[Bone mineral density in women with rheumatoid arthritis: A link between immune and biochemical markers].

AIM: To study the association of bone mineral density (BMD) with serum biochemical and immunological markers in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 173 women with RA (age 61.0 [56.0; 66.0] years). A survey, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure the BMD of the lumbar spine (LI-LIV), femoral neck (FN) and total hip (TH), routine blood chemistry, measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor, cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (CCPA), parathyroid hormone (PTH), vitamin D3, myostatin, follistatin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-6 receptors, insulin-like growth factor 1, adiponectin, leptin, fibroblast growth factor 23, and tumor necrosis factor SF12 were performed. RESULTS: PTH (ß=-0.22, -0.35 and -0.30 for LI-LIV, FN and TH, respectively), CRP (ß=-0.18, 0.23 and -0.22 for LI-LIV, FN and TH, respectively) and leptin (ß=0.35, 0.32 and 0.42 for LI-LIV, FN and TH, respectively) were shown a significant association with BMD in all sites of measurement. It was independent of age, body mass index and postmenopause duration. Associations were also found between adiponectin and BMD of LI-LIV and TH (ß=-0.36 and -0.28, respectively), CCPA and BMD of FN and TH (ß=-0.21, -0.24, respectively) and IL-6 and BMD of FN (ß=0.37). CONCLUSION: The study of biochemical and immunological markers in women with RA demonstrated that CRP, CCPA, PTH, IL-6, adiponectin, and leptin influenced BMD.

About 4-Day Rhythm of Proliferative Activity of L-929 Cells in Culture Correlates with the Intensity of Secondary Cosmic Radiation Fluctuations.

The dynamics of proliferative activity of the L-929 cell culture of mouse fibroblast-like cells in the phase of logarithmic growth was compared with some heliogeophysical parameters (Ap and ULF indexes of geomagnetic activity, vertical component of the interplanetary magnetic field, and intensity of fluctuations of secondary cosmic radiation estimated by the neutron monitoring near the Earth's surface). Among the considered heliogeophysical parameters, only the magnitude of fluctuations of minute-to-minute changes in the neutron monitor indicator reliably and negatively correlates with the rate of cell culture reproduction. Considering that the amplitude of secondary cosmic fluctuations is about 5%, which is 0.1% of the total ray flux, and proliferative activity varies in the range of 30-50%, the probability of a direct biotrophic effect of this physical factor is extremely low. It seems likely that proliferative activity of L-929 cell culture is directly affected by another environmental factor, the marker of which is the intensity of neutron counting rate fluctuations.

Expression of Hif-1α, Nf-κb, and Vegf Genes in the Liver and Blood Serum Levels of HIF-1α, Erythropoietin, VEGF, TGF-ß, 8-Isoprostane, and Corticosterone in Wistar Rats with High and Low Resistance to Hypoxia.

We studied the expression of Hif-1α, Nf-κb, and Vegf genes in the liver and serum levels of HIF-1α, erythropoietin, VEGF, TGF-ß, 8-isoprostane, and corticosterone in Wistar rats with different resistance to hypoxia in 5 and 90 min after acute exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. In 5 min after hypoxic exposure, Hif-1α expression in the liver and serum levels of erythropoietin, VEGF, and TGF-ß in high-resistant rats were higher than in low-resistant animals. In highresistant rats, the increment in expression of Nf-κb gene responsible for the control over the inflammatory processes was more pronounced than in low-resistant animals. In 90 min after hypoxic exposure, the serum levels of HIF-1α, erythropoietin, VEGF, and TGF-ß returned to normal in high-resistant rats, while in low-resistant animals, an increase in 8-isoprostane and TGF-ß concentrations was observed. The rats with different resistance to hypoxia were characterized by different changes in biomolecular parameters determining predilection to inflammatory diseases.

Behavioral characteristics of ovariectomied Wistar rats trained in a maze. Effect of mental stress and castration for infradian rhythms.

Four psychotypes differing by cognitive activity and psychoemotional reactions were distinguished in a population of orchiectomied Wistar rats and in a population of intact animals on the model of a complex cognitive test combined with the free choice method. With similar parameters of cognitive activity, the psychotypes of castrated rats were inferior to those of intact animals by the number of psychoemotional reactions and levels of locomotor activity. Infradian rhythms of spontaneous locomotor activity with a 4-day period were detected in intact and castrated rats. These rhythms did not change under the effect of mental stress, associated with food-getting behavior training, and did not depend on testosterone level.