PLANTS OF GENERA <i>GENISTA </i>L. AS PROMISING SOURCES OF PLANT RAW MATERIALS FOR THE CREATION OF NEW DRUG

The review presents the geographical distribution, botanical description, chemical composition, information about the use in medicine and the study of the pharmacological activity of the representatives of the genus Genista L. It is shown that the plants of the genus are widely distributed on the territory of the Russian Federation, however, it is rather difficult to systematize the plants of the genus of interest on the basis of morphological characters, since they have an extensive habitat and, accordingly, the morphological characteristics of one species vary greatly within the range. Plants of the genus have a rich composition of biologically active substances. At the same time, an analysis of literature data on products of the secondary metabolism of species of the genus Genista revealed an uneven degree of their knowledge. Infusions and decoctions from the grass of Genista are used in folk medicine as a diuretic, choleretic and laxative, and an analysis of literary sources showed that plants of the genus are promising in various pathologies. The authors of the review showed the need for a complex morphological, anatomical, phytochemical, and molecular genetic study of plants of the genus Genista to clarify the taxonomy and introduction into medical practice

The influence of xenon-therapy on tolerance of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with single brain metastasis

Objective: to study the tolerance of radiotherapy by adding the boost and the xenon-therapy during the whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in patients with single brain metastasis. Materials and methods: the study involved 60 patients divided in the 3 equal groups (20 people in each group) where the treatment varied according the methods of the adjuvant radiotherapy. The patients in the first group were assigned to receive WBRT alone, in the second group — WBRT and the boost to tumor bed, in the third group — WBRT and the boost in combination with the xenon-oxygen inhalations. The quality of life, the toxic and adaptation reaction, the psychological status and the electrical activity of the brain during the treatment were also included in the research. Results: the increase of side-effects of the treatment and the quantity of stress-reactions occurred during WBRT in combination with the boost. But the use of xenon allowed to level all the negative reactions and even to improve some of physiological and psychological parameters. The xenon-oxygen inhalations led to the decrease of intensity of situational anxiety and depression. There was also a reduction in delta-activity level according to EEG and a return of the other rhythms to baseline levels which was lacking in the other groups. Conclusions: the use of the xenon-therapy in combination with WBRT by the developed methods allows to improve the quality of life in patients with radiation treatment, as well as to reduce the degree of the intensity of side and toxic reactions. The results of objective methods at the trial demonstrate the stresseless and radioprotective effects of xenon

Theory of health: successful translation into the real life

The paper reveals logical relationships between events, facts and results of research studies and exemplary materials of practical applications of the adaptational reactions. It is demonstrated that the stress reaction by H. Selye and the anti-stressor type adaptational reactions by L. Kh. Garkavi, E.B. Kvakina and M.A. Ukolova have become the cornerstone in development of scientifically grounded approaches to control of the organism states

Methodological fundamentals of experimental magneto-therapy of tumors (historical essay)

The paper highlights the key stages on the way of a proper understanding of the magnetic field anti-tumor influence mechanisms on the level of an organism as an integrated system and its individual subsystems. The experiments in animals have shown that the processes of the malignant tumor growth inhibition are closely related to the formation of the stable state of the activation reaction at high reactivity levels. It is noted that the induction of such adaptational reaction depends on a specified selection of parameters of exposure intensities and magnetic field frequency, taking into account the law of nonlinearity of an exposure effect and adequacy with endogenous rhythms

Interfacial dominated ferromagnetism in nanograined ZnO: a μSR and DFT study

Diamagnetic oxides can, under certain conditions, become ferromagnetic at room temperature and therefore are promising candidates for future material in spintronic devices. Contrary to early predictions, doping ZnO with uniformly distributed magnetic ions is not essential to obtain ferromagnetic samples. Instead, the nanostructure seems to play the key role, as room temperature ferromagnetism was also found in nanograined, undoped ZnO. However, the origin of room temperature ferromagnetism in primarily non–magnetic oxides like ZnO is still unexplained and a controversial subject within the scientific community. Using low energy muon spin relaxation in combination with SQUID and TEM techniques, we demonstrate that the magnetic volume fraction is strongly related to the sample volume fraction occupied by grain boundaries. With molecular dynamics and density functional theory we find ferromagnetic coupled electron states in ZnO grain boundaries. Our results provide evidence and a microscopic model for room temperature ferromagnetism in oxides

Whole-genome sequencing identifies a novel ABCB7 gene mutation for X-linked congenital cerebellar ataxia in a large family of Mongolian ancestry

X-linked congenital cerebellar ataxia is a heterogeneous nonprogressive neurodevelopmental disorder with onset in early childhood. We searched for a genetic cause of this condition, previously reported in a Buryat pedigree of Mongolian ancestry from southeastern Russia. Using whole-genome sequencing on Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform, we found a missense mutation in the ABCB7 (ABC-binding cassette transporter B7) gene, encoding a mitochondrial transporter, involved in heme synthesis and previously associated with sideroblastic anemia and ataxia. The mutation resulting in a substitution of a highly conserved glycine to serine in position 682 is apparently a major causative factor of the cerebellar hypoplasia/atrophy found in affected individuals of a Buryat family who had no evidence of sideroblastic anemia. Moreover, in these affected men we also found the genetic defects in two other genes closely linked to ABCB7 on chromosome X: a deletion of a genomic region harboring the second exon of copper-transporter gene (ATP7A) and a complete deletion of PGAM4 (phosphoglycerate mutase family member 4) retrogene located in the intronic region of the ATP7A gene. Despite the deletion, eliminating the first of six metal-binding domains in ATP7A, no signs for Menkes disease or occipital horn syndrome associated with ATP7A mutations were found in male carriers. The role of the PGAM4 gene has been previously implicated in human reproduction, but our data indicate that its complete loss does not disrupt male fertility. Our finding links cerebellar pathology to the genetic defect in ABCB7 and ATP7A structural variant inherited as X-linked trait, and further reveals the genetic heterogeneity of X-linked cerebellar disorders