Abnormal EEG Effects of Acute Apomorphine Injection in 5xFAD Transgenic Mice Are Partially Normalized in Those Chronically Pretreated with Apomorphine: The Time-Frequency Clustering of EEG Spectra.

Background: In experimental and clinical studies of pharmacological treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the electroencephalogram (EEG) frequency spectrum approach has demonstrated its efficacy in determining the characteristics of pathological changes in the functioning of different cerebral structures, interconnections between them, and disturbances in the brain neurotransmitter systems. The main results have been obtained in frames of traditionally used so-called "classical" EEG frequency bands: delta, theta, alpha, and beta.

Objective: This unified approach simplifies comparing data from different studies but loses the dynamic peculiarities of the effects because of their time-dependent transition through the borders of the "classical" bands.

Disruption of Electroencephalogram Coherence between Cortex/Striatum and Midbrain Dopaminergic Regions in the Knock-Out Mice with Combined Loss of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Synucleins.

Unlabelled: The malfunctioning of the brain synucleins is associated with pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Synucleins' ability to modulate various pre-synaptic processes suggests their modifying effects on the electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded from different brain structures. Disturbances in interrelations between them are critical for the onset and evolution of neurodegenerative diseases.

Early Effects of Alpha-Synuclein Depletion by Pan-Neuronal Inactivation of Encoding Gene on Electroencephalogram Coherence between Different Brain Regions in Mice.

Unlabelled: Inactivation of the Snca gene in young mice by chronic injections of tamoxifen (TAM), a selective estrogen receptor modifier, has been shown to decrease the level of alpha-synuclein, a key peptide in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. In young mice, different time courses of the effect were observed in different brain areas, meaning associated disturbances in the intracerebral relations, namely in brain function after TAM-induced synucleinopathy.

Methods: We analyzed electroencephalogram (EEG) coherence ("functional connectivity") between the cortex (MC), putamen (Pt), and dopamine-producing brain regions (ventral tegmental area, VTA, and substantia nigra, SN) in two groups of two-month-old male mice.

Age-Related Modifications of Electroencephalogram Coherence in Mice Models of Alzheimer's Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Unlabelled: Evident similarities in pathological features in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) raise the question of a role for natural age-related adaptive mechanisms in the prevention/elimination of disturbances in interrelations between different brain areas. In our previous electroencephalogram (EEG) studies on 5xFAD- and FUS-transgenic mice, as models of AD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), this suggestion was indirectly confirmed. In the current study, age-related changes in direct EEG synchrony/coherence between the brain structures were evaluated.

Loss of the Synuclein Family Members Differentially Affects Baseline- and Apomorphine-Associated EEG Determinants in Single-, Double- and Triple-Knockout Mice.

Synucleins comprise a family of small proteins highly expressed in the nervous system of vertebrates and involved in various intraneuronal processes. The malfunction of alpha-synuclein is one of the key events in pathogenesis of Parkinson disease and certain other neurodegenerative diseases, and there is a growing body of evidence that malfunction of other two synucleins might be involved in pathological processes in the nervous system. The modulation of various presynaptic mechanisms of neurotransmission is an important function of synucleins, and therefore, it is feasible that their deficiency might affect global electrical activity detected of the brain.

Cortical and Striatal Electroencephalograms and Apomorphine Effects in the FUS Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by degeneration of motor neurons resulting in muscle atrophy. In contrast to the lower motor neurons, the role of upper (cortical) neurons in ALS is yet unclear. Maturation of locomotor networks is supported by dopaminergic (DA) projections from substantia nigra to the spinal cord and striatum.

Spatial memory deficits initiated by agroclavine injection or olfactory bulbectomy in rats are characterized by different levels of long-term potentiation expression in the hippocampus.

To clarify whether long-term potentiation (LTP) is the mechanism underpinning mnemonic processes. We studied LTP in hippocampal slices from rats whose spatial memory deficit was produced by either olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) or pretreatment with an ergot alkaloid, agroclavine. OBX is accompanied by cholinergic system inhibition whereas agroclavine predominantly activates dopaminergic mediation.

Loss of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons and Altered Apomorphine EEG Effects in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Cognitive malfunction, synaptic dysfunction, and disconnections in neural networks are core deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD). 5xFAD mice, a transgenic model of AD, are characterized by an enhanced level of amyloid-β and abnormal neurotransmission. The dopaminergic (DA) system has been shown to be involved in amyloid-β transformations and neuronal plasticity; however, its role in functional network changes in familial AD still remains unclear.

Elevated levels of serum nitrite and nitrate, NOx, are associated with increased total and cardiovascular mortality in an 8-year follow-up study.

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the key regulators of vascular function. Abnormal NO signalling is linked to various cardiovascular diseases. We studied associations between circulating levels of NO metabolites, nitrite and nitrate (NOx) and total and cardiovascular mortality in a prospective 8-year follow-up cohort study in 1869 patients aged over 55 years.

Effects of tobacco control policy on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in Russia.

Background: According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey carried out in Russia in 2009, the country had one of the highest smoking prevalence rates in Europe. In response to this health and economic burden, Russia implemented a comprehensive Tobacco Control Law (TCL) in 2013, which has been associated with a 21.5% relative decline in adult smoking prevalence in 2016 compared with 2009.

Chronic Respiratory Diseases in the Regions of Northern Russia: Epidemiological Distinctions in the Results of a National Population Study.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study is to investigate the epidemiological situation regarding chronic respiratory diseases in populations that inhabit different climatic-geographical regions of Russia, and to develop targeted programs for prevention of these diseases.

Methods: (1) a comparative analysis of the standardized mortality data in Russia and other selected regions of the Russian North using the European standard for respiratory diseases, in a population aged 25-64; and (2) data from a randomized cross-sectional epidemiological study, with subjects from three different climatic-geographical regions of Russia.

