The treatment of various types of dementia remains a challenging task for psychiatry and neurobiology. This group of diseases is characterized by progressive impairment of cognitive functions and memory, accompanied by neurodegenerative processes in different areas of the brain. Drug treatment does not stop the degeneration of nervous tissue. Cell therapy using neural stem/ progenitor cells is considered a promising approach for the treatment of various types of dementia. This paper discusses the unique properties and possible mechanisms of the influence of these cells after transplantation on the regeneration of nervous tissue, as well as specific examples of the use of neural stem/progenitor cells from various sources in various types of dementia. Based on the data analyzed, it can be concluded that the olfactory mucosa is considered a promising and accessible source for the creation of autologous cell-based preparation. Therefore, further research is needed on the use of olfactory mucosal neural stem/progenitor cells in the context of dementia. 

Metabolic syndrome (MS), a global problem of the 21st century, is characterized by hypertension, which is caused by the predominance of vasoconstriction over vasodilation processes. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a recognized endogenous gas signaling molecule that has a variety of biological effects, including changes in vascular tone. The aim of this work was to study the changes in contractile activity of isolated rat aorta in response to the influence of hydrogen sulfide donor sodium hydrosulfide and endogenous H2S during metabolic disorders induced by the use of a cafeteria diet. The study was performed on mature male Wistar rats. The use of a cafeteria diet for 7 weeks led to the development of metabolic disorders that characterize MS. The results of myographic study of thoracic aorta segments indicated that the introduction of NaHS in both the control and experimental groups led to bimodal effects depending on the concentration: vasoconstriction at low concentrations and significantly more pronounced vasodilation at high concentrations. Statistically significant changes in vasoconstrictor responses were not discovered during the development of MS, but there was an increase in H2S-induced vasodilation. The influence of endogenous H2S depends on the physiological state of perivascular adipose tissue and decreases in MS. Thus, increased H2S-induced vasodilation in MS likely reflects a compensatory mechanism for decreased endogenous H2S production. ATPsensitive potassium channels play a leading role in mediating the relaxation responses of aortic smooth muscle to H2S. However, their contribution to the development of vasodilation is less pronounced in MS, which is a consequence of changes in the involvement of other mechanisms. One of these mechanisms may be a H2S-induced reduction in the increased vasoconstriction associated with MS, caused by increased superoxide anion production. The interaction of various pathways for the implementation of H2S-induced vasorelaxation in metabolic disorders represents an important direction for further research to prevent the development of vascular diseases, including by regulating vascular tone. 

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social interaction, stereotypic behavior, and restricted interests. In ASD, dysregulation of proteins associated with synaptic plasticity, particularly brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as well as elevated levels of inflammation, are observed. Investigating the involvement of BDNF in the pathogenesis of ASD and the search for new therapeutic agents represent an important task in psychopharmacology. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the low-molecular-weight dipeptide BDNF mimetic hexamethylenediamide bis(N-monosuccinyl-L-seryl-L-lysine) (GSB-106) on behavioral features and inflammation in rats with experimental ASD. ASD was modeled by administering sodium valproate at a dose of 600 mg/kg to female Wistar rats on gestational day 12.5. The offspring (both males and females) received GSB-106 orally at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg daily from postnatal day 7 (P7) to P81. From P39 to P81, stereotypic behavior, exploratory and locomotor activity, and pain sensitivity were assessed, followed by evaluation of inflammation by measuring complement system activity and the content of multiple-modified low-density lipoproteins (mmLDL). GSB-106 at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg reduced stereotypy 2.0-fold (p < 0.05), increased exploratory activity 1.3-fold (p < 0.05), and improved locomotor coordination 1.5-fold (p < 0.05) in male rats with ASD compared to the VPA group. In female rats with ASD, GSB-106 increased the pain threshold 1.2-fold (p < 0.05) and improved locomotor coordination 1.9-fold (p < 0.001). The effect of GSB-106 on metabolic and oxidative processes associated with inflammation was observed only in male rats with experimental ASD, as evidenced by a 39.9% reduction (p < 0.01) in serum mmLDL levels compared with the VPA group. The obtained results indicate the involvement of BDNF in the pathogenesis of ASD and suggest that GSB-106 may be considered a promising compound for further development as a therapeutic agent for correcting behavioral disturbances characteristic of ASD.

Epilepsy is often accompanied by psycho-emotional disorders, the most common of which are anxiety disorders, depression and conditions leading to impaired social interaction. This study investigates the social behavior of rats with different predispositions to audiogenic epilepsy: Krushinsky-Molodkina (KM) rats with high sensitivity to sound and “0” rats selected from a population of F2 hybrids of the KM rats and Wistar rats, insensitive to sound stimulation, for the absence of audiogenic epilepsy. The results demonstrate social behavior impairments in both intact “0” rats and intact KM rats. The “0” rats in the social tests showed interest in social stimuli but did not prefer the new stimulus to the old one, while the KM rats showed no social preference, nor interest in social novelty. After repeated sound stimulation (audiogenic kindling), KM rats developed myoclonic seizures, paralleled by aggravation of social deficits, while the social behavior of “0” rats, resistant to the seizure provocations, did not significantly change. 

Pregnancy in mammals is accompanied by deep restructuring of cardiovascular system to provide adequate blood supply to the fetus and to maintain maternal homeostasis, where blood pressure and heart rate variability serve as important indicators of the system’s state and the effectiveness of its regulation mechanisms. The study investigated hemodynamic parameters changes in pregnant and non-pregnant rats in response to acute hypoxic stress, studied in different periods of gestation. It was shown that normal pregnancy was accompanied by a physiological decrease in blood pressure and a restructuring of autonomic regulation with activation of the sympathetic link and a decrease in parasympathetic activity with a stable heart rate. Hypoxia in early pregnancy caused a significant and prolonged decrease in blood pressure, while in late prenatal period there were no blood pressure changes in response to the lack of oxygen, but bradycardia persisted in both cases. Moreover, females exposed to hypoxia in late pregnancy demonstrated the increased heart rate variability with activation of the parasympathetic system the day after. The dysregulation observed could cause long-term consequences, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and impairing the adaptive potential of the mother’s body. 

Due to the growing microplastic (MP) pollution of the environment, the problem of MP impact on human health is relevant. MP is considered to contribute to the development of inflammatory bowel diseases. Therefore, we assessed the effect of long-term MP consumption on the expression of genes associated with the colon barrier function and on the luminal microflora composition in healthy mice and those with acute colitis. The effect of MP was modeled by replacing drinking water with a 10 mg/l suspension of 5 μm polystyrene particles for 6 weeks. To model acute colitis, 1% sodium dextran sulfate was added to the drinking water from day 36 to day 40 of the experiment. In healthy mice, MP caused an increase in the mRNA expression of transmembrane mucin Muc3, tight junction proteins Cldn4 and Cldn7, pro-apoptotic factor Bax, and anti-apoptotic factor Bcl2, which generally indicates the activation of synthetic processes in the intestinal epithelium. This is an adaptive response. An increase in the representation of the genus Aestuariispira was observed in the microflora. In colitis with MP consumption, in comparison to colitis without MP, the mRNA expression of Cldn4 and Bax, and the Bax/Bcl2 ratio were lower, and expression of Muc13 was higher. The content of bacteria from 24 genera in the microflora differed.