Influence of Sodium Selenite on the mRNA Expression of the Mammalian Selenocysteine-Containing Protein Genes in Testicle and Prostate Cancer Cells.

The sodium selenite concentration that reduces the viability of Du-145 human prostate adenocarcinoma cells and F-9 mouse testicular teratocarcinoma cells was determined. We investigated the effect of sodium selenite on the mRNA expression level of the genes encoding mammalian selenocysteine-containing glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases (key antioxidant enzymes involved in the regulation of intracellular thiol redox balance), endoplasmic reticulum selenoproteins, and selenoproteins located in the testes and prostate.

[The effect of uridine on the endurance of animals with different resistance to physical stress: the role of mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel].

The effect of a metabolic precursor of natural activator of mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel (mitochondrial K+(ATP))--uridine on animal's endurance to physical stress was studied. The endurance was determined by recording the time period during which the rat loaded with a plummet of 20% of body weight can swim until physical exhaustion at 32 degrees C. It was found that highly resistant animals swam until exhaustion for 7.40 ± 0.35 min, whereas low resistant rats hold out 2.07 ± 0.10 min only. The injection of uridine influenced the swimming time of the animals, increasing it twofold in low-resistant rats. The effect of uridine was decreased by injection of inhibitors of mitochondrial K+(ATP) channel. It was found that the injection of uridine into low resistant rats increased the rate of potassium transport in mitochondria isolated from liver of these rats, and inhibitors of the channel prevent the channel activating effect of uridine. The role of mitochondrial K+(ATP) cannel in the formation of animal's resistance to physical stress and protection of tissues from hypoxia is discussed.

Oxidative phosphorylation and ion transport in the mitochondria of two strains of rats varying in their resistance to stress and hypoxia.

The role of mitochondria in the inherited or ontogenetically acquired reactions of organism to stress is not studied enough. In the present work, we examined the functional state of the coupled respiratory chain, potassium and calcium transport and rate of hydrogen peroxide production on two rat lines: August and Wistar-which possess different resistance to emotional stress and hypoxia. It was established that the respiration rate and efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation were higher in August rats than in Wistar ones. In August rats, the rate of potassium transport and ATP-dependent mitochondrial swelling as well as the concentration of the ion in the mitochondrial matrix were almost twice as higher comparatively to those parameters in Wistar rats. The rate of H2O2 production was found to be decreased in the mitochondria of August rats. It was also demonstrated that the two rat lines differed by their resistance to the opening of the palmitate/Ca(2+)-induced pore and by their ability to retain calcium within mitochondria. The paper discusses the involvement of the mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel in the adaptation of animals to adverse effects.

Activity of mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel in animals with different resistance to hypoxia before and after the course of hypoxic training.

Activity of mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel in rats with high genetically determined resistance to hypoxia was higher than in sensitive animals. Adaptation of low resistant rats to hypoxia was accompanied by activation of the channel, facilitation of potassium recycling in mitochondria, and a decrease in the rate of H2O2 formation. Our results indicate that mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel plays an important role in the delayed mechanisms of animal's adaptation to hypoxia.

[Age-related changes in the functioning of the mitochondrial potassium-transporting system].

Changes in the rate of respiration and functioning of the ATP-dependent potassium channel the liver and heart mitochondria of one-, three-, eight-, and twenty four-month-old Wistar male rats have been investigated. It was shown that the activity of the channel in the mitochondria of both tissues in 24-months-old animals decreases more than three times, and the content of potassium, 1.5-2 times compared with young one-month-old rats. The changes occur against the background of age-related decrease of energy supply in mitochondria, the respiratory complex-I underganig the greatest changes upon aging. The decrease of channel activity may be the result of changes in channel sensitivity to modulators and a decrease in the expression of mitochondrial K(+)-transporting channel-protein with a molecular mass of 5.5 kDa upon aging found in this work. As a result, the functioning of not only the mitoK(ATP) but also the whole mitochondrial potassium cycle is impaired.

[A case of malignant germ-cell tumor with choriocarcinoma].

The authors describe a case of the malignant retroperitoneal germ-cell tumor in a 20-year-old male, which appears as several types of tissues that are derivatives of three germinal layers with the presence in its composition of choriocarcinoma, metastases of which to the vital organs were a cause of death.

