Hydrocarbon-Oxidizing Bacteria in the Digestive System of Fish as an Indicator of Coastal Pollution.

Assessment of pollution of marine environment and biota with hydrocarbons is of particular importance, since oil products are among the priority pollutants of many seas. Development of new environmental toxicological biomarkers is one of the promising methods of integrated assessment of pollution effects. Here, the first investigation on the abundance of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria in the digestive system of coastal fish (stickleback, dace, white bream, common bleak, perch, gudgeon, and roach) from the eastern Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea has been performed. The results reflect changes occurring in the environment and indicate contamination of water and sediments with oil and oil products. The relative abundance of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria in the digestive tract of fish is an effective, sensitive, and low-cost indicator of environmental pollution that can be used in monitoring and environmental impact assessment of the aquatic ecosystems.

Responses of Aquatic Organisms to Cyanobacteria and Elodea in Microcosms.

The aim of the present study is investigation of the impact of mass development of cyanobacteria and Elodea on population characteristics (abundance, biomass, fecundity) and "health" parameters (the state of embryos, heart rate, and thermal resistance) of aquatic invertebrates in experiments with controlled conditions. In July-August 2018, in four variants of microcosms, the conditions were modeled characteristic of the coastal zone of the Rybinsk Reservoir in the period of mass development of cyanobacteria. Mass species were placed in microcosms of planktonic (with domination (80%) Daphnia longispina) and bottom animals (Unio pictorum, Gmelinoides fasciatus, Asellus aquaticus), as well as Elodea canadensis. In the variants with cyanobacteria, the toxic microcystins LR were revealed (24-53% of the sum of toxins, or from 6.6-66.5 µg/L). The presence of cyanobacteria (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Microcystis aeruginosa, and Gloeoitrichia spp.) influenced structural parameters of plankton: the quantity to green algae decreased, small-sized crustaceans increased. Influence of cyanobacteria caused reliable changes in parameters of aquatic animal from those of the control: thermal resitance of mollusks and amphipods decreased, time of restoration of heart rate after loads (salinity test) in mollusks increased; in amphipods, individual fecundity decreased, frequency of abnormalities and of mortality of embryos increased. The presence of Elodea intensified these effects. Thus, mass development of cyanobacteria and Elodea influences ecological-physiological parameters of aquatic animals, decreasing their adaptivity to natural stresses and deteriorating the quality of the progeny.

Ecosystem and human health assessment to define environmental management strategies: The case of long-term human impacts on an Arctic lake.

There are rich deposits of mineral and fossil natural resources in the Arctic, which make this region very attractive for extracting industries. Their operations have immediate and vast consequences for ecological systems, which are particularly vulnerable in this region. We are developing a management strategy for Arctic watersheds impacted by industrial production. The case study is Lake Imandra watershed (Murmansk oblast, Russia) that has exceptionally high levels of economic development and large numbers of people living there. We track the impacts of toxic pollution on ecosystem health and then--human health. Three periods are identified: (a) natural, pre-industrial state; (b) disturbed, under rapid economic development; and (c) partial recovery, during recent economic meltdown. The ecosystem is shown to transform into a qualitatively new state, which is still different from the original natural state, even after toxic loadings have substantially decreased. Fish disease where analyzed to produce and integral evaluation of ecosystem health. Accumulation of heavy metals in fish is correlated with etiology of many diseases. Dose-effect relationships are between integral water quality indices and ecosystem health indicators clearly demonstrates that existing water quality standards adopted in Russia are inadequate for Arctic regions. Health was also poor for people drinking water from the Lake. Transport of heavy metals from drinking water, into human organs, and their effect on liver and kidney diseases shows the close connection between ecosystem and human health. A management system is outlined that is based on feedback from indices of ecosystem and human health and control over economic production and/or the amount of toxic loading produced. We argue that prospects for implementation of such a system are quite bleak at this time, and that more likely we will see a continued depopulation of these Northern regions.

[Status of bioenergetic processes in brain of immature rats during the dynamics of cranio-cerebral trauma]. / Sostoianie protsessov bioénergetiki v golovnom mozge nepolovozrelykh krys v dinamike cherepno-mozgovoi travmy.

In one month's old rats open cranio-cerebral injury was modelled. During the post-traumatic period the state of bioenergetic processes in brain tissues was studied in dynamics. Disturbance of oxidative phosphorylation in cerebral mitochondria and depression of membranes ATPase activity was revealed. This changes were most expressed in 1-4 days after the injury. Recovery of the impaired bioenergetic processes in post-traumatic period in one month's old rats is slower than in adult.

