USA - Center for Lung Biology

Mykhaylo V. Ruchko
Instructor
Phone: (251) 460-6791
Fax: (251) 460-6798
mruchko@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

EDUCATION AND DEGREES

1983 - 1988	Kyiv State University, Kyiv, Ukraine, M.Sc. in Biochemistry. Degree thesis "Functional activity of neuron synaptic terminals from rabbit brain in development of light cerebral trauma".
1988 - 1991	Pre-Doctoral Student, Kyiv State University, Department of Biochemistry, Kyiv, Ukraine.
31/01/1992	Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kyiv, Ukraine. Thesis "Activity and properties of protein kinase C in rat lymphoid cells under irradiation in low doses".
25/07 - 8/08/1993	International Training Courses on Radiation Protection: physical, medical-biological, ecological aspects ( Chernobyl disaster and its lessons), JINR, Russian Academy of Sciences, Dubna, Moscow region, Russia. Certificate of Advisory Committee and Organizing Committee

WORK EXPERIENCE

10/2003 - present	Instructor, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA.
08/1998 – 09/2003	Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA.
12/1991 – 08/1998	Research Scientist, Department of Biophysics and Radiobiology, Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv-03143, Ukraine.
09/1992 – 06/1998	Teaching Assistant, Department of Radiobiology, Biological Faculty, Kyiv National University, Kyiv-01601, Ukraine.
08/1988 – 10/1988	Research Technologist, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Faculty, Kyiv State University, Kyiv-01601, Ukraine.

AWARDS

1985 - 1987	A.V.Palladin Scholarship for students
1994 - 1996	Grant of President of Ukraine for Young Scientists
1996 - 1998	Grant of President of Ukraine for Young Scientists

MEMBER OF FOLLOWING SOCIETIES

Ukrainian Biochemical Society - since 1988
American Physiological Society - since 2001

RESEARCH TECHNIQUE EXPERIENCE

Animal Studies - Small animal surgery for isolation of spleen, thymus, lungs, heart and other organs. Rat jugular vein injection technique. Rat lung reperfusion.

Cell Biology - Isolation of lymphoid cells from spleen and thymus. Rat pulmonary endothelial cell and smooth muscle cell culture.

Morphological Studies - Preparation of paraffin embedded tissue sections. Immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry.

Biochemistry - Isolation and purification of proteins from cells and tissue, PAG-electrophoresis, immunoprecipitation and Western blotting, determination of enzyme activities.

Molecular Biology - Isolation and purification of DNA and RNA, agarose gel electrophoresis, Southern- and Northern blotting analysis, RNAse protection assay, plasmid preparation, PCR, RT-PCR, subcloning.

Other Skills - Gel filtration chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, fluorescent-dye technique, microscopy, work with radioisotopes, ecological monitoring, phytoremediation technology.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Role of mitochondrial DNA damage in endothelial cell apoptosis caused by oxidative stress;
Rat pulmonary hypertension model caused by monocrotaline (MCT) pneumotoxicity, role of ornithine-decarboxylase (ODC) and polyamines in lung vessels remodeling;

Apoptosis in lung cells;

Role of extracellular matrix proteins (fibronectin) in monocrotaline injury;

Interaction of ODC with proteins of cytoskeleton and adherence-junction organization;

Cell signaling systems (Ca²⁺, cyclic nucleotides, inositol system, protein kinases) after irradiation in low doses;

The role of cytoskeleton and genes of cytoskeletal proteins in transformation of cells;

Effects of chronic irradiation on genome stability of plant somatic cells;

The expression of metallothionein genes in plants under stress factors.

Use of plant technologies for clean up of soils and waters contaminated with heavy metals and radionuclides;

REFERENCES

Prof. M. N. Gillespie, Ph.D., Chairman of Department of Molecular Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, 307 University Blvd., Mobile, AL 36688, Phone: (251) 460-6784, email: <mgillesp@jaguar1.usouthal.edu>

Prof. J.W. Olson, Ph.D., Department of Molecular Pharmacology, College of Medicine University of South Alabama, 307 University Blvd., Mobile, AL 36688, Phone: (251) 461-1367, email:<jwolson@jaguar1.usouthal.edu>

Prof. T. M. Fan, Ph.D., M.D., Division of Cardiology, Atlanta VA Medical Center, 1670 Clairmont Rd. (111B), Decatur, GA 30033, Phone: (404) 329-4626,email: <tmichaelfan@hotmail.com>

Dr. B.V. Sorochinsky, Ph.D., Head of Laboratory of Cell Radiobiology, Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering, 148 Zabolotnogo St., Kyiv - 03143, Ukraine, email:<bvs@public.icyb.kiev.ua>.

Prof. A.P. Dmitriev, Ph.D., Department of Biophysics and Radiobiology, Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering, 148 Zabolotnogo St., Kyiv - 03143, Ukraine, email:<apd@icbge.freenet.kiev.ua>.

Prof. V.M.Voitsitsky, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry, Kyiv National University, 60 Volodymyrska St., Kyiv - 01601, Ukraine, email:<mirosh@biophysics.freenet.kiev.ua>.

Prof. A.N.Vasiliev, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry, Kyiv National University, 60 Volodyimyirska St., Kyiv - 01601, Ukraine, email:<ira@neuro.kiev.ua>.

PUBLICATIONS (21 full papers.)

List of full papers

1. Parkhomets V.P., Vasiliev A.N., Ruchko M.V. (1989) ³H-Dopamine release in development of experimental light cerebral trauma. J. Neuropathology and Psychology (USSR) 89(5): 34-37 (Russ., Engl. summ.).

