Cyclic nucleotides in tissues during long-term hypokinesia

Male Wistar rates were kept hypokinetic by placing them in small containers for 22 days. Blood plasma cAMP content was subsequently found increased, and cGMP content decreased, in the experimental animals. Liver and thymus cAMP content was similar in the control and experimental animals. There was a 20 and 38% decrease of cAMP content in the kidneys and spleen, respectively. Hypokinesia's reduction of cyclic nucleotides seems to inhibit RNA and protein synthesis

Experiment K-6-16. Morphological examination of rat testes. The effect of Cosmos 1887 flight on spermatogonial population and testosterone level in rat testes

Testes from rats flown on Cosmos 1887 for twelve and a half days were compared to basal control, synchronous control and vivarium maintained rats. When the mean weights of flight testes, normalized for weight/100 gms, were compared to the vivarium controls they were 6.7 percent lighter. Although the flight testes were lighter than the synchronous, the difference is not significant. Counts of spermatogonial cells from 5 animals in each group revealed a 4 percent decrease in flight compared to vivarium controls. In both cases the t-Test significance was less than 0.02. The serum testosterone levels of all animals (flight, synchronous and vivarium) were significantly below the basal controls

Changes of the body functions during long-term hypokinesia

Prolonged hypokinesis (100-170 days) studied in 2000 rats kept in cages limiting their mobility provoked considerable changes in the gaseous and energetic metabolism: an elevation of the total gaseous metabolism and of the rate of O2 requirement by the muscles (in the late periods of hypokinesis) and a change in the intensity of tissue respiration of the liver and myocardium. There also proved to be a reduction in the level of phosphorylation and separation of oxidative phosphorylation in the myocardium, liver, and partially in the skeletal muscle. Prolonged hypokinesia led to changes in tissue metabolism: a disturbance of development of the animals, a marked delay and an increase in the weight of the organism and the muscular system, and disturbances of the mineral and protein metabolism. Prolonged hypokinesis also lead to exhaustion of the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal cortex system

Single Prolonged Stress as a Prospective Model for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Females

Sex plays an important role in susceptibility to stress triggered disorders. Posttraumatic Stress disorder (PTSD), a debilitating psychiatric disorder developed after exposure to a traumatic event, is two times more prevalent in women than men. However, the vast majority of animal models of PTSD, including single prolonged stress (SPS), were performed mostly with males. Here, we evaluated SPS as an appropriate PTSD model for females in terms of anxiety, depressive symptoms and changes in gene expression in the noradrenergic system in the brain. In addition, we examined intranasal neuropeptide Y (NPY) as a possible treatment in females. Female rats were subjected to SPS and given either intranasal NPY or vehicle in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, stressed females were compared to unstressed controls on forced swim test (FST) and for levels of expression of several genes in the locus coeruleus (LC) 12 days after SPS exposure. Using a separate cohort of animals, experiment two examined stressed females and unstressed controls on the elevated plus maze (EPM) and LC gene expression 7 days after SPS stressors. SPS led to increased anxiety-like behavior on EPM and depressive-like behavior on FST. Following FST, the rats displayed elevated tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), CRHR1 and Y1R mRNA levels in the LC, consistent with increased activation of the noradrenergic system. The expression level of these mRNAs was unchanged following EPM, except Y1R. Intranasal NPY at the doses shown to be effective in males, did not prevent development of depressive or anxiety-like behavior or molecular changes in the LC. The results indicate that while SPS could be an appropriate PTSD model for females, sex differences, such as response to NPY, are important to consider

Reproductive parameters and the use of MOET in transgenic founder goat carrying the human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (hG-CSF) gene.

Abstract: This study aimed to monitor estrous cycle parameters of a human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (hG-CSF)-transgenic founder female goat and to perform superovulation and embryo recovery (surgical or transcervical method) for further transfer to recipients to quickly obtain offspring. Two experiments were performed using a transgenic (TF) and a non-transgenic (NTF) female. In experiment 1, three estrous cycles were monitored for the following parameters: estrus behavior, progesterone concentration and ovarian activity. In experiment 2, two superovulation/embryo recovery sessions were performed and the recovered embryos were transferred to previously prepared recipients. Data were compared by either t test or Fisher's exact test. The mean interval between natural estrus was 20.7 ± 0.6 and 19.7 ± 0.6 (P > 0.05) days for the TF and NTF, respectively. Progesterone concentrations and ovarian activity were normal and similar between goats. The ovulation rate was similar between TF and NTF (12.0 ± 1.4 vs. 18.0 ± 4.2 CL; P > 0.05). No significant differences in embryo recovery rate (P > 0.05) were observed between the surgical and transcervical methods for TF (69.2 vs. 72.7%) or NTF (100.0 vs. 86.7%). Sixteen embryos from the TF were transferred to recipients, and eight kids were born. Among these kids, the transgene was identified in three (two males and one female), resulting in a transgenesis rate of 37.5%. In summary, the TF is a true founder, since she proved fertility and capacity of transmitting the hG-CSF transgene to progeny, suggesting that the analyzed reproductive traits were not compromised by the presence of the transgene

Результаты III фазы клинических исследований препарата радахлорин для фотодинамической терапии предрака и начального рака шейки матки

