[Leiomyosarcoma of the splenic vein]. / Leiomiosarkoma selezenochnoi veny.

Vascular leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is an extremely rare disease. Venous lesion is approximately 5 times more common than arterial. LMS is usually found in retroperitoneal veins and in inferior vena cava. Lesion of the splenic vein is extremely rare. A 52-year-old woman with recurrent abdominal pain is reported in the article. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT revealed a 6 cm tumor of the pancreatic tail. The patient underwent laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy en bloc. Histological and immunohistochemical studies revealed LMS originating from the smooth muscles of the splenic vein. Surgery was followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. There was no local recurrence in 1 year after surgery. In this article, we analyze the available information on leiomyosarcoma of the splenic vein.

R482L Mutation of the LMNA Gene Affects Dynamics of C2C12 Myogenic Differentiation and Stimulates Formation of Intramuscular Lipid Droplets.

Mutations in the LMNA gene resulting in the substitution of the highly conserved arginine 482 residue in the globular C-terminal domain of lamin A/C are associated with the Dunnigan-type familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD2) often accompanied by impairments in the muscle tissue development. The mechanisms underlying these impairments remain unknown. The purpose of our work was to investigate the effects of the LMNA gene mutation R482L on the muscle differentiation and intramuscular fat accumulation using C2C12 mouse myoblasts transduced with the lentiviral constructs carrying the wild-type human LMNA gene (LMNA-WT) or the LMNA-R482L mutant gene. After stimulation of myogenesis and adipogenesis in the transduced cell, expression of muscle and adipose tissue differentiation markers, morphology of differentiated myotubes, and formation of intramuscular lipid droplets were analyzed. C2C12 cells carrying the LMNA-R482L construct exhibited upregulated desmin expression at all stages of muscle differentiation and transformed into hypertrophied myotubules (in comparison with C2C12 myoblasts transduced with LMNA-WT). Reduced expression levels of the myogenic transcription factor Myf6 in the cells with the LMNA-R482L mutant indicated delayed maturation of muscle fibers. These cells more actively accumulated fat in response to the stimulation of adipose differentiation than myoblasts modified with the wild-type LMNA; they also expressed the markers of lipid droplets, such as FABP4 (fatty acid-binding protein 4), ATGL (adipose triglyceride lipase), and PLIN2 (perilipin 2). Therefore, the R482L mