Microcalorimetric investigation of influence of cancerogenic and anticancerogenic compounds on nuclear chromatin of tumor cells

The influence of mitoxantron (M) and benz(a)pyrene (BP) on chromatin DNA in composition of spleen and liver tissues and cells of BALB/c mice were studied using a high-sensitive differential scanning microcalorimeter. It was established that BP can cause a) the specific breaks in inactive chromatin DNA chain and unfolding of the whole domain (a loop of chromatin) which should lead to uncontrolled genome activation; b) the breaks in the DNA double-helix creating short duplexes.M at low doses, interacting with naked linker DNA of tumor restores the chromatin structure, at high doses or at repeated injections,M causes the disturbance of chromatin structure.     

Microcalorimetric study of DNA–Cu(II)TOEPyP(4) porphyrin complex

The influence of new water soluble cationic metalloporphyrin Cu(II)TOEPyP(4) (meso-tetra-(4-N-oxyethylpyridyl)), analogue of Cu(II)TMPyP(4), on thermodynamic stability of DNA at various molar ratios of r = porphyrin/DNA b.p. (0 < r < 0.12) has been studied. It has been shown that Cu(II)TOEPyP(4) is a strong stabilizing agent for calf thymus DNA increasing its melting temperature from 75.5 to 99.5 °C, in the range 0 < r < 0.06. The melting enthalpy (∆H _m) does not change in the range 0.002 < r < 0.06 and it equals to 11.6 ± 0.8 cal/g. At r > 0.07, ∆H _m and T _m decrease, and at r = 0.12 they equal to 6.4 ± 0.6 cal/g and 92.5 °C, accordingly. We suggest that such centers of binding are the well documented 5′CG3′ sites and G-quadruplex at r < 0.01, and negatively charged phosphate groups at r > 0.01. On the basis of ∆H _m invariability with simultaneous increase of T _m in the range 0.002 < r < 0.06, it is shown that the DNA-Cu(II)TOEPyP(4) complex melting is not of an enthalpic nature but of an entropic one. The two-phase helix–coil transition of DNA at r < 0.01 is considered as a result of porphyrin redistribution in the melting process.     

Intermolecular interactions of globular proteins in the crystal state

The present work is devoted to investigation of thermal transitions in the crystals of seven proteins to compare the protein globule stability in crystal and solution. Calorimetry methods, electron and optical microscopy, as well as x-ray diffraction studies are used. It is found that protein crystals do not melt and that the destruction of the crystal lattice is a result of protein globule denaturation within the crystal. It is demonstrated that during the heating of pepsin and DF-trypsin crystals it is possible to observe phase transition of the first order. Equilibrium temperatures of protein denaturation in crystals and in solution coincide. The peculiarities of the crystal state are revealed in the increasing thermal transition cooperativity and the system relaxation period.     

Thermostability of rat sarcoma M1 procollagen solutions,procollagen fibers and whole tissues

In close to equilibrium conditions (1° per 400 min), the DSC measurements demonstrated that the melting parameters of white rat sarcoma M1 procollagen equaled to T_m?=?34.4 °C and ΔT_m?=?2.7°, and the same parameters of fibers reconstructed from those solutions of procollagen were T_m?=?38.5 °C and ΔT?=?3.1°. These values were by 1.0° lower and 0.8° wider, and by 1.7° lower and 0.7° wider in comparison with the parameters of procollagen and fibers of healthy rat tissue, accordingly. The simultaneous increase in melting temperature and melting width, and a weak decrease in melting enthalpy demonstrated that sarcoma M1 procollagen had some defects. The considerable decrease by 7° in melting temperature and decrease in thermostability of procollagen fibrils in case of sarcoma M1 in comparison to the healthy norm gives a good prospective potential of using this approach as a quick DSC test to detect various sarcomas, including human sarcomas, by comparing the biopsy material or postsurgical tissues with the normal samples.

     

Characterization of chromium-induced apoptosis in cultured mammalian cells:: A differential scanning calorimetry study

The present study examined the cytotoxic effect of increasing Cr(VI) concentrations on cultured cells by a combination of biochemical methods and DSC, a novel use of DSC in the study of cell death. The characteristics of apoptotic cells are compared with normal cells. Chromatin in human epithelial-like L-41 cells has two thermal transitions at 100 and 105 °C. The heat from these endotherms is 90.5 ± 11.0 J/g DNA. The total heat of denaturation (Q_d) is 27.5 ± 3.5 J/g dry biomass. The heat evolved (−Q) is 15.6 ± 3.0 J/g dry biomass. The treatment of cells with 20 μM Cr(VI) for 2 and 4 h has not revealed any changes in heat of denaturation and heat evolution (−Q). However increased treatment time with Cr(VI) at 20 μM resulted in significant changes to the thermal profile and a sharp linear decrease of (−Q) and Q_d values. The Q_d and (−Q) values of cells treated with 20 μM Cr(VI) for 48 h are equal to 15.5 ± 2.0 and 2.1 ± 0.4 J/g dry biomass, respectively. The changes in chromatin conformation, Bax expression and the collapse of the mitochondrial membrane permeability coincide with the time point from which the action of chromium is irreversible.     

Free and bound water influence on Spirulina platensis survival

The heat effects arising at heating of Spirulina platensis cell culture containing different quantity of water (from 98.2 to 10.5 mass% H₂O) have been studied. The hydration of Sp. pl. cells determined by the method of microcalorimetry at 25°C (Δn) was equal to 0.32±0.02 g H₂O/g of dry biomass. The heat (–Q) evolved by cells in the temperature range 5–52°C decreased exponentially at decrease of mass% H₂O and reached zero value at 30.5±3.0 mass% H₂O. The total heat of cell denaturation did not change in the range 98.2–40.5 mass% H₂O and it sharply dropped at lower values of water.