DTI-MRI at 2 days after spinal cord injury accurately predicts long-term locomotor function recovery in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Spinal cord injury (SCI) damages an individual's sensory, motor, and autonomic functions and represents a social emergency, mostly in developed countries. Accurate and timely diagnosis of the severity of SCI must be carried out as quickly as possible to allow time for drug and therapy testing in the early stages after injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Dark Agouti (DA) rats underwent spinal cord cryoinjury at the T13 level of the spine. Under typical conditions, in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 and echo-planar imaging - diffusion tensor imaging (EPI-DTI) examinations were conducted. This involved the reconstruction of nerve tracts and the measurement of the fractional anisotropy (FA) index, as well as measurements of the ratio of Hyper/Hypo intensive areas and spinal cord injury severity scores. RESULTS: Our study shows that, after cryoinjury, the FA significantly decreased in all animals. An increase in FA level, derived from EPI-DTI within 2 days after SCI, accurately predicts long-term locomotor function recovery. In rats with higher FA, recorded on day 2 after injury, complete restoration of locomotor function was observed, while at low FA values, the animals maintained stable monoplegia. CONCLUSIONS: Our results, though validating the T2 10-grade MRI scale for SCI, indicate that FA would represent the MRI technical instrument, which would better monitor the evolution of SCI and, accordingly, better objectively evaluate the impact of potentially therapeutic protocols for spinal cord traumatic injury. Despite the results achieved, significant difficulties must be overcome on the way to successful clinical implementation of the findings in humans.

[Acute non-calculous cholecystitis in a young aged patient with COVID-19: A case report].

To date, it is known that COVID-19 can lead to damage to various organs and systems, despite the statistical prevalence of respiratory manifestations of the disease. In some cases, in order to treat complications of coronavirus infection, a multidisciplinary approach may be required, including on an urgent basis. The article presents a clinical case of acute non-calculous cholecystitis in a 41-year-old patient with COVID-19. The importance of timely diagnosis and providing the possibility of emergency surgical care to patients with COVID-19, even under the conditions of the anti-epidemic regime, has been demonstrated.

CSF - injected contrast medium enhances post-traumatic spinal cord cysts. An experimental study in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is still one of the most challenging problems in neurosurgical practice. One of the major obstacles to neural regeneration following trauma is the formation of glial scarring and post-traumatic cysts which acts against proper growth of axons through the site of injury. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) delivery of bioactive agents into cystic cavities could represent a promising therapeutic strategy. In the present study, we investigated specifically the dynamics of intradural delivery of contrast medium and its relocation into post-traumatic cysts in an experimental model of spinal cord cryoinjury in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 32 male Sprague Dawley SPF rats were submitted to injury as previously described. Omnipaque-240 was injected either into the cisterna magna or at the level of the cauda equina. Subsequently, cerebral CT scan examinations were performed in order to check the CSF dynamics of the contrast medium. RESULTS: There was a steady accumulation of contrast medium into post-traumatic cysts as early as five minutes after injection. A dosage of 65 mg of iodine per kilogram ensured an adequate feeling of the cysts at an average of 30 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that intraspinal injection of bioactive agents can easily reach the site of injury and fill post-traumatic cysts. This could represent an interesting potential therapeutic protocol for SCI.

Phytoestrogens decorated nanocapsules for therapeutic methionine γ-lyase targeted delivery.

The main task of targeted therapy is the selective destruction of cancer cells without affecting normal ones. For these purposes, small molecules and antibodies are used that target specific receptors and proteins or block signaling pathways in tumor cells. The natural phytoestrogens daidzein (Dz) and genistein (Gn) possess binding capacity to estrogen receptors (ER). Methionine γ-lyase (MGL) is promising in two strategies of antitumor therapy: for the elimination of l-methionine, which is necessary for the proliferation of tumor cells, and for the production of cytotoxic dialkyl thiosulfinates in situ. For delivery of MGL-loaded nanocapsules (nanoreactors) to the surface of cancer cells a technique for Dz or Gn incorporation into the shell of polyionic vesicles (PICsomes) was developed. The nanoreactors were characterized by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The enzyme retained its catalytic efficiency inside the decorated PICsomes. The binding of Dz/Gn-nanoreactors to the surface of ER + MCF7 breast adenocarcinoma cells was demonstrated. For the first time an influence of enzyme-loaded PICsomes and their individual components on embryos development was evaluated. The high rate of blastocysts formation (>80%) was observed for all tested components and nanoreactors themselves. A strong inhibitory effect on the early embryonic development of MGL-loaded PICsomes in the presence of S-alkyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide substrates was showed. This proves that the substrates can freely penetrate through the polymer shell of the polyionic vesicle and are cleaved by MGL to form cytotoxic thiosulfinates. The data obtained for phytoestrogens decorated PICsomes may be applied in enzyme therapy of malignant tumors.

