Effect of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Anxiety in Linear and Non-Linear Rats with Depressive-Like Disorders Induced by Ultrasound Stimulation

Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine - We performed a comparative study of the effect of electroconvulsive therapy on anxiety in outbred rats and Sprague-Dawley rats with depressive-like...     

The Dynamics of the Contents of Neurotrophic Factors in Early Ontogeny in the Brain Structures of Rats Subjected to Prenatal Hypoxia

We analyzed the contents of neurotrophic factors (BDNF and NGF) and the S-100 protein in the hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum of the rat brain during early postnatal ontogeny. We found that the BDNF content in the cortex is significantly lower than in the hippocampus and cerebellum, which may indicate a different degree of maturity of the studied structures during the first month of life. The maximum BDNF and NGF content in the control group of animals was observed on the 10th day of life and by the first month it decreased in the cerebellum and remained at this level (in the hippocampus and cortex), while the amount of S-100 protein gradually increased during the entire first month of life. It was found that prenatal hypoxia is followed by a significant decrease in the contents of BDNF and NGF and the S-100 protein in early ontogeny; the change in their levels is maintained with age in comparison with control values, which may be one of the causes for a delay in the development of the nervous system and body as a whole.     

PCR detection of periodontal bacteria and Streptococcus mutans in the biological samples from the oral cavity

The paper describes an optimized technique for DNA isolation from the Streptococcus mutans cultures and from the clinical samples including proteinase K treatment and detergent lysis, followed by sorbent-based enrichment. This technique was employed for isolating DNA from the periodontal bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, and Bacteroides forsythus. A multiplex PCR technique was adapted for large-scale studies of clinical samples. An original PCR method was developed for the semiquantitative detection of Str. mutans, showing the sensitivity of 100 genome copies per reaction. Extensive studies of approximately 2,000 individuals have demonstrated that these methods are applicable to the study of the dental and gingival microflora in the biological sample from the oral cavity of persons with dental diseases from various age groups.     

Glutathione depletion in hippocampal cells increases levels of H and L ferritin and glutathione S-transferase mRNAs

Glutathione plays an essential role in maintaining cellular redox balance, protecting cells from oxidative stress and detoxifying xenobiotic compounds. Glutathione depletion has been implicated in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Cells of neuronal origin are acutely sensitive to glutathione depletion, providing an avenue for studying the mechanisms invoked for neuronal survival in response to oxidant challenge. We investigated the changes in mRNA profile in HT22 hippocampal cells following administration of homocysteic acid (HCA), a glutathione-depleting drug. We report that HCA treatment of HT22 murine hippocampal cells increases the levels of the mRNAs encoding at least three proteins involved in protection from oxidant injury, the mRNAs encoding heavy (H) and light (L) ferritin and glutathione S-transferase (GST).     

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia: polymorphism of clinical manifestations

We observed 15 patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD): 9 with definite and 5 with probable ARVD (modified European Criteria, 2010). Eight patients had typical ARVD (frequent right ventricular extrasystoles, nonsustained right ventricular tachycardia without heart failure with or without myocarditis). Five patients had ARVD with progressive heart failure (right- or biventricular with or without myocarditis). Two patients had full scale arrhythmic form (sustained right ventricular tachycardia without or with right ventricular dilation, with or without myocarditis). In 3 cases diagnosis was confirmed morphologically or with DNA-diagnostics. This material allowed us to highlight the following specific points related to diagnostics of ARVD. Detection of fat at MRT is not obligatory for diagnosis, fat can be detected by MSCT; ventricular arrhythmias can move backwards in the picture of the disease; leading clinical manifestation can be unexplained right ventricular insufficiency; ARVD can be combined with other genetic cardiomyopathies as well as with infectious immune myocarditis (up to 50% of patients); elevated titer of anticardiac antibodies is not characteristic for isolated ARVD; myocardial biopsy allows to verify both ARVD and concomitant myocarditis. The paper also contains discussion of the role of myocarditis in various forms of ARVD and possibilities of its diagnosis and treatments.