[MELATONIN: THE POSSIBILITY TO ANALYSE THE MARKER OF AGE-RELATED PATHOLOGY IN THE BUCCAL EPITHELIUM AND URINE].

Extrapineal and pineal melatonin is the marker of the aging rate of organism making it possible to characterize functional condition of the neuro-immuno-endocrine system. In this article we have used the new method for non-invasive diagnostics of melatonin expression in buccal epithelium and determination of the main melatonin metabolite 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate (6-HMS) in urine of elderly people. Normal, impaired and enhanced melatonin expression was documented in 20.5%, 43.2% and 36.30% of the patients respectively. Such comprehensive melatonin and 6-COMT studies can be recommended for elderly patients with oncological, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular diseases, and ageing macular dystrophy. Moreover, melatonin expression analysis in buccal cells can be used for integral investigation of biorhythms in elderly people.

[Buccal epithelium as an object for testing of biological age and the speed of aging].

Testing of biological age and the speed of aging is one of the main goal of gerontology and predictive medicine. This review summarizes the ability of using buccal epithelium as target of non-invasive investigation of aging diagnostics. Buccal epithelium used for thelomere test and morphological characteristics of its nucleus demonstrate the speed of aging. The electrophysiological investigation of buccal cells nucleus are the markers of biological age of a human. In future it can be possible to use buccal epithelium for immunogistochemical investigation with goal to diagnose cellular senescence.

Age-related features of expression of cell renewal factors in the intestinal Peyer's patches.

Immunohistochemical study with markers of proapoptotic protein P53 and proliferation protein Ki-67 revealed an age-related decrease in proliferative activity of lymphocyte in the intestinal Peyer's patches and an increase in the ratio of apoptotic cells in humans. These changes aggravate atrophy and involution of the intestinal epithelium during aging.

[Cell renovation in the intestinal epithelium in aging].

The ability to cell renovation of two basic cell types of intestinal mucosa is the important mechanism for the regulation and support of the gut physiological functions in aging and under the influence of the ecological negative factors. The study of the processes of cell renovation of the intestinal epithelial and neuroendocrine cells in physiological and radiological aging has a great interest, because the irradiation in the subletal doses could be considered as the model of artificial aging, and this fact enables studying of the radiological influence as the ecological factor, promoting the aging. In this study, the increase of cell proliferation in intestinal mucosa in physiological as well as artificial aging was observed. It was shown, that the total population of mitotic cells increases two times. These data testify about active participation of the mechanisms of cell renovation in the safety of gut functions during aging.

[Endocrine secretion in endometrial and breast malignant tumors in elderly women].

Hystochemical and immunohystochemical investigations revealed APUD tumor cells in malignant endometrial and breast tumors, which affect elderly women. Identification of the hormones produced by APUD-cells in carcinomas and neuroendocrine tumors could form the basis for selecting the optimal method of treatment, including selection of pills to correct the impaired patients' hormonal status.

[Expression of serotonin and vessel endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human thymus in aging involution].

Immunohistochemical verification of serotonin and of the vessels endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has enabled to establish the presence of these signaling molecules in human thymus in all stages of ontogenesis and in aging. Thus authentic increase of quantity of the cells synthesizing serotonin in people of advanced age is established, which reflects the compensatory role of serotonin, directed on maintenance of immunity in old organism. The minimum quantity of the cells containing VEGF is observed in human thymus of advanced age, but the intensity of synthesis of this peptide does not practically change during the postnatal ontogenesis. These data may be considered as the evidence of the important role of signaling molecules that are expressed in thymus in local paracrine regulation of thymic functions in aging.

[Endothelial changes in cardiovascular pathology in the elderly. Part 2. Signal molecules and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis].

This article is a continuation of the review on the issue of the interaction between the endothelium and numerous biologically active substances, secreted by endotheliocytes and their environment--the so called signal molecules--in the most prevalent cardiovascular pathology in the elderly. For example tumor necrosis factor plays a pathogenetic role as an immunomodulator, possesses anti-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic properties, provokes endothelial dysfunction, and stimulates the expression of other pro-inflammatory cytokines. Other signal molecules are described as well. The article also presents data from studies directed towards the perfection of atherosclerosis therapy via affecting signal molecules: depression of the expression of interleukins and their receptors, inhibition of atherogenic interleukins, neutralization of pro-inflammatory interleukins, and introduction of interleukin receptor antagonists.

