropulse method.

Purpose: The purpose of this clinical study is to assess the safety and efficiency of a novel lithotripsy method for endoscopic treatment of urinary stones throughout the urinary tract via semi-rigid and flexible endoscopes. This new method is based on the transfer of nanosecond high voltage electric pulses to the stones through flexible probes of various sizes.

Methods: The study involved 879 patients aged 19-88 with renal, ureter and bladder calculi.

[A contact electroimpulse impact on the ureteral and bladder wall of mature dogs: a 1-year results of a morphological prospective study].

The aim of the study was investigation of morphological changes in the urinary bladder and ureteral wall of dogs in response to contact electroimpulse impact (CEII); to develop recommendations for utilization of contact electroimpulse lithotripsy in humans. Effects of single-impulse CEII on the bladder and ureteral mucosa produced by an electroimpulse lithotripter were studied in 23 mature mongrel dogs. The morphological material was studied immediately after the impact, 1, 6, 14 days and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after it.

Accumulation of true single strand breaks and AP sites in base excision repair deficient cells.

Single strand breaks (SSBs) are one of the most frequent DNA lesions caused by endogenous and exogenous agents. The most utilized alkaline-based assays for SSB detection frequently give false positive results due to the presence of alkali-labile sites that are converted to SSBs. Methoxyamine, an acidic O-hydroxylamine, has been utilized to measure DNA damage in cells.

Cells deficient in PARP-1 show an accelerated accumulation of DNA single strand breaks, but not AP sites, over the PARP-1-proficient cells exposed to MMS.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a base excision repair (BER) protein that binds to DNA single strand breaks (SSBs) and subsequently synthesizes and transfers poly(ADP-ribose) polymers to various nuclear proteins. Numerous biochemical studies have implicated PARP-1 as a modulator of BER; however, the role of PARP-1 in BER in living cells remains unclear partly due to lack of accurate quantitation of BER intermediates existing in cells. Since DT40 cells, chicken B lymphocytes, naturally lack PARP-2, DT40 cells allow for the investigation of the PARP-1 null phenotype without confounding by PARP-2.

[Contact electroimpulse lithotripsy].

Efficacy and safety of endoscopic contact electroimpulse lithotripsy (EILT) were studied in 146 patients with urolithiasis (mean age 48+/-16 years). Of them, 10 (7%) had ureteropelvic (UP) concrements, 124 (85%) had ureteroliths and 12 (8%) had bladder stones. The impulses were generated by the electroimpulse lithotripter Urolit-105M (Lithotech Medical, Israel; MedLine, Russia).

[The radioactive contamination dynamics of water body ecosystems of different types in the Chernobyl atomic station alienation zone in Belarus].

The long-term (1986-2005) gamma-activity dynamics in dominating zoobenthos species and the bottom sediments in the inlet of Pripyat river and the non-flowing Perstok lake within the Chernobyl alienation zone was determined. Immediately after the accident (1986-1987) zoonehthos y-activity achieved the maximal values (up to 300-1100 kBq/kg) and after that began to decline steadily due to natural decay of man-caused radionuclides of "Chernobyl origin". Up to summer 2005 gastropod mollusks gamma-activity (Lymnaea stagnalis, Viviparus viviparus) approached to the natural level (less than 6 Bq/kg) in the inlet of Pripyat river, but it remained at the very high level up to 979-1638 Bq/kg in the Perstok lake.

[Hygienic evaluation of hydrolytic lignin waste, by using alternative test models].

Chemical analysis showed that lignin samples contained phenols, phenanthrene, and methanol. The highest total content of organic compounds was noted in the lignin samples taken directly at a manufacturing plant. Phenols prevailed in the upper layers of stored lignin samples and methanol predominated in the lower ones.

[The age-related changes in hemolymph cellular composition and in the spectrum of cytomorphological traits of hemocyte genetic damages in snail Lymnaea stagnalis].

The age-related changes in hemolymph cellular composition of snail Lymnaea stagnalis (Gastropoda, Pulmonata) obtained from individuals of a natural population (the river Pripayt, Gomel region, Belarus) as well as in the spectrum of cytomorphological traits of hemocyte genetic damages have been studied. The percentage of the distinguished hemolymph cell types during the chosen age period was not revealed to change. The percentage of cells with different morphological attributes of cell death varied during ageing.

Radiobiological monitoring of striped field mouse populations in the Moscow recreation forest "Kuzminki".

The results of radiometric and haematological studies of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius) sampled over the years 1995-2003 from the territory of the preserved radioactive waste burial (RWB), which is located in the Moscow recreation forest "Kuzminki", are presented and discussed in the paper. It was shown that the level of 90Sr-90Y content in mice sampled from the RWB area varies within the range of 0-1200 Bq/kg with an average of 98.7+/-21.

