Vol 135, No 3 (2009)

Using the immunocytochemical method, the localization of calretinin-positive cells was studied in the frontal sections of anterior portion of the mouse cerebral hemispheres. The population of cells with a characteristic structure, that was not described previously, was detected in the area of anterior horns of lateral brain ventricles. These cells have small (8-10 μm) rounded perikarya which gave rise to 1 or, rarely, 2 nodose processes covered with widely spaced, polymorphous spines (PS) and irregular thickenings. Primary, relatively thick, processes divide to produce thinner processes that also formed thickenings and spines of different dimensions and structure. Calretinin-positive cells with PS (CR+PS) cells are located in the white subcortical matter, layer VI, more rarely in layer V of the frontal area of dorsome-dial cortex close to the cingulum. CR+PS cells were also present in rostro-dorsal part of the caudate nucleus-putamen complex, anterior olfactory nucleus, subependymal layer of the dorso-lateral angle of the lateral ventricle, and, less frequently, near its dorsal wall. In contrast to mouse brain, CR+PS cells were not found in the brain of other animals (rats, rabbits, cats).Within CR+PS cells, no co-localization of calretinin with GABA and other neuronal or glial markers was found. It is suggested that the cells described represent previously unknown, presumably non-neuronal type of the mouse forebrain.

This study used the technique based on horse-radish peroxidase retrograde and anterograde transport to examine the organization of the connections of different sectors of the zona incerta (ZI) of the diencephalon with the substructures of the substantia nigra, the ventral tegmental area and the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus of dog mesencephalon. It was found that these structures were interconnected with each other. In the organization of the projections studied, the elements were detected that suggested the possibility of the segregated conduction of the functionally various information via the established pathways. Alongside with this, the convergence of the projection fibres of the neurons of the mesencephalic nuclei substructures to ZI, described in all its sectors, together with the projections of all the ZI sectors to these neurons, indicates the possibility of the integration of functionally various information both at ZI level and at the level of mesencephalic structures studied in this work.

Structure of the efferent nerve plexuses (adrenergic, acetylcholinestherase- and cholinacetyltranspherase-positive, NO-dependent), was studied in the arteries of human leptomeninx with different diameters. Material was obtained from the corpses of the healthy people and of the patients with initial stages of arterial hypertension (AH). It was shown that the concentrations of cholinergic and adrenergic nerve fibers and varicosities in axon terminal part, innervating the arteries with the diameters ranging from 450 till 100 μm, were not significantly different. In these arteries, NO-ergic plexuses were also detected. In patients with AH, regardless the arterial diameters, the significant increase (up to 15-20%) of adrenergic nerve fiber and varicosity concentrations was found. The changes in cholinergic nerve fiber concentration were found to depend on the vessel diameter: the significant decrease of these parameter was observed only in arteries with the diameter of 100-200 μm. No significant changes in nerve plexus concentration was noticed in the arteries with greater or smaller diameter. In NO-ergic neural conductors, the enzyme activity decreased only in the large arteries, and remained almost unchanged in the small vascular branches. The changes in the vasomotor innervation described in AH, are interpreted as a vasomotor innervation dysfunction of the leptomeninx arteries that may result in the hemodynamic disturbances.

The uptake of quantum dots (QD - 5 nm particles of CdSe/ ZnS-mercaptoacetic acid) by human neutrophilic granulocytes was studied using the methods of scanning laser and scanning probe microscopy. The results show that the neutrophilic granulocytes may be subdivided into three subpopulations: 1) the cells with no uptake of QD (10.0±2.0%); 2) cells that accumulate QD in their volume (28.0±1.9%), and 3) cells, surrounded by a halo of QD (59.0±2.2%). The dispersion of these characteristics may suggest the differences in neutrophilic granulocyte plasma membrane permeability.

This paper describes the results of the study of the structural elements of the grouped lymphoid nodules (GLN, Peyer's patches) of rat ileum after the exposure to emotional-painful stress. In the control group of behaviorally passive rats, the area, occupied by GLN structural elements in the intestinal sections, was significantly greater than that one in the group of active rats. After the exposure to stress, the areas of all GLN structural components were decreased in the behaviorally passive rats. In the group of behaviorally active rats exposed to stress, the areas occupied by the GLN internodular zones, were increased, while the areas of lymphoid nodules remained practically unchanged, suggesting high adaptation capacity of this group of animals.

This work examines the effect of magnetoliposomes on the basis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles following different time intervals after their single intravenous injection, on the liver, kidney and lung structure in rats. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and Perls method was used to demonstrate Fe+3 ions. It was shown that shortly after intravenous injection of magnetoliposomes, hemodynamic disturbances developed in all the organs studied, which by day 14 were aggrevated by focal necroses and dystrophic changes in the liver and kidneys. Accumulation of nanoparticles in the cells of mononuclear phagocyte system of these organs was demonstrated. Damaging effect of magnetoliposomes on liver, kidney and a lung structure was established, which was caused by ultradisperse Fe3O4 particles contained in them. The consequences of this influence for the rat organism at the time periods exceeding the duration of our experiment, may hardly be predicted.

195 girls aged 14-16 years with the disturbances of sexual development of chromosomal and non-chromosomal genesis were examined. In girls with Shereshevsky-Turner syndrome, the body mass and length, as well as the relative adipose tissue content, were significantly decreased as compared with those in girls with the disturbances of sexual development of non-chromosomal genesis. The differences in somatotype distribution between these groups were detected. The majority of the girls with Shereshevsky-Turner syndrome with karyotype changes (mono-somy of X-chromosome) had stenoplastic somatotype (70.6%). Among the girls with amenorhhea of non-chromosomal genesis, the stenoplastic (33.3%) and subathletic somatotypes (33.3%) prevailed. In both groups of girls with the disturbances in sexual maturation, the absence of athletic somatotype was noted.