The effect of long-term hindlimb unloading on the expression of risk neurogenes encoding elements of serotonin-, dopaminergic systems and apoptosis; comparison with the effect of actual spaceflight on mouse brain.

The study of spaceflight effects on the brain is technically complex concern; complicated by the problem of applying an adequate ground model. The most-widely used experimental model to study the effect of microgravity is the tail-suspension hindlimb unloading model; however, its compliance with the effect of actual spaceflight on the brain is still unclear. We evaluated the effect of one month hindlimb unloading on the expression of genes related to the brain neuroplasticity-brain neutotrophic factors (Gdnf, Cdnf), apoptotic factors (Bcl-xl, Bax), serotonin- and dopaminergic systems (5-HT2A, Maoa, Maob, Th, D1r, Comt), and compared the results with the data obtained on mice that spent one month in spaceflight on Russian biosatellite Bion-M1. No effect of hindlimb unloading was observed on the expression of most genes, which were considered as risk neurogenes for long-term actual spaceflight. The opposite effect of hindlimb unloading and spaceflight was found on the level of mRNA of D1 dopamine receptor and catechol-O-methyltransferase in the striatum. At the same time, the expression of Maob in the midbrain decreased, and the expression of Bcl-xl genes increased in the hippocampus, which corresponds to the effect of spaceflight. However, the hindlimb unloading model failed to reproduce the majority of effects of long-term spaceflight on serotonin-, dopaminergic systems and some apoptotic factors.

[Automatic measurement of special leaning characteristics in mice during the water Morris maze test with inverted light].

The description of the installation with inverted light is given as well as its software EthoStudio, which allows tracking the movements of any color animal in the water Morris maze (WMM) in high definition. The installation is based on the transmitted light technology (inverted light). The software gives possibility to estimate a wide range of learning indices. We have studied the statistic properties of three most widespread indices: latent time of platform finding, covered distance and the sum of distances to the center of the platform. The covered distance has shown the best statistic characteristics if compared to two other indices. The influence of polymorphism C1473G in the gene of the key serotonin synthesis enzyme, tryptophan hydroxylase 2, on the learning abilities of mice in WMM has been studied. Mice of the unique congenic lines B6-1473C and B6-12473G that differ by the polymorphic alleles C1473G have not demonstrated the association between the ability to learn and the genetically determined activity of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 in the brain.

[Water decontamination in the swimming pools: standardization and practice].

Practical examples were used to analyze possible ways and regimens of water decontamination with chlorine and ozone in the swimming pools when oxidants substantially interacted with the mineral and albuminoid ammonias that were present in the water. Ozone water decontamination was shown to be more effective than water chlorination and to rule out the generation of chloramines that were responsible for their strong irritating activity. Redox potential measurement used as an auxiliary method substantially alleviates on-line technological monitoring of the efficiency of water decontamination at the critical control point during chlorination and, during ozonation, makes up the existing gap of the current SanPiN 2.1.2.1188-03.

[Effect of genotype and emotional stress on hygienic grooming in inbred mice].

Body care behavior (grooming) is an adaptation aimed at removing litter particles, pathogenic microbes and parasites from animal fur and skin. Moreover, it serves as an indicator of animal health. It was observed that chronic stress suppressed fur cleaning. In this article, a technique of direct measurement of fur cleaning using the cleaning dynamics of a fluorescent spot applied on animal's back is described. Significant effects of genotype and emotional stress on the dynamics of fur cleaning are shown. Mice of C57BL/6, CBA and CC57BR strains clean green fluorescent spot rapidly (1-2 h) whereas animals of AKR strain clean it slowly (up to 24 h). Behavioral restriction for 30 min substantially reduced fur cleaning in AKR, CBA and CC57BR, but not in C57BL/6. The stress-induced attenuation of Hygienic grooming is a new index of sensitivity (resistance) to stress.

[Possible causes and prevention ways of short-term postoperative mental disorders after regional and general anesthesia].