Structural Mechanism of Ionic Conductivity of the TRPV1 Channel.

The so-called "hydrophobic gating" is widely discussed as a putative mechanism to control water and ion conduction via ion channels. This effect can occur in narrow areas of the channels pore lined by non-polar residues. In the closed state of the channel, such regions may spontaneously transit to a dehydrated state to block water and ions transport without full pore occlusion. In the open state, the hydrophobic gate is wide enough to provide sustainable hydration and conduction. Apparently, the transport through the open hydrophobic gate may by facilitated by some polar residues that assist polar/charged substances to overcome the energy barrier created by nonpolar environment. In this work, we investigated the behavior of Na+ ions and their hydration shells in the open pore of the rat TRPV1 ion channel by molecular dynamics simulations. We show that polar protein groups coordinate water molecules in such a way as to restore the hydration shell of ions in the hydrophobic gate that ensures ion transport through the gate in a fully hydrated state.

A new mouse unilateral model of diffuse alveolar damage of the lung.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: The existing biological models of diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) in mice have many shortcomings. To offset these shortcomings, we have proposed a simple, nonsurgical, and reproducible method of unilateral total damage of the left lung in ICR mice. This model is based on the intrabronchial administration of a mixture of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the cell wall of S. enterica and α-galactosylceramide (inducing substances) to the left lung. METHODS: Using computer tomography of the lungs with endobronchial administration of contrast material, we have been able to perform an operative intravital verification of the targeted delivery of the inducer. The model presented is characterized by more serious and homogeneous damage of the affected lung compared to the existing models of focal pneumonia; at the same time, our model is characterized by longer animal survival since the right lung remains intact. RESULTS: The model is also characterized by diffuse alveolar damage of the left lung, animal survival of 100%, abrupt increases in plasma levels of TNFa, INFg, and IL-6, and significant myocardial overload in the right heart. It can be used to assess the efficacy of innovative drugs for the treatment of DAD and ARDS as the clinical manifestations that are developed in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Morphological patterns of lungs in the noninfectious ("sterile") model of DAD induced by LPS simultaneously with α-galactosylceramide (presented here) and in the infectious model of DAD induced by SARS-CoV-2 have been compared. CONCLUSION: The DAD model we have proposed can be widely used for studying the efficacy of candidate molecules for the treatment of infectious respiratory diseases, such as viral pneumonias of different etiology, including SARS-CoV-2.

Surgical Simulation of a Posttraumatic Spinal Cord Glial Scar in Rats.

We developed and verified an original, minimally invasive method for surgical simulation of a posttraumatic spinal cord glial scar in rats. The model is intended for use as a biological platform for testing the stimulation of regenerative processes in the central nervous system. Unification of the model enables one to achieve versatility both for implantation techniques and for the development of system-action approaches. Faced with a standard structural defect of the spinal cord, researchers will have the unique opportunity to test in vivo promising methods for spinal function recovery in the posttraumatic period. We developed anesthetic support, surgical tactics, and a set of rehabilitation measures for the chronic postoperative period. Experimental exposure effects were preliminarily assessed in vivo using a standard technique for recording the motor activity of rats in the postoperative period of spinal cord injury. Our final conclusions were drawn based on an analysis of histological sections of the rat spinal cord glial scar in three mutually perpendicular planes.

Experimental Models of Spinal Cord Injury in Laboratory Rats.

Pathologies associated with spinal cord injury are some of the leading diseases in the world. The search for new therapeutic agents and 3D biodegradable materials for the recovery of spinal cord functions is a topical issue. In this review, we have summarized the literature data on the most common experimental models of spinal cord injury in laboratory rats and analyzed the experience of using 3D biodegradable materials (scaffolds) in experimental studies of spinal trauma. The advantages and disadvantages of the described models are systematically analyzed in this review.

Ultrasensitive detection enabled by nonlinear magnetization of nanomagnetic labels.

Geometrically confined magnetic particles due to their unique response to external magnetic fields find a variety of applications, including magnetic guidance, heat and drug delivery, magneto-mechanical actuation, and contrast enhancement. Highly sensitive detection and imaging techniques based on the nonlinear properties of nanomagnets were recently proposed as innovative strong-translational potential methods applicable in complex, often opaque, biological systems. Here we report on the significant enhancement of the detection capability using optical-lithography-defined, ferromagnetic iron-nickel alloy disk-shaped particles. We show that an irreversible transition between strongly non-collinear (vortex) and single domain states, driven by an alternating magnetic field, translates into a nonlinear magnetic response that enables ultrasensitive detection of these particles. The record sensitivity of ∼3.5 × 10-9 emu, which is equivalent to ∼39 pg of magnetic material is demonstrated at room temperature for arrays of patterned disks. We also show that unbound disks suspended in the aqueous buffer can be successfully detected and quantified in real-time when administered into a live animal allowing for tracing of their biodistribution. The use of nanoscale ferromagnetic particles with engineered nonlinear properties opens prospects for further enhancing the sensitivity, scalability, and tunability of noise-free magnetic tag detection in high-background environments for various applications spanning from biosensing and medical imaging to anti-counterfeiting technologies.