[Effect of antiseptics and redox-cycling agents on Corynebacterium ammoniagenes and related microorganisms in relation to synthesis of a new macroergic compound]. / Deistvie antisepticheskikh sredstv i redokstsikliruiushchikh agentov na Corynebacterium ammoniagenes i rodstvennye mikroorganizmy v sviazi s sintezom novogo makroérga.

Sublethal concentration of the antiseptic composition Desoxon-1 was shown to provoke in cells of Corinebacterium ammoniagenes in a liquid medium the biosynthesis and accumulation of a novel macroergic 2-methylbutane-1,2,3,4-tetraol-2,4-cyclopyrophosphate. This substance is also synthesized when C. ammoniagenes is cultivated in a solid agar medium supplemented with benzylviologen. Cells preloaded with the new cyclopyrophosphate maintain its content when treated with 4% phenol, DP-2, Desoxon-1 or boiled and heated in an autoclave. Experiments with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and BCG revealed the ability of these bacteria to grow in a medium supplemented with BV++ possibly due to ability of synthesis of a new cyclopyrophosphate which was shown to correlate with resistance toward redox-cycling drugs. Accumulation of polyphosphates in the control cells of M. tuberculosis was illustrated by 31P-NMR spectroscopy and disappearance of the polyphosphates during cultivation in a BV(++)-supplemented medium. No signal of the new cyclopyrophosphate was yet registered in cells of M. tuberculosis by 31P-NMR.

[Specifics of endocrine regulation of digestion in patients with esophageal neoplasms after esophagogastroplasty]. / Osobennosti éndokrinnoi reguliatsii pishchevareniia u bolnykh rakom pishchevoda posle ézofagogastroplastiki.

In 67 patients with esophageal cancer, the peculiarities of endocrine regulation of alimentation after resection and plasty of the esophagus, using an isoperistaltic gastric tube were studied. Of these patients, 15 underwent correction of the disorders revealed. Accelerated evacuation of the content from a gastric transplant is accompanied by atony of the pylorus and is due to relative incompetence of neuroendocrine elements in gastric and duodenal mucosa (presence of a small amount of EC- and P-cells). Use of pentagastrin at the early postoperative period permits to accelerate the process of formation of the compensatory-adjusting mechanisms in the system of alimentation due to increase in functional activity of EC- and I-cells.

[Status of oxidative phosphorylation in brain mitochondria during its toxic and traumatic edema-swelling]. / Sostoianie okislitel'nogo fosforilirovaniia v mitokhondriiakh golovnogomozga pri ego toksicheskom i travmaticheskom oteke-nabukhanii.

A rate of oxidative reactions was decreased in brain mitochondria under conditions of toxic edema and within 1 day after traumatic impairment of brain tissue. Oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria was normalized within 4 days after trauma. These alterations appear to depend on inhibition of oxidative enzymes in the respiration chain.

[A pharmacological analysis of the role of GABA- and opioidergic systems in the development of brain edema]. / Farmakologicheskii analiz roli GAMK- i opioidergicheskikh sistem v razvitii oteka golovnogo mozga.

Opioid receptors blocker naloxone potentiated edematous effect of GABA-receptors blockers in experiments on rats. In combination with bicuculline and picrotoxine that agent leads to increased content of water in the brain and decreased brain tissue density. At the same time naloxone prevented GABA-antagonists activation of oxidative processes in brain mitochondria.

[The effect of GABA-ergic agents on oxidative phosphorylation in the brain mitochondria in traumatic edema]. / Vliianie GAMK-ergicheskikh sredstv na okislitel'noe fosforilirovanie v mitokhondriiakh mozga pri ego travmaticheskom oteke.

The condition of oxidative phosphorylation in the rat brain mitochondria was studied polarographically in dynamics of the brain traumatic edema. It was found that 24 hours after the trauma the rate of oxidation in mitochondria decreased and the degree of conjugation in the respiratory chain compensatorily increased. Piracetam (1 g/kg), phenibut (50 mg/kg) and to a lesser degree sodium oxybutyrate (0.2 g/kg) prevented the 'changes and enhanced the compensatory capacities of mitochondria during the development of traumatic edema of the brain.

[Influence of hyperthermia and protective effect of ionol and carbon dioxide gas on ATP, ADP and AMP content of the rat brain]. / Vliianie peregrevaniia i zashchitnogo deistviia ionola i uglekislogo gaza na soderzhanie ATP, ADP i AMP v mozge krys.

It is shown that the amount of ATP in rats under hypothermia up to heat stroke lowers and that of ADP and AMP somewhat rises. Ionol administration normalizes the ATP level and increases the ADP and AMP contents. Inhalation of CO2 and especially administration of ionol contribute to a higher resistance of the animals to hyperthermia.