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Aim: To assess oxidative stress and structural changes of the serum albumin in rats with transplanted Walker-256 carcinosarcoma (W256) strains with varying sensitivity to doxorubicin (Dox)., Materials and Methods: The study was performed on female Wistar rats with transplanted W256. On the 9 th day after tumor cell transplantation an analysis of peripheral blood, oxidative stress parameters, and structural changes of serum albumin of experimental animals was performed., Results: On the 9th day after W256 transplantation a significant increase in the leukocyte counts was observed in the groups of animals with the Dox-resistant and parental (Dox-sensitive) W256 tumors compared with the group of the intact animals: up to 14.24 ± 1.92 • 10 3 /μl and 9.78 ± 1.03 • 10 3 /μl, vs 8.92 ± 1.04 • 10 3 /μl, respectively, due to the increase of granulocyte and monocyte counts. The number of lymphocytes was within the normal range. The level of hemoglobin and the erythrocyte counts were also within normal limits, but hematocrit in both groups of animals with tumors somewhat increased against the background of 1.2-fold elevation of the mean erythrocyte volume. In the group of rats with Dox-resistant W256, there was observed a decrease in the plateletcrit by almost 22% and thrombocyte counts - by 28%. Analysis of oxidative stress indices revealed a significant increase in the level of reactive oxygen species, 2-fold increase of malonic dialdehyde level and the degree of oxidative damage of blood plasma proteins, as well as a decrease in the activity of catalase in hemolysates (by 12-15%) in both groups of tumor-bearing rats. With the use of differential scanning calorimetry, UV and fluorescence spectroscopy we have revealed anomalous conformational changes of albumin caused by tumor development: structural rearrangements in the region of its first drug binding site located in the IIA domain, separation of globular parts of albumin molecule, and partial "opening" in a protein molecular three-domain structure resulting a loss of its thermal resistance., Conclusion: The development of transplanted Walker-256 carcinosarcoma, especially its Dox-resistant variant, results in severe metabolic intoxication reflected in alteration of hematological parameters, and indices of oxidative stress, as well as architectonic changes of serum albumin.

Aim: To synthesize and to study for photodynamic activity a composite photosensitizer consisting of chlorin e6 and human serum albumin nanoparticles (HSA NPs)., Materials and Methods: Starting from sorption-purified HSA, the albumin nanoparticles with a different degree of lysine residues cross-linking (10; 20; 40, and 100%) were obtained by the coacervation method. The HSA NPs were used for synthesis of nanocomposites with chlorin e6 and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled preparations. Malignant lymphocytes of the MT-4 (human T-cell leukemia) line and normal lymphocytes of healthy donors served as cell targets. For photodynamic treatment, a semiconductor laser was exploited as a light source, and cell viability was assessed by MTT or trypan blue dye exclusion tests. For cell imaging and HSA NPs visualization, the fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were applied, respectively. C57Bl/6 mice were used in animal experiments., Results: The absorption and fluorescence spectra of chlorin e6-HSA NPs composites were characterized, and by the electron microscopy investigation the size of NPs (nanospheres) was estimated: 100-120 nm. FITC-labeled albumin preparations allowed to establish that HSA NPs have much higher exposition and concentration dependent affinity to malignant cell surface than initial HSA. In experiments with MT-4 cells on PDT activity of chlorin e6-HSA NPs, the nanocomposite effectiveness elevated along with increasing percentage of cross-linked amino acid residues, and for the nanocomposite with 100% of albumin cross-linking it exceeded the activity of free chlorin e6. In contrast to malignant cells, the complexation of chlorin e6 with HSA NPs decreased its photodynamic effect on normal human lymphocytes. Intravenous introduction of the chlorin e6-HSA NPs composite to mice showed prolonged circulation of the nanocomposite in blood in comparison with free PS., Conclusion: Promising results obtained with chlorin e6-HSA NPs composites warrant conduction of full-fledged PDT studies in vivo using the nanocomposites as photosensitizers.