The authors have studied the incidence and possible causes of short-term postoperative mental disorders (STPMD) (in different types of intraoperative protection) that are determined as a nonspecific central nervous system (CNS) lesion characterized by concomitant disorders of consciousness, recognition, memory, emotions, and psychomotor functions, as well as sleep-wakening cycles. Intraanesthetic awakening has been established to play a leading role in the development of STPMD. Under general anesthesia, the incidence of the latter is not higher than that under regional anesthesia, although the causes of STP-MD are likely to be different in either case. And, finally, CNS function monitoring is seemingly considered to be a compulsory component of intraoperative control of a patient's condition during general anesthesia. In addition, it may prevent intraanesthetic awakening episodes and the development of postoperative cognitive disorders in many respects.

[Digital registration and analysis of visual information in behavioral experiment].

A new software for recording, registration and computer analysis of behavior of laboratory animals, EthoStudio, has been developed. The software allows the latency, number and duration of up to 10 behavioral patterns to be simultaneously registered with parallel recording of video on a hard disk. The video records can be played back to track animal locomotion using a computer. EthoStudio was applied to study mouse behavior in the open field test. The numbers of rearings and groomings as well as accumulated time of grooming were interactively assayed by pressing and holding buttons on a computer keyboard. The number of squares crossed, the number of entries into the center and the time spend therein were assayed by computer analysis. EthoStudio can be applied to objectively study various kinds of animal behavior with reliability and accuracy necessary for modern ethological, physiological and pharmacological experiment.

[Specificity of the lipoproteins metabolism in rats]. / Osobennosti metabolizma lipoproteinov u krys.

The article reviews the data on rat lipoproteins metabolism and points to some principal differences from that in humans. Sixteen such differences are described concerning spectrum of lipoproteins, their quantity and chemical composition, characteristics of biosynthesis and catabolism, absence of the systems of lipid transport between some classes of lipoproteins.

[Methodological questions in resolving the problem of determining the time of death]. / Voprosy metodologii v reshenii problemy opredeleniia davnosti nastupleniia smerti.

Presents the modern concept of evaluating the time of death, the philosophy of solving this problem, and approaches to its solution. Analyzes the procedure and choice of correct approach to problem solution from methodological viewpoint and as a problem at the interface of medicine and technology.

Effect of polyunsaturated phosphatidyl-choline on lipid transport system in alcoholic liver injury.

The aim of this study was to determine whether serum lipid composition and lipolytic activities in alcoholinduced liver dystrophy were modified by the co-administration of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PPC). Chronic alcohol intoxication was induced in rats by intragastric ethanol administration of 3.5 g/kg body weight per day over 56 days. Aqueous PPC suspension was given intragastrally in doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg body weight. Chronic alcohol intoxication led to the development of protein and lipid dystrophy of hepatocytes. PPC partially prevented alcoholic injury of the liver cells and had a normalizing effect on cholesterol esterification, lipolysis of lipoproteins and on the fatty acid composition of the main lipoprotein classes.

[Effect of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine on the activity of antioxidant and lipolytic enzymes in alimentary hypercholesterolemia in irradiated rats]. / Deistvie polinenasyshchennogo fosfatidylkholina na aktivnost' antioksidantnykh i lipoliticheskikh fermentov pri alimentarnoi giperkholesterinemii u obluchennykh krys.

