Biologičeskie membrany
ISSN (print): 0233-4755
Media registration certificate: ПИ № ФС 77 – 77276 от 05.12.2019
Founder: Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Editor-in-Chief: Kolesnikov Stanislav Sergeevich
Number of issues per year: 6
Indexation: RISC, RISC Core, Higher Attestation Commission list, RSCI, White List (3d level), Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection (Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE))
The journal publishes both original experimental and theoretical works and reviews that highlight the physicochemical aspects of membrane and cell biology: molecular mechanisms of membrane transport, receptor systems and intracellular signaling, cellular functions and pathologies associated with cell membranes, as well as fundamental biomedical research, including those devoted to membrane aspects of physiology, pharmacology, and immunology.
The journal was founded in 1984.
Current Issue



Vol 40, No 5 (2023)
Articles
Рецепторы и внутриклеточная сигнализация 2023 г. Итоги конференции



Action of Serotonin Precursor Synthesis 5-Oxytryptophan on EPSP Recorded in Premotor Interneurons of Snail after Formation of Conditioned Defensive Reflex
Abstract
A quantitative study of subthreshold excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP) recorded intracellularly in giant premotor interneurons of the terrestrial snail was carried out after the formation of a conditioned defensive reflex of food aversion in snails with increased level of serotonin. The results showed a significant increase in the number of low-amplitude EPSP with an amplitude from 0.3 to 0.5 mV in the giant premotor interneurons of defensive behavior after learning and increasing the level of serotonin. The observed increase in the number of EPSP may indicate either an increase in the number of action potentials in the corresponding presynaptic neurons or an increase in the amplitudes of the EPSP that were previously undetectable.



Assessment of the Toxic Effect of 2-(Chlorodinitromethyl)-4-Methoxy-6-(4-Methylpiperazine-1-yl)-1,3,5-Triazine by Respiratory Activity of Lymphocytes
Abstract
A method for evaluation of metabolic characteristics of intact cells based on electrochemical registration of their respiratory activity was used to monitor a reaction of lymphocytes to a potential pharmacological agent, 2-(chlorodinitromethyl)-4-methoxy-6-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine. The method ensured an estimation of cytotoxicity of the test compound and made it possible to determine its minimum toxic concentrations for human lymphocytes. It was shown that the obtained results agree with the data of a reference method – MTT-based cell viability assay.



Spectral Characteristics of the Plant Cell Surface: Occurrence of Azulenes and Biogenic Amines
Abstract
Spectral properties of the surface of plant cells at various evolutionary levels from unicellular (diatoms, horsetail, and fern spores) to multicellular (woody and herbaceous species) organisms have been studied. It was shown that the surface layers of the cuticle and cell wall of a number of analyzed plants included antioxidants – blue pigments azulenes. Using histochemical methods, it was found that neurotransmitter compounds – biogenic amines – are present as excretions on the entire surface or specialized secretory structures of leaves. Under conditions of high salt concentration, dopamine and histamine are secreted, which is blocked by the addition of exogenous azulene and proazulene grosshemine. It is assumed that the azulene-containing surface protects cells from the formed reactive oxygen species and biogenic amines that are toxic at high concentrations.



Analysis of the Role of Piezo1 Channels in Mechano-Anabolic Coupling in Rat Soleus Muscle
Abstract
It is known that mTORC1-dependent pathway is involved in the activation of muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy in response to mechanical stress. However, mechanosensors that mediate sensing and transmission of mechanical signals to the mTORC1 signaling pathway (mechanotransduction) are not yet identified. Mechanically activated (MA) ion channels are viewed as potential candidates for the role of such sarcolemmal mechanosensors. The aim of our work was to investigate the potential role of MA channels (Piezo1) in the activation of the mTORC1 pathway in the isolated rat soleus muscle in response to mechanical stress. Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: 1) “Control” (isolated muscles were not exposed to MA channel inhibitor or Piezo1 channel activator); 2) “Gadolinium” (muscles were incubated with MA channel inhibitor, gadolinium chloride); 3) “Yoda” (muscles were incubated with Yoda1, Piezo1 activator). In rats from each group, the soleus from the left limb was incubated in the appropriate solution without mechanical stress in the form of a passive stretching, and the soleus from the right limb was subjected to passive stretching and then incubated in the appropriate solution. Phosphorylation of mTORC1 targets (p70S6K, rpS6, 4E-BP1) in rat soleus was determined by PAGE and immunoblotting. After passive stretching of the isolated soleus muscle there was an increase in phosphorylation of p70S6K, its substrate, rpS6, as well as 4E-BP1, by 38.5%, 168%, and 112%, respectively, compared to the soleus muscle that was not subjected to stretching. Incubation of the muscles with gadolinium completely prevented the activation of mTORC1 markers caused by stretching. Incubation of the soleus muscle in the solution with Yoda1 resulted in a decrease in the mechano-dependent phosphorylation of p70S6K, rpS6, and 4E-BP1 compared to a muscle that was not exposed to Yoda1. Thus, Piezo1 channels do not appear to play a role in the activation of mTORC1 signaling in rat soleus muscle in response to passive stretching.



