Isolation, Purification and Evaluation of Serological Activity of Rabies Virus Antigens

Objective of the study is to evaluate the serological activity of rabies virus antigens isolated from the brain tissue of mice by homogenization on FastPrep followed by ultracentrifugation. Materials and methods. Producer strain of the rabies virus “Ovechiy” GNKI. The rabies virus was isolated from the brain tissue of experimentally infected mice, followed by the study of the electrophoretic profile. The serological activity of the virus components was assessed by immunoblot and ELISA using specific anti-rabies sera.Results and conclusions. In the course of comparing the methods of isolation and purification of the rabies virus antigen, it was found that most optimal one is to use a homogenization on FastPrep-24, followed by fractionation in a sucrose gradient. As a result of fractionation in a graded sucrose density gradient with a concentration of 15–50 % at 25000 g for 120 min, five fractions of the rabies virus components were obtained. The maximum purified protein fraction was from 15–20 % sucrose zone, which corresponded to a molecular weight of 67 kDa. The specific antigen activity of the fraction in ELISA reached up the titers of 1:1280 (Specificity coefficient 2.2). Using immunoblot of antigens, obtained from the sucrose gradient in the range of 40–45 % and 20–35 % after ultracentrifugation, one major fraction of polypeptides (54 kDa) was detected, which showed the highest antigenic activity. The results obtained will be useful in the design of test systems for rabies screening and monitoring the effectiveness of anti-epizootic measures

Increase of energy efficiency of the extraction process

At present, there is a tendency to use drugs based on medicinal plants instead of synthetic drugs. And the main advantage is the possibility of using wood waste in the form of bark, leaves and kidneys, since these parts of the trees are waste in production. Studies on the extraction of wood waste have been carried out. On the basis of the data obtained, the hardware design of increased energy efficiency was developed through the use of a heat pump

Hydrogen Sulfide Ameliorates Developmental Impairments of Rat Offspring with Prenatal Hyperhomocysteinemia

Maternal high levels of the redox active amino acid homocysteine—called hyperhomocysteinemia (hHCY)—can affect the health state of the progeny. The effects of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) treatment on rats with maternal hHCY remain unknown. In the present study, we characterized the physical development, reflex ontogeny, locomotion and exploratory activity, muscle strength, motor coordination, and brain redox state of pups with maternal hHCY and tested potential beneficial action of the H2S donor—sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS)—on these parameters. Our results indicate a significant decrease in litter size and body weight of pups from dams fed with methionine-rich diet. In hHCY pups, a delay in the formation of sensory-motor reflexes was observed. Locomotor activity tested in the open field by head rearings, crossed squares, and rearings of hHCY pups at all studied ages (P8, P16, and P26) was diminished. Exploratory activity was decreased, and emotionality was higher in rats with hHCY. Prenatal hHCY resulted in reduced muscle strength and motor coordination assessed by the paw grip endurance test and rotarod test. Remarkably, administration of NaHS to pregnant rats with hHCY prevented the observed deleterious effects of high homocysteine on fetus development. In rats with prenatal hHCY, the endogenous generation of H2S brain tissues was lower compared to control and NaHS administration restored the H2S level to control values. Moreover, using redox signaling assays, we found an increased level of malondialdehyde (MDA), the end product of lipid peroxidation, and decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the brain tissues of rats of the hHCY group. Notably, NaHS treatment restored the level of MDA and the activity of SOD and GPx. Our data suggest that H2S has neuroprotective/antioxidant effects against homocysteine-induced neurotoxicity providing a potential strategy for the prevention of developmental impairments in newborns