Contributi scientifici in memoria di Antonio Fusco.

Come si leggerà nell'Introduzione della sezione propriamente scientifica del Volume, il presente testo nasce dalla volontà e, soprattutto, dall'esigenza culturale di omaggiare il fu Prof. Antonio Fusco. Un debito scientifico ed umano che trova il suo locus naturale in questa prima parte del testo stesso, cui farà poi seguito la parte propriamente scientifica.

[Human bocavirus].

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a newly identified parvovirus associated with acute respiratory infections in young children in different parts of the world. It is not inconceivable that this virus is also capable of causing acute gastroenteritis and asymptomatically persisting in infected children. HBoV is the third widespread human respiratory virus after respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus.

[Human metapneumovirus as a common cause of respiratory tract disease].

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), the newly identified paramyxovirus, causes respiratory infections in children, immunosuppressed patients, and the elderly in different countries of the world. The epidemiology and clinical manifestations of HMPV infection are similar to those in human respiratory syncytial virus infection. The diagnosis of HMPV infection is based on the polymerase chain reaction detection of viral RNA or the recording of rising serum antibody titers.

Hepatitis C virus genotypes in different regions of the former Soviet Union (Russia, Belarus, Moldova, and Uzbekistan).

The prevalence of HCV genotypes in four republics of the former Soviet Union (Russia, Belarus, Moldova, and Uzbekistan) was investigated. Overall, 197 HCV isolates from 66 blood donors and 131 patients with chronic hepatitis were typed. Viral sequences from sera of infected subjects were amplified by nested RT-PCR using primers from the core region and typed by one or two techniques: (1) DNA enzyme immunoassay (DEIA) and (2) PCR with a set of type-specific primers.

[Genotype of hepatitis C virus in hemophiliacs].

Testing of blood sera of 63 hemophiliacs revealed markers of hepatitides B and C in 97 and 98% cases, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in 31 (94%) out of 33 sera tested which contained antibodies to HCV. Gene typing of the isolated strains revealed the presence of three types of HCV: 1b (94%), 2a (3%), and 3a (3%).

[Diagnosis and prevention of diabetic angiopathies].

The paper presents a new method to diagnose the I preclinical stage of diabetic angiopathy permitting identification of the risk groups and design of preventive measures. The method implies evaluation of the biochemical index characterizing serum lipids structural defense against lipid peroxidation.

A model for the study of the mechanism of a low pH-induced interaction of the virus fusion proteins and cell membranes.

A model is proposed for the study of molecular mechanisms of a low pH-induced interaction of fusion proteins of enveloped viruses and cell membranes. The model consists of large monolamellar liposomes containing ionophore nigericin in their membranes and ectodomains of fusion protein in their inner space. The process of interaction of the protein with the lipid bilayer is triggered by acidification of the liposomal constituents to the pH of fusion with the help of nigericin by adding citric acid to the outer medium.

[The immunomodulating action of the surface antigens of the influenza A virus in experimental staphylococcal infection].

The results of the study of influenza A virus surface antigens, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, in the induction of nonspecific immunomodulation and protection from acute pulmonary staphylococcal infection have been studied. Protective effect, the cell composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid depend on the serological subtypes of surface antigens used for intranasal immunization and the infective dose of staphylococci.

[Immunosuppression induced by respiratory viruses (influenza virus, adenovirus) in mice].

The influence of respiratory viruses (adenovirus, influenza virus) on humoral immune response to heterologous T-dependent and T-independent antigens was studied. It was shown that inoculation of mice by the influenza virus (A/PR8/34-A/PR/8) 3 days before sheep red blood cells administration led to the inhibition of antibody forming cell (AFC) and immunoglobulin, forming cell (IFC) increase on 69% and 59% respectively. Adenovirus type 6 induced the similar suppression of AFC and IFC formation.

[Various indices of lipid metabolism in patients with gastroduodenal pathology].

Lipid metabolism was studied in patients with impairments of gastroduodenal tract before and after treatment. The data obtained suggest that the treatment of these patients should involve both antioxidants and angioprotective drugs in order to prevent vascular deteriorations.

[The effect of ionizing radiation on lipid peroxidation in rat blood].

In experiments with 5-6 month male rats it was shown that whole-body gamma-irradiation (0.5 and 1.0 Gy) caused changes in the system of the antioxidant defence of the organism, the status of which influenced the intensity of lipid peroxidation in the blood.

[Lipid peroxidation and the physicochemical status of the plasma membranes of the liver in hyper- and hypoinsulinemia].

Experiments on rats of two age groups have shown that hyper- and hypoinsulinemia cause cholesterol accumulation in liver plasma membranes and a decrease in the level of unsaturated fatty acids resulting in the transition of membranes to a more rigid structure and decreased accessibility of polyunsaturated fatty acids to oxidation. The above changes probably prevent the activation of lipid peroxidation observed in experimental animals. In aged animals the adaptation mechanisms are less noticeable.

