Circulating tumor cells and their advances to promote cancer metastasis and relapse, with focus on glioblastoma multiforme.

In the late stages of their development, cancers can form metastases. Formation of metastases was found to be associated with the capacity of cancer cells to quit the tumor mass and journey through the circulation to distant organs. This cell population is called circulating tumor cells (CTCs).

Role of Progenitor Cells in Liver Regeneration after Subtotal Resection.

In the liver of rats subjected to subtotal liver resection (80% organ weight), the expression of sox9 gene and SOX9 protein content increased and cells with hepatocyte morphology expressing SOX9 appeared; the proportion of cells expressing cytokeratin-19 also increased. Based on these data, we cannot completely exclude the involvement of resident progenitor cells and hepatocyte reprogramming in liver regeneration after subtotal resection, however, the contribution of these processes seems to be insignificant. The leading mechanism of liver mass recovery after subtotal resection is proliferation of hepatocytes.

Aging Chart: a community resource for rapid exploratory pathway analysis of age-related processes.

Aging research is a multi-disciplinary field encompassing knowledge from many areas of basic, applied and clinical research. Age-related processes occur on molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, system, organismal and even psychological levels, trigger the onset of multiple debilitating diseases and lead to a loss of function, and there is a need for a unified knowledge repository designed to track, analyze and visualize the cause and effect relationships and interactions between the many elements and processes on all levels. Aging Chart (http://agingchart.

Blood-brain barrier permeability in healthy rats and rats with experimental C6 glioma after fractionated radiotherapy of the brain.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of fractionated radiotherapy on permeability of the blood-brain barrier in healthy rats and rats with C6 glioma in vivo.

Material And Methods: An increase in BBB permeability in C6 glioma was assessed by dynamic MRI monitoring (glioma size before and after radiation therapy in combination with immunotherapy, n=30) and confocal microscopy (fluorescence imaging of tumor invasion boundaries in a dose-dependent experiment for the amount of injected antibodies). In healthy rats, BBB permeability to macromolecular substances (MMS) was assessed by ELISA (n=23, 192 plasma samples) and confocal microscopy (n=7).

The morphology of the rat ovarian network during reproduction and aging.

We studied the morphology of the ovarian network in outbred albino rats of different age. Morphogenetic restructuring of the network during aging were detected. The role of the network in the glandular cystic transformation of the ovaries in aging was discussed.

Effect of nitric oxide on mechanoelectric feedback in rat right atrium.

In situ microelectrode examination of rat right atrium showed that in physiologically prestretched tissue, NO donor SNAP modifies the repolarization phase of cardiomyocyte AP in a "hump-like" way provoking the development of arrhythmia. Gadolinium both prevents and eliminates this effect attesting to involvement of stretch-activated channels in the development of NO-induced abnormalities. Elevation of SNAP concentration or further stretch of the tissue (presumably, it increases NO concentration) eliminated the hump depolarization induced by moderate SNAP stimulation.

Ligand-receptor assay for evaluation of functional activity of human recombinant VEGF and VEGFR-1 extracellular fragment.

cDNA encoding VEGF and Ig-like extracellular domains 2-4 of VEGFR-1 (sFlt-1(2-4)) were cloned into prokaryotic expression vectors pET32a and pQE60. Recombinant proteins were purified (metal affinity chromatography) and renatured. Chemiluminescent study for the interaction of recombinant VEGF and sFlt-1(2-4) showed that biotinylated VEGF specifically binds to the polystyrene-immobilized receptor extracellular fragment.

Changes in the levels of inhibitory and excitatory amino acids in the brain structures of female rats with cobalt epileptogenic focus during different phases of the estrous cycle.

We studied changes in the levels of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in female rat brain structures during different phases of the estrous cycle in health and after creation of a cobalt epileptogenic focus at stage I of epileptogenic system development. The most pronounced shifts were found in the contralateral cortex, where the levels of GABA and glycine decreased significantly during the diestrus-2 phase (corresponding to menstruation), which attests to a convulsive threshold decrease during this period.

Catecholamines, α-, and β-adrenoceptors are not responsible for activation of duodenum motility induced by sympathetic nerve stimulation.

Stimulation of sympathetic nerve in anesthetized dogs not treated with adrenergic blockers more frequently exerted stimulating rather than inhibitory effect on duodenal motility. Blockade of α- and β-adrenoceptors with phentolamine and propranolol, respectively, did not prevent the excitatory action of the sympathetic nerve stimulation, but even potentiated this effect. The data showed that catecholamines as well as α- and β-adrenoceptors are not involved in the excitatory effect of sympathetic origin.

Expression of a recombinant extracellular fragment of human vascular endothelial growth factor receptor VEGFR1 in E. coli.

Human vascular endothelium growth factor receptor VEGFR1 is a type III fms-like tyrosine kinase with weakly pronounced tyrosine kinase function. The second and third IgG-like domains of the extracellular part of VEGFR1 act as "traps" for VEGF and are prospective candidates for antiangiogenic therapy of VEGF-dependent tumors. cDNA encoding extracellular Ig-like domains 2, 3, 4 of VEGFR1 was cloned in expressing vectors pET28a, pET32a, and pQE60.

Comparison of the results of hernia defect plasty with standard and light surgical meshes with identical knitted structure.