[Changes of the endothelium in cardiovascular pathology in the elderly. Part I. Signal molecules and endothelial functions].

The review discusses the issue of the interaction between the endothelium and numerous biologically active substances, secreted by endotheliocytes and their environment--the so called signal molecules - in the most prevalent pathology in the elderly. In the elderly, signal molecules are synthesized by endothelial cells less intensively by comparison to young and middle-age people because a range of morphological features of endotheliocytes at elderly age: a hyperchromic nucleus; a smaller number of ribosomes, which leads to the inhibition of protein synthesis; a bigger number of lysosomes; structural changes in myofibrils; alterations in the mitochondrial structure such as crista death as well as the swelling and destruction of some organellas, which disturb the process of energosynthesis. At the same time, the main regulatory functions of the endothelium--vasomotor, antithrombocyte, anticoagulatory, thrombolytic, antiinflammatory, antioxidative, and antiproliferative ones--are the same in the healthy elderly and at earlier stages of ontogenesis. Disturbances in one or another endothelial function, especially at elderly age when the peculiarities of endothelial functioning under normal conditions are formed together with age-related morphological changes, result in fast development and progress of cardiovascular diseases.

Age-related differences in expression of signal differentiation factors for human thymic epithelial cells.

Expression of transcription proteins PAX1, Hoxa3, and TLP regulating differentiation of thymic epithelial cells is detected in human thymus starting from gestation week 22 until the age of 95 years. Expression of transcription factors significantly decreased during aging. Apart from the decrease in the expression of signal differentiation factors in cultured thymic epithelial cells, proliferative activity of T lymphocytes cocultured with thymic epithelial cells also decreased in aging cultures, which demonstrated the important regulatory effect of transcription proteins on maturation and maintenance of T lymphocytes. Taking into account the important role of transcription proteins in the regulation of proliferation and function of T lymphocytes, whose number sharply decreases during aging, the maintenance of the level of expression of transcription factors during aging is a promising trend in modern biogerontology.

[Combined effect of vilon and cyclophosphane on tumor transplants and lymphoid tissue explants in mice and rats of various age]. / Sochetannoe vliianie vilona i tsiklofosfana na transplanty opukholei i éksplantaty limfoidnoi tkani myshei i krys raznogo vozrasta.

The experiments were performed in mice with transplanted Lewis lung carcinoma. The injections of synthetic peptide vilon at the doses 1 mg/kg significantly increased the survival of mice. So vilon has possessed the oncomodulating action on the transplanted carcinoma. The synchronous injection both of vilon and cyclophosphan at the doses 100 mg/kg decreases the survival of mice. There was also studied in spleen organotypic tissue culture the effect of vilon and cyclophosphan on the development of explants of rats of various age: 1 day and 2 years old. Vilon stimulated apoptosis both in young and old rats, but the inhibitory effect of cyclophosphan was abolished in the presence of vilon in culture media at the dose 5 ng/ml. The results obtained suggested that perspective preparates in the cancer therapy--vilon and cytostatic drugs-, must be used not synchronously.

[Thymus and aging]. / Timus i starenie.

This review is devoted to the analysis of current knowledge on the structure-functional organization of thymus, its role in homeostasis regulation and in mechanisms of ageing.

Modulating effects of epithalamin and epithalon on the functional morphology of the spleen in old pinealectomized rats.

Immunohistochemical and morphometric analysis showed that epithalamin and epithalon produced similar effects on the functional morphology of the spleen in pinealectomized rats. Both peptides prevented hyperplasia of lymphoid cells in follicular germinative centers induced by pinealectomy and potentiated the decrease in extramedullary hemopoiesis. These findings confirm the data on functional relationships between the pineal gland and immune system. The effects of epithalamin and epithalon on cell and tissue homeostasis in the spleen of old pinealectomized rats can be regarded as a manifestation of the general regulatory effect of these peptides.