A new effective method for quantitative estimation of changes in Drosophila fat reserves using magnetic resonance imaging.

Magnetic resonance imaging is one of the promising methods actively used not only in medicine, but in biology as well; it allows for scanning of an object within the span of a few minutes, representing a unique noninvasive and nondestructive research tool. The possibility of using magnetic resonance imaging for the quantitative analysis of fat reserves in Drosophila melanogaster females has been shown. The data obtained demonstrate that quantitative magnetic resonance imaging gives an accurate quantitative assessment of fat stores and allows to effectively evaluate their changes under chronic stress.

[Surgical treatment of a patient with stage v multinodular toxic goiter, severe thyrotoxicosis, strangulation syndrome and severe comorbidities]. / Khirurgicheskoe lechenie patsientki s mnogouzlovym toksicheskim zobom V stepeni, tireotoksikozom tyazheloi stepeni, kompressionnym sindromom i tyazhelymi soputstvuyushchimi zabolevaniyami.

The authors describe thyroidectomy in a patient with multinodular toxic goiter stage V, severe thyrotoxicosis complicated by thyro-cardiac disease, strangulation syndrome and severe comorbidities. Nodular euthyroid goiter was first diagnosed in 1992, and resection of the right thyroid lobe was performed. Progressive enlargement of thyroid gland and thyrotoxicosis occurred after coronavirus infection in February, 2020. Along with progression of thyrotoxicosis and strangulation of cervical organs, the patient suffered from portal vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism. Myeloproliferative disease with essential thrombocythemia was also diagnosed. Volume of the right and left thyroid lobes was 69 and 101.3 cm3, respectively. X-ray examination of the esophagus revealed narrowing at C6 level up to 5-8 mm. Surgery time was 2 hours, dimension of removed right thyroid lobe - 10.0×7.5×6.5 cm, left thyroid lobe - 11.0×6.5×5.5 cm, total weight - 348 g. The patient was discharged in 6 days after surgery.

Effects of storage temperature on hematopoietic stability and microbial safety of BM aspirates.

Bone marrow (BM) remains a common source for hematopoietic SCT. Due to the transcutaneous approach, contamination with skin bacteria is common. The delay between harvest and transfusion can be considerable, potentially allowing for bacterial proliferation. The optimal transportation temperature, specifically with respect to bacterial growth and consequences thereof for hematopoietic quality, remain undefined. For 72 h, 66 individual BM samples, non-spiked/spiked with different bacteria, stored at 20-24 °C room temperature (RT) or 3-5 °C (cold), were serially analyzed for hematopoietic quality and microbial burden. Under most conditions, hematopoietic quality of BM was equal or better at RT: Typical BM contaminants (P. acnes and S. epidermidis) and E. coli were killed or bacterial proliferation was arrested at RT; hematopoietic quality was not impacted by the contamination. However, several pathogenic bacteria not typically found in BM (S. aureus and K. pneumoniae) proliferated dramatically at RT and impaired hematopoietic quality. Bacterial proliferation was arrested in the cold. The overwhelming majority of BM samples, that is, those that are sterile or contaminated only with skin commensals, will benefit from transportation at RT. Those bacteria that proliferate and perturb hematopoietic quality are not typically found in BM. Our data support recommendations for RT transportation and storage of BM.

The novel CXCR4 antagonist POL5551 mobilizes hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with greater efficiency than Plerixafor.

Mobilized blood has supplanted bone marrow (BM) as the primary source of hematopoietic stem cells for autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Pharmacologically enforced egress of hematopoietic stem cells from BM, or mobilization, has been achieved by directly or indirectly targeting the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis. Shortcomings of the standard mobilizing agent, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), administered alone or in combination with the only approved CXCR4 antagonist, Plerixafor, continue to fuel the quest for new mobilizing agents. Using Protein Epitope Mimetics technology, a novel peptidic CXCR4 antagonist, POL5551, was developed. In vitro data presented herein indicate high affinity to and specificity for CXCR4. POL5551 exhibited rapid mobilization kinetics and unprecedented efficiency in C57BL/6 mice, exceeding that of Plerixafor and at higher doses also of G-CSF. POL5551-mobilized stem cells demonstrated adequate transplantation properties. In contrast to G-CSF, POL5551 did not induce major morphological changes in the BM of mice. Moreover, we provide evidence of direct POL5551 binding to hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in vivo, strengthening the hypothesis that CXCR4 antagonists mediate mobilization by direct targeting of HSPCs. In summary, POL5551 is a potent mobilizing agent for HSPCs in mice with promising therapeutic potential if these data can be corroborated in humans.

["Achilles' heel" in thyroid surgery].

Experienced multivalent surgeons are well aware that any operation has its own Achilles heel. In surgery for cholelithiasis, this is a risk of damage to the bile duct, in surgery for varicose veins - the femoral vein, in surgery for the colon and rectum - the ureter, in cardiac surgery - the ascending aorta, and in surgery for the thyroid gland - the recurrent laryngeal nerve.