Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Effects of L-Methionine in the WAG/Rij Rat Model of Depression Comorbid with Absence Epilepsy.

Depression is a severe and widespread psychiatric disease that often accompanies epilepsy. Antidepressant treatment of depression comorbid with epilepsy is a major concern due to the risk of seizure aggravation. SAMe, a universal methyl donor for DNA methylation and the synthesis of brain monoamines, is known to have high antidepressant activity.

Investigation of Phase Shifts Using AUC Diagrams: Application to Differential Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease and Essential Tremor.

This study was motivated by the well-known problem of the differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and essential tremor using the phase shift between the tremor signals in the antagonist muscles of patients. Different phase shifts are typical for different diseases; however, it remains unclear how this parameter can be used for clinical diagnosis. Neurophysiological papers have reported different estimations of the accuracy of this parameter, which varies from insufficient to 100%.

A Statistical Method for Exploratory Data Analysis Based on 2D and 3D Area under Curve Diagrams: Parkinson's Disease Investigation.

A statistical method for exploratory data analysis based on 2D and 3D area under curve (AUC) diagrams was developed. The method was designed to analyze electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), and tremorogram data collected from patients with Parkinson's disease. The idea of the method of wave train electrical activity analysis is that we consider the biomedical signal as a combination of the wave trains.

Gender-Dependent Effect of Maternal Methyl-Enriched Diet on the Expression of Genetic Absence Epilepsy and Comorbid Depression in Adult Offspring of WAG/Rij Rats.

In the present study it has been shown for the first time that maternal methyl-enriched diet (choline, betaine, folic acid, vitamin B12, L-methionine, zinc) during perinatal period reduces the expression of genetic absence epilepsy and comorbid depression in adult offspring of WAG/Rij rats. This beneficial effect was more pronounced in males compared with females. It is assumed that epigenetic modifications induced by maternal methyl-enriched diet in the offspring at the early stages of ontogenesis might be a possible mechanism underlying the correction of genetically-based pathologic phenotype in WAG/Rij rats.

[Application of brain electrical activity burst analysis method for detection of EEG characteristics in the early stage of Parkinson's disease].

Aim: To develop a mathematical method of analysis and visualization of EEG based on the ROC analysis of burst electrical activity in the cerebral cortex.

Material And Methods: Using a new method of analysis of EEG burst activity, the frequency parameters of brain electrical activity have been investigated in patients in the first stage of Parkinson's disease (PD) defined by the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Patients were right-handed, with disease onset in either the right or the left side.

Maternal care exerts disease-modifying effects on genetic absence epilepsy and comorbid depression.

WAG/Rij rats, a genetic animal model of absence epilepsy with comorbidity of depression, exhibit behavioral depression-like symptoms and spontaneous generalized spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in the EEG at the age of 6 to 8 months. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that maternal care is an environmental factor which, along with genetic predisposition, may contribute to the expression of absence seizures and depression-like comorbidity later in life. To achieve this, a cross-fostering procedure was used.

Rearing by foster Wistar mother with high level of maternal care counteracts the development of genetic absence epilepsy and comorbid depression in WAG/Rij rats.

It has been shown for the first time that rearing by a foster Wistar mother with high level of maternal care (MC) counteracts the expression of genetic absence epilepsy (AE) and comorbid depression - reduces the number, duration and index of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) and immobility time in the forced swimming test, as well as exerts substantial effects on morphology and time-frequency dynamics of SWDs in WAG/Rij rats. It is supposed that increases in MC early in development might be used to counteract epileptogenesis and comorbid depression in people genetically predisposed to AE.

[FREQUENCY-TEMPORAL STRUCTURE OF HUMAN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM IN THE CONDITION OF ARTIFICIAL HYPOGRAVITY: DRY IMMERSION MODEL].

Frequency-temporal electroencephalogram (EEG) reactions to hypogravity were studied in 7 male subjects at the age of 20 to 27 years. The experiment was conducted using dry immersion (DI) as the best known method of simulating the space microgravity effects on the Earth. This hypogravity model reproduces hypokinesia, i.

WAG/Rij rats show a reduced expression of CB₁ receptors in thalamic nuclei and respond to the CB₁ receptor agonist, R(+)WIN55,212-2, with a reduced incidence of spike-wave discharges.

Purpose: Genetically epileptic WAG/Rij rats develop spontaneous absence-like seizures after 3 months of age. We used WAG/Rij rats to examine whether absence seizures are associated with changes in the expression of type-1 cannabinoid (CB₁) receptors.

Methods: Receptor expression was examined by in situ hybridization and western blot analysis in various brain regions of "presymptomatic" 2-month old and "symptomatic" 8-month-old WAG/Rij rats relative to age-matched nonepileptic control rats.

Some peculiarities of time-frequency dynamics of spike-wave discharges in humans and rats.

Objective: Time-frequency dynamics of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) were investigated in patients with absence seizures and in WAG/Rij rats, a genetic model of absence epilepsy using a specially developed wavelet transform.

Methods: Two types of SWDs were analyzed in both species: the most frequently occurring discharges (of minimal 3.6-4.

Time-frequency analysis of spike-wave discharges using a modified wavelet transform.

