We have studied the spectral fluorescence and polarization characteristics of Z,Z-bilirubin IXα, at room temperature in chloroform and in aqueous buffer medium, within an equilibrium complex with human serum albumin (HSA), and also under low temperature conditions (T = -100 o C) in isobutyl alcohol. We have observed a bathochromic shift of the fluorescence spectra, which is most pronounced for the bilirubin-albumin complex. The following are considered as possible reasons for the observed dependence of the position of the fluorescence (fluorescence excitation) spectra on the excitation (detection) wavelength: structural and spectral differences between the chromophores making up the bilirubin molecule; conformational heterogeneity of the pigment in solution; a contribution to the fluorescence from molecules which have not completed the vibrational relaxation process; inhomogeneous orientational broadening of the levels; heterogeneity of the microenvironment of the chromophores in the protein matrix. We show that polarized fluorescence of bilirubin occurs at room temperature, due to the anomalously short fluorescence lifetime τ (picosecond or subpicosecond ranges). Despite such a short τ, the absorption and emission polarization spectra suggest the presence of intramolecular nonradiative singlet-singlet energy transfer when bilirubin is excited to high vibrational sublevels of the S 1 state (degree of polarization p = 0.11-0.12). When fluorescence is excited on the long-wavelength slope of the absorption band, no transfer occurs: the degree of polarization (p = 0.46-0.47) is close to the limiting value (p = 0.50). We discuss the question of the role played by exciton interactions between chromophores in the bilirubin molecule when it is excited.
In this work, for the first time, comparative studies of biological activity of low intensity continuous, quasi-continuous and pulsed laser radiation of nano-and picosecond time ranges with the same average power density are carried out. It is shown, that, despite the significant differences in peak values of intensity of acting factor, both continuous and quasi-continuous radiation and radiation of nano-and picosecond ranges are able to have both stimulating and inhibiting effects on all investigated parameters of functional activity of biological systems in a certain range of dose rates.The ability of laser radiation of near infra-red spectral region (800 -1340 nm) located out the absorption bands of main chromophores of cells to have regulatory effect on biochemical processes that control the hatching of branchiopod crustaceans Artemia salina L. upon irradiation of their cysts is revealed. The role of molecular oxygen and water as acceptors of laser radiation is discussed.
In model systems, we have studied side effects which may be induced by light during phototherapy of hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice) in newborn infants, with the aim of reducing the Z,Z-bilirubin IXα (Z,Z-BR IXα) level. We have shown that the sensitizing effect of Z,Z-BR IXα, localized at strong binding sites of the human serum albumin (HSA) macromolecule, is primarily directed at the amino acid residues of the carrier protein and does not involve the molecules of the enzyme (lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) present in the buffer solution. The detected photodynamic damage to LDH is due to sensitization by bilirubin photoisomers, characterized by lower HSA association constants and located (in contrast to native Z,Z-BR IXα) on the surface of the HSA protein globule. Based on study of the spectral characteristics of the photoproducts of Z,Z-BR IXα and comparison of their accumulation kinetics in solution and the enzyme photo-inactivation kinetics, we concluded that the determining role in sensitized damage to LDH is played by lumirubin. The photosensitization effect depends on the wavelength of the radiation used for photoconversion of bilirubin. When (at the beginning of exposure) we make sure that identical numbers of photons are absorbed by the pigment in the different spectral ranges, the side effect is minimal for radiation corresponding to the long-wavelength edge of the bilirubin absorption band. We have shown that for a bilirubin/HSA concentration ratio >2 (when some of the pigment molecules are sorbed on the surface of the protein globule), the bilirubin can act as a photosensitizing agent for the enzyme present in solution. We discuss methods for reducing unfavorable side effects of light on the body of newborn infants during phototherapy of hyperbilirubinemia.Key words: hyperbilirubinemia of newborns, bilirubin, lumirubin, photoisomerization of bilirubin, photoproducts of bilirubin, photodynamic damage, absorption and fluorescence spectra.
Spectral confirmation of the formation of stable equilibrium complexes (association constant K as = 2⋅10 6 M −1 ) of the Krebs cycle enzyme -malate dehydrogenase (MDH) -and one of the promising photodynamic sensitizers -chlorin e 6 -have been obtained. It is shown that the incorporation of dye molecules into the protein globule of dimeric MDH (each subunit of which contains 4 tryptophan amino acid residues, each binding one molecule of chlorin e 6 ) is accompanied by quenching of the tryptophan fluorescence of the enzyme. However, despite the overlapping of the fluorescence spectra of tryptophanyls of MDH and the absorption spectrum of chlorin e 6 , the fluorescence quenching observed is not caused by singlet-singlet inductive-resonant transfer of energy from the donor to the acceptor. The conclusion has been drawn that the reason for the absence of energy transfer from tryptophanyls to the dye is the more effective intertryptophan migration of energy to one of the most "longwave" amino acid residues, the quenching of the luminescence of which occurs due to the reversible photoinduced transfer of an electron to chlorin e 6 (formation of a complex with charge transfer). The formation of a complex with charge transfer between chlorin e 6 (when it is excited) and one of the amino acid residues of the enzyme that contact with the dye at its binding site on the protein molecule is also the most noncontradictory explanation of the observed (when bound with MDH) decrease in the quantum yield of fluorescence of chlorin e 6 upon increase in the duration of its quenching. The question of the ability of MDH to act as one of the most sensitive targets responsible for the disturbance of mitochondrial functions and initiation of the apoptosis of tumor cells in the process of photodynamic therapy is discussed.
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