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Dr. Mark A. Kukucka
Nanotechnology Sales Executive, Danaher
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Nanotechnology Sales Executive, Danaher
education
PhD, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Free-Radical Toxicology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
"Kukucka, Mark A. 1993. Mechanisms by which hypoxia augments Leydig cell viability and differentiated cell function in vitro. Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"
DVM, Veterinary Medicine, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
"Kukucka, Mark A. 1985. Spatial relationships, behavioral patterns and performance levels of group-housed domestic rabbits. Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Maryland."
awards and honors
research summary
Mark is an accomplished biomedical research scientist and physician who has earned four collegiate degrees including two doctorates from Virginia Tech in Veterinary Medicine and Biochemistry with numerous peer-reviewed publications to his credit. Working as a Sales Executive with a major Fortune 500 company, he consults on nanotechnology needs for biological and material scientists employed with academic/pharma/government research labs including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Department of Defense (U.S. Army, Navy & Air Force), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and the Smithsonian Institution to name a few. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, the University of Maryland NanoCenter, the Maryland Aviation Museum and the World Veterinary Association. After joining the Civil Air Patrol (U.S. Air Force auxiliary) in 1975, he quickly rose thru the ranks, received his Solo wings in 1977, was chosen for IACE in 1978, earned the Model Rocketry badge in 1979, awarded a CAP college scholarship in 1980 and capped his CAP cadet career with the achievement of the General Carl A. Spaatz Award in 1981 for which he received a congratulatory letter from former president Richard M. Nixon and a personal meeting with Paul E. Garber (First Curator of the National Air & Space Museum). He currently holds the grade of Captain in the Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron where he serves as the unit’s Aerospace Education Officer and Medical Officer in addition to being a commercial instrument rated CAP pilot.
research projects
Redox potential of oxytocin <---> oxytoceine
Vitamin C (aka ascorbate) is another non-enzymatic antioxidant found in significant levels within the testes. As an antioxidant, ascorbate's primary role is to donate electrons to neutralize reactive species of oxygen including superoxide (to H2O2) and hydroxyl free radicals (to H2O). When ascorbate acts as a scavenger (by donating an electron to a free radical), ascorbate is oxidized in the process to the ascorbate free radical and dehydro-ascorbate. The ascorbate free radical and the dehydro-ascorbate are reduced back to ascorbate either by NADH (catalyzed by semidehydroascorbate reductase and forming NAD) or reduced glutathione (GSH)(catalyzed by dehydroascorbate reductase and forming oxidized glutathione (GSSG)).
n.b. Vitamin C also works along with glutathione peroxidase (a major free radical-fighting enzyme) to revitalize vitamin E.
Interestingly, Kukucka et. al. reported finding significant levels of oxytocin (a disulfide containing octapeptide) in isolated Leydig cells. Kukucka theorized in the introduction of his PhD dissertation that open chain oxytoceine (the reduced form of oxytocin) may also act as a scavenger (by donating an electron to a free radical), oxytoceine may then be oxidized back to oxytocin. As noted above, the ascorbate free radical and
the dehydro-ascorbate are reduced back to ascorbate either by NADH catalyzed by semidehydroascorbate reductase (and forming NAD) or reduced glutathione (GSH) catalyzed by dehydroascorbate reductase (and forming oxidized glutathione (GSSG)).... why couldn't the ascorbate free radical and dehydro-ascorbate be reduced back to ascorbate by reduced oxytoceine (forming closed-ring oxytocin)?
Thus, the redox potential of oxytocin <---> oxytoceine may drive ascorbate <---> dehydro-ascorbate or vice versa as part of the non-enzymatic antioxidant defense system.
With that said:
Could the redox potential of oxytoceine drive the formation of reduced ascorbate and oxytocin.... is this chemistry right?
What is the redox potential of oxytocin <---> oxytoceine?
What is the redox potential of ascorbate <---> dehydro-ascorbate?
n.b. Vitamin C also works along with glutathione peroxidase (a major free radical-fighting enzyme) to revitalize vitamin E.
Interestingly, Kukucka et. al. reported finding significant levels of oxytocin (a disulfide containing octapeptide) in isolated Leydig cells. Kukucka theorized in the introduction of his PhD dissertation that open chain oxytoceine (the reduced form of oxytocin) may also act as a scavenger (by donating an electron to a free radical), oxytoceine may then be oxidized back to oxytocin. As noted above, the ascorbate free radical and
the dehydro-ascorbate are reduced back to ascorbate either by NADH catalyzed by semidehydroascorbate reductase (and forming NAD) or reduced glutathione (GSH) catalyzed by dehydroascorbate reductase (and forming oxidized glutathione (GSSG)).... why couldn't the ascorbate free radical and dehydro-ascorbate be reduced back to ascorbate by reduced oxytoceine (forming closed-ring oxytocin)?
Thus, the redox potential of oxytocin <---> oxytoceine may drive ascorbate <---> dehydro-ascorbate or vice versa as part of the non-enzymatic antioxidant defense system.
With that said:
Could the redox potential of oxytoceine drive the formation of reduced ascorbate and oxytocin.... is this chemistry right?
What is the redox potential of oxytocin <---> oxytoceine?
What is the redox potential of ascorbate <---> dehydro-ascorbate?
links
publications
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A specific high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is described for the reliable quantitation of oxytocin using culture media supernatants. The procedure employs solid-phase extraction, antibody-based immunoaffinity purification and isocratic…
Journal of chromatography. B, Biomedical applications. 1994 Mar 4
Utilization of highly enriched preparations of steroidogenic Leydig cells have proven invaluable for studying the direct effects of various hormones and agents on Leydig cell function in vitro. However, recent work indicates that isolated Leydig cells are …
Molecular and cellular biochemistry. 1993 Sep 8
Leydig cells were isolated from adult male guinea-pig testes using a multi-step procedure involving enzymatic dissociation and Percoll-gradient centrifugation. The following description is the first account of a successful isolation of adolescent guinea-pi…
Andrologia. 1994 Jul-Aug
In recent years, several metabolic roles have been proposed for vitamin C. Recent information suggests a strong causal relationship between high endogenous levels of ascorbic acid and changes in normal reproductive biology. Using highly enriched population…
Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.). 1994 Jul-Aug
Highly purified populations of guinea pig Leydig cells were incubated with a maximally stimulating dose of 100 ng/mL LH for 24 h in the presence of increasing concentrations of sodium ascorbate. Sample supernatants were extracted, concentrated under vacuum…
Archives of andrology. 1992 Sep-Oct
