[Investigation of markers for myocardial remodeling during experimental hypobaric hypoxia in the correction with cytoflavin]. / Issledovanie markerov remodelirovaniia miokarda pri éksperimental'noi gipobaricheskoi gipoksii na fone korrektsii preparatom tsitoflavin.

The limited possibilities of determining myocardial morphological changes in the clinic make it necessary to investigate the effects of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia in an experiment setting. OBJECTIVE: To reveal the peculiarities of changes in the markers of myocardial remodeling in experimental hypobaric hypoxia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The investigation was conducted on 26 mature male Wistar rats weighing 220-310 g, which were divided into 3 groups: 1) 6 intact animals; 2) 10 rats that were exposed to 30-day simulated hypobaric hypoxia without correction; 3) 10 rats that were given once-daily intraperitoneal injections of cytoflavin solution at a rate of 0.5 ml/100 g of body weight for 30 days before immersion in a hypobaric chamber. RESULTS: The early stages of myocardial remodeling in hypobaric hypoxia were found to be characterized by structural re-systematization of the components of the normal ventricular wall, which was manifested by cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and ischemia; circulatory disorders; fibroblast proliferation that dramatically enhances the extracellular expression of protein matrix, which can lead to the formation of fibrous tissue and irreversible myocardial dysfunction. Elevated matrix metalloproteinase levels are evidence for collagen degradation and cardiac remodeling. In the authors' opinion, the cyto- and angioprotective effects of cytoflavin in rats treated with the latter used in combination therapy are associated with the composition of the drug, the active components of which have mutually potentiating effects, are inducers of the major metabolic pathways in the cells and are also activators of key energy-generating processes. CONCLUSION: Identification of the molecular mechanisms of myocardial remodeling is of great practical importance. This enables remodeling markers to be considered as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of hypoxia-induced myocardial injury.

[Antonio Benivieni (1443-1502), Physician of the Renaissance].

Antonio di Paolo Benivieni (1443-1502) is one of the greatest physicians of Renaissance unfairly forgotten at the present time. Benivieni, in his major work of all his life «De abditis nonnullis ac mirandis morborum et sanationum causis¼, presents not only description of pathologic alterations (including the first in history description of carcinoma of pyloric part of stomach, mesenterial occlusion, fibrinogenous pericarditis) discovered at dissection but he tries to analyze and compare pathologic anatomic and clinical data. The treatise itself is the first in history pathologic anatomic work.

[The history of discovery of bulbourethral glands].

The article outlines the chronology of the discovery of the bulbourethral glands. Their first image appeared in 1600 in a collection of anatomical tables by Italian anatomist Hieronymus Fabricius of Acquapendente. In the scientific literature, they were first mentioned in one of the editions of "Journal des scavans" in 1684 as discovered by the French surgeon Jean Mry. The first detailed description of the structure, topography and function of these glands was presented in the work of English physician and anatomist William Cowper in 1699.

[MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN RAT MYOCARDIUM EXPOSED TO HEMIC HYPOXIA AND TREATED WITH CYTOFLAVIN.]

This study was aimed at determining the influence of cytoflavin on the morphological features of contractile cardiomyocytes in female rats after gestation and in newborn rats exposed to hemic hypoxia induced by sodium nitrite (NaNO(2)). The experiment was performed on 28 three-month-old female Wistar albino rats and their offspring (24 seven-day-old newborns). Throughout pregnancy and during 7 days of suckling period, all animals divided into two groups were daily injected intraperitoneally with NaNO(2) at a dose of 5 mg/100 g body weight. Animals in the second test group were additionally injected intraperitoneally with. cytoflavin at a dose of 0.5 mL/100 g body weight. It was found that hemid hypoxia had a strong pathogenic effect on the contractile cardiomyocytes and hemomicrocirculatory bed vessels, which was manifested by the hypoxic and ischernic damage involving violation of the integrity of cellular and mitochondrial membranes. Histological and morphometric studies in animals of the first group showed a significant decrease in the length and area of contractile cardiomyocytes: up to 16.9 and 36.04%, respectively (p = 0.05). In the second group of animals (treated with cytoflavin), these changes were less pronounced: reduction in length and area on the average was 8.2 and 18.6%, respectively (p = 0.05). The administration of cytoflavin reduces the degree of cardiomyocyte damage in female rats after gestation and in newborns, presumably due to the antioxidant and membrane-protective properties of this drug.

[Investigation of the antioxidant activity and cardioprotective effect of reamberin and cytoflavin in newborn rats exposed to chronic hemic hypoxia].

The authors analyzed the antioxidant activity of reamberin and cytoflavin and evaluated their cardioprotective effect, by investigating lipid peroxidation and oxidative modification of plasma proteins, as well as the ultrastructure of newborn rat cardiomyocytes under chronic hemic hypoxia induced by sodium nitrite. Reamberin and cytoflavin can reduce the manifestations of mitochondrial dysfunction and the degree of cardiomyocyte damage in the neonatal rats due to the antioxidant and membrane-protective properties of the drugs. Succinic acid in combination with the metabolic components of the drugs significantly inhibits lipid peroxidation, by improving the structure of membranes and the mitochondrial function of cardiomyocytes.