2. Ruchko M.V., Slatvinska O.A., Matyshevska O.P., Kucherenko M.E. (1990) An increase of free Ca²⁺ concentration determined by means of quin2 in spleen lymphocytes of irradiated rats. Ukrainian Biochem. J. (USSR) 62(4): 110-113 (Russ, Engl. summ.).

3. Slatvinska O.A., Ruchko M.V., Ostapchenko L.I. (1990) The content of cyclic nucleotides in rat lymphoid cells under irradiation in different doses. Proc. of Ukranian Acad. Sci.(USSR) (12): 60-63 (Russ., Engl. summ.).

4. Parkhomets T.I., Slatvinska O.A., Ruchko M.V., Kucherenko M.E. (1991) Peroxydation of lipids from spleen lymphocytes and thymocytes of rats under X-ray irradiation. Ukrainian Biochem. J. (USSR) 63(4): 107-110 (Russ., Engl. summ.).

5. Kucherenko M.E., Matyshevskaya O.P., Ostapchenko L.I., Parkhomets T.I., Ruchko M.V., Slatvinska O.A. (1991) The content of cyclic nucleotides, free cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ and malonic dialdehyde in rat spleen lymphocytes and thymocytes under irradiation in low doses. Radiobiology (USSR) 31(5): 739-742 (Russ., Engl. summ.).

6. Ostapchenko L.I., Ruchko M.V., Kucherenko M.E. (1991) After-irradiation changes in phosphorylation systems of rat spleen and thymus lymphoid cells. Proc. of Kyiv University. Chem. Biol. Sci. (USSR) 2: 20-24 (Ukr.).

7. Ostapchenko L.I., Ruchko M.V., Kucherenko M.E. (1991) cAMP-dependent phospho-rylation of hystone complexes. Proc. of Kyiv University. Chem. Biol. Sci. (USSR) 3: 28-31 (Ukr.).

8. Ostapchenko L.I., Ruchko M.V., Kucherenko M.E. (1992) Kinetic characteristics of Ca²⁺/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase from lymphocytes of irradiated rats. Proc. of Kyiv University. Chem. Biol. Sci. (Ukraine) 6: 36-38 (Ukr.).

9. Ostapchenko L.I., Ruchko M.V., Kucherenko M.E. (1993) Protein kinase C activation in spleen lymphocytes of control and irradiated rats under mitogen stimulation. Proc. of Kyiv University. Biology (Ukraine) 25: 3-5 (Ukr.).

10. Ruchko M.V., Ostapchenko L.I., Nalevina O.E., Kucherenko M.E. (1994) The effect of various doses of ionizing radiation on the functional activity and mechanisms of the activation of spleen and thymus lymphoid cells under the influence of stimulating signal. Radiation Biology. Radioecology (Russia) 34(2): 247-250 (Russ., Engl. summ.).

11. Sorochinsky B.V., Prokhnevsky A.I., Ruchko M.V. (1996) The molecular mechanisms of the somatic effects of plant irradiation in Chornobyl region. Cytology and Genetics (Ukraine) 30(4): 15-19 (Ukr., Engl. summ.).

12. Grodzinsky D.M., Dushenkov S., Mikheev A.N., Prokhnevsky A.I., Ruchko M.V., Sorochinsky B.V. (1997) Rhizofiltration as a method for clean up of waters polluted with radionuclides. Proc. of Ukranian Acad. Sci. (Ukraine) (8): 189-192 (Russ., Engl. summ.).

13.Grodzinsky D.M., Dushenkov S., Mikheev A.N., Ruchko M.V., Prokhnevsky A.I., Sorochinsky B.V. (1997) Column leaching studies of the Cs-137 increasing mobility in contaminated soils. Proc. of Ukranian Acad. Sci. (Ukraine) (10): 179-182 (Russ., Engl. summ.).

14. Sorochinsky B.V., Dushenkov S., Mikheev A.N., Ruchko M.V., Prokhnevsky A.I. (1998) Decontamination of small ponds in Chernobyl exclusion zone by rhizofiltration. Problems of Chernobyl exclusion zone (Ukraine) 5: 91-96 (Russ., Engl. summ.).

15. Ruchko M.V., Gorodnya O.M., Sorochinsky B.V. (1998) Plant metallothioneins. Ukranian Biochem. J. (Ukraine) 70(6): 24-34 (Russ., Engl. summ.).

16. Dushenkov S., Mikheev A., Prokhnevsky A., Ruchko M. and Sorochinsky B. (1999) Phytoremediation of radiocesium-contaminated soil in the vicinity of Chernobyl, Ukraine. Environ. Sci. Technol. 33: 469-475.

17. Gorodnya O.M., Ruchko M.V., Sorochinsky B.V. (1999) Expression of metallothionein genes in tissues of Pisum sativum under irradiation. Proc. of Kyiv University. Biology (Ukraine) 29: 24-25 (Ukr.).

18. Babal P., Ruchko M., Olson J.W., Gillespie M.N. (2000) Interactions between agmatine and polyamine uptake pathways in rat pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Gen. Pharmacol. 34(4): 255-261.

19. Babal P., Ruchko M., Campbell C., Gilmour S., Mitchell J., Olson J., Gillespie M. (2001) Regulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamine transport by agmatine in rat pulmonary artery endothelial cells. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 296: 372-377.

20. Babal P., Ruchko M., Ault-Ziel K., Cronenberg L., Olson J.W., Gillespie M.N. (2002) Regulation of ornithine decarboxylase and polyamine import by hypoxia in pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 282: L840-L846

21. Ruchko M., Gillespie M.N., Weeks R.S., Olson J.W., Babal P. (2003) Putrescine transport in hypoxic rat main PASMCs is required for p38 MAP kinase activation. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 284: L179-L186