[Use of the zwitterion detergent Sulfobetain-12 for preparation of virosomes and investigation of their immunogenic and protective properties].

Virosomes were prepared by using the zwitterion detergent sulfobetaine-12. The virosomes included the surface antigens and virus-specific lipids of influenza virus, strain A/PR/8/34. Immunogenic and protective properties of the surface antigens in the micellar form and as a complex with the virosomes were studied.

[Protective action of liposome-incorporated surface antigens of the influenza virus by different methods of immunization].

The influence of different routes of immunization on the protective effect of liposome-incorporated influenza A/PR/8/34 virus surface antigens was studied. Influenza virus surface antigens, neuraminidase and hemagglutinin, incorporated into liposomes, were shown to have a significant protective effect upon intraperitoneal and intranasal administration against a lethal dose of influenza virus as compared with immunization using a free antigen solution against the same infection. The protective effect is poor in intravenous immunization with influenza virus antigen-containing liposomes.

[Age-related characteristics of insulin regulation of the physico-chemical properties of liver membranes].

Alterations in physico-chemical properties of rat liver plasmatic membranes induced by insulin were shown to be age-dependent The experiments showed also that high doses of the hormone impaired distinctly the membranes in old animals. The relationship between structural alterations in plasmatic membranes and the rate of lipid peroxidation was observed.

[Various indices of lipid peroxidation in the blood of alloxan diabetic rats of different ages].

Activation of lipid peroxidation was observed in development of alloxan diabetes in young (5-6 months old) and old rats (24-26 months old). Slight inhibition of lipid peroxidation was detected within 10 days of the development of diabetes. The compensatory-adaptation reactions, particularly activation of Zn, Cu-superoxide dismutase, were apparently responsible for the inhibition of lipid peroxidation observed.

[Methods of determining lipid peroxidation products in the serum using a thiobarbituric acid test].

Main principles for carrying out of the thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-test of blood serum were characterized. These principles involved incubation of the sample at pH 1.3-1.

[Age-related characteristics of lipid peroxidation in the blood in alloxan diabetes].

The experiments on male rats aged 5-6 and 24-26 months have shown that alloxan diabetes is characterized by an increase in the content of blood glucose, total lipids and malonic dialdehyde. The time-course of these parameters reveals clear age dependence; the glucose and total lipid content is higher in young rats and that of lipid peroxidation products in old animals. The antioxidant effect of insulin, which is estimated by the malonic, dialdehyde content in the blood, decreases with age.

[Effect of starvation on lipid peroxidation and fatty acid composition in the blood of young and old rats].

After starvation during 48 hrs there was no alteration in blood serum of young rats (4-5 months old) in content of malonic dialdehyde but it was decreased in the old animals (24-26 months old). At the same time, the fatty acid composition of blood serum similarly altered in the both experimental groups. There was an increase in content of saturated fatty acids and a decrease in content of unsaturated fatty acids.

[Comparative study of the biological properties of influenza virus preparations purified by centrifugation and chromatography].

A comparative study of chromatography and centrifugation as applied to purification of 2 influenza virus strains with different antigenic structure (H0N1 and H2N2) and of some biological properties of the resulting preparations was carried out. Certain strain-specific differences manifested in their chromatographic behaviour and in the degree of purification of virions from the allantoic fluid proteins were found. Some quantitative differences observed in the capacity of the resulting virus preparations to infect chick embryos and primary and continuous cells are insignificant and cannot be used for judgement of advantages of one or the other of the methods used for influenza virus purification.

[Enzyme activity of the neuraminidase from various strains of the influenza A virus].

Some chemical properties of neuraminidase of the mouse-pathogenic strain A/PR/8/34 (H0N1) and the mouse-apathogenic strain A/Krasnodar/101/59 (H2N2) were studied. Neuraminidase of the pathogenic strain was shown to have a lower specific activity, lower resistance and lower sensitivity to the inhibiting effect of CI ions than neuraminidase of the nonpathogenic strain.

[Lipid peroxidation in the tissues of rats of different ages normally and during fasting].

Experiments on male rats aged 4-6 and 24-26 months have shown that the concentration of malonic dialdehyde (MDA) increases with aging. Forty-eight-hour fasting lowers the MDA content in all the samples examined (blood serum, liver, adipose tissue) of old rats. No changes have been found in young rats.

[Formaldehyde-induced tight binding of protein to RNA in particles of rod-like virus].

The formaldehyde-induced formation of tightly bound RNA-protein complexes of rod-like plant viruses was studied. The preparations of tobacco mosaic virus and closely related cucumber virus 4 were incubated with 1.5% formaldehyde for 20-50 hrs at 50 degrees C.