[Vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF and metal-ligand homeostasis in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke]. / Faktor rosta endoteliya sosudov VEGF i metallo-ligandnyi gomeostaz v patogeneze ishemicheskogo insul'ta.

OBJECTIVE: To study the conjugate dynamics of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the components of metal-ligand homeostasis in the development of ischemic stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The main group included patients with ischemic stroke (n=158). The comparison group consisted of healthy volunteers (n=150). The concentration of VEGF (pg/ml) in the blood serum was determined by ELISA and concentrations of Mg, Cu, Mn, Se, Zn and Fe (mcg/ml) by inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry. Data analysis was carried out using the Statistica 10 application software package and the optimal reliable partitioning (SDR) method, which is part of the Date mining group of data mining methods. RESULTS: A significant increase in the concentrations of VEGF and trace elements Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Se in the blood serum of patients with ischemic stroke was revealed. A significant relationship between the concentration of VEGF and the concentrations of Cu and Mn in the blood serum of patients with ischemic stroke was shown. CONCLUSION: The dynamics of VEGF and the concentrations of trace elements in the development of the ischemic process contribute to the solution of therapeutic and prognostic problems in clinical conditions.

The Reference Values of Hair Content of Trace Elements in Dairy Cows of Holstein Breed.

The objective of this study was to assess trace element content in hair of Holstein dairy cows bred in the Leningrad Region of Russia and to calculate the site-specific reference intervals. Hair content of arsenic, boron, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, iodine, lithium, manganese, lead, selenium, silicon, tin, strontium, vanadium, and zinc in 148 cows during first (n = 50), second (n = 48), and third (n = 50) lactation periods of life was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Dietary intake of trace elements corresponded to the adequate values according to national and international recommendations. Comparative analysis did not reveal any significant differences in hair content of main essential elements on the animals depending on the number of lactation. At the same time, the first-lactation cows had significantly (P < 0.05) lower concentration of lead in hair as compared to the third-lactation cows and a higher level of mercury as compared to the second-lactation cows. The reference intervals and 90% confidence intervals for the lower and upper limits were calculated in agreement with the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology Quality Assurance and Laboratory Standard Guidelines.

[Mercury and autism spectrum disorders]. / Vozmozhnaia rol' rtuti v razvitii rasstroistv autisticheskogo spektra u detei.

The authors present a review of literature on the involvement of perinatal and postnatal mercury exposure in the pathogenesis of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). A number of studies have shown a reliable association between perinatal and postnatal exposure to mercury and ASD development aa well as clinical and laboratory markers of the severity of these disorders. However the association was not confirmed in other studies. Such contradictions may be explained by differences in the composition of study groups, including geographical characteristics, and the influence of the factors related to mercury neurotoxicity.

The impact of adipogenic diet on rats' tissue trace elements content.

The purpose: The influence of high-fat diet (HFD) on trace elements status, adipokine level, and markers of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in weanling Wistar rats was investigated. Methods: A total of 20 male 1-months-old Wistar rats divided into two equal groups were used in the present study. The first group of animals obtained a standard diet (STD), whereas animals from the second group (NAFLD) were maintained on high-fat diet containing 10 and 31.6% of total calories from fat, respectively, during 1 month. Fat diet (HFD). Trace element status (using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), serum levels of insulin, adiponectin, and leptin (using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glucose (spectrophotometrically), apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and B (ApoB) (using immunoturbidimetric method) were assessed. Results: It was shown that 1-month HFD feeding resulted in significant increase of EDAT, RPAT, total adipose tissue mass, and adipocyte area. HFD-fed animals were also characterized by a significant increase in circulating leptin levels and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio as compared to the control ones. No significant HFD-related difference in serum lipid spectrum, adiponectin, apolipoproteins, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR were revealed. Liver Cu, I, Mn, Se, Zn; EDAT Cr, V, Co, Cu, Fe,I, and RPAT Co, Cu, I, Cr, V, Fe, and Zn were significantly decreased in HFD-fed rats in comparison with the control group levels. Hair Co, Mn, Si, and V levels significantly exceeded the respective control values, whereas Se and I content were decreased in studied animals. At the same time, only serum Cu was significantly decreased in HFD-fed rats. Conclusion: The interplay between the impaired trace elements metabolism of HFD-fed weanling Wistar rats and disorder of adipokine balance was demonstrated. It is supposed that the altered trace elements status is primary and precedes other metabolic obesity-related disturbances.

[Ecological and physiological assessment of the elemental status in the adult population of the Republic of Bashkortostan].

The study of elemental status was carried out as a result of a multielement analysis of hair by ICP-MS within the framework of the Federal Program "National System of chemical and biological security of the Russian Federation, 2009-2014". This parameter is an index of the impact of the environment on the body. A total of 1,138 adult residents of the Republic of Bashkortostan (624 women and 514 men aged of25-50 years) were examined. The features of the element status of the adult population of the Republic were shown. The obtained data can be used as reference values of chemical elements in the hair of the adult population of the Republic of Bashkortostan.