[Estimation of potential mutagenic activity of 24-epibrassinolide].

Genotoxic effect of synthetic phytohormone analogue of steroid origin epibrassinolide was studied in in vitro- and in vivo-tests. Epibrassinolide did not display mutagenic properties in Ames' test (S. typhimurium, TA100) and DNA damaging activity test (DNA of phage lambda).

[Structure-function relationship between analogues of the antibacterial peptide indolicidin. I. Synthesis and biological activity of analogues with increased amphipathicity and elevated net positive charge of the molecule].

The antibacterial peptide indolicidin and a number of its analogues were obtained by solid phase synthesis. An optimized method of the synthesis using the Boc strategy was suggested. It was shown that the therapeutic index of indolicidin analogues increased with a decrease in the total positive charge of the molecule and its amphipathicity; i.

Fluid balance measurements in disclosing fluid deposition during prolonged hypokinesia in healthy subjects.

Measuring fluid absorption and fluid homeostasis, the aim of this study was to establish if hypokinesia (HK) could depress fluid deposition and thus contribute to the development of fluid depletion. Studies were performed during 30 days pre-HK period and during 364 days HK period. Twenty healthy male individuals 24.

The level of aberrant cells in various tissues of bank vole depending on doses and radionuclide balance in organism.

A regression analysis shows the direct linear relation between 137Cs accumulation in rodents and the level of aberrant cells. For 90Sr this trend was negative. The dose relationship was the same with 137Cs.

[Epizootic characteristic of rabies today].

During the 23 year period rabies was registered in the Moscow region in 163 cases among foxes, 22 cases among racoon-like dogs, 92 cases among dogs, 54 cases among cats. In 1991-2000 ten cases of rabies were registered among other wild animal other than foxes and raccoon-like dogs (hares, hedge-hogs, polecats, badgers, hamsters, martens, rats). Under today conditions the generalized epizootological pattern of rabies is characterized by the vector "natural foci-->anthropurgic foci" with wild and domestic animals playing an alternative role in the epizootic process and the circulation of the infective agent.

[Frequency dynamics of foxes as a factor of epizootic risk of rabies].

During the period preceding the year 1998 when the peak values of the rabies incidence were registered in the Moscow region, a noticeable increase in fox frequency and the density of their population occurred, especially in 3 endemic areas of the north-western zone. Considering the fact that this zone was endemic for rabies, an increased density of the fox population was, most probably, the critical factor of the epizootological risk and the main cause of the emergency situation in rabies in 1998. The data obtained in this investigation may serve as a real basis for the prediction of the epizootic situation.

[Current rabies epizootiology].

Situation in rabies in the Russian Federation (RF) remains to be tense and is characterized by important specific features. Central Russia and the Moscow region have essential differences in the epizootic situation, the epizootological structure of rabies and other indices as compared with the Russian Federation. In the course of the last 25 years the ecological stereotype of rabies has undergone considerable transformations, becoming natural focal infection with the circulation of the infective agent among wild carnivores, which is now particularly obvious in the Moscow region.

Nuclear size measurements in collecting tubules of the rat kidney in establishing the effect of hypokinesia on the kidney morphology.

Background: Hypokinesia (reduced motor activity) induces significant tissue morphological changes, however, it is not known if hypokinesia (HK) could contribute to morphological changes in the kidney. Measuring the nuclear size in the inner medullary collecting ducts on the kidney of rats the aim of this investigation was to disclose kidney morphological changes during prolonged HK.

Methods: Studies were done on 192 13-week-old male rats (370 to 390 g) during 15 days pre-HK period and 90 days HK period.

Phosphate determination during hypokinesia and ambulation in establishing phosphate changes in trained and untrained subjects.

Hypokinesia (diminished movement) induces phosphate (P) changes; however, it is not known if P change is greater in trained than untrained subjects. Measuring P balance and P retention during hypokinesia (HK) and P load, we studied if changes in P retention and P depletion were significantly (p<0.05) greater in trained than untrained subjects.

Measurements of nuclear size in collecting tubules of the kidney of rats during prolonged hypokinesia and ambulatory conditions.

Hypokinesia (decreased motor activity) induces significant morphological changes in the kidneys, but little is known about the effect of hypokinesia (HK) on the collecting duct nuclei of the kidney. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of prolonged HK on the nuclear size in the inner meduallary collecting ducts on the kidney of rats. Studies were done on one hundred ninety-two 13-week-old male rats (370 to 390 g) during 15 days pre HK period and 90 days HK period.

Biochemical and hemodynamic changes in normal subjects during acute and rigorous bed rest and ambulation.

Rigorous bed rest (RBR) induces significant biochemical and circulatory changes. However, little is known about acute rigorous bed rest (ARBR). Measuring biochemical and circulatory variables during ARBR and RBR the aim of this study was to establish the significance of ARBR effect.