A high-cholesterol diet containing 3.5% cholesterol, 0.2% methyl thiouracil and 20% of heated sunflower-seed oil caused an increase in the content of cholesterol, triacylglycerols, diene conjugates and in the activity of phospholipase A2 in rat liver and of serum total cholesterol and cholesterol of low density lipoproteins, and a decrease in the activity of hepatic cholesterol esterase, in the fractional activity of lecithin:cholesterol acetyl transferase (LCAT), in the activity of the enzymes involved in the lipolytic transformation of lipoproteins and in the serum levels of very low density lipoprotein cholesterol. The content of malonic dialdehyde in liver tissue and molar activity of LCAT in blood serum were increased after preirradiation (0.5 and 5.0 Gy) of rats kept on the cholesterol diet. The preparation of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine was shown to decrease the content of triacylglycerols and diene conjugates in liver tissue of rats with alimentary hypercholesterolemia. In rats irradiated in a dose of 0.5 Gy the phosphatidylcholine preparation decreased the content of cholesterol in liver tissue and blood serum, exhibited the normalizing effect on the content of cholesterol of high density lipoproteins, on the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase; in a dose of 5.0 Gy this phosphatidylcholine preparation normalized the content of malonic dialdehyde, activity of the enzymes involved in lipolytic transformation of lipoproteins and increased the LCAT activity.

[Differential diagnosis and treatment of benign tumors of the mesentery]. / Differentsial'naia diagnostika i lechenie dobrokachestvennykh opukholei bryzheiki kishki.

The authors possess experience in surgical treatment of 12 cases. Benign tumor of the mesenterium is among diseases which are recognized with great difficulty in the early and preoperative period. This is mainly due to the vague signs of the disease and the limited possibilities of applying auxiliary methods of examination because of the specificity of the organ in which the neoplasm is situated. To make the correct diagnosis in the early stages of the disease it is necessary in this case to conduct differential diagnosis with other diseases of the abdominal organs. The most typical clinical signs characteristic only of a benign tumor of the mesenterium can be distinguished as a result. When used in a complex with other methods of examination, differential diagnosis makes it possible to increase the number of correct preoperative diagnoses.

[Amino acid sequence of ribonuclease Ap1 from Aspergillus pallidus]. / Aminokislotnaia posledovatel'nost' ribonukleazy Ap1 iz Aspergillus pallidus.

The complete amino acid sequence of an extracellular guanyl-specific RNase from Aspergillus pallidus fungi has been established. The RNase contains 104 amino acid residues (Mr 11,029). Its primary structure was analyzed basing on the automated Edman degradation of the carboxymethylated RNase followed by tryptic digestion and sequencing of the resultant hydrolysate. An additional structural information was obtained by means of the automatic sequencing of the cyanogen bromide peptide mixture and by studying the kinetics of the RNase's digestion with carboxypeptidase Y.

[Extracellular guanyl-specific ribonuclease Sa from the actinomycete Streptomyces aureofaciens. Primary structure and homology with ribonucleases from bacteria and fungi]. / Vnekletochnaia guanilspetsifichnaia ribinukleaza Sa aktinomitseta Streptomyces aureofaciens. Pervichnaia struktura i gomologiia s ribonukleazami bakterii i gribov.

The complete amino acid sequence of a guanyl-specific RNAse from Streptomyces aureofaciens has been established using a rapid method of primary structure analysis which eliminates the peptide fractionation. The automated Edman degradation of the carboxymethylated RNAse Sa and of non-fractionated peptide mixtures produced by tryptic and staphylococcal protease digests of the modified protein were used. The RNAse contains 96 amino acid residues, Mr 10,566. The secondary structures of RNAse Sa and microbial RNAses have been calculated using a modified Chou--Fasman procedure. A comparison of the primary and secondary structures of the RNAses revealed different degrees of sequence homology and a similar distribution of predicted structural regions (alpha-helices, beta-structure and beta-turn). The predicted secondary structure patterns are discussed in the light of the RNAse X-ray analysis date.

Amino acid sequence determination of guanyl-specific ribonuclease Sa from Streptomyces aureofaciens.

Using automated Edman degradation of two nonfractionated peptide mixtures of tryptic and staphylococcal protease digests of the protein, the complete amino acid sequence of the guanyl-specific ribonuclease Sa from Streptomyces aureofaciens was established. Ribonuclease Sa contains 96 amino acid residues (Mr 10,566). A 50% sequence homology of ribonuclease Sa to the guanyl-specific ribonuclease St from S. erythreus was found.