Ecdysterone prevents negative effect of acute immobilization stress on energy metabolism of rat liver mitochondria.

Ecdysterone is a naturally occurring steroid hormone, which presents in arthropods and in a number of plants as an insect defence tool. There are many studies showing that application of ecdysterone can alter mitochondrial functions of mammalian cells, however it is not clear whether its effects are direct or mediated by activation of other cellular processes. In our study, we have shown how ecdysterone acts at the mitochondrial level in normal conditions and in certain pathology.

Monooxygenase System and NO Metabolism in Liver Microsomes of Rats with Toxic Hepatitis and the Effect of Sesquiterpene Lactones.

We analyzed changes in activities of enzymes of phases I and II of xenobiotic biotransformation and parameters of NO metabolism in liver microsomes of rats with toxic CCl-induced hepatitis after a 14-day course of sesquiterpene lactones from Artemisia leucodes (10 mg/kg). It was found that toxic hepatitis was associated with significant inhibition of NADPH-cytochrome c-reductase, benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase, and NADPH-diaphorase, reduced cytochrome P-450 content, and enhanced induction of nitrate/nitrite reductase with accumulation of NO metabolites in the liver. Administration of sesquiterpene lactones stimulated activity of the studied components of the cytochrome P-450 system and promoted recovery of the NOergic system components; the effects were most pronounced in 7 and 14 days after treatment.

Effect of plant flavonoids on the volume regulation of rat thymocytes under hypoosmotic stress.

Background: Cell volume regulation and volume-regulated anion channels are critical for cell survival in non-isosmotic conditions, and dysregulation of this system is detrimental. Although genes and proteins underlying this basic cellular machinery were recently identified, the pharmacology remains poorly explored.

Methods: We examined effects of 16 flavonoids on the regulatory volume decrease (RVD) of thymocytes under hypoosmotic stress assessed by light transmittance and on the activity of volume-sensitive chloride channel by patch-clamp technique.

[STEROIDAL GENINS AND GLYCOSIDES OF SPIROSTAN AND FUROSTAN SERIES AS ANTHELMINTHIC AGENTS].

It was established that steroidal genins and their glycosides of the spirostan series and (especially) furostan series show anticestodal activity against Hymeiolepis nana species. Search for anthelminthic agents in the indicated series of compounds is a promising direction of research.

[EXPERIMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE IMMUNOTROPIC EFFECTS OF ARABINOGALACTAN AND PECTINACEOUS POLYSACCHARIDES ISOLATED FROM FERULA KUCHISTANICA.].

It is established that arabinogalactan and pectinaceous polysaccharides isolated from Ferula kuchistanica are capable of stimulating a primary immune response in mice by increasing the number of antibody-producing cells in the spleen in response to immunization with sheep red blood cells in both intact animals (on average by 51.0%; p < 0.005) and those with secondary immunodeficiency caused by irradiation (on average by 164.