Results: (1) the respiratory disease-related mortality rates in the majority of Russian Northern regions were much higher compared to the national average.

Intrahippocampal Pathways Involved in Learning/Memory Mechanisms are Affected by Intracerebral Infusions of Amyloid-β25-35 Peptide and Hydrated Fullerene C60 in Rats.

Primary memory impairments associated with increased level of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain have been shown to be linked, partially, with early pathological changes in the entorhinal cortex (EC) which spread on the whole limbic system. While the hippocampus is known to play a key role in learning and memory mechanisms, it is as yet unclear how its structures are involved in the EC pathology. In this study, changes in memory and neuronal morphology in male Wistar rats intrahippocampally injected with Aβ25-35 were correlated on days 14 and 45 after the injection to reveal specific cognitive-structural associations.

Metabolically healthy obese and metabolically unhealthy non-obese phenotypes in a Russian population.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy non-obese (MUNO) phenotypes in Russian population.

Design And Methods: In cross-sectional epidemiology survey "Epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases and its risk factors in some regions of the Russian Federation" a random sampling of 21,121 subjects (25-65 years), stratified by age and sex was involved. Anthropometry, blood pressure (BP) measurement and fasting blood-tests (glucose, lipids) were performed according to standard protocols.

Carotid and Aortic Stiffness in Patients with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Background: The role of plasma cholesterol in impairing arterial function and elasticity remains unclear. We evaluated arterial stiffness, measured locally in the common carotid artery by high-resolution echo-tracking, and aortic stiffness, using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) (the "gold-standard" measurement of arterial stiffness), in treatment-naive patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).

Methods: The study included 66 patients with FH (10-66 years old) and 57 first-degree relatives without FH (11-61 years old).

Immunization Against Specific Fragments of Neurotrophin p75 Receptor Protects Forebrain Cholinergic Neurons in the Olfactory Bulbectomized Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive impairment associated with marked cholinergic neuron loss and amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide accumulation in the brain. The cytotoxicity in AD is mediated, at least in part, by Aβ binding with the extracellular domain of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), localized predominantly in the membranes of acetylcholine-producing neurons in the basal forebrain. Hypothesizing that an open unstructured loop of p75NTR might be the effective site for Aβ binding, we have immunized both olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) and sham-operated (SO) mice (n = 82 and 49, respectively) with synthetic peptides, structurally similar to different parts of the loops, aiming to block them by specific antibodies.

Serum nitrate and nitrite are associated with the prevalence of various chronic diseases except cancer.

Background: Nitric oxide and its metabolites, nitrate and nitrite, are important regulators linked to various diseases. We studied the association of fasting serum concentrations of nitrate and nitrite, combined as NOx, without special diet, with the prevalence of various chronic diseases.

Methods: Fasting concentrations of NOx were assayed in a cohort of 1087 patients recruited to Stress Aging and Health in Russia study that represents male and female population in Moscow, Russia, over 55 years of age.

Effectiveness of Fixed-Dose Perindopril/Amlodipine on Clinic, Ambulatory and Self-Monitored Blood Pressure and Blood Pressure Variability: An Open-Label, Non Comparative Study in the General Practice.

Introduction: Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of antihypertensive agents improve therapeutic efficacy, according to current guidelines and large clinical studies.

Aim: This Russian study examined the effect on blood pressure (BP) of substituting current ineffective antihypertensive treatment with FDC perindopril/amlodipine in patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

Methods: BP was measured in the doctor's office at each visit, daily at home, and by ambulatory monitoring (ABPM) at inclusion and end-of-study.

Recalibration of the SCORE risk chart for the Russian population.

Persisting high levels of cardiovascular mortality in Russia present a specific case among developed countries. Application of cardiovascular risk prediction models holds great potential for primary prevention in this country. Using a unique set of cohort follow-up data from Moscow and Saint Petersburg, this study aims to test and recalibrate the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) methods for predicting CVD mortality risks in the general population.

Plasma urokinase antigen and C-reactive protein predict angina recurrence after coronary angioplasty.

This study evaluates the predictive value of several biochemical indices of the coagulation-fibrinolysis system, platelet function, and inflammatory state for angina recurrence after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). We measured preprocedural and follow-up plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and urokinase plasminogen activator antigen (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity, tissue plasminogen activator activity, and adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation in 53 patients with chronic stable angina who underwent successful elective PTCA of single hemodynamically significant lesions in coronary arteries. All patients were followed up for 12 months after PTCA.

Prevalence, components, and correlates of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among elderly Muscovites.

The goal of this study is to estimate the prevalence of MetS, together with its components and correlates, among elderly Russians. Our population-based sample included randomly selected residents of Moscow aged 55 and older: 955 women with an average age of 67.6, and 833 men with an average age of 68.

Biological mechanisms of disease and death in Moscow: rationale and design of the survey on Stress Aging and Health in Russia (SAHR).

Background: Prior research has revealed large differences in health and mortality across countries, socioeconomic groups, and individuals. Russia experiences one of the world's highest levels of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, great mortality differences within the population, and a heavy burden of ill health. Psychological stress has been suggested as a likely explanation of health loss and premature death in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Predicting antisense RNAs in the genomes of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium using promoter-search algorithm PlatProm.

A pattern recognition software PlatProm, which takes into consideration both sequence-specific and structure-specific features in the genetic environment of the promoter sites and identifies transcription start points with a very high accuracy was used to reveal potentially transcribed regions in the genomes of two bacterial species. Along with the expected promoters located upstream from coding sequences PlatProm identified several hundred of very similar signals in other intergenic regions and within coding sequences. Homologous genes of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, containing potential promoters on the template strand are suggested as putative targets for regulations by antisense RNA-products (aRNAs).