[Multifactor analysis of nodular goiter by the method of artificial neural network].

Study of 297 patients with preparative methods of nontoxic nodular goiter and cytological diagnose "adenomatosis" with the use of artificial neural network (ANN) were analyzed. Malignant pathology could be supposed with 95.5% accuracy when we applied experience of trained ANN. Clinical, instrumental and cytologic criteria, which make possible to prognosticate degree of malignant process in thyroid gland parenchyma, were determined. Painless elastic nodules with sonographically iso- o hyperechogenic structure, with clear outline and cytologically determined adenomatosis in combination with colloid can be interpreted as benign lesion of thyroid gland.

[Cytological classification of nontoxic nodular goiter].

By comparing the cytological and histological data on thyroid nodular lesions in 715 patients, the authors have arrived at the conclusion that with a cytological response of colloidal goiter and colloidal goiter with adenomatosis, the cancer detection rate is not greater than 4%. With a cytological response of adenomatosis with atypia and follicular tumor, a malignancy occurs in 9 to 13%. It is recommended that cytological data should be grouped by the type of a morphological classification of thyroid nodular diseases: colloidal goiter (with regression, proliferation, adenomatosis, cystic cavity); tumors (adenomatosis with atypia, follicular tumor); cancer.

[Serum lipoproteins in different types of obesity in lipid loading challenge]. / Lipoproteidy syvorotki krovi pri razlichnykh tipakh ozhireniia v usloviiakh zhirovoi nagruzki.

The impact of food fat load on plasmic lipid transport system (LTS) was studied in persons with abdominal and gluteofemoral obesity by the standard fat test proposed by J. Patsch. The lipoprotein spectrum in abdominally obese patients was characterized by high atherogenicity of lipoprotein spectrum on an empty stomach aggravating under fat intake: prolongation of postprandial lipemia up to 6 hours with growing apoB and apoB/A1. Patients with gluteofemoral obesity differed from normal weight persons only by higher fasting values of triglycerides. They showed no atherogenic trend in changes in response to food fat.

[Lowering of antiatherogenic significance of high density lipoproteins in obese persons]. / Snizhenie antiaterogennoi znachimosti lipoproteidov vysokoi plotnosti u lits s ozhireniem.

Protein and lipid components of blood serum high density lipoproteins (HDL) responsible for their functional activity were studied before and after fat load in subjects with normal body mass and various types of obesity. Subjects with abdominal obesity compared with those with gluteo-femoral obesity and normal body mass initially had pronounced disturbances in components of HDL and their acceptor capacity. Fat load caused changes of HDL composition in all study groups. Postprandial effect in persons with normal body mass became obvious 6 hours after load while in those with excess mass it occurred earlier - 3 hours after fatty meal. In subjects with gluteo-femoral obesity this effect remained on the same level while in those with abdominal obesity it became more pronounced by hour 6. Contrary to subjects with normal body mass and gluteo-femoral obesity fat load induced changes of HDL components in persons with abdominal obesity were not associated with augmented acceptor capacity of HDL what could be considered as proatherogenic effect.

[An experimental substantiation of nitric-oxide containing gas flow in the treatment of eye traumas]. / Eksperimental'noe obosnovanie primeneniia oksida azota v gazota v gazovom potoke dlia lecheniia travm glaza.

The hypothesis on the biostimulating effect of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) was made use of to develop a new method to stimulate the healing of wounds through treating them by a NO saturated gas flow. The above gas flow is generated by air-plasma unit "Plazon". The experimental and clinical studies confirmed that the NO-therapy is a highly effective treatment method for different lesions of the skin and soft tissues. We tried to use the above method in ophthalmology. A comprehensive experimental study was carried out to assess the impact of the NO-containing gas flow on the eyeball structures. An optimal mode was designed, which does not exert any influence on the intraocular pressure, Ph of the lachrymal fluid, antioxidative activity and on the proteinase-inhibitor balance in tears; no morphological changes occurred in the ocular tissue structures. The mentioned morphological and biochemical studies confirmed that the application of the NO-containing gas flow speeds up the healing, process of both an experimental cornea erosion and penetrating corneal wounds. Optimal modes of NO-therapy were defined for both types of lesions.