[Evaluation of condition and factors affecting activity effectiveness and visual performance of pilots who use night vision goggles during the helicopter flights].

According to analysis of questionnaire authors revealed factors, which affect activity effectiveness, and visual performance of pilots who use night vision goggles during the helicopter flights. These are: difficulty of flight tasks, flying conditions, illusion of attitude. Authors gave possible ways to reduce an impact of these factors.

Superheating in linear polymers studied by ultrafast nanocalorimetry.

To study phase transition kinetics on submillisecond time scale a sensitive ultrafast nanocalorimeter was constructed. Controlled ultrafast cooling, as well as heating, up to 10(6) K/s was attained. The method was applied for the measurements of the superheating phenomenon in a set of linear polymers: iPS, PBT, PET, and iPP. A power law relation between the superheating and the heating rate holds in the heating rate range 10(-2) - 10(4) K/s. A limiting superheating of about 10% of the melting temperature was observed at rates above 10(4) - 10(5) K/s. This limit depends on annealing conditions before sample melting. The observed superheating limit, as well as the power law, can be accounted for the internal stresses near the crystalline amorphous interface in semicrystalline polymers induced by heating, which are related to the thermal expansion gradients inherent in a semicrystalline material.

[Spectrum of microflora isolated from various areas of the female reproductive tract]. / Spektr mikroflory, izoliruemoi iz razlichnykh otdelov reproduktivnogo trakta zhenshchin.

The composition of microflora in different sections of the reproductive tract of women with disturbances of reproductive function was studied. The study revealed that the spectrum of microorganisms isolated from a bioptic specimen taken from the cavity of the small pelvis was narrower in comparison with such spectrum in material aspirated from the uterine cavity. The latter was narrower in comparison with that in the microflora of the lower sections of the reproductive tract. The possibility for one and the same patient to have both similarities and essential differences in the spectra of microflora in different sections of the reproductive tract was shown.

[Treatment of mild and moderate hypertension with enalapril (multicenter study of enap and enap N in Ukraine)]. / Lechenie miagkoi i umerennoi arterial'noi gipertonii énalaprilom (mnogotsentrovoe issledovanie énapa i énapa-N na Ukraine).

AIM: Assessment of efficiency and safety of enalapril (enap) and its combination with hydrochlorotiaside (enap-N). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 127 patients with mild and moderate blood hypertension entered an open non-comparative multicenter trial. 60 of them received enap (group 1), 67--enap N (group 2). Group 1 patients were given enap for 2 weeks in a dose 10 mg/day. If this dose was not adequate to normalize blood pressure, it was raised to 20-40 mg/day. Patients of group 2 received enap-N one tablet a day for 3 weeks. If the pressure persisted higher than 140/90 mm Hg, the treatment was continued for 3 weeks more in a dose of 2 tablets a day. RESULTS: Blood pressure lowered under 140/90 mm Hg in 40 patients of group 1 (66.7%). Systolic pressure dropped by 10 mm Hg minimum and diastolic by 5 mm minimum in 18 group 1 patients (30%). Enap-N reduced blood pressure under 140-90 mm Hg in 44 of 67 patients (65.7%). Systolic and diastolic pressure dropped, respectively, in 23(34.3%) patients. CONCLUSION: Enap and enap-N tablets were found highly effective and well tolerated. Side effects were caused by lowering of blood pressure.

[Manifestations of cardiac decompensation in myocardial infarct]. / Ob osobennostiakh proiavleniia dekompensatsii serdtsa pri infarkte miokarda

A study of the causes of mortality among myocardial infarction patients and of the peculiarities of the manifestations of cardiac decompensation was conducted by way of mathematical prognosing and with the aid of the "Mmirp-1" computer, and permitted to conclude on the necessity of distinguishing between the primary circulatory insufficiency in the acute period, and relapsing circulatory disorders. The prognosis in myocardial infarction permits indirect appraisal of the reserve capacities of the diseased heart. The results of the conducted study indicate that the primary circulatory disorders are 6 times as frequent as the relapsing ones and that half of the patients with signs of circulatory failure dies within the first day of the disease. The long-term prognosis is equally unfavourable for the patients with circulatory insufficiency signs in the acute period: by the end of the 2nd year only 4 of every 10 patients with primary circulatory disorders survive, and 1--2 of every 10 patients with signs of relapsing circulatory disorders, which should be taken into consideration when developing the methods of complex therapy.