Water Immersion as a Model of Hypogravity.

We studied the effects of hypogravity modeled by water immersion on cognitive functions and physiological parameters of monkeys. Cognitive capacities of monkeys were evaluated using computer-controlled joystick task with food reward in case of target hit. Water immersion (3 days for 3 h) affected in cognitive functions, body temperature, and blood parameters. The intensity of changes depended on the type of monkey behavior. In animals with non-aggressive behavior, the number of target hits did not decrease after water immersion, and even slightly increased. On the contrary, aggressive monkeys showed poorer test performance. Body temperature after each cycle of water immersion was decreased slightly in non-aggressive monkeys, while in aggressive animals, the changes were significant. At the same time, changes in the erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit were significant in non-aggressive monkeys. Our results are in line with previous data performed on BION biosatellites and correspond to changes of physiological parameters in astronauts during space flights.

Use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Possible Repair of Doxorubicin-Damaged Organs and Tissues in Experimental Monkeys.

Three injections of doxorubicin to rhesus macaques cause severe intoxication, characterized by anemia, cachexia, and degeneration of the viscera. The life span of monkeys injected with the drug and receiving after 24 h mesenchymal stem cell transplantation varied from 96 to 120 days in comparison with 50-74 days in animals receiving stem cells before doxorubicin. Controls received doxorubicin and saline; the lifespan of one monkey was 24 days, of the other - 1 year and 8 months. The increase in activity of proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 was paralleled by an increase in the level of C-reactive protein.

Blood picture and interferon status of monkeys infected by simian latent viruses.

The blood picture and interferon status of rhesus macaques infected with one or two simian latent viruses do not differ from those of clinically healthy seronegative monkeys.

[Large-cell anaplastic malignant CD30/Ki-1-positive T-type lymphoma, associated with STLV-1 virus (baboon malignant lymphoma model]. / Krupnokletochnye anaplasticheskie zlokachestvennye CD30/Ki-1-pozitivnye limfomy T-tipa, assotsiirovannye s virusom STLV-1 (na modeli zlokachestvennykh limfom pavianov.

Large-cell anaplastic malignant lymphoma of T-type (T-LCAL) as an original form among human non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas in Updated Kiel Classification (1988) was defined. In human pathology T-LCAL presents a considerable diagnostic difficulties and is not associated with HTLV except some cutaneous forms. Comparative examination was carried out in 5 cases of baboon T-LCAL as a part of long-term investigation of the lymphoma outbreak in Sukhumi monkey stock. In tumor-bearing baboons routine morphological methods, immuno-morphological phenotyping of lymphoma cells with panel of MoAT and polyclonal antibodies to T- and B-lymphoid cell antigens and antigens of cell activation, including CD30 antigen, in cell suspension and on cryostate sections were used. STLV-provirus integration in DNA of lymphoma cells in PCR was determined. Diagnostically important morphological features of baboon and human T-LCAL include pronounced anaplasia and anisocytosis of CD30-positive large blast cells, tumour cell tendency to infiltrate sinuses and vascular walls. The presence of T-cell markers (CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8 in our cases) and antigens of cell activation (CD25, HLA-DR) were found. In DNA of baboon lymph node lymphomas (also in the cases without skin involvement) env- and tax-fragments of STLV-1 provirus were detected.