Standard and light surgical meshes with identical knitted structure: Parietene Standard/Parietene Light and Premilene/Optilene were chosen for hernioplasty in 20 rats. Six months after surgery, the complications were primarily related to inflammation in groups with implanted standard meshes and with prosthesis deformation in groups with light meshes. The character of complications was determined by characteristics of knitting structure and mechanical proprieties of surgical meshes.

Cryoglobulin composition in patients with myocardial infarction.

The formation of an ischemic focus in the myocardium is paralleled by autoimmune processes involving immunoglobulins with abnormal thermal solubility, cryoglobulins. Serum levels of cryoglobulins and their complexes were measured in 25 patients with Q-forming myocardial infarction on days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 of the disease. Cryoprotein levels were measured by spectrophotometry, concentrations of IgM, IgA, IgG, and fibronectin by ELISA.

Relationship between apoptosis and expression of heat shock proteins in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with myocardial infarction.

We studied activity and dynamics of apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with myocardial infarction and analyzed the relationship of these processes with expression of heat shock proteins with a molecular weight of 70 kDa playing an essential role in preventing cell death. Thus, we first demonstrated activation of apoptosis in peripheral blood cells of patients with myocardial infarction compared to the control (healthy individuals) and revealed the expected negative correlation between the expression of heat shock proteins with a molecular weight of 70 kDa by lymphocytes and intensity of their death. The observed dynamics of mononuclear cell apoptosis in the peripheral blood of patients with myocardial infarction can reflect activity of programmed cardiomyocyte death in the focus of ischemic injury.

Coronary heart disease diagnosis by artificial neural networks including genetic polymorphisms and clinical parameters.

The aim of this study was to develop an artificial neural networks-based (ANNs) diagnostic model for coronary heart disease (CHD) using a complex of traditional and genetic factors of this disease. The original database for ANNs included clinical, laboratory, functional, coronary angiographic, and genetic [single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)] characteristics of 487 patients (327 with CHD caused by coronary atherosclerosis, 160 without CHD). By changing the types of ANN and the number of input factors applied, we created models that demonstrated 64-94% accuracy.

Role of nitric oxide in the regulation of mechanosensitive ionic channels in cardiomyocytes: contribution of NO-synthases.

The role of NO in the regulation of currents passing through ion channels activated by cell stretching (mechanically gated channels, MGC), particularly through cation-selective K(+)-channels TRPC6, TREK1 (K(2P)2.1), and TREK2 (K(2P)10.1), was studied on isolated mouse, rat, and guinea pig cardiomyocytes using whole-cell patch-clamp technique.

Histo- and cytoarchitectonics of the hippocampus in young rats injected with propofol and mexidol.

Light microscopic examination of the hippocampus was carried out in young rats (intact and injected with propofol and mexidol according to different protocols). Propofol had a negative effect on hippocampal neurons causing an almost 2-fold increase in the count of modified cells in comparison with the normal level. Mexidol effectively corrected these shifts.

Impact of position of light mesh endoprosthesis with anisotropic structure for the efficiency of anterior abdominal wall reconstruction.

Mechanical testing of light mesh endoprosthesis Ultrapro for stretching and bending resistance showed strong anisotropy of the material along and across the loop columns. Ultrapro endoprosthesis was placed parallel and perpendicularly to the midline during plastic repair of a hernial defect in rats. Six months after surgery, the development of hernias and violation of endoprosthesis structure were observed in the group with longitudinal orientation of the endoprosthesis.

Impact of position of light mesh endoprosthesis with anisotropic structure for the efficiency of anterior abdominal wall reconstruction.

Mechanical testing of light mesh endoprosthesis Ultrapro for tension and bending resistance showed strong anisotropy of the material along and across the loop columns. Ultrapro endoprosthesis was placed parallel and perpendicularly to the midline during plastic repair of a hernial defect in rats. Six months after surgery, the development of hernias and violation of endoprosthesis structure were observed in the group with longitudinal orientation of the endoprosthesis.

Functional properties of mesenchymal stem cells labeled with magnetic microparticles in vitro and analysis of their distribution after transplantation.

Mesenchymal stem cells enzymatically isolated from human placenta were labeled with magnetic fluorescent microparticles (d=0.96 μ). We showed that microparticles in high doses (>10 μl stock suspension per 1 ml culture medium) significantly inhibited cell proliferation in culture.

Role of nitric oxide in activity control of mechanically gated ionic channels in cardiomyocytes: NO-donor study.

Whole-cell ionic currents through mechanically gated channels (MGC) were recorded in isolated cardiomyocytes under voltage clamp conditions. In unstrained cells, NO donors SNAP and DEA-NO activated MGC and induced MG-like currents. In contrast, in stretched cells with activated MGC, these NO-donors inactivated and inhibited MGC.

Main regularities of mutual location of different pacemaker cells in the rat heart sinoatrial node.

The distribution of pacemaker cells and atrial working cardiomyocytes in the anterior right atrial wall was studied using intracellular glass microelectrodes under conditions of short-term culturing. It was shown that the dominant pacemaker region and the functional tail are located in the lateral area of the central part of the sinoatrial node, while the medial area is occupied by latent pacemaker cells.

Non-Markovian Population Dynamics: Does it Help to Optimize the Chemotherapeutic Strategy?

A non-Markovian theory of population dynamics is to simulate the anti-cancer drug distribution between malignant and the hosting normal cell pools. The model takes into account both the cell life span and the proliferation rate differences. This new simulation approach looks promising for its potential to optimize a chemotherapeutic strategy by choosing the scheme with a higher degree of the drug-tumor selectivity.