Unique prenatal manifestations of biallelic NDUFAF5 variants: expansion of phenotype.

OBJECTIVE: Mitochondrial complex-I deficiency, nuclear type 16, is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in NDUFAF5 (C20orf7) (OMIM 618238). The aim of this study was to describe a severe early prenatal manifestation of this disorder, which was previously considered to occur only postnatally. METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective case series including five fetuses from three non-related families, which shared common sonographic abnormalities, including brain cysts, corpus callosal malformations, non-immune hydrops fetalis and growth restriction. Genetic evaluation included chromosomal microarray analysis and exome sequencing. Two fetuses from the same family were also available for pathology examination, including electron microscopy. RESULTS: Chromosomal microarray analysis revealed no chromosomal abnormality in any of the tested cases. Trio exome sequencing demonstrated that three affected fetuses from three unrelated families were compound heterozygous or homozygous for likely pathogenic variants in NDUFAF5. No other causative variants were detected. The association between NDUFAF5 variants and fetal malformations was further confirmed by segregation analysis. Histological evaluation of fetal tissues and electron microscopy of the skeletal muscle, liver, proximal tubules and heart demonstrated changes that resembled postmortem findings in patients with mitochondrial depletion disorders as well as previously undescribed findings. CONCLUSIONS: Mitochondrial complex-I deficiency and specifically biallelic mutations in NDUFAF5 have a role in abnormal fetal development, presenting with severe congenital malformations. Mitochondrial complex-I disorders should be considered in the differential diagnosis of corpus callosal malformations and brain cysts, especially when associated with extracranial abnormalities, such as fetal growth restriction and non-immune hydrops fetalis. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Regulation of Neprilysin Activity and Cognitive Functions in Rats After Prenatal Hypoxia.

The amyloid-degrading enzyme neprilysin (NEP) is one of the therapeutic targets in prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As we have shown previously NEP expression in rat parietal cortex (Cx) and hippocampus (Hip) decreases with age and is also significantly reduced after prenatal hypoxia. Following the paradigms for enhancement of NEP expression and activity developed in cell culture, we analysed the efficacy of various compounds able to upregulate NEP using our model of prenatal hypoxia in rats. In addition to the previous data demonstrating that valproic acid can upregulate NEP expression both in neuroblastoma cells and in rat Cx and Hip we have further confirmed that caspase inhibitors can also restore NEP expression in rat Cx reduced after prenatal hypoxia. Here we also report that administration of a green tea catechin epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to adult rats subjected to prenatal hypoxia increased NEP activity in blood plasma, Cx and Hip as well as improved memory performance in the 8-arm maze and novel object recognition tests. Moreover, EGCG administration led to an increased number of dendritic spines in the hippocampal CA1 area which correlated with memory enhancement. The data obtained allowed us to conclude that the decrease in the activity of the amyloid-degrading enzyme NEP, as well as a reduction in the number of labile interneuronal contacts in the hippocampus, contribute to early cognitive deficits caused by prenatal hypoxia and that there are therapeutic avenues to restore these deficits via NEP activation which could also be used for designing preventive strategies in AD.

Nanodefects of membranes cause destruction of packed red blood cells during long-term storage.

Packed red blood cells (PRBC) are used for blood transfusion. PRBC were stored for 30 days under 4 °Ð¡ in hermetic blood bags with CPD anticoagulant-preservative solution. Hematocrit was 50-55%. The distortions of PRBC membranes nanostructure and cells morphology during storage were studied by atomic force microscopy. Basic measurements were performed at the day 2, 6, 9, 16, 23 and 30 of storage and additionally 2-3 days after it. Topological defects occurred on RBC membranes by day 9. They appeared as domains with grain-like structures ("grains") sized up to 200 nm. These domains were appeared in almost all cells. Later these domains merged and formed large defects on cells. It was the formation of domains with the "grains" which was onset process leading eventually to destruction of PRBC. Possible mechanisms of transformation of PRBC and their membrane are related to the alterations of spectrin cytoskeleton. During this storage period potassium ions and lactat concentrations increased, pH decreased, intracellular concentration of reduced glutathione diminished in the preservative solution. Changes of PRBC morphology were detected within the entire period of PRBC storage. Discocytes predominated at the days 1 and 2. By day 30 PRBC transformed into irreversible echinocytes and spheroechinocytes. Study of defects of membranes nanostructure may form the basis of assessing the quality of the stored PRBC. This method may allow to work out the best recommendations for blood transfusion.

