Epithelial apical glycosylation changes associated with thin endometrium in women with infertility - a pilot observational study.

Background: Low endometrial receptivity is one of the major factors affecting successful implantation in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Infertile patients with thin endometrium have a significantly lower cumulative clinical pregnancy rate than patients with normal endometrium. Molecular pathophysiology of low receptivity of thin endometrium remains understudied.

Perturbed Ca-dependent signaling of DYT2 hippocalcin mutant as mechanism of autosomal recessive dystonia.

A recent report of autosomal-recessive primary isolated dystonia (DYT2 dystonia) identified mutations in HPCA, a gene encoding a neuronal calcium sensor protein, hippocalcin (HPCA), as the cause of this disease. However, how mutant HPCA leads to neuronal dysfunction remains unknown. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we demonstrated the failure of dystonic N75K HPCA mutant to decode short bursts of action potentials and theta rhythms in hippocampal neurons by its Ca-dependent translocation to the plasma membrane.

Measurement of intracellular concentration of fluorescently-labeled targets in living cells.

Estimations of intracellular concentrations of fluorescently-labeled molecules within living cells are very important for guidance of biological experiments and interpretation of their results. Here we propose a simple and universal approach for such estimations. The approach is based upon common knowledge that the dye fluorescence is directly proportional to its quantum yield and the number of its molecules and that a coefficient of proportionality is determined by spectral properties of the dye and optical equipment used to record fluorescent signals.

[Superior vena cava blood flow measurements for results prognosing of a bidirectional cava-pulmonary anastomosis in correction of hemodynamics parameters in patients with hypoplastic right ventricle].

The method of prediction the enability of closure atrial septal defect before operation or in pre-bypass period during the one and one-half ventricle repair of CHD with hypoplastic right ventricle was presented. The method is based on comparison of the initial blood flow on superior vena cava (SVC) and right-to-left shunt at atrial level. Defect can be closed if flow on SVC and shunt flow are approximately equal.

Decoding glutamate receptor activation by the Ca2+ sensor protein hippocalcin in rat hippocampal neurons.

Hippocalcin is a Ca(2+)-binding protein that belongs to a family of neuronal Ca(2+)sensors and is a key mediator of many cellular functions including synaptic plasticity and learning. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in hippocalcin signalling remain illusive. Here we studied whether glutamate receptor activation induced by locally applied or synaptically released glutamate can be decoded by hippocalcin translocation.