Influence of Sex Hormones on the ABCG2 Transport Protein in Caco-2 Cells
Abstract
Protein ABCG2 (BCRP, breast cancer resistance protein) is an efflux transmembrane protein involved in the transport of endo- and exogenous substances, as well as in the development of tumor resistance to chemotherapy. In this work, the influence of sex hormones progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone on the relative amount of ABCG2 in Caco-2 cells was studied, as well as the role of orphan receptors (farnazoid X receptor (FXR), constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), hepatic X receptor subtype alpha (LXRa)) in this process. The amount of ABCG2 was assessed by Western blot. Hormones were used at concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 µM, exposure time was 24 h. All hormones at all concentrations caused an increase in the amount of ABCG2. Inhibition of PXR and FXR prevented the increase in ABCG2 under the action of progesterone. Suppression of CAR and PXR reduced ABCG2 levels with estradiol compared with estrogen exposure alone, but still the transporter level was higher than in controls. Inhibition of PXR and FXR reduced the effect of testosterone; however, the level of the transporter exceeded the control values. Thus, our study showed that all sex hormones at all concentrations used increased the amount of ABCG-2, that CAR and PXR are involved in the implementation of the action of estradiol, and that FXR and PXR are involved in the implementation of the effects of testosterone and progesterone.



Ethylmethylhydroxypyridine Succinate Limits Stress-Induced Neuroinflammation in the Cerebral Cortex of Old Rats
Abstract
In the aging and the development of age-associated diseases, the trigger mechanism is the hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal neuroendocrine axis, hypersecretion of glucocorticoids, which, under excessive and long-term stimulation, have inflammatory and degenerative effects. Chronic stress exacerbates glucocorticoid-dependent atrophic changes in the aging brain, increases neuroinflammation and neurological dysfunction, and is a key risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. In the correction of aseptic neuroinflammation in elderly and senile patients, the use of anti-inflammatory agents that exhibit anti-glucocorticoid (pro-anabolic) and anti-glutamate (anti-excitotoxic) effects is pathogenetically justified. Succinate/SUCNR1 signalling is involved in the development of immunomodulatory, trophic, and antihypoxic effects; however, its role in the mechanisms of the stress response remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to assay the impact of succinate/SUCNR1 signalling on the development of stress-induced neuroinflammation in the cerebral cortex of old rats. The work was performed on outbred albino male rats at the age of 18 months. Chronic restraint stress was modelled by immobilizing animals in individual plastic cases for 6 h daily for 5 days. Mexidol (2-ethyl-6-methyl-3-hydroxypyridine (EMHP) succinate) was used as a form of succinate that crosses the blood-brain barrier. Mexidol was administered intraperitoneally to old rats at a dose of 100 mg/kg daily for 5 days 15 min before the onset of stress. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α), anti-inflammatory cytokines (TGF-β1, IL-10), glucocorticoid receptors (GRα), transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α, succinate receptor SUCNR1/GPR91, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were determined by immunoblotting in cerebral cortex (CC) samples. It was shown that chronic immobilization stress caused an increase in the level of IL-1β and TNF-α during stress, which was accompanied by a decrease in the content of anti-inflammatory cytokines, SUCNR1, GRα, PGC-1α. The course administration of EMHP succinate limited the development of stress-induced neuroinflammation in the CC of old rats and prevented a decrease in the levels of SUCNR1, IL-10, TGF-β1, PGC-1α, and GRα. The study reveals for the first time the stress-protective potential of succinate/SUCNR1 signalling in the brain of old rats associated with the activation of PGC-1α-dependent anti-inflammatory mechanisms under conditions of chronic stress.



The Study of the Mechanism of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Inhibitory Effect on the Myotube Formation Process in Cell Culture
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is commonly regarded as a signaling molecule in CNS synapses, where it plays the role of the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mature brain and is involved in the process of neurogenesis. Recently, data have been obtained indicating that GABA can also be involved in the early stages of the skeletal muscle development process. In the present study performed on rat cultured myocytes, we a-nalyzed the effect of exogenous GABA on the process of myocyte fusion into myotubes as assessed by the morphometric parameter “fusion index”. Addition of GABA to the cell culture resulted in a significant concentration-dependent inhibition, up to complete cessation, of myotube formation. Of possible proteins that can mediate this effect, GABAA receptors and GABA transporters (GAT-2) have been considered. Evidence of the presence of these proteins on cultured cells was obtained by immunohistochemistry methods. The blockade of GABAA receptors by gabazine had no effect on the fusion index, and GABA exerted its inhibitory effect in the presence of gabazine. Inhibition of GABA transporters by nipecotic acid, in itself, reduced the myocyte fusion index; however, there was no effect of GABA in the presence of this blocker of GABA transporters. The data obtained are consistent with the hypothesis about the participation of GABA in the early stages of skeletal muscle development. Results suggest that the inhibitory effect of exogenous GABA may be due to an increase in its concentration in the sarcoplasm, since both the addition of a GABA transporter inhibitor and an increase in the extracellular concentration of GABA inhibited the formation of myotubes.