The continuous Morlet wavelet transform was used for the analysis of the time-frequency pattern of spike-wave discharges (SWD) as can be recorded in a genetic animal model of absence epilepsy (rats of the WAG/Rij strain). We developed a new wavelet transform that allows to obtain the time-frequency dynamics of the dominating rhythm during the discharges. SWD were analyzed pre- and post-administration of certain drugs.

[Post-radiation effect on the interhemispheric asymmetry in EEG and thermography characteristics].

Complex analysis of EEG and thermographic parameters carried out in 10 healthy subjects and 34 patients, Chernobyl clean-up participants revealed a correlation between EEG and brain temperature changes in the baseline state and during mental arithmetic. During cognitive activity the maximal increase in the average EEG coherence and temperature shifts in healthy subjects were observed in the left frontotemporal and right parietotemporal areas. In patients changes in both parameters under study were most pronounced, the interhemispheric relations were impaired.

[Peculiarities of growth and morphogenesis of syphoneal alga vaucheria sessilis in microgravity].

The space experiment was aimed at studying the dependence on the gravity of intracellular processes in an autotrophic organism deprived of pronounced gravitropisms and gravitaxis. The experiment demonstrated an immediate gravitational effect on intercellular processes involving the syphoneal alga Vausheira sessilis cytoskeleton. In the absence of the force of gravity algal growth and morphogenesis are inhibited more significantly than under the condition of the Earth's gravity.

The position of nuclei and the role of cytoskeleton in graviresponse of siphonaceous algae Vaucheria sessilis.

Gravity has always been present during evolution. Through the process of natural selection, contemporary organisms could show evidence of having turned gravity to their advantage as an adjunct to development. In recent time great success has been achieved in description and analysis of gravitaxis mechanism of algae Chara (Sievers et.

[Patterns in the growth and functioning of single-cell organisms under conditions of altered gravitational force].

The results of studies over many years on various types of unicellular free-swimming organisms in conditions of altered gravity (hyper-, hypo-, and microgravity ranging from 10(-5) to 5 g) were reviewed. Laws governing their growth and functioning under these conditions were established. In general, gravisensing of unicellular free-swimming organisms depends on their metabolic activity and mobility, on the one hand, and on the environmental conditions of the population, on the other.

[Biomechanical aspects of the process of formation of food vacuoles in the infusoria Bursaria truncatella under changed gravity].

Results from clinostatic and centrifugal laboratory experiments in which there has been evaluated an activity of digestive process in infusoria Bursaria truncatella by the content of vacuole numbers and its change in the cell under changed gravity are presented. It is indicated that the extended clinostatic exposure of infusoria stimulates their digestive activity and an increased gravity (centrifugation 2 g, 5 g) inhibits this process. In these examinations, an effort was made to explain the obtained results started from the propositions of cell biomechanics and bioenergetics.

[Effects of altered gravity on the culture of unicellular eucaryotic organisms, Bursaria truncatella (Ciliophora)].

The paper reports the results of experiments with centrifugation and clinostating. Growth rate, cellular division and several morphofunctional characteristics of unicellular organisms of infusoria Bursaria truncatella in culture were studied under normal (1 g), elevated (hypergravity at 2 and 5 g), and compensated gravity. The data point to certain changes in the functional activity and morphology of cells consequent to long-time cultivation under these conditions.

[Cell growth and motility in culture (in vitro) under microgravity conditions. The Fibroblast Experiment].

The experiment "Fibroblast" was performed in 1992 on biosatellite "Cosmos-2229" in onboard device "Biobox" designed by the order of European Space Agency. The main objective was elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for the effect of space flight factors, mostly microgravity, on cell culture. We studied time-related changes in growth, motility and some morphological characteristics of the cells in monolayer cultures on a solid substrate and in three-dimensional cultures supported by sponge gels.

[Potassium transport from Infusoria Tetrahymena pyriformis GL, immobilized by accelerations of 80-260 g].

The effects of direct influence of gravity on a cell have been studied. Potassium transport from infusoria. Tetrahymena pyriformis GL induced by the high gravitational levels which immobilize the cell (80, 140, 260 g) was examined.

[An experiment with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii on the Kosmos-2044 biosatellite].

Space experiment with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii demonstrated that the microgravity effects were noted in Chlamydomonas at both cellular and population levels: in space the cell size is increased, stage of active growth of the culture is extended, it contains the juvenile vegetative motile cells in greater quantities. Ultrastructural analysis indicated that in microgravity the changes in shape, structure and distribution of intracellular organelles and in volume ratio of organelles and cytoplasma are absent. Chlamydomonas data are in line with the results of the Infusoria and Chlorella experiments.

[The ecological-morphological characteristics of the growth and distribution of cultures of single-cell organisms in a gravitational field].

The paper analyses and summarizes the experimental results obtained by the authors and data accumulated in the literature during recent years in order to reveal the general regularities of the growth, distribution and behavioral parameters of the cells under conditions of reduced gravity ranged from 10(-5) to 5 g. It is indicated that an intensity of gravity effect on these parameters of unicellular organisms depends greatly on the environments, types of cells and their metabolic levels. The effects of changed gravity at the cellular level are the result of shifting the primary physiological characteristics and physicochemical parameters of the culture and cell environments as an integrated biological system.