The study of the effect of vitamins A and E on total and differential leukocyte count as well as morphometric parameters of lymphocytes in three carnivorous species — dark-brown American mink (Neovison vison, Mustelidae), blue fox (Vulpes lagopus, Canidae) and silver fox (V. vulpes, Canidae) was conducted. The highest total leukocyte count (WBC) and the largest surface area of lymphocytes and their nuclei in the peripheral blood were observed in mink, the lowest indices were found in silver fox. Supplementation with vitamins A and E for 14 days had no effect on the WBC and differential leukocyte count with the exception of decreasing in relative eosinophils and monocytes content in silver fox receiving vitamin E. The action of vitamins was mainly manifested in changes in the morphometric parameters of lymphocytes. Additional vitamin A in mink and silver fox and vitamin E only in mink led to an increase in the surface area of lymphocytes, and in some cases their nuclei, which was accompanied by a rise in the size of cell cytoplasm in mink. In blue fox, on the contrary, both vitamins brought about a decrease in the surface area of the lymphocytes and their nuclei. The observed changes may be related to the immunomodulatory effects of vitamins A and E, the found differences may be associated with the features of the morpho-functional organization of lymphocytes and the immune status of the studied species of carnivorous mammals.

This is the first study of alkali-resistant fungi in the conditions of neutral salinization at the Lake Baskunchak (Astrakhan region, Russia). Fungi were isolated from the lake coast chloride soils on alkaline agar medium (pH 10.0-10.5); isolates were characterized by morphological, cultural, and molecular genetic features; phylogenetic analysis and analysis of adaptation to pH and salinity were performed. It has been shown that alkali-resistant fungi at the lake coast is a polyphyletic group of Ascomycetes from Sordariomycetes (9 species), Dothideomycetes (5 species), Eurotiomycetes (3 species), and also sterile mycelium (15 isolates). The study of the growth rates in a wide range of pH has shown that among the isolates there are both alkalotolerant fungi and alkaliphilic one. The tolerance of isolates to elevated concentrations of sodium chloride was confirmed. The discovery of obligate alkaliphiles, under conditions of neutral salinization, was unexpected. Phylogenetic reconstructions were carried out, obligate alkaliphilic isolates were characterized as a new species of the genus Sodiomyces. In the article, we discuss the possible ecological role of alkali-resistant fungi in saline habitats.

Cultivation of diatom algae is associated with many problems, one of them concerns the contamination of cultures with various microorganisms. A representative of kinetoplastids, the free-living bacteriotroph Bodo saltans Ehrenberg, 1832 can be often found among contaminants. In the case when B. saltans reaches a large number, diatom cells cease to divide, some of them die, becoming a substrate for the development of bacteria, and for the next trophic link, Kinetoplastids. For the decontamination of diatom cultures, we used amphotericin B, a polyene macrocyclic antibiotic active against some protozoa and fungi. The effect of the drug on B. saltans in cultures of eight species of diatoms, including Ardissonea crystallina (C. Agardh) Grunow, Climaconeis scalaris (Brebisson) E.J. Cox, Entomoneis paludosa (W. Smith) Reimer, Haslea karadagensis Davidovich, Gastineau & Mouget, Pleurosigma aestuarii (Brebisson ex Kutzing) W. Smith, Pleurosigma sp., Pseudo-nitzschia calliantha Lundholm, Moestrup & Hasle, and P. pungens (Grunow ex P.T. Cleve) Hasle was investigated. The rate of division of diatom cells exposed to amphotericin B, depending on the dose and duration of exposure, was experimentally determined. Recommendations on the use of amphotericin B for the decontamination of diatom cultures from B. saltans are given.