Involvement of the Mitochondrial Ca2+-Independent Phospholipase iPLA2 in the Induction of Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore by Long-Chain Acylcarnitines
Abstract
It is known that activated derivatives of long-chain fatty acids acylcarnitines (LCAC) are considered the most toxic, which, along with calcium, can participate in the induction of mitochondrial permeability transition pore, involving various types of phospholipases in the complex mechanisms of pore activation. In this work, we investigated the influence of different inhibitors of phospholipases and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT1) on the induction of mitochondrial permeability transition pore by D,L-palmitylcarnitine (PC, C16:0). In the experiments on isolated rat liver mitochondria, the effects of PC on mitochondrial respiration rate, mitochondrial potential (ΔΨm), and mitochondrial swelling were examined. It was shown that the application of the inhibitors of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (Etomoxir 2), Ca2+-dependent phospholipase cPLA2 (Aristolochic acid), or Ca2+-independent phospholipase iPLA2γ ((R/S)-bromoenol lactone (BEL) and PACOCF3) caused an increase in the critical concentrations of D,L-palmitylcarnitine (PC*) required for ΔΨm dissipation and mitochondrial swelling. The most pronounced protective effect was caused by PACOCF3 and BEL. In state 3 of respiration (ADP + Mg2+ + hexokinase), Etomoxir 2 and Aristolochic acid enhanced respiration inhibition induced by excess D,L-palmitylcarnitine and promoted dissipation of ΔΨm, while-the inhibitors of iPLA2γ prevented the dissipation of ΔΨm evoked by D,L-palmitylcarnitine and caused an increase in the rate of mitochondrial respiration. Thus, the results obtained indicate the involvement of mitochondrial iPLA2γ in the induction of mitochondrial permeability transition pore by long-chain acylcarnitines.



Effects of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin on Differentiation and Functional Activity of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells
Abstract
The effect of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) at concentrations of 10 and 100 MU/mL, typical for pregnancy, on differentiation and functional activity of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) was investigated. The subject of the study was isolated cells CD11b+ that acquired the MDSC phenotype as a result of two-step activation with cytokines GM-CSF and IL-1β and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). It was shown that hCG at both concentrations significantly increased the total MDSC pool and at a lower concentration (10 IU/mL) promoted differentiation of the M-MDSC subpopulation. At the same time, 100 MU/mL hCG had no effect on the expression of arginase-1 and indolamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in MDSCs, but at a concentration of 10 IU/mL there was a tendency to increase IDO expression under the influence of hCG. When the cytokine profile was evaluated by multiplex analysis using Luminex xMAP technology, it was found that hCG did not modulate cytokine production in the CD11b+ cell culture. Thus, this work demonstrates for the first time that hCG can induce MDSC differentiation.



ОБЗОРЫ
Role of Nitric Oxide and Hydrogen Sulfide in Neuronal and Glial Cell Death in Neurodegenerative Processes
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is a complex progressive pathological process leading to the neuronal death, which is induced by various external and internal factors. Neurodegenerative diseases, injuries of the central and peripheral nervous system, mental disorders, and a number of other pathological conditions, accompanied by functional and structural degradation of neurons and their death, is a serious problem in the global healthcare system, as due to these diseases millions of people around the world become disabled or die every year. The situation is complicated by the lack of selective, clinically effective neuroprotective drugs. It has been shown that nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are actively involved in neurodegeneration and cell death of neurons and glia, but their role is not completely clear. This review considers NO- and H2S-dependent signaling mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative processes. The prospects for further studies of the role of NO and H2S in the nervous tissue under conditions of pathological conditions associated with neurodegeneration are considered.



Modern Trends of the Application of Stem Cells and Their Derivatives during Cryopreservation of Animal Sperm
Abstract
Cryopreservation is an important method for preserving sperm from various organisms. However, freezing gametes often leads to various types of cell damage, which affects the outcome of artificial insemination. After thawing, spermatozoa usually have ultrastructural, biochemical and functional changes such as cell membrane and chromatin damage and oxidative stress. Since spermatozoa have limited biosynthetic capacity, they have a low capacity to regenerate. The current trend is to improve the sperm cryopreservation regime using natural extracellular vesicles and stem cells. Extracellular vesicles and stem cells have a potential regenerative effect, as they contain various biologically active molecules affecting sperm repair. This review focuses on current strategies to improve sperm health after cryopreservation. In particular, this review describes the results of studies on the use of extracellular vesicles and stem cells as cryoprotectors during freezing and thawing of spermatozoa.