[ROLE OF CASPASE-3 IN REGULATION OF THE CONTENT OF THE AMYLOID-DEGRADING NEUROPEPTIDASE NEPRILYSIN IN THE CORTEX OF RATS AFTER HYPOXIA].

Analysis of the effect of a caspase-3 inhibitor on the content of the amyloid-degrading neuropeptidase neprilysin (NEP) in the cortex of rats subjected to prenatal hypoxia (7% O2, 3 h) on the 14-th day of the embryonic development (E14) was performed. It was found that rats subjected to prenatal hypoxia on days 20-30 after birth have an increased content and activity of caspase-3 with reduced levels of NEP and of the C-terminal fragment of the amyloid precursor protein (AICD) regulating NEP expression. In hypoxic animals 3 days after a single injection of a caspase inhibitor (i. v., Ac-DEVD-CHO, P20) the content of AICD and NEP was found to be increased up to the levels observed in control rats. The data obtained suggest that the increase of caspase-3 enzyme activity could affect NEP expression via proteolytic degradation of its transcription factor AICD. These data for the first time demonstrate the role of caspases in AICD-dependent regulation of NEP production in the brain of mammals under hypoxic conditions.

Nanoparticles of perfluorocarbon emulsion contribute to the reduction of methemoglobin to oxyhemoglobin.

Here we show that methemoglobin is converted to oxyhemoglobin in the presence of perfluorocarbon (PFС) emulsion. Methemoglobin in blood at the level of above 30% can cause severe complications and lethal outcome. Some pharm chemicals in blood in vivo and in vitro can lead to oxidation of iron, Fe(2+)→Fe(3+), and to increased level of methemoglobin. The oxidized heme is not able to carry oxygen, hypoxia arises and irreversible changes are developing in vital organs. We added NaNO2 solution in different concentrations to blood in vitro in order to yield methemoglobin. Then the suspension of PFC nanoparticles was added. As methemoglobin interacted with PFC nanoparticles the optical density of peaks typical for oxyhemoglobin increased and spectral peak of methemoglobin decreased. The greater the concentration of PFC and the more was the incubation time, the more efficient was the process of reduction of methemoglobin to oxyhemoglobin. We proved experimentally that with an initial concentration of methemoglobin ​in average 95% the addition of nanoparticles of PFC decreases its concentration to 9% ​in average. At the same time the concentration of oxyhemoglobin increased in average from 5% to 81%.

[The activity of blood serum cholinesterases and neprilysin as potential biomarkers of mild-cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and neprilysin (NEP) in the blood serum in elderly people with different types of cognitive impairment and evaluate the effect of ceraxon on the biochemical parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three groups of patients: without cognitive disorders (controls--CG), with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (а-MCI) and with Alzheimer's disease (AD were studied). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The activity of AChE, BChE and NEP was reduced in the blood serum of patients with a-MCI and, to the greater extent, in patients with AD compared to CG and correlated with the level of cognitive dysfunction evaluated by MMSE, ADAS-cog, and other tests. For the first time, it has been shown that treatment of a-MCI patients with ceraxon (citicolin) results in an increase of the activity of blood serum AChE, BChE and NEP to the values observed in the CG. Thus, the activities of blood serum AChE, BChE and NEP reflect the level of cognitive dysfunction and can be used as prognostic biomarkers of the level of dementia progression in patients with impaired memory.

Effects of prenatal hypoxia on the formation of immune deficiency in newborn mice.

Fetal hypoxia in the II trimester of pregnancy caused immunodeficiency in newborn mice: inhibition of antibody production to sheep erythrocytes and disturbances in migration of early hemopoietic precursors from the bone marrow to the spleen.