Vol 162, No 2 (2016)

The study examined the dose-dependent effects of selective antagonists of α_2A/D-, α_2B-, and α_2C- adrenoceptors applied in concentrations of 10^—9-10^—5 M on atrial and ventricular contractility of rat myocardium in vitro. Selective blockade of each α₂-adrenoceptor subtype affected the contractile force of the atrial and ventricular strips. Various concentrations of α_2A/D- and α_2C-adrenoceptor antagonists produced positive inotropic effect on ventricular strips and negative effect on atrial strips. α_2B-Adrenoceptor blocker in the majority of the tested concentrations produced a positive inotropic effect in both atria and ventricles.

The main parameters of free radical oxidation and antioxidant defense in the blood plasma, erythrocytes, and homogenates of skeletal muscles, heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys were studied in adult outbred albino male rats with different degree of adaptation to moderate exposure to swimming. The rats were trained to swim regularly over 1 month. Changes in oxidative balance varied in organs and tissues and depended on the level of training. Malonic dialdehyde content in the erythrocytes after swimming increased by 13.8% in non-trained animals, but decreased by 19.2% in trained rats. Parameters of blood plasma reflect the general oxidative balance of organs and tissues.

The period of forming of superficial vascular plexus during physiological retinal angiogenesis was shorter in C57Bl/6 mice. Experiments on the model of oxygen-induced retinopathy showed that avascular and vascularized zones in BALB/c mice on day 17 are smaller than in C57Bl/6 mice are by 5 and 1.5 times, respectively. The obtained results confirmed the importance of phenotype of retinal macrophages in the regulation of processes of both physiological and pathological retinal angiogenesis.

We examined 11 women aged 19-26 years (mean age 22.5±3.5 years) with secondary amenorrhea complaining frequent urination over 1.5 years and repeatedly, but unsuccessful treated for overactive bladder and chronic cystitis. The rare cause of sustained urination disorders in young female patients of reproductive age was established: development of secondary amenorrhea caused by weight loss (“cosmetic” amenorrhea) with subsequent estrogene deficit and urogenital atrophy. Morphological examination of the bladder mucosa, an important clue to the diagnosis, helps to identify the true cause of dysuria, urogenital atrophy of the bladder mucosa, in secondary (“cosmetic”) amenorrhea, and determine future course of etiopathogenic treatment of sustained dysuria in young women. The treatment is often effective in case of proper and timely diagnosis and the absence of irreversible changes.

We studied the possibility of correction of the negative effects of antenatal hypoxia on the liver tissue homeostasis in 7-day-old albino rats by administration of opioid peptides in a dose of 100 μg/kg on postnatal days 2-6. Administration of mixed μ/δ-opioid receptor agonist Dalargin neutralized deviations of gravimetric indicators, parameters of proliferative activity, and activity of the nucleolar apparatus of hepatocytes. Administration of the non-opiate Leu-enkephalin analogue did not normalize gravimetric parameters and nucleolar apparatus parameters, however, it significantly increased the pool of proliferating hepatocytes. Both peptides significantly reduced the intensity of free radical oxidation, improved antioxidant antiradical defense and resistance to peroxidation in the liver tissue of animals subjected to antenatal hypoxia.

The effects of analgesic substances trimeperidine and dexmedetomidine and their combinations in different proportions (0.75:0.25, 0.5:0.5, 0.25:0.75 of the medium effective doses of each substance) on respiratory function was studied in experiments on rats. Administration of substances in 1 ED₅₀ by analgesic effect (corresponded to medium therapeutic dose of trimeperidine in humans) was characterized by significantly longer suppression of respiration over 90 min in comparison with combined treatment with these substances. Administration of the substances in a dose of 8 ED₅₀ by analgesic effect (corresponded to daily therapeutic dose) over 60 min was followed by more than 3-fold reduction in respiration frequency and respiratory minute volume, more pronounced in animals receiving trimeperidine. Combined administration of these drugs in the specifi ed dose induced less pronounced suppression of respiration and combined administration of trimeperidine and dexmedetomidine in proportion of 0.75:0.25 signifi cantly reduced the period of restoration of respiratory parameters in comparison with animals receiving single substances.

Increased frequency of cells with chromosomal aberrations was revealed in 48-h cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated North Ossetia residents with impaired reproductive function. After 2-week treatment with antimutagenic drug Afobazole, the percentage of cells with chromosomal aberrations significantly decreased from 3.77±0.20 to 2.48±0.24% (p<0.001). Significant differences between chromosome damage levels before and after administration of the drug suggest that Afobazole could be recommended for protective purposes to this group of patients.

The effects of anti-CD208 antibodies (mannose receptor) on functional characteristics of peritoneal macrophages were studied in intact mice and mice with lipidemia induced by poloxamer-407. Lipidemia was associated with suppression of phagocytosis and increase in spontaneous proliferative potential and NO production by macrophages. Anti-CD206 antibodies suppressed NO production by macrophages in mice with lipidemia.

The distribution of iron-carbon nanoparticles in FeC-DSPE-PEG-2000 modification (micellar particles with structure (Fe) core-carbon shell; PEG-based coating) is studied. The greater part of the nanoparticles accumulated in the spleen and liver, a small amount in the lungs, and the minimum amount in the thymus. The structural changes in the lymphoid organs were minor and involved only the microcirculatory bed. Analysis of the peripheral blood showed manifest anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukocytosis.

