Hydrochemical and biogeochemical features of freshwater and brackish lakes in eastern Sikhote-Alin

Concentration of major ions and trace metals dissolved and suspended in water and trace metals in plankton of freshwater (Vaskovskoye, Golubichnoye, Yaponskoye) and brackish (Dukhovskoye, Krugloye, Mramornoye, Blagodati) lakes of eastern Sikhote-Alin is determined in July 2011-2012. The Lakes Golubichnoye and Blagodati are included in the Sikhote-Alin State Natural Biosphere Reserve. Anions are detected by the liquid chromatography (Shimadzu LC-10AVP), cations and metals are analyzed by the atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS Shimadzu 6800), and carbon concentration is measured by the method of thermocatalytic oxidation with infrared registration (TOC-VCPN, Shimadzu). The freshwater lakes of eastern Sikhote-Alin are distinguished by heightened concentrations of chlorides, sulfates, and sodium as compared with lakes of East-European Plain, mainly because of aerial transfer of ions from the sea. The ions concentration in brackish lakes is determined by direct penetration of seawater. Difference of the heavy metals concentration between freshwater and brackish lakes is negligible, except the manganese with higher concentration in the freshwater lakes. Lakes with wetlands in their drainage area have high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, iron and manganese, which are depended on water regime. Concentrations of trace metals in the lakes water are low because of its pluvial origin (rainwater transforms slightly in the process of filtration through effusive rocks), with exception of Lake Vaskovskoe located in the area of mining and processing the polymetallic and borosilicate ores, close to the lead smeltery in Rudnaya Pristan stopped in 2009: the lead concentration in the water of this lake is heightened, both in dissolved and suspended forms, though does not exceed the maximal permissible concentration for drinking water. Accumulation of metals by plankton is determined mainly by biological need of the plankton in these elements and practically doesn’t depend on their concentration in water

Pathogenic relations between metabolic and gynecologic disorders in acromegaly: a clinical case report

Acromegaly is a neuroendocrine disorder with multiple comorbidities. In this article, we present a patient with long-term active acromegaly, without clinical remission after repeated neurosurgery and long-term treatment with somatostatin analogue. After the first neurosurgical treatment, cyclic ovarian function improved. Taken together with progressing metabolic disorders, it led to clinical manifestation of adenomyosis, which presented by algomenorrhea, menometrorrhagia and severe anemia. Due to clinical manifestation and extent of the disease, the patient underwent hysterectomy. Histologically we observed adenomyosis II with 2/3 myometrialpenetration. This clinical case highlights the importance of gynecological assessment among patients with acromegaly of late reproductive and premenopausal period

Atp7b-dependent choroid plexus dysfunction causes transient copper deficit and metabolic changes in the developing mouse brain.

Copper (Cu) has a multifaceted role in brain development, function, and metabolism. Two homologous Cu transporters, Atp7a (Menkes disease protein) and Atp7b (Wilson disease protein), maintain Cu homeostasis in the tissue. Atp7a mediates Cu entry into the brain and activates Cu-dependent enzymes, whereas the role of Atp7b is less clear. We show that during postnatal development Atp7b is necessary for normal morphology and function of choroid plexus (ChPl). Inactivation of Atp7b causes reorganization of ChPl' cytoskeleton and cell-cell contacts, loss of Slc31a1 from the apical membrane, and a decrease in the length and number of microvilli and cilia. In ChPl lacking Atp7b, Atp7a is upregulated but remains intracellular, which limits Cu transport into the brain and results in significant Cu deficit, which is reversed only in older animals. Cu deficiency is associated with down-regulation of Atp7a in locus coeruleus and catecholamine imbalance, despite normal expression of dopamine-β-hydroxylase. In addition, there are notable changes in the brain lipidome, which can be attributed to inhibition of diacylglyceride-to-phosphatidylethanolamine conversion. These results identify the new role for Atp7b in developing brain and identify metabolic changes that could be exacerbated by Cu chelation therapy