The results of clinical study for efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with radachlorine in patients with pre-cancer and cancer of cervix are represented. The study enrolled 30 patients including 4 patients with cervical erosion, 5 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II, 13 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III, 4 patients with carcinoma in situ and 4 patients with cervical cancer stage Ia. Radachlorine was administrated as single 30 minute intravenous injection at dose of 1,0 mg/kg of body weight 3 h before irradiation (wavelength of 662 nm, light dose of 300–350 J/cm2). The results of treatment in 26 (86,7%) patients was assessed as complete tumor regression and in 4 (13,3%) patients — as partial regression. In cervical erosion, intraepithelial neoplasia II and carcinoma in situ groups total regression was in all cases. In the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III group total regression after first course of PDT was achieved in 77% of patients, in cervical cancer stage Ia group – in 75% of patients. From 3 to 6 months after first course of treatment all patients with partial tumor regression underwent the second course of PDT with complete regression. There were no side-effects due to radachorine or PDT in the course of treatment and during follow-up. Thus, PDT with Russian photosensitizer radachlorine showed high efficiency for treatment of pre-cancer and cancer of cervix. Приведены результаты клинического исследования эффективности фотодинамической терапии (ФДТ) с препаратом радахлорин у пациенток с предопухолевой и опухолевой патологией шейки матки. В исследование включено 30 пациенток, в том числе с эрозией шейки матки – 4 пациентки, с дисплазией II ст. – 5 пациенток, с дисплазией III ст. – 13 пациенток, с carcinoma in situ – 4 пациентки и с диагнозом рак шейки матки Ia ст. – 4 пациентки. Радахлорин вводили однократно внутривенно посредством 30-минутной инфузии в дозе 1,0 мг/кг массы тела за 3 ч до проведения облучения (длина волны 662 нм, плотность энергии 300–350 Дж/см2). Результат лечения у 26 (86,7%) пациенток оценен, как полная регрессия опухоли, у 4 (13,3%) – как частичная регрессия. В группах с клиническим диагнозом эрозия шейки матки, дисплазия II ст. и carcinoma in situ полная регрессия отмечена во всех наблюдениях. В группах с дисплазией III ст. полная регрессия после первого курса ФДТ достигнута у 77% пациенток, с диагнозом рак шейки матки Ia ст. – у 75% больных. У всех больных с частичной регрессией был проведен второй курс ФДТ в срок от 3 до 6 мес после первого курса, после чего была зарегистрирована полная регрессия. В процессе лечения и при последующем наблюдении не было зарегистрировано каких-либо нежелательных реакций, связанных с применением радахлорина или проведением ФДТ. Таким образом, ФДТ с отечественным фотосенсибилизатором радахлорин показала высокую эффективность в лечении предопухолевой и опухолевой патологии шейки матки.

Morphophysiological alterations caused by insertional mutagenesis of contactin 5 (Cntn5) gene in transgenic mice

Transgenesis has become a routine for modern biological studies. The most popular method for producing transgenic animals–pronuclear microinjection–frequently leads to host gene disruption due to a random transgene integration. In this paper, we report our analysis of morphophysiological parameters of the transgenic mouse line GM9, in which a transgene designed for milk-specific expression of the human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene was integrated into the intron of the Contactin 5 gene (Cntn5). We studied Cntn5 expression with RT-PCR and discovered that its expression in the brain, the primary organ of Cntn5 activity, was unperturbed. However, transgenic animals had less Cntn5 transcripts in other tissues such as the kidney and heart. In addition, we observed a decreased amount of splice variants of Cntn5 exons that flank the transgene integration site. These data suggest that the transgene integration event might affect proper Cntn5 splicing in some tissues. Publications exist that imply that some polymorphisms in the Cntn5 gene are associated with obesity and arterial hypertension in humans. We evaluated core parameters of lipid metabolism and heart activity in mice homozygous and heterozygous for Cntn5 mutation using wild- type animals as control. Our results uncovered that homozygous mutant mice have lower body weight than controls and that it is caused by slower accumulation of fat tissue. Cntn5 mutants also exhibit abnormalities in blood circulation: homozygous Cntn5 mutants are characterized by a higher blood pressure and heart beat rate, as well as faster blood flow in the tail vessels. Heterozygous animals showed intermediate results for all of these parameters

ОПЫТ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ ДВУХЭНЕРГЕТИЧЕСКОЙ КОМПЬЮТЕРНОЙ ТОМОГРАФИИ У ПАЦИЕНТА С МОЧЕКАМЕННОЙ БОЛЕЗНЬЮ

We presented a clinical case of dual-energy computed tomography in a patient with urolithiasis. Was performed a complex evaluation of the specific parameters obtained in dual-energy computed tomography: dual-energy ratio, dual-energy difference, dual-energy index, Z effective and the chemical composition of the urinary stone in a patient in vivo to determine the tactics of surgical treatment and metaphylaxis.Представлено клиническое наблюдение применения двухэнергетической компьютерной томографии (ДЭКТ) у пациента с мочекаменной болезнью. Проведена комплексная оценка специфических показателей, полученных при ДЭКТ: двухэнергетическое отношение, двухэнергетическая разность, двухэнергетический индекс, эффективный атомный номер (Zeff), а также определен физико-химический состав мочевого камня у пациента в предоперационном периоде для выбора оптимального хирургического пособия и метафилактики

Features of the microbiota of the cervical canal in pregnant women and puerperaswith inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs

The articledeals the qualitative composition of the microbiota of the cervical canal in pregnant women and puerperas who are hospitalized with inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs.В статье рассмотрен качественный состав микробиоты цервикального канала у беременных женщин и родильниц, находящихся на стационарном лечении с воспалительными заболеваниями органов малого таза