L. I. Murtazina

Nanoassociate formation in highly diluted water solutions of potassium phenosan with and without permalloy shielding

Abstracts Diluted water solutions of anti-oxidant potassium phenosan, kept before explorations in “usual” conditions and in conditions of “permalloy container”, i.e. shielding of solution from the influence of external low-frequency electromagnetic and/or geomagnetic fields, were studied. It is shown that in solutions kept in shielded conditions in the area of high dilution with a concentration of solutions lower than “threshold”, nanoobjects called “nanoassociates”, are not formed, and anomalous physicochemical and biological properties observed in solutions kept in “usual” conditions, are not found. We conclude that anomalous physicochemical and biological properties of highly diluted water solutions of potassium phenosan made under “usual” conditions are determined by “nanoassociates”, in which an external low-frequency electromagnetic and/or geomagnetic field is a necessary condition of the formation.

Comparative study of self-organization and physicochemical properties of highly diluted aqueous solutions of phenol bioantioxidants

203 Applying a methodological approach suggested by us to different compounds (organic and inorganic salts, amphiphilic and lipophilic compounds), physic ochemical substantiation of the effect of ultralow con centrations and electromagnetic fields has been devel oped for the first time. This substantiation makes it possible to work out a convincing concept of the exist ence of nonlinear changes in physicochemical proper ties (electrical conductivity, surface tension, pH, cata lytic activity) and of the appearance of bioeffects of solutions of biologically active compounds (BACs) in the range of low and ultralow concentrations [1–6]. The effect consists in solute initiated formation of nanosized (D up to 400 nm, ζ potential ranges from –2 to –20 mV) structures (nanoassociates) composed mainly of water molecules in aqueous solutions of dif ferent compounds of ultralow concentration. The change in the nanoassociate parameters (D, ζ poten tial) with a change in the solute concentration corre lates with the concentration induced change in the physicochemical and biological properties of solu tions. Compounds capable and incapable of exhibiting this effect have been discovered. However, it is still unclear how the structure of a compound affects the formation of nanoassociates and physicochemical properties of solutions of low concentration. With the aim of elucidating the effect of the struc ture of a compound on the formation of nanoassoci ates, in this work, we studied the self organization and physicochemical properties of solutions of some 2,6 dialkylphenol derivatives—synthetic potassium phe nosan (1) and Ichphan C 10 (2) and natural α toco pherol (3)—capable of forming nanoassociates [1, 2, 5, 6] and manifesting biological activity in highly diluted aqueous solutions [7–11]. The selected com pounds have a sterically hindered hydroxyl group responsible for the antioxidant properties of com pounds 1–3 and different substituents in the benzene ring responsible for hydrophilicity (1), amphiphilicity (2), and hydrophobicity (3) of these BACs.

Self-organization and properties of dilute aqueous solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in a range of physiologically important temperatures

A combination of physicochemical methods (dynamic light scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis, conductometry, tensiometry, and ESR spectroscopy) revealed that dilute solutions (1•10–3, 1.0•10–4, 1.0•10–7, and 1.0•10–9 mol L–1) of surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) in a temperature range of 25—45 °C are self-organized dispersed systems. As the temperature increases, the systems undergo rearrangements specific for each studied concentration, which is reflected as nonmonotonic temperature dependences of the parameters of domains (1•10–3 and 1.0•10–4 mol L–1) and nanoassociates (1.0•10–7 and 1.0•10–9 mol L–1) and also as interrelated dependences of the conductivity of solutions with extremes at 30, 37, and 40 °C. The ESR experiments show a nonmonotonic decrease in the rotational diffusion correlation time (τcor) of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) in the temperature dependences of τcor with the temperature increase from 25 to 45 °C and the appearance of two to three plateaus, one of which (in a range of 36—40 °C) is observed in the temperature dependences for all studied concentrations.

Influence of spatial isomerism of tetrathiacalix[4]arene functionalized by hydrazide groups on self-organization and physicochemical properties of aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide solutions of low concentration

264 Recently, we have discovered a new phenomenon that opens the way to elucidating the mechanism of the effect of weak action of different nature on living organisms [1–5]. This phenomenon, referred to as “effect of ultralow concentrations and electromag netic fields” [2], consists in the formation of nano sized molecular ensembles, so called nanoassociates, in aqueous solutions of low concentrations. The nanoassociate formation is responsible for the emer gence of unique physicochemical properties of dilute solutions and, which is especially important, corre lates with bioeffects of these solutions [3, 4]. Forma tion of nanoassociates is initiated by a solute under certain conditions, the most essential among which are the presence of external electromagnetic fields and a definite structure of a substance [5].

