[The possible role of nitrogen dioxide produced in the field of bifurcation of vessels, in the processes of their damage in hemorrhagic strokes, and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques].

According to modern views the formation of atherosclerotic plaques is associated with accumulation of cholesterol in the vascular wall. This is due to an imbalance between the intake of cholesterol in the intima of vessels, together with the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and its output with high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Change of LDL (glycosylation, lipid peroxidation, hydrolysis of phospholipids) and the effective release of cholesterol from the endothelium of the vascular wall are the factors that cause an imbalance in cholesterol metabolism.

[Development of the theory of cardiac innervation during ontogenesis in health and disease].

The paper describes the mediatory stage of prenatal development of cardiac innervation and the phenomenon of early involution of sympathetic nerve plexuses in postnatality, which has been established while analyzing early autopsies by neurohistochemical studies. lmmunocytochemical, luminescence, and ultrastructural techniques have defined changes in the stages of their formation and development of the above early involution. Complex (neurohistochemical and electrophysiological) studies quantified groups of age-related cardiac innervation changes in health.

[Mast cells and innervation of the wall of the hyperactive urinary bladder].

Anterior urinary bladder wall biopsy specimens were examined in 24 males and 4 females, aged 52 to 76 years, who had been suffering from the hyperactive urinary bladder for 1-10 years. Increases in the number and activity of interstitial mast cells and their degranulation and the symptoms of chronic immune inflammation were revealed. Neuromuscular spastic dysfunction of the detrusor is considered to result from the activation of mast cells.

[Age related changes of regulatory mechanisms of cardio-vascular system and significance of nitric oxide synthase in the norm and pathology].

The article sums up results of thirty-year period of studies of ontogenesis of autonomic nervous system conducted in laboratory of neuromorphology and electron microscopy. It contains discussion of pre- and postnatal ontogenesis of cardiovascular innervation and content of NO-synthase in cardiac ganglia at normal and pathological states. The studies included analysis of 12 series of human germs, examination of cardiovascular system of 23 human fetuses, and of material of 124 early autopsies of persons of different age who died suddenly or of some cardiac diseases.

[Nitric oxide synthase in human intracardiac ganglia in the normal and ischemic myocardium].

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression in human intracardiac ganglia was studied using two techniques--histochemical demonstration of NADPH-diaphorase and immunohistochemical staining for NOS. To detect the influence of coronary heart disease on NOS expression, hearts were studied in patients that died from heart failure (n = 8) and in persons that died in accidents (n = 3, control). It was found that human intracardiac neurons normally expressed mainly NOS1, and the proportion of these cells amounted to about 40%.

[Distribution of nitric oxide synthase in human intracardiac ganglia].

This is the first study to report presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the human intracardiac nervous cells. By applying immunohistochemical technique it was shown that majority of neuronal perikaryons contain NOS 1 (neuronal NOS). We conclude that in human heart about half of neurons have NO-ergic phenotype.

[Neurotransmitter stage in the development of peripheral part of autonomic nervous system].

The dynamics of neurotransmitter stage in the development of autonomic nervous system (ANS) was studied in rats starting from the moment of initial appearance of neurotransmitters acetylcholine and adrenalin in ANS peripheral part main nervous plexuses. Cryostat sections of embryos on developmental days 13.5, 16.

[Consequences of the saphenous artery denervation under normal and chronically lowered blood pressure in rats].

We studied constrictor responses of saphenous artery after sympathetic denervation in normotensive rats and rats with chronic regional hypotension. Abdominal aorta was partially occluded in Wistar rats distally to the renal arteries, lowering blood pressure in the hindquarters by about 40%, a week later to denervate saphenous artery the femoral nerve was cut. The density of periarterial nerve plexus and neurogenic responses of the vessel restored partially in 2 weeks and completely in 6 weeks after the surgery; the chronic hypotension did not modify the dynamics of reinnervation.

[Morphological and morphometrical changes in nervous apparatus of the adrenal medulla after sudden death of patients with various cardiac pathology].

Adrenal glands were studied at early autopsy of 28 men aged 35-60 years after their sudden cardiac death. According to the presence and character of pathologic manifestations detected in myocardium, three groups of cases were distinguished: group 1 (control) included the people without myocardial pathology (traffic accident victims), group 2 consisted of the patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) in association with recent myocardial infarction, group 3 included the patients with IHD and hypertension. The study was performed using the methods of silver impregnation of nerve terminals and planimetric point-counting method.

[Organization of spinal subpial plexus in man and various animals].

By means of silver nitrate impregnation and luminescent method adrenergic nervous plexuses in spinal cord of 7 people, 6 dogs, 4 cows and 7 rabbits was studied. 17 serial slices of human and rabbit embryos were also examined. Numerous branching and brightly luminescent adrenergic nerve endings were discovered in composition of nervous plexus of spinal cord subpial layer in man and in animals.

[Pathomorphologic changes in the sympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular pathology].

Neurohistochemical and ultrastructural study of the sympathetic innervation of the cardiovascular system indicated its important role in the age alterations and genesis of certain diseases. Early beginning (from the age of 30) of the involution of the heart adrenergic plexus is confirmed in healthy persons. Focal desympathization of the myocardium is detected in sudden cardiac death.

[Age-related changes in the autonomic ganglia].