Low-density lipoprotein subfractions during abdominal and gluteofemoral obesity.

Subfractional spectrum of plasma low-density lipoproteins in people with normal body weight and patient with obesity was studied by gradient electrophoresis (3-12%) in polyacrylamide gel. Low-density lipoprotein subfractions in fasting patients with abdominal and gluteofemoral obesity were primarily presented by small particles (compared to people with normal body weight). The composition of low-density lipoprotein subfractions underwent most pronounced changes in patients with abdominal obesity after single fat load.

[Effects of gaseous flow containing nitric oxide on the eyeball structures (an experimental study)]. / Vliianie gazovogo potoka, soderzhashchego oksid azota, na struktury glaznogo iabloka (éksperimental'noe issledovanie).

Nitric oxide is one of the main factors of intra- and intercellular regulation in the organism. Its vasodilating, antiaggregant, antithrombogenic, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, and immunogenic effects are well known. It stimulates the reparative processes in soft tissue injuries. We failed to find reports about the role of NO in the wound process in the eyes. The source of NO in our experiments was medical air-plasma device Plason. Exposure of the eye to NO-containing gaseous flow did not cause changes in the lacrimal pH; NO penetrated through the cornea and sclera, exerted no appreciable cytotoxic effect on the surface epithelium of the eye, did not change the intraocular pressure, and caused no morphological changes in ocular tissues. On the other hand, NO-containing gaseous flow had an appreciable lasting effect on the diameter of the conjunctival vessels, this effect being dose-dependent. The doses of NO-containing gaseous flow which can be used in the treatment of eye wounds were determined.

Effect of beta-carotene supplementation on the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in stomach mucosa of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis.

Increase of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity is known to be associated with cell proliferation and, very likely, with tumour promotion. This prompted us to study the activity of ODC in gastric mucosa of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis that has been considered as a precursor of stomach cancer. Examination of 124 patients with this disease revealed the considerable increase in ODC activity in atrophic mucosa (29.8 +/- 2.9 vs 7.9 +/- 1.8 units in normal mucosa, p = 0.001). Supplementation of the patient's diet with beta-carotene (20 mg daily during 3 weeks) results in a statistically significant decrease in ODC activity in gastric mucosa. The data obtained confirm the possibility of application of ODC determination to the detection of early premalignant lesions and suggest the antipromoter activity of beta-carotene in gastric carcinogenesis.

[The von Willebrand factor antigen in systemic vasculitis]. / Antigen faktora Villebranda pri sistemnykh vaskulitakh.

ELISA was used to investigate concentrations of Willebrand's factor antigen (WF III Ag) in 131 patients with various forms of systemic vasculitis (SV) and 93 patients with cardiovascular diseases. Compared to donors, a mean WF III Ag level proved significantly higher in all nosological variants of SV except periarteritis nodosa. Skin livedo vasculitis did not produce noticeable deviations in WF III Ag levels versus those in donors, whereas atherosclerosis obliterans showed these levels to be significantly elevated. Essential hypertension patients had low values of WF III Ag. The highest mean level of the antigen was found in rheumatoid vasculitis and Wegener's granulomatosis in which the antigen content rose to the highest for vascular affections levels (p < 0.05-0.01). High WF III Ag in Wegener's granulomatosis, periarteritis nodosa, leukocytoclastic vasculitis were indicative of renal involvement. Moreover, there was a tendency to an increase in the antigen quantities in Wegener's granulomatosis patients with intercurrent infections versus such without them. In other SV forms and atherosclerosis obliterans concentrations of the antigen were not related to clinical features of the disease.

[Endothelin in arterial hypertension]. / Endotelin pri arterial'noi gipertonii.

A study was made of the concentration of endothelin (ET) in the plasma of patients suffering from arterial hypertension (AH), heart failure (HF) and in that of healthy volunteers. The concentration of ET in the normal subjects was within 4.0-8.6 pg/ml, in the patients with AH, it varied from 5.7 to 64.5 pg/ml, and in the patients suffering from HF, from 8.8 to 94.0 pg/ml. A subgroup of patients with essential hypertension, stage II B, showed a tendency towards a rise of the ET concentration in response to orthostatic load that was associated with an increase of the concentration of angiotensin-2.