Prolyl endopeptidase is involved in neurodegeneration, proliferation, neuroinflammation and neuron differentiation. It has been observed that severity of neurodegenerative process correlates with increasing level of prolyl endopeptidase in the brain. According to the recent research, prolyl endopeptidase might interact with prion-like proteins, which are believed to be the key players in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Consequently, prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors might be a promising group of chemicals to study in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s disease. The aim of the research was to determine the effects of a new inhibitor of prolyl endopeptidase by haloperidol catalepsy test in SHK mice and MPTP induced Parkinson-like syndrome in C57Bl/6 mice. Neurotoxin MPTP (30 mg/kg, single intraperitoneal injection) was used to provide the specific dopaminergic damage in C57Bl/6 mice. As a result, the compound reduces the severity of main extrapyramidal symptoms: rigidity and motor deficits. However, the anticataleptic activity was not found. According to our results, the prolyl endopeptidase inhibitor does not effect on the dopaminergic neurons directly, but provides neuroprotection to the neurons.

Non-denaturing fluorescent in situ hybridization (ND FISH) is a convenient method of cytogenetic research. Compared to the standard method, ND FISH is fast and easy to perform, requires less time, reagents and tools, so it is gaining increasing popularity among different groups of scientists and used to accomplish various scientific tasks. However, when using this method to visualize the chromosomes of wheat and its wild relatives, we faced some peculiarities of its application when oligonucleotide probes are used. In this paper, we compare three following methods, two different versions of the denaturation method and the denaturation FISH. In the standard procedure and its modifications, chromosomes are treated with formamide at high temperature that results in the denaturation of supercoiled DNA of plant chromosomes. In the non-denaturing FISH, this step is omitted that makes it possible to keep the native chromosome structure and, thus, is more time and cost effective. In our work, all methods demonstrated their efficiency. Non-denaturing FISH is characterized by ease and convenience, but less reproducibility in a series of experiments. The standard protocol and its modifications are most stable and reliable, but negatively affect chromosome morphology. In successive hybridizations on the same slide (sequential FISH), we recommend a combination of these methods, with primary testing using a standard protocol and subsequent hybridization using the ND-FISH method.

Photosystem 2 (PSII) of the higher plants carries out the photoinduced oxidation of water and releases the molecular oxygen into atmosphere as a by-product of this reaction. The oxygen evolving complex (OEC) is located on the donor side of PSII and contains the Mn₄CaO₅ cluster catalyzing water oxidation. A cofactor of this reaction is Ca²⁺ cation. According to some physical and chemical properties (ionic radius, a coordination number) lanthanides ions are similar to Ca²⁺ ion parameters, and in the calcium binding proteins substitution of Ca²⁺ with these cations is possible. Some representatives of this cations group can bind to Ca-binding site in the OEC of PSII. In presented paper we investigated the interaction with the PSII donor side one of the least studied lanthanides — terbium. Results of our experiments showed that the incubation of native PSII preparations with Tb³⁺ cations lead to irreversible inhibition of oxygen evolving function (»75% inhibition at 2 mM of Tb³⁺). At the same time electron transport on the acceptor side of PSII substantially remains. Addition to incubation buffer 30 mM Ca²⁺ reduces the inhibition effect of terbium approximately twice. Obtained results well correspond to the data of measurements of fluorescence induction kinetic in PSII membranes in the presence of exogenous Ca²⁺ and Tb³⁺ and allow to assume that terbium cations displace Ca²⁺ from OEC. Calcium release induced by Tb³⁺ results to incomplete water oxidation producing H₂O₂ instead of molecular oxygen as it was shown for PSII without Ca²⁺ in OEC earlier.

Male hybrid mice (F1 CBA x C57BL/6J) were kept for 1.5 h at the temperature 39,5°С. In cognitive tests (extrapolation and puzzle-box elementary logic task solution) mice of experimental groups (after being kept in elevated temperature environment) solved the tasks more quickly and more successfully, while their activity the «small open field» (in which no stress-inducing stimuli were present) and in Porsolt test (unescapable swimming) was higher than in control mice. tests they were also more active. In separate experiments the temporary impairment in the adult neurogenesis (the decrease of new cells numbers detected immunо-histochemically by the marker Ki67) after elevated temperature exposure was demonstrated in both subgranular area of dentate fascia and in subventricular proliferative zone of the forebrain. The heating treatment was accompanied by the increase of HSP70 expression at the time point 3 h after the treatment but which was not different from the controls after 24 h.