Unlabelled: In research of the last decade, rhythmic (circadian) variations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production by tumors were discovered. The present paper authors have earlier synthesized and characterized a new derivative photosensitizer - an immunoconjugate of hematoporphyrin with antiVEGF antibodies., Aim: To elaborate and to test a novel modification of the photodynamic therapy of tumors (PDT) method, founding upon a timed introduction of the immunoconjugated photosensitizer to tumor-bearing animals, so that this coincides with a maximum content of VEGF in tumor tissues., Methods: Circadian variations of VEGF contents in murine transplanted tumors, Lewis lung carcinoma and sarcoma 180, were determined by ELISA method. Immunoconjugated photosensitizer concentrations in tumors were estimated by spectrofluorometry. Photoirradiation of the tumors was carried out with a red light (wavelength of 635 nm) from a semiconductor laser. Light doses were chosen, calculating on a partial inhibition of tumor growth, in order that a dependence of PDT efficiency on a daily time-moment (circadian rhythm phase) of the treatment could be observed distinctly., Results: Circadian variations of the VEGF levels in Lewis lung carcinoma and sarcoma 180 were demonstrated with the maximum at 14:00 h and the minimum at 02:00 h. Intra-abdominal introduction into tumor-bearing mice of the immunoconjugated photosensitizer resulted in a greater accumulation of the immunoconjugate in tumors at 14:00 h than at 02:00 h. Laser irradiation of carcinomas and sarcomas at 14:00 h or 02:00 h after introduction of the immunoconjugated photosensitizer to mice the day before at the same time points, induced a significantly enhanced inhibition of tumor growth in animals treated at day-time versus those treated at night-time., Conclusion: The obtained results justify further attempts to transfer principles of tumor chronochemotherapy onto photodynamic therapy.

When bone marrow (BM) cells, isolated from normal (C57BL/6 x DBA/2)F1 mice (H-2b/H-2d), were cultured with leukemic cells for 24 hours, a significant tumor growth suppression, without noticeable tumor cell killing, was found. The level of BM cell-mediated cytostasis of both P815 mastocytoma (H-2d) and L1210 lymphoma (H-2d) cells was dependent on BM-to-tumor cell ratio; 100% growth inhibition was obtained at a ratio of 480/1. In addition, BM cells were found to be able to synergize in suppressing P815 cell growth with lymphoid cells. The synergistic suppressive effects on tumor cell proliferation were observed in BM-spleen, BM-thymus and BM-lymphnode cell co-cultures. The analysis of cytostatic activity of the cell culture supernatants showed that the synergistic leukemia growth suppression could be mediated, at least in part, by cell-derived soluble cytostatic molecules. The data presented herein also indicated that culturing BM cells with either crude supernatant (25%) from allogeneic mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) or recombinant human interleukin(IL)-2 (20 U/ml) for 20 hours led to a 2-fold increase in their cytostatic activity against both P815 and L1210 cells. Taken together, the results suggest that although normal BM cells are ineffective in tumor cell killing, they may play an important role in cell-mediated effector mechanisms responsible for suppressing leukemia development; and that activated T lymphocytes, through producing cytokine(s), may rapidly upregulate leukemia growth inhibitory activity of BM cells.

Prolactin coding mRNA was shown to be a prevalent part of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) pituitary poly(A)-RNA during the spawning period. Clone lambda gtPrk12 was selected from the pituitary cDNA library by means of hybridization with the prolactin probe, and a nucleotide sequence of the insertion was determined and compared to the prolactin coding sequences from rainbow trout and Pacific chinook salmon, which had been published earlier. The sequences compared exhibited a significant homology. The deduced amino acid sequence of the chum salmon prolactin differed from a sequence determined directly in a single position. The prolactin-coding sequence can be used for constructing the bacterial strain producing prolactin.

This review presents an attempt to systematize the fish gonadotropin investigations data, particularly concerning salmons. The common characterization of pituitary glycoprotein hormones of Vertebrata is presented. A brief review of the history of investigating fish gonadotropins is given. Immunological properties, subunit composition, carbohydrate component and gonadotropin receptors are described. The sequence data comparison and analysis are presented.

The content, biosynthesis and template activity of poly(A)+ RNA in the early stages of sea urchin development have been studied. The amount of poly(A)+ RNA reaches a maximum at the middle blastula stage in polyribosomes and at the 8-blastomere stage in the cytoplasm. Poly(A)+ RNA synthesis becomes noticeable at the 64-blastomere stage and the spectrum of newly synthesized molecules is different from that at the middle blastula stage. The products of translation in vitro of poly(A)+ RNA at all the stages studied show insignificant differences and contain a major group of polypeptides of molecular mass 10-20 kDa.

Centrifugation in sucrose linear gradient and affinity chromatography on oligo (dT)-cellulose were used to isolate the poly(A)-containing fraction of 8--10S RNA from St. intermedius sea urchin embryos at the middle blastula stage. This RNA has been shown to possess template activity in the cell-free protein-synthesizing system from wheat germs. The studied mRNA fraction induces synthesis of two polypeptides with the molecular weights of 10 and 15 thousand daltons according to the data of electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. The products of in vitro translation were immunochemically identified with embryo-specific glycoproteins of the plasma membrane of embryo cells.