Ascorbic Acid-Induced Cardiac Differentiation of Murine Pluripotent Stem Cells: Transcriptional Profiling and Effect of a Small Molecule Synergist of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Background: Reproducible and efficient differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to cardiomyocytes (CMs) is essential for their use in regenerative medicine, drug testing and disease modeling. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of some previously reported cardiogenic substances on cardiac differentiation of mouse PSCs.

Methods: Differentiation was performed by embryoid body (EB)-based method using three different murine PSC lines.

[The blood level of nitric oxide metabolites in experimental autoimmune disease during immunosuppressive therapy].

Experimental autoimmune disease causes a drastic increase in the production of nitric oxide metabolites. The latter correlate with the indices of autoimmunity expression, with the levels of cyclic nucleotides, with the severity of morphological impairment of the structures of immunocompetent organs. The use of immunosuppressive agents in the pathogenetic therapy of an autoimmune process normalizes both the blood levels of nitrites/nitrates and immunological parameters; this reflects a clear-cut relationship between the synthesis of nitric oxide and the immune response of the body.

[Changes in the dynamic surface tension of the blood and urine during the development of visceritis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

The condition was studied of the dynamic surface tension of biologic fluids in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using a method of maximum pressure in the vesicle with the aid of computerized tensiometer MPT-1 "Lauda" (Germany). Rise in indices of blood serum surface tension with diminution of the slope of tensiogram curves may suggest the development of pathology of the heart and liver, while increase in the same parameters of urine might be indicative of the coming nephropathy.

[Effect on cardiac function of altered adenosine metabolism in rat brain structures in modelled hyperuricemia].

Experiments on 24 Wistar male rats were performed to clarify the role of central mechanisms in the onset of electrical instability of the heart due to disturbances in purine metabolism. The activity of the enzymes responsible for synthesis and conversion of adenosine-5-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase in the sensomotor cortex, hypothalamus and hippocamp was studied. Changes in cardiac function were most severe in high levels of adenosine in the neurons of the sensomotor cortex, hypothalamus and hippocamp.