Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine最新文献

Increased resistance to the apoptosis-inducing stimuli, as well as the reversibility of the process of cell death, are currently recognized as the mechanisms that tumor cells use for survival, maintenance of malignancy, and metastasis. The term "anastasis" was introduced to describe the reversibility of cell death. We have previously shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are resistant to receptor-mediated apoptosis. In this work, the possibility of anastasis in three types of mesenchymal cells (human liver and placental MSCs and skin fibroblasts) was studied after exposure to common cell death inducers ethanol, staurosporine, or doxorubicin. We have shown that restoration of cell morphology and proliferation occurs after treatment with non-lethal doses of ethanol and low concentration of doxorubicin, while staurosporine at non-lethal concentrations produces an irreversible cytostatic effect.

We reviewed published data on the efficacy of plant-derived preparations, including the authors' original in vitro findings on the antiviral activity of aqueous and dry ethanol extracts against the RNA virus SARS-CoV-2 and the DNA virus herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). The study evaluates the activity of an aqueous extract prepared from fermented leaves of Epilobium angustifolium L., as well as dry ethanol extracts obtained from clove spice (Syzygium aromaticum L.), black and green tea (Camellia sinensis L.), leaves of Rhaponticum carthamoides, the basidiomycete fungus chaga (Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pil.), and four lichen species: Cetraria islandica L., Usnea L., Pseudevernia furfuracea L., and Cladonia stellaris Opiz. HPLC analysis of several dry ethanol extracts suggests that their antiviral activity may be attributed to polyphenolic compounds and ecdysteroids. These findings may serve as a basis both for the identification of individual bioactive plant-derived compounds and for the development of cost-effective therapeutic or prophylactic agents against COVID-19 and for reducing the recurrence rate of chronic genital herpes.

The effect of chronic fluoxetine administration (versus saline control) on the behavioral biphasic pain response in the formalin test, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity, spatial learning, and spatial memory was investigated in adult male rats. Following assessment of the pain response during both the first (acute) and second (tonic) phases of the formalin test, blood samples were collected from half of the experimental and control animals for measurement of plasma corticosterone levels. In the remaining rats, spatial learning and memory were evaluated in the Morris water maze. Chronic fluoxetine treatment produced a significant antinociceptive effect during the second inflammatory phase of the formalin test, which was accompanied by reduced HPA axis reactivity as evidenced by attenuated corticosterone responses. However, fluoxetine administration did not significantly affect performance in the cognitive domain.

Morphological alterations of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra were examined in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar rats. Dopaminergic neurons were identified by immunohistochemical staining for tyrosine hydroxylase. The study revealed a detrimental effect of arterial hypertension on the integrity of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The number of neurons exhibiting signs of degeneration in the substantia nigra of SHR was significantly higher than that in control Wistar rats. These findings suggest a potential role of arterial hypertension in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra.

Capillary-like network (CLN) formation on Matrigel is a classical model for assessing the angiogenic properties of cells, though the underlying mechanisms vary across cell types. We identified two distinct CLN formation patterns and evaluated how each type characterizes the angiogenic potential of cells. Only endothelial cells (ECs) capable of elongating during CLN assembly on Matrigel exhibited angiogenic activity in other in vitro models (2D and 3D). Transcriptional profiling of ECs in a 2D co-culture with MSCs showed that CLN formation coincided with the upregulation of genes encoding tight junction proteins, Notch pathway components, and syndecan-2. Stromal cells are also capable of forming CLNs on Matrigel and in 3D model, underscoring their physiological role in tissue remodeling and homeostasis through network assembly.

Polyhydroxylated fullerenes (fullerenols) C₆₀(OH)_n are allotropes of carbon with promising biomedical applications due to their hydrophilicity, chemical stability, and low toxicity profile. We studied the biocompatibility of fullerenol C₆₀(OH)_22-24 with human peripheral blood T and B lymphocytes and adhesion/internalization fullerenol by these cells. A mild cytotoxic effect on T cells was found only at high (100 and 200 μg/ml) concentrations of fullerenol (cell viability decreased by 1-2.5%), whereas B cells were resistant to its cytotoxic effects. Interestingly, the absolute number of viable T cells increased after 72-h incubation with high fullerenol concentrations (50, 100, and 200 μg/ml). We also observed active time- and concentration-dependent adhesion/internalization of fullerenol nanoparticles by lymphocytes, especially B cells. Thus, preliminary evaluation of the immunotoxic potential of fullerenol C₆₀(OH)_22-24 toward T and B lymphocytes derived from human peripheral blood was performed.

The expression of cardiac dysfunction markers and the number of nestin-positive cells in the myocardium were analyzed in a mouse model of obstructive nephropathy using animals expressing GFP under the nestin promoter. Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) led to an increase in the number of nestin-positive cells in cardiac tissue, accompanied by elevated expression of B-type natriuretic peptide, which positively correlated with GFP levels. A trend toward reduced expression of β-myosin heavy chain and the gap junction protein connexin-43 was observed, whereas the expression of the progenitor cell marker WT1 remained unchanged under UUO conditions. These findings indicate the development of cardiac dysfunction in this model is secondary to primary renal injury and highlight a concomitant expansion of nestin-positive cells within the myocardium.

We studied the effect of Cu²⁺ on cultured endotheliocytes of the rat cerebral cortex. Phase-contrast microscopy of living cultures showed that cell damage in the monolayer and a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential (detected with JC-1 dye) occurred when the Cu²⁺ concentration in the culture medium reached 0.2 mM and higher. In surviving cells exposed to 0.2 mM Cu²⁺, an increase in the level of p53 protein in the nuclei was revealed. However, statistically significant decrease in the conversion of tetrazolium bromide into formazan was observed starting from 0.1 mM Cu²⁺ in the culture medium, and impairment of the barrier function of these cells began from 0.05 mM Cu²⁺.Thus, among the studied parameters, the barrier function of endotheliocytes was proved to be the most sensitive to the toxic effect of copper.

Anxiety-like behavior in rats was assessed using a model of chronic unpredictable mild stress of varying duration, with prior administration of LPS. Chronic unpredictable mild stress induced biphasic changes in anxiety levels: an initial reduction during the early phase of stress exposure followed by a significant increase at later stages. Pre-treatment with LPS modulated the trajectory of anxiety development under conditions of chronic unpredictable mild stress: it exacerbated anxiety-like behavior during the early phase but attenuated its progression in the later stages. These findings suggest promising insights for the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting stress-induced behavioral disorders.

The study examined the relationship between ultradian rhythms of body temperature (BT) in young (1-month-old) Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) and fluctuations in atmospheric pressure (AP). A stable positive correlation was identified between BT variations and AP changes, most prominently during the animals' daily active phase. This association was especially pronounced during periods of rising AP. Harmonic analysis revealed synchronized rhythmic components in both BT and AP within the 12-30-min period range. However, experimentally induced (artificial) oscillations in AP did not elicit corresponding changes in BT, indicating that AP fluctuations alone do not drive the observed physiological rhythms. These findings suggest that the natural 12-30-min AP oscillations observed under stable weather conditions likely serve as external markers of an underlying biotropic factor that modulates the animal activity rhythms rather than acting as a direct causal stimulus.