[The effect of ubiquinone-10 on the development of D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis in rats]. / Vliianie ubikhinona-10 na razvitie D-galaktozaminovogo gepatita u krys.

It has been shown that prophylactic administration of ubiquinone protects rats liver from the toxic damage by D-galactosamine both on ultrastructural and on cell levels. Ubiquinone administration prevents necrosis in hepatocytes and preserves their ability for compensatory reactions expressed in activation of protein-synthesis regulating structures in the cell. Ubiquinone decreases hyperfermentemia and hyperbilirubinemia as well as prevents the decrease in liver protein content caused by galactosamine. Ubiquinone exerts an antioxidant effect, blocking the induction of lipid peroxidation both in intact and hepatic rats.

[Morphofunctional features of the thyroid gland in patients with diffuse toxic goiter]. / Morfofunktsional'nye osobennosti shchitovidnoi zhelezy bol'nykh diffuznym toksicheskim zobom.

A study was made of the morphometric, ultrastructural and functional features of the thyroid in patients with diffuse toxic goiter (DTG) (women aged 16 to 12) with positive and negative dynamics of body mass (groups 1 and 2, respectively). Proliferation of the thyroid epithelium, detected in DTG patients of the 1st group, can be regarded as a morphological criterion for making a decision of a necessity of surgical intervention.

[Combined morphologic criteria in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases]. / Kompleksnye morfologicheskie kriterii v diagnostike zabolevanii shchitovidnoi zhelezy.

The use of scanning and translucent electron microscopy, morphometry with the automatic system of analysis in the study of thyroid in patients with nodular euthyroid goiter, diffuse toxic goiter and papillary carcinoma, aged from 27 to 52 years, allowed us to establish the complex of morphologic criteria (qualitative and quantitative) on the cellular and subcellular level, which can be applied for the study of the thyroid under different pathological conditions.

[Age-related morphofunctional characteristics of the adrenal cortical substance when ACTH is administered]. / Vozrastnye morfofunktsional'nye osobennosti korkovogo veshchestva nadpochechnikov pri vvedenii AKTG.

The structural and morphometric features of the adrenocortical substance (ACS) were investigated in adult (5 mos.) and aged (24 mos.) albino male rats during single and prolonged ACTH administration (Synachten-Depot, Ciba). In single administration of a large dose of ACTH (50 micrograms per 100 g of body mass) to adult rats hypertrophy of ACS secretory cells was marked to a greater extent (by 105.9%), and the area of ACS cell nuclei was increased after the administration of a smaller dose of ACTH (25 micrograms per 100 g of body mass). In old animals the administration of a smaller dose of the hormone resulted in an increased area of nuclei and cytoplasm of ACS cells (by 55%). In prolonged administration of the hormone during 14 days an increase in the sizes of nuclei and cytoplasm of ACS cells was observed both in adult and aged rats. However in the adrenal glands of old rats, cell hypertrophy was less marked than that in adult animals (134 and 186.2%, respectively) and was accompanied by destructive changes in a portion of cells. In 95% the results of morphometry were obtained in the confidence interval using a Leitz-ASM unit (FRG) for semiautomatic image analysis. The differences were statistically significant.

Effect of enterosorption on animal lifespan.

Experiments were performed on Wistar male rats, starting from the 28th month of age. The effect of dietary sorbent (non coated nitrogen-containing carbon administered as 10 day courses at 1 month intervals in dosage of 10 ml/kg) on lifespan and a number of biological indices were studied. Enterosorption resulted in the increase of mean and maximal lifespan by 43 and 34% respectively. Analysis of the effect of enterosorption on activity of microsomal enzymes, intensity of total RNA and protein biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, formation of free radicals etc. showed that it produced a positive influence on the functional state of the studied systems and increased the organism's adaptive capacities. Enterosorption was found to delay the rate of onset of age-related structural changes in the organs and tissues.

[Morphofunctional characteristics of adrenal reactivity in rats of different ages]. / Morfofunktsional'nye osobennosti reaktivnosti nadpochechnikov krys raznogo vozrasta.

Ultrastructural peculiarities of the cortical and medullary substance of the adrenals have been studied in mature (8-month-old) and old (26-month-old) intact white male rats and in rats of the same age groups in 3 h after electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic ventromedial nuclei. By means of certain biochemical methods contents of hormones (corticosterone, adrenaline and noradrenaline) have been estimated, as well as that of cholesterin and ascorbic acid in blood and adrenal tissues. After the hypothalamus is stimulated in the mature rats, certain peculiarities in the adrenals reactivity are revealed; they demonstrate positive ultrastructural and functional correlation of secretory cells in the cortex and medulla and are characterized with hypertrophy of the nuclei, increased amount of polyribosomes, hypertrophied Golgi complex and canaliculi of the endoplasmic reticulum and increased contents of corticosteroids and catecholamines in blood. In the old rats after stimulation of the hypothalamus, certain unequal ultrastructural and functional peculiarities are revealed. They demonstrate both disturbance of the hypothalamic regulation of the adrenal function at ageing and decreased adaptive possibilities of the adrenal secretory cells at the subcellular level.

