Journal of Applied Biomedicine, 2004 (vol. 2), issue 2
Original Research Article
Biomedical aspects of chiral molecules
Jiří Patočka, Aleš Dvořák
J Appl Biomed 2:95-100, 2004 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2004.011 
This article defines some of the terms used in chiral chemistry and some of the basic mechanistic issues that arise in stereochemistry in pharmacology. Attention is also drawn to the impact of stereochemistry on drug regulation and its significance for new drug development. The stereoselectivity of drugs is underpinned by the fact that the human body is essentially a chiral structure. The rationale for development of chiral drugs is the suggestion that single stereoisomer drugs would provide superior therapy by allowing reductions in dosage, reduced variability in metabolism and response, simpler dose-response relationships and improved tolerability.
Morphological and molecular changes induced in the callus culture of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) after γ-irradiation of 137Cs
Elena Hlinková, Milan Bobák
J Appl Biomed 2:101-109, 2004 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2004.012
Calli cultures of higher plants cultivated for a long-time in vitro conditions are characterized by higher resistance to γ-irradiation. The causes of this resistance are both genetic and epigenetic induced factors including cultivation conditions and exogenous growth regulators.The γ-irradiation of 137Cs with the doses D=1, 5, 10, 100 and 500 Gy applied on the partially synchronized peanut calli cultures showed that small doses D∈ Gy had a slight stimulation effect on the growth processes. Inhibition of the growth began for the dose D≥100 Gy. Dose LD50 reached 250±50 Gy. Necrose was not detected...
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric properties of humanin-like peptides
Klára Novotná, Ondrej Šedo, Josef Havel
J Appl Biomed 2:111-115, 2004 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2004.013
The possibilities of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis of new neuro-protective peptide [G14]-humanin (HNG) and similar compounds are studied with the aim of finding optimal conditions for the determination of these peptides. Acidification and washing of HNG samples using 5% (v/v) formic acid is necessary to reach a detection limit similar to other peptides. The sensitivity of HNG determination is decreased in the oxidative environment as the peptide yields oxidation of methionine and cysteine forming several species, including a disulfide dimer. During Post-source Decay (PSD) it was found that intense cleavage between Asp and Leu in...
A comparison of protective and anticonvulsive efficacy of two prophylactic mixtures in soman-poisoned rats
Ivan Samnaliev, Jiří Kassa
J Appl Biomed 2:117-122, 2004 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2004.014
The protective and anticonvulsive efficacy of two prophylactic mixtures (PANPAL consisting of pyridostigmine, benactyzine, and trihexyphenidyle and pyridostigmine plus biperiden) administered prior to the administration of soman in a lethal dose (1.5 LD50) with or without antidotal treatment (atropine + HI-6) was evaluated using rats as experimental animals. The pretreatment was applied 30 and 60 min before intoxication and the antidotal therapy was administered 1 min after soman poisoning. The anticonvulsive efficacy of both prophylactic combinations was determined using a seven degree scale. Non-treated soman-poisoned rats died within...
Reviews
The nucleolus: functional organization and assembly
Danièle Hernandez-Verdun
J Appl Biomed 2:57-69, 2004 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2004.007
The nucleolus is a large nuclear domain generated by the act of building ribosomes. It illustrates the compartmentation of the nuclear functions, since it is in the nucleolus that transcription of the ribosomal genes, maturation and processing of the 47S ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) into 18S, 5.8S and 28S rRNA, and almost complete assembly of the 40S and 60S ribosome subunits take place. The shape, size and organization of the nucleoli vary with their activity. Nuleolar activity is a cell cycle dependent-process. In electron microscopy, the nucleolus exhibits three main components: fibrillar centers (FCs), a dense fibrillar component (DFC) and a granular...
The chromosome end replication: lessons from mitochondrial genetics
Jozef Nosek, Ľubomír Tomáška, Blanka Kucejová
J Appl Biomed 2:71-79, 2004 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2004.008
The widespread occurrence of linear mitochondrial genomes evokes intriguing questions concerning the evolutionary origin and mechanisms leading to the emergence and stabilization of linear DNA genophores. The study of their replication strategies opens a unique possibility of discovering alternative solutions to the end-replication problem and of elucidating how these mechanisms have appeared in evolution. The analysis of linear mitochondrial genomes in organisms belonging to different phylogenetic lines indicates that their evolutionary emergence was accompanied by the generation of various types of terminal structures, the adaptation of existing...
Cell wall-cytoplasm signalling
Augustin Svoboda
J Appl Biomed 2:81-85, 2004 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2004.009
The cell wall is no longer considered an inert and silent structure on the outside of the cell but instead, seems to be involved in an extensive cross-talk with the cytoplasm. Turgor, osmosensing, mechanical stress and other strains - all are mediated through the wall. The walled cell senses these signals through integral plasma membrane proteins whose extracytoplasmic domains are extended to the wall and intracytoplasmic domains are coupled with the components of cytoplasmic signal pathways. With its dynamic interactions the cell wall is comparable with the extracellular matrix of animal cells. Only a small part of the sensory machinery has been revealed...
The double-edged role of nitric oxide in apoptosis signalling: focused on liver
Tomáš Kučera
J Appl Biomed 2:87-93, 2004 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2004.010
Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical endogenously produced by nitric oxide synthase. This molecule possesses many important functions in the mammalian organism. The role of NO in regulating cell death and proliferation is now widely recognized. In cultured primary hepatocytes both proapoptotic and antiapoptotic NO effects have been reported. However, most reports support its role in the inhibition of apoptosis. NO has been shown to suppress apoptosis in a model of inflammation and cholestasis, and inhibits spontaneous apoptosis. NO antiapoptotic function was exerted via inhibition of both activity and activation of caspases either directly by...