A lot of studies aimed to the investigation the mechanisms of occurrence and ways to prevent of supraventricular arrhythmias - in particular, atrial fibrillation. The origin of the atrial fibrillation in most part of cases is associated with abnormal electrophysiological properties of the pulmonary veins (PV) myocardium. The most important of characteristic of PV myocardium is highly prone to the ectopic automaticity. Moreover, no murine strains with hereditary predisposition to PVs-derived ectopy or arrhythmogenity are known to the present moment. Nevertheless, mice become more frequent objects in the heart electrophysiology studies. Thus, the aim of the present investigation was to characterize, bioelectric properties of the PV and atrial myocardium of the F1 hybrids (B6CBAF1) received by crossing C57Bl/6 and CBA strains. In ex vivo experiments the action potentials were recorded in PV and atrial multicelluar perfused preparations isolated form B6CBAF1 and control BALB/c mice heart using standard sharp microelectrodes technique. In addition, in in vivo experiments standard approach was used to receive and analyze ECG in B6CBAF1 and BALB/c mice. In 80% of experiments the PV myocardium of B6CBAF1 exhibits permanent ectopic automaticity. Spontaneous action potential (SAP) in 55% of experiments were characterized by excessive afterdepolarizations, which caused extreme repolarization delay reached 1-20 s. Besides PV, the atrial working myocardium of B6CBAF1 in 80% of cases demonstrated SAPs. Unlike B6CBAF1, both BALB/c PV and atrial myocardium were unable to generate permanent SAPs or demonstrate repolarization abnormalities in basal conditions. The in vivo ECG recording revealed no arrhythmia episodes of significant changes of ECG parameters in B6CBAF1 mice except increased heart beat frequency. It is possible that that B6CBAF1 hybrids are the first time described mouse strain with the intrinsically or probably hereditary arrhythmogenic supraventricular myocardium demonstrating an ectopic automaticity and triggered activity.

The coupling of EEG rhythms is an important indicator of the functional state of the human brain. Currently, there are three theories explaining such interaction: a) communication of neural populations; b) neural interaction; c) interaction of generators of the studied frequencies. It is known that theta-rhythm is associated with the functioning of the cortico-hippocampal system, and alpha-thalamo-cortical, and beta-can be included in the work of both cortico— subcortical systems. The presented work can clarify the features of the interaction of the above-described cortical-subcortical systems. There are a number of works devoted to the study of the coupling of EEG rhythms in various types of mental activity. In recent years, there has been interest in the connection of rhythms at different stages of sleep. The task of our work was to study the interaction of theta-, alpha- and beta-rhythms of EEG in the first stage of sleep. The study involved 22 subjects aged 18 to 22 years. Multichannel EEG was recorded during the daytime sleep of the experiment participants. EEG segments with a well-defined theta-rhythm were selected for processing, since it is «dominant» at the first stage of sleep. Then the range filtering of the EEG signal was carried out. The following rhythms were distinguished: theta-rhythm (4—7 Hz), alpha-rhythm (8—13 Hz), beta-1- (14—19 Hz) and beta-2-rhythm (20—25 Hz). After that, for each range at each second, the average amplitude was calculated as the square root of the EEG signal dispersion. Pearson correlation coefficient was used as a measure to evaluate the interaction of EEG rhythms. As a result, it was found that the first stage of sleep was characterized by: a) lack of connections of theta-rhythm with other rhythms; b) the presence of links alpha—beta-1-, alpha—beta-2- and beta-1—beta-2-rhythms, c) the increase of the amplitude of the theta-rhythm and d) decrease the amplitude of alpha- and beta-rhythms. As noted above, theta-rhythm is associated with the functioning of the cortico-hippocampal system, and alpha — thalamo-cortical. In our work two coexisting types of functioning of these systems are shown: «independent» cortical-hippocampal circle and connected with other rhythms, in particular with beta-rhythm, thalamo-cortical. Probably, this heterogeneity is a condition that the first stage of sleep can be unstable. An increase in the amplitude of the theta-rhythm at the first stage of sleep in relation to the state of quiet wakefulness is shown. This is traditionally associated with an increase in the ascending effects of the limbic structures of the brain. The amplitudes of alpha- and beta-rhythms at first stage of sleep were significantly reduced, which indicates a weakening of the influence of prefrontal cortex on the centers of the posterior hypothalamus. Based on this, it can be assumed that the onset of first stage of sleep can be provided by the heterogeneous nature of the coupling of rhythms, and accordingly, the different functioning of the cortico-hippocampal and thalamocortical systems.