Sterol binding by methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin and nystatin – comparative analysis of biochemical and physiological consequences for plants

The dependence of membrane function on its sterol component has been intensively studied with model lipids and isolated animal membranes, but to a much lesser extent with plant membranes. Depleting membrane sterols could be predicted to have a strong effect on membrane activity and have harmful physiological consequences. In this study, we characterized membrane lipid composition, membrane permeability for ions, some physiological parameters, such as H2O2 accumulation, formation of autophagosomal vacuoles, and expression of peroxidase and autophagic genes, and cell viability in the roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings in the presence of two agents that specifically bind to endogenous sterols. The polyene antibiotic nystatin binds to endogenous sterols, forming so‐called ‘nystatin pores’ or ‘channels’ in the membrane, and methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin has the capacity to sequester sterols in its hydrophobic core. Unexpectedly, although application of both methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin and nystatin reduced the sterol content, their effects on membrane permeability, oxidative status and autophagosome formation in roots differed dramatically. For comparison, we also tested the effects of the antibiotic gramicidin S, which does not bind to sterols but forms nonspecific channels in the membrane. Gramicidin S considerably increased membrane permeability, caused oxidative stress, and reduced cell viability. Our results suggest that a decrease in the sterol content is, in itself, not sufficient to have deleterious effects on a cell. The disturbance of membrane integrity, rather than the decrease in the sterol content, is responsible for the toxicity of sterol‐binding compounds.

Forming the nanosized molecular assemblies (nanoassociates) is a key to understand the properties of highly diluted aqueous solutions

In the present study it was shown that biological effects of highly diluted aqueous solutions were due to the formation of nano-sized (up to 400 nm) molecular assemblies, called nanoassociates mainly consisting of aqueous molecules (up to 500 million) under the influence of two effectors: solute and external electromagnetic fields.

Effects of sterol-binding agent nystatin on wheat roots: the changes in membrane permeability, sterols and glycoceramides.

Plant sterols are important multifunctional lipids, which are involved in determining membrane properties. Biophysical characteristics of model lipid and isolated animal membranes with altered sterol component have been intensively studied. In plants however, the precise mechanisms of involvement of sterols in membrane functioning remain unclear. In present work the possible interactions between sterols and other membrane lipids in plant cells were studied. A useful experimental approach for elucidating the roles of sterols in membrane activity is to use agents that specifically bind with endogenous sterols, for example the antibiotic nystatin. Membrane characteristics and the composition of membrane lipids in the roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings treated with nystatin were analyzed. The application of nystatin greatly increased the permeability of the plasma membrane for ions and SH-containing molecules and decreased the total sterol level mainly as a consequence of a reduction in the amount of β-sitosterol and campesterol. Dynamic light-scattering was used to confirm the in vitro formation of stable complexes between nystatin and β-sitosterol or cholesterol. Sterol depletion was accompanied by a significant rise in total glycoceramide (GlCer) content after 2h treatment with nystatin. Analysis of the GlCer composition using mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization demonstrated that nystatin induced changes in the ratio of molecular species of GlCer. Our results suggest that changes in the sphingolipid composition can contribute to the changes in plasma membrane functioning induced by sterol depletion.

The relationship between self-organization and membrane effects of aqueous dispersion systems of the thyroliberin oligopeptide

The relationship between rearrangement of the dispersed phase inducing considerable changes in the pH and nonmonotonic concentration dependences of membrane effects in aqueous systems of the endogenous regulatory peptide, thyroliberin (thyrotropin-releasing hormone), in 10–3–10–16 mol/L concentration range was demonstrated for the first time. The membrane structure modification in the 10–13–10–16 mol/L range was found to be due to accumulation of nanoassociates, while the oppositely directed pronounced structural changes in the 10–6–10–12 mol/L range may be associated with the coexistence and rearrangement of dispersed phases of various nature (domains and associates) whose action on membrane lipid components is regulated in this concentration range by the correlated changes in the dispersed phase parameters and pH.

Specifics of self-organization and properties of highly dilute aqueous solutions of polyoxidonium

Using a combination of physicochemical methods (dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering (DLS and ELS, respectively), nanoparticle tracking analysis, atomic force and transmission electron microscopy (AFM and TEM, respectively), UV spectroscopy, conductometry, pH-metry, dielcometry), it was found that dilute solutions of a multicomponent drug immunomodulator polyoxidonium (PO) are nanoheterogeneous disperse systems, with their disperse phase undergoing considerable restructurings when diluting the solution in the range of calculated concentrations from 1∙10–1 to 1∙10–16 mg mL–1, which is reflected in the non-monotonous concentration dependencies of specific electroconductivity, dielectric permittivity, and pH of the solutions. Using ELS, AFM, TEM, and UV spectroscopy methods, it was found that the disperse phase with a size of hundreds of nanometers which forms at concentrations of ≤1∙10–5 mg mL–1, contains organized water structures substantiating the negative values of ζ-potential, which vary non-monotonously from–5 to–16 mV. Radioprotective properties of dilute solutions of PO (1∙10–1 and 1∙10–9 mg mL–1) were demonstrated for the first time when exposing the test mutant bacterial strain Salmonella typhimurium TA 100 (Ames test) to X-ray radiation in a dose of 7.50 mGy used for medical diagnostics.

Synthesis and physicochemical properties of antianemic iron and calcium complexes with sodium polygalacturonate

New stable water-soluble metal complexes of citrus pectin (sodium polygalacturonate, PG-Na) with biogenic microelements (Ca and Fe) that we synthesized were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and atomic force microscopy. The temperature dependence of the mass of PG-Na, PG-NaFe, and PG-NaFeCa samples was studied by simultaneous thermal analysis. Water was found to be the major component of the gas phase in the first stage of mass loss of PG-NaFe and PG-NaFeCa, while the second stage involves decarboxylation and decomposition. The stimulating action of PG-NaFe and PG-NaFeCa on hematopoiesis in outbred rats during growing period, manifested as more than 10% increase in the hemoglobin concentration, was demonstrated.