Vol 137, No 2 (2010)

The projections of individual sectors of the zona incerta (ZI) in dog diencephalon to the functionally different striatal segments were studied by the method of the antero- and retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. The data on the interconnections of ZI with all striopallidal structures, obtained by the author before and in the present work were summarized. Among all the striatal nuclei, the the rostral, ventral and caudal ZI sectors contained the neurons that projected their fibers only to the dorsal segments of the putamen. Not a single striatal structure was found to form projections to ZI. ZI and the dorsal pallidal nuclei (globus pallidus, nucleus entopeduncularis) are reciprocally connected with almost all ZI sectors. The connections of the ventral pallidum with the ZI were not detected.

Nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) is a ubiquitous nuclear transcription factor that regulates the expression of a number of genes involved in cell survival, immune and inflammatory processes. It has been hypothesized that after nerve injury, the release of specific cytokines may provide a stimulus for activation of the transcription factor NF-κB in adult dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons exerting the protective effect on the sensory neurons. However, the complexity of this transcription factor has led to some misleading conclusions about NF-κB signalling in injured DRG neurons. The goal of the present study is to find out whether NF-κB is involved in the transcriptional regulation of genes in adult primary sensory neurons after peripheral nerve transection. In this series of experiments, we used a transgenic line of NF-κB reporter mice in which activation of NF-κB drives the expression of the lac-z gene. We show that the expression of β-galactasidase (β-gal) is not detected in injured DRG neurons and contralateral neurons. However, a strong β-gal expression was detected in the muscle at the injury site. It may reflect the repressive influence of additional signalling cascades on NF-κB activity in sensory neurons.

The retinomotor response of the masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou fry retina was studied under the conditions of mesopic (twilight) illumination after experimental geomagnetic field (GMF) compensation which was reached using the Helmholtz coils. In the control group, the retinomotor response of masu salmon fry to twilight illumination was usual: the nuclei of the neurosensory rod cells were located immediately above the external limiting layer, while the nuclei of the neurosensory cone cells were displaced closer to the pigment epithelium. After experimental GMF compensation, the masu salmon fry retina reaction was unusual: the neurosensory cone cell nuclei adhered to the external limiting membrane, while the nuclei of the neurosensory rod cells were displaced closer to the pigment epithelium layer. Double and central neurosensory cone cells occupied the position that was inadequate to normal reaction to twilight: the bodies of these cells were considerably elongated, and the external segments reached the pigment epithelium layer. Thus, in the experiment with GMF compensation, we have found the unusual structure of the retina, which only vaguely corresponded to a reaction to mesopic adaptation. The results suggest, that the visible light is not a unique variety of the electromagnetic field, that could be perceived by the fish retina.

The purpose of the present investigation was to study thymus structure in 108 Wistar rats possessing different prognostic resistance to an emotional stress under the conditions of experimentally modeled intracerebral hemorrhage. It was demonstrated that after the intracerebral hemorrhage, the thymus underwent changes that were associated with both the stereotyped response to stress and the development of an immune response against the damaged brain tissue: relative thymus mass and the cortico-medullary index were shown to decrease, while the volumetric fractions of the capsule and connective tissue septa were increased. The reaction of the vascular bed included stasis, diapedesis and perivascular edema. These changes were more expressed in the rats predisposed to an emotional stress.

The morphometric investigation was performed to study the reaction of mast cells (MC) in mucosal lamina propria of hamster duodenum to experimental infection with tapeworm Diphyllobothrium dendriticum. The invasion was found to result in a significant increase of MC cells absolute content, changes in the proportions of their functional groups, increased anaphylactic MC degranulation, enhanced MC precursor migration and their accelerated differentiation.

The purpose of the research was to study, using the quantitative methods, the cellular populations of neutrophilic granulocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts and lymphocytes in the connective tissue of the wall of the pancreatic pseudocyst. Local cold application to the pancreas of albino rat with the help of KCH 3A/B cryosurgical complex was used for the modeling of the pseudocyst. General decrease in the cell content in wall of the pseudocyst was detected together with the changes of predominant cell populations during the study. At days14-21 of the experiment, the neutrophilic granulocytes were found to dominate, by day 30 the dominating cells were the macrophages, which were substituted by fibroblasts at day 45. The progressive increase of the number of lymphocytes was found throughout the the experiment.

The authors have analyzed the expression of progesterone receptor (PR) and estrogen receptor α (ER) in comparison with the argyrophil proteins content in the nucleolar organizer region (NOR) in 106 samples of the intact myometrium and in 106 tumourous nodes of the simple leiomyoma. PR expression was shown in 100% cases of the intact myometrium and simple leiomyoma, while ER expression was far less common, 37.±4.2 and 23.5±4.1%, respectively. There were much fewer AgNOR proteins in the intact myometrium than in the leiomyoma (3.1±0.5 and 5.6±0.4, respectively). Moreover, the number of AgNOR proteins was shown to depend on the presence of ER: when smooth muscle cells were ER-positive, there were fewer argyrophilic granules than when they were absent in both intact myometrium and simple leiomyoma.

Digital images of the iris were received for study peculiarities of the iris color during the anthropological examination of 578 students aged16-24 years. Simultaneously with the registration of the digital images, the visual assessment of the eye color was carried out using the traditional scale of Bunak, based on 12 ocular prostheses. Original software for automatic determination of the iris color based on 12 classes scale of Bunak was designed, and computer version of that scale was developed. The software proposed allows to conduct the determination of the iris color with high validity based on numerical evaluation; its application may reduce the bias due to subjective assessment and methodological divergences of the different researchers. The software designed for automatic determination of the iris color may help develop both theoretical and applied anthropology, it may be used in forensic and emergency medicine, sports medicine, medico-genetic counseling and professional selection.