The seasonal and age variability of the hippocampus of the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) from the natural population (Moscow region) was traced. The animals of the autumn generation were compared at three stages of the life cycle: in the fall (1-3 months old), during the winter decrease in brain mass (5-7 months), after the spring «growth spurt» (9-11 months). The winter sample differed statistically significantly smaller (p<0,05) section area of both the dentate gyrus and the CA3 field of the hippocampus. All the studied divisions of the hippocampal complex - molecular and granular layers of the dentate gyrus, layers of pyramidal cells and fibers of the CA3 field of the hippocampus were characterized by a similar winter decrease (9,4-13,3%). In spring, there was a regrowth in all parts of the hippocampal complex. In the summertime in overwintered voles, the size of the hippocampal divisions was larger than that in the winter sample by 5,4-27,3%. The results indicate a significant morphological plasticity of the main structural components of the hippocampus due to the influence of seasonal factors in non-winter-sleeping rodents.

The paper is a systematic review of use of the pharmaceutical substance — Camoy’s solution — to reduce the number of recurrences of such tumors as keratocystic odontogenic tumor and ameloblastoma. These are benign, but yet aggressive, jaw tumors with a high percentage of recurrences (up to 60—80%). Surgical treatment of the above-described formations can be performed using: 1) marsupialization (recurrence rate up to 24.8%); 2) enucleation with or without additional therapy; therapy may include cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen (recurrence rate up to 23.1%), peripheral ostectomy (recurrence rate up to 20%), bone cavity treatment with Carnoy's solution (recurrence rate up to 6.6%); 3) marginal/segmental resection of the jaw (recurrence rate up to 2.5%). Despite of the low percentage of recurrences when using marginal/segmental resection, this method requires a longer and more expensive anesthetic and surgical intervention, as well as longer postoperative and rehabilitation periods. With the use of Carnoy’s solution, it became possible to reduce the risks of recurrence of keratocystic odontogenic tumors and ameloblastomas from 60—80% to 6.6—11.5%. Today, in all the world, not only Carnoy’s solution recommended by Cutler and Zollinger in 1933 is applied, but also its modifications which are not inferior to the original substance in terms of removal efficiency of the remaining cystic cells. The safety of the use of the solution near the vessels and nerves is confirmed by works of a number of authors. Despite of the large number of surgical treatments of both keratocystic odontogenic tumors and ameloblastomas, the use of enucleation with the use of Carnoy’s solution is the optimal method of choice for these diseases.

It has been shown that activity of factor X activity determined in normal plasma using Aspergillus ochraceus protease is comparable with the activity of a commercial analogue, a protease from Russell’s viper venom (RVV-X®). It was revealed that the protease of A. ochraceus along with the RVV-X® preparation can be used to determine the content of factor X in the plasma with its reduced content. A study of the protease activity of A. ochraceus, an activator to factor X, showed that it is slightly higher compared to the snake venom preparation, which can make A. ochraceus protease a promising substitute for the snake activator in diagnostics for determining the content of factor X.