The effects of melatonin, aluminum oxide, and polymethylsiloxane complex on the expression of LYVE-1 (lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor) in the liver were studied in db/db mice with experimental obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The complex or placebo was administered daily by gavage from week 8 to week 16 of life. The animals receiving the complex exhibited enhanced, in comparison with the placebo group, immunohistochemical LYVE-1+ staining of endothelial cells in sinusoids. Enhanced expression of LYVE-1 was associated with less pronounced dilatation of interlobular arteries, veins, and lymphatic vessels. Thee findings suggest a protective effect of the complex towards structural changes in the liver of mice with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Changes in the blood lipid spectrum and structural reorganization of the rat myocardium in response to injection of a single sublethal dose of doxorubicin (7 mg/kg) alone and in combination with course administration of betulonic acid amide (100 mg/kg/day for 14 days) were studied. Betulinic acid amide in the specified dose exhibited less pronounced cardiotoxic (necrobiotic impairment of cardiomyocytes) and dyslipidemic (increase of cholesterol and triglyceride levels) effects in comparison with doxorubicin. Combined treatment with betulinic acid amide and doxorubicin led to more pronounced remodeling of the myocardium, which was shown by a significant increase of the connective tissue/cardiomyocyte volume ratio detected by day 14 of the experiment.

Chronic nickel intoxication caused by parenteral nickel chloride administration (0.5 mg/kg of body weight) to Wistar rats led to ROS generation inducing LPO in erythrocyte membranes and homogenates of renal, liver, and myocardial tissue. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was inhibited, while catalase activity and ceruloplasmin concentration increased. LPO and its products disrupted nitric oxide production and reduced its bioavailability, which led to the development of endothelial dysfunction and impaired microcirculatory hemodynamics. At the same time, damage of cytoplasmic membranes of internal organs (kidney, liver, and myocardium) was revealed, which was seen from reduced Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity in homogenates of these organs and increased serum activity of organ-specific (ALT, AST, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase) and excretory (alkaline phosphatase) enzymes.

Subcutaneous injection of Oxacom with glutathione-bound dinitrosyl iron complex as the active principle produced a slower drop of mean BP and longer accumulation of protein-bound dinitrosyl iron complexes in whole blood and tissues than intravenous injection of this drug, while durations of hypotensive effect in both cases were practically identical. In contrast to intravenous injection of the drug, its subcutaneous administration was not characterized by a high concentration of protein-bound dinitrosyl iron complexes in the blood at the onset of experiment; in addition, accumulation of these NO forms in the lungs was more pronounced after subcutaneous injection than after intravenous one.

We studied the composition of circulating immune complexes precipitated in the presence of various concentrations of polyethylene glycol in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and high concentration of lipoprotein(a) — Lp(a). Precipitation of highly purified Lp(a) preparation with polyethylene glycol was evaluated. The contents of Lp(a), autoantibodies to Lp(a), IgG, and IgM in circulating immune complexes isolated from the sera of donors and CHD patients with normal and high levels of Lp(a) were measured. Circulating immune complexes containing Lp(a) were detected in the plasma of CHD patients with high Lp(a) concentrations. The presence of high concentrations of Lp(a), autoantibodies to Lp(a), and circulating immune complexes in CHD patients suggests that immunological factor contributes to high atherothrombogenicity of Lp(a).

Interactions of bimodal (fluorescent and magnetic) nanoparticles with HeLa cells were studied. The nanoparticles, characterized by high magnetic moment and relaxing capacity, exhibited fluorescence sufficient for their use as labels in confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Penetration of these nanoparticles into the cell depended on their surface charge: positively charged nanoparticles of this structure penetrated inside, while negatively charged particles were not found in the cells.

The levels of anti-Müllerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and testosterone were studied in rats after removal of the uterine horns, oviducts, or combined surgery. The effects of preventive salpingectomy on ovarian reserve were studied. After preventive salpingectomy, the level of anti-Müllerian hormone was low throughout the experiment, follicle-stimulating hormone increased only by the end of observation (on day 40), and testosterone level decreased only on day 10. Hysterectomy alone caused no changes in the concentrations of the studied hormones on day 10 after surgery. Salpingectomy alone reduced the concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone and testosterone and did not change the level of follicle-stimulating hormone during this period.

Consumption of low dose DDT from birth until puberty suppressed functional activity of the thyroid gland in rats and leads to destructive changes in the organ during the postpubertal period with compensatory stimulation of secretory activity of thyrocytes aimed at normalization of thyroxin production.

Short peptides constitute the system of signal molecules regulating the functions of the organism at the molecular, genetic, subcellular, cellular, and tissue levels. One short peptide can regulate dozens of genes, but the molecular mechanism of this process remains unclear. We suppose that short peptides penetrate through the cytoplasmic and nuclear membrane and bind to DNA. Spatial models of DNA—peptide complexes are constructed for 19 short peptides by the docking method. Some peptides have the same binding sites. Peptides KE and EDP bind agat sequence, peptides KEDW and AED to acct sequence, and peptides AEDL and EDL to ctcc sequence.