[Intranuclear inclusions in the cells of different tissues of the aging rat]. / Vnutriiadernye vkliucheniia v kletkakh razlichnykh tkanei u krys pri starenii.

Ultrastructure of neuronal and glial nuclei has been studied in various parts of the CNS, in parenchymatous cells of internal organs, in endotheliocytes and pericytes of their blood capillaries in intact rats--mature (6-8-month-old) and old (26-28-month-old), as well as at certain experimental influences. In all the cellular populations studied (most often in neurons), various in their structure, intranuclear inclusions (INI) have been revealed, that are considered as five main types. The number of INI increases sharply at ageing, that is especially noticeable under experimental conditions. Some INI are situated in morphologically preserved, actively working cells, being normal components of the nucleus, others--reflect profound rearrangements of nuclear proteins, disturbances in lipid metabolism up to irreversible destructive processes in the nucleus.

[Morphofunctional features of the secretory cells of the adenohypophysis and adrenal glands of the rat during aging]. / Morfofunktsional'nye osobennosti sekretornykh kletok adenogipofiza i nadpochechnykh zhelez u krys pri starenii.

Karyometric and electron microscopic investigation has been performed in the adenohypophyseal secretory cells, in the cortex and medulla of the adrenal glands in mature (6 months) and ageing (25-26 months) white male rats. The diameter of the corticotropic cell nuclei of the adenohypophysis significantly increases with age. In the secretory cells of the adrenal cortex and medulla no important changes in their parameters are revealed. With age destructive changes of the ultrastructures are manifested variously in different types of the secretory cells in the endocrinic glands studied. In the corticotropic, somatotropic, thyreotropic cells of the adenohypophysis, in spongiocytes of the adrenal cortex, compensatory ultrastructural rearrangements develop; they are aimed to preserve functional activity of the cells mentioned. No age changes are revealed in ultrastructure of chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla.

The ultrastructural features of secretory cells of some endocrine glands in aging.

In the electron microscopic investigation of the secretory cells of adenohypophysis, adrenal cortex, adrenal medulla and pancreatic islets from the adult and old Wistar male rats, certain age-related ultrastructural features have been found. Age changes appeared to be more pronounced in the thyrotrophs, somatotrophs and gonadotrophs of the adenohypophysis and in zona glomerulosa and zona reticularis spongiocytes of the adrenal cortex. They consisted of atrophy of the Golgi apparatus, appearance of the cytoplasmic vacuoles, lipid and lipofuscin granules, secondary lysosomes and damage of the inner mitochondrial membrane. Parallel to these, hypertrophy of the Golgi apparatus and rough endoplasmic reticulum, formation of giant mitochondria and presence of a great number of secretory cells in the cellular cytoplasm were noted in zona fasciculata spongiocytes and chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, and in beta cells of the pancreatic islets during aging thus evidencing for the adaptive changes in the ultrastructure of these cells. However, no appreciable age changes have been observed in the ultrastructure of the adrenocorticotropic cells of the adenohypophysis.

Age changes in the ultrastructure and function of rat adrenal glands during stimulation of the hypothalamus.

Studies were undertaken on the ultrastructure and function of the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla three hours after an electric stimulation of the ventromedial nucleus area of the hypothalamus in the adult and old albino rats. The electron microscopic and biochemical findings revealed a significant decrease in the hypothalamic control over catecholamine and corticosteroid syntheses in the old rats. The regulatory influence of the hypothalamus on the secretory activity of the adrenocortical and adrenomedullar cells showed an irregular pattern of changes during aging, i.e. a more marked impairment of the adrenal medulla and a less marked impairment of the cortex.

Enterosorption in prolonging old animal lifespan.

The effect of repeated courses of enterosorption upon the mean and maximal lifespan and some functional and metabolic indices was determined in 28-month-old Wistar rats. Significant increase of mean and maximal lifespan of old rats was noted at certain regimens of enterosorption. The experimental animals demonstrated less marked age-related structural and ultrastructural changes in the liver, kidneys, myocardium, intestines, pancreas, as compared with control animals. Enterosorption leads to a reduction of pentobarbital-induced sleep, decrease of content of cytochrome P-450, blood cholesterol and triglycerides, cardiac and cerebral tissue cholesterol, total lipids, liver cholesterol and triglycerides. Enterosorption was found to increase the RNA and protein biosynthesis in the liver, kidneys and adrenals of old animals.

[Age and ultrastructural features of adrenal capillaries in rats following ACTH administration and in insulin shock]. / Vozrastnye osobennosti ul'trastruktury krovenosnykh kapilliarov nadpochechnikov krys pri vvedenii AKTG u pri insulinovom shoke.

Electron microscopy was used to study age-associated features of blood capillaries of adrenal cortical substances and adrenal medulla in adult and old rats during ACTH administration and insulin shock. It has been revealed that as a result of an increase in adrenal function of the adult rats, endotheliocytes of cortical substance and medulla developed ultrastructural changes promoting the intensification of transcapillary metabolism. The old rats showed pathological changes in the endotheliocyte ultrastructure, responsible for the development of capillary insufficiency of the adrenals during stimulation of their secretory activity.