Ultrastructure of vegetative ganglions (neck-thoracic, intracardial and intestinal) of Wistar and SHR rats, 26-28 months of age was studied electron-microscopically. The most pronounced changes were found in the neck-thoracic ganglions where, apart from lipofuscin deposits, lamellar bodies were frequently found. Redistribution of neuromediators in the neuron body and an increase of the neuroactive substances release into the intercellular space of the ganglion occur with age.

[Interneuronal interrelationships in autonomic ganglia (the ultrastructural aspects)].

Ultrastructural and immunocytochemical results of studies on interneuronal relationship in vegetative ganglia were represented. Age-related changes of synapses (appearance of synaptic type vesicles and smooth endoplasmic reticulum cisterns in postsynaptic terminals), peculiarities of interneuronal links in neurons containing neuropeptide Y and NO-synthase and structural manifestations of non-synaptic interneuronal links were shown. Modern views on interneuronal communications were discussed.

[Ultrastructure of the sympathetic ganglia in hypoxia].

Short-term hypoxia produces ultrastructural alterations in ganglions of rats in the form of dilatation of some membrane neuron compartments and sinuous plasmatic membrane. More long-term hypoxia produces structural changes of membrane cell components. An increase of lysosome number and lipofuscin granules alternations in chronic hypoxia (1 year) are similar to the age changes and are characterized by intensive accumulation of lipofuscin and Nissl bodies hypertrophy.

[Varying expression of atherosclerosis in the aortic regions with high and low density of the adrenergic nervous plexuses].

The study was made of early autopsies of 20-55-year-old victims deceased because of trauma. Incubation of sections in 2% glyoxylic acid and luminescent microscopy were used. The density of the adrenergic fibers in the central aortic zones which are most frequently affected with atherosclerosis was 2.

[The phenomenon of focal sympathetic denervation of the major vessels in the development of atherosclerosis].

22 aortas obtained from people aged 20-55 who died in accidents by early dissections were studied. Adrenergic nerve plexuses of aortal wall were examined by quantitative neurohistochemical method. Focal reduction of indexes of these plexuses density was defined by the age of 30.

[The structure of the stellate sympathetic ganglia under long-term hypoxia].

Changes of mitochondrial ultrastructure indicating not only degenerative processes but also the presence of organelle adaptive reactions were demonstrated in sympathetic neurons. Appearance of osmiophilic inclusions in mitochondrial matrix relates to most typical organelle alterations in ageing. Number of smooth endoplasmic reticulum vesicles equal in size to synaptic vesicles of nerve cells processes grows higher.

Inclusions similar to Hirano bodies in urinary bladder neurons of dogs.

Unusual intracytoplasmatic inclusions were found in urinary bladder neurons in dogs. The plate-like inclusions were composed of thin filaments, and when viewed en face, appeared as oval or angular bodies with regular lattice work array. When viewed in a transverse section, they were of rod-like shape and were composed of longitudinal filaments and transverse bars.

Intracellular penetration of ruthenium red in embryonic nervous tissue.

Electron microscopic investigations, using ruthenium red revealed that dye is usually observed in immature neuronal cells in autonomic ganglia of rat embryos and fetuses. Ruthenium red does not penetrate undamaged neurons in mature ganglia. Ruthenium red positive material covers neuronal cell plasmalemma even in early primordial phases of autonomic ganglia.

[The ultrastructure of human intracardiac neuroganglia].

Light and electron microscopic studies of nervous ganglia of the sinoauricular area of the heart were performed in 7 people dead at the age from 23 to 58 years (44 +/- 6) from not cardiac causes. The ganglia were disposed under the epicardium and had from 1 to 17 neurons as well as bundles of myelinated (MNF) and nonmyelinated nerve fibers (NNF). The ganglia most often had light neurons with a rounded nucleus and a compact nucleolus, with invariable cisterns of the granular endoplasmic reticulum microfilaments, electron-dense bodies, lipofuscin granules and edematous mitochondria.

Neurohistochemical and electron microscopic investigations of pathological and age-related changes in the cardiovascular system.

Neurohistochemical and electron microscopic investigations of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) of man and animals suggest that its ontogenesis can be divided into the premediatory, mediatory and postmediatory periods of development. The postmediatory period begins heterochronically in various ganglia of the ANS. A normal process of early cardiac desympathization usually occurs at the age of 35 to 60 years.

Immunohistochemical investigation of autoantibodies to nerve fibers in cardiomyopathy.

The immunofluorescence technique was used to trace auto-antibodies to neural structures in the blood serum of 180 patients with various cardiomyopathies and 20 healthy probands (controls). Incubation of cryostat slices of heart, kidney, spinal cord and medulla oblongata of Wistar-rats or of cell cultures of embryonal spinal cord with the blood serum of patients with cardiomyopathies resulted in immunofluorescence of nerve fibres and neuronal perikaryon. The controls were negative.

[Ultrastructure of neurons of the human sympathetic ganglia after sudden death (morphometric study)].

Six cases of urgent autopsies after a sudden cardiac death (SCD) of persons at the age 40-60 years and 5 control cases have been investigated. Osmiophilic mitochondria with inclusions make 1% of the whole neuronal cytoplasm volume. If we take all mitochondria as 100%, volumetric density of mitochondria with osmiophilic inclusions makes 9.