Mental health indices in senior schoolchildren and students

Mental health indices were studied in a representative sample comprising young persons aged 16 to 25 years. Senior schoolchildren in their early teens were ascertained to have neurotic symptoms more frequently than students at older age. When the manifestations of mental stress were less evident, senior students at the age of 22-25 years were found to have a negative trend of social adaptive indices as their achievement dissatisfaction, frustration, and anxiety for further professional carrier and social security, which leads to interpersonal conflicts, unstable familial relations, alcoholization, and intake of psychoactive substances. The findings of the high prevalence of neurotic disorders among young individuals suggest that it is necessary to implement active psychopreventive measures.     

Relationship between cyclooxygenase‐2 and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 in vascular endothelial growth factor C up‐regulation and lymphangiogenesis in human breast cancer

Both cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)‐2 promote breast cancer progression; however, the relationship between the two molecules remains unclear. We utilized human breast cancer tissues and cell lines to examine whether COX‐2 and HER‐2 played independent or interdependent roles in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐C up‐regulation and lymphangiogenesis. A paired correlation of immunodetectable levels of COX‐2, VEGF‐C, and HER‐2 proteins and lymphovascular density (LVD; D2‐40‐immunolabeled) in 55 breast cancer specimens revealed a positive correlation between COX‐2 and HER‐2 irrespective of clinicopathological status. However COX‐2 alone positively correlated with LVD. In 10 independent specimens, mRNA levels showed a positive correlation between HER‐2 and COX‐2 or VEGF‐C but not LYVE‐1 (lymphovascular endothelial marker). These findings implicate COX‐2, but not HER‐2, in breast cancer–associated lymphangiogenesis. Manipulation of the COX‐2 or HER‐2 genes in breast cancer cell lines varying widely in COX‐2 and HER‐2 expression revealed a direct role of COX‐2 and an indirect COX‐2 dependent role of HER‐2 in VEGF‐C up‐regulation: (i) high VEGF‐C expression in high COX‐2/low HER‐2 expressing MDA‐MB‐231 cells was reduced by siRNA‐mediated down‐regulation of COX‐2, but not HER‐2; (ii) integration of HER‐2 in these cells simultaneously up‐regulated COX‐2 protein as well as VEGF‐C secretion; and (iii) low VEGF‐C secretion by high HER‐2/low COX‐2 expressing SK‐BR‐3 cells was stimulated by COX‐2 overexpression. These findings of the primary role of COX‐2 and the COX‐2‐dependent role of HER‐2, if any, in VEGF‐C up‐regulation and lymphangiogenesis suggest that COX‐2 inhibitors may abrogate lymphatic metastasis in breast cancer irrespective of HER‐2 status. (Cancer Sci 2010)     

Complex local and central therapy of interstitial cystitis with devices AMUS-01-INTRAMAG and AMO-ATOS-E

A total of 86 females with interstitial cystitis (IC) aged 26-52 years with the disease history over 2.7 years were exposed to intravesical electrostimulation in combination with electromagnetophoresis of heparin-containing mixture of medicines. Relief of pain syndrome and elimination of central hypersensitization were achieved with local procedures on the urinary bladder (UB) alternating (every other day) with procedures of transcranial electrostimulation (TES-therapy, mesodiencephalic modulation). The above treatment proved effective: subjective assessment of pain lowered to "rare" in 60% females, urgency decreased 2-fold, mean effective volume of the bladder increased by 46.2%.     

Evaluation of Genotoxicity and Reproductive Toxicity of Silicon Nanocrystals

Silicon crystal 2-5 nm nanoparticles in the form of 1-5-μ granules in water suspension were injected intraperitoneally in a single dose to male F(1)(CBA×C57Bl/6) mice or to outbred albino rats on days 1, 7, and 14 of gestation. Silicon crystal nanoparticles in doses of 5, 25, and 50 mg/kg exhibited no cytogenetic activity in mouse bone marrow cells after 24-h exposure and in doses of 5 and 25 mg/kg after 7 and 14-day exposure. A 24-h exposure to silicon nanoparticles in a dose of 5 mg/kg significantly increased DNA damage (detected by DNA comet assay) in bone marrow cells. In a dose of 50 mg/kg they considerably increased DNA damage in bone marrow and brain cells after exposure of the same duration. Silicon nanoparticles in doses of 5 and 50 mg/kg caused no genotoxic effects in the same cells after 3-h and in a dose of 5 mg/kg after 7-day exposure. Silicon crystal nanoparticles in a dose of 50 mg/kg caused death of 60-80% mice after exposure <24 h. Injected in a dose of 50 mg/kg on days 1, 7, and 14 of gestation, silicon crystal nanoparticles reduced body weight gain in pregnant rats and newborn rats at different stages of the experiment, but had no effect on other parameters of physical development of rat progeny and caused no teratogenic effects.     

Factor analysis of immunologic reactivity indices in patients with inoperable stomach cancer

A mathematical analysis of immunologic indexes was carried out in patients with inoperable stomach cancer. Some of these indexes were identified as the most important for prognosis in patients treated with 5-fluorouracil and levamisole.