Decreased activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase type 2 and modulation of the expression of glutathione S-transferase alpha, bcl-2, and metallothioneins during the differentiation of CaCo-2 cells.

Reactive oxygen species modulate the cell growth of a wide variety of mammalian cells. To determine whether oxidative metabolism is altered during the differentiation process, we studied the expression of pro- and antioxidant proteins in proliferating and differentiated CaCo-2 cells, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line. Nitric oxide synthase type 2 (iNOS) produces nitric oxide (NO). Depending on its rate of synthesis, NO may either promote cellular and DNA damage or reduce the ability of other free radicals to induce cell injury. Using Western and Northern blot analysis and arginine conversion assay, we demonstrate that the expression of iNOS decreases when cells undergo differentiation. This biological event entails a diminished production of NO metabolites and correlates with the loss of activation of soluble guanylate cyclase activity. In differentiated cells, a 2-fold down-regulation of the nuclear factor kappa B activity was observed, suggesting that nuclear factor kappa B could be one of the iNOS gene regulatory factors in the CaCo-2 model. In parallel, we studied the expression of other antioxidant proteins including glutathione S-transferase alpha (GST alpha), bcl-2, and the metallothioneins (MTs). We show that the protein levels of GST alpha and MT increase during the differentiation of CaCo-2 cells, whereas bcl-2 levels decrease. Our investigation indicates that the expression of iNOS, GST alpha, bcl-2, and MT is associated with the enterocytic differentiation. The shift in the expression of specific antioxidant genes during CaCo-2 cell differentiation may occur to avoid alterations in the cell redox potential

Імітаційне комп'ютерне моделювання процесу організації підприємницького інноваційного центру за допомогою програмного пакету «Ithink»

В статті робиться спроба розробки та застосування імітаційної моделі створення підприємницького інноваційного центру з метою поширення переваг і можливостей інноваційної діяльності в регіональній економіці. Для розробки імітаційної моделі використовується пакет програмного продукту «Ithink», який став широко застосовуватися в моделюванні різноманітних економічних процесів в економіці і якій дозволив створити робочі моделі таких процесів, враховуючи різнобічні фактори впливу на вказані процеси та визначити наслідки їх дії з послідовним корегуванням та відпрацюванням самих моделей в реальній практиці.The article is aimed to propose a simulating model of the creation of the innovational regional center to examine the advantages and innovational possibilities in the regional economy. The popular software “I think” which has become widely used in modeling different similar economic processes, is used for the development of the simulation model. This gives the possibility to take into consideration various factors of influence on these processes and calculate their consequences with the option of their gradual correction and working out the models in the real practice

Evaluation of antibiotics as a methodological procedure to inhibit free-living and biofilm bacteria in marine zooplankton culture

There is a problem with keeping culture medium completely or partially free from bacteria. The use of prokaryotic metabolic inhibitors, such as antibiotics, is suggested as an alternative solution, although such substances should not harm non-target organisms. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of antibiotic treatments in inhibiting free-living and biofilm bacteria and their half-life in artificial marine environment using the copepod Acartia tonsa as bioindicador of non-harmful antibiotic combinations. Regarding to results, the application of 0.025 g L-1 penicillin G potassium + 0.08 g L-1 streptomycin sulphate + 0.04 g L-1 neomycin sulphate showed great potential for use in marine cultures and scientific experiments without lethal effects to non-target organisms. The effect of this combination starts within the first six hours of exposure and reduces up to 93 % the bacterial density, but the half-life is short, requiring replacement. No adverse changes in water quality were observed within 168 hours of exposure. As a conclusion, we can infer that this treatment was an effective procedure for zooplankton cultures and scientific experiments with the aim of measuring the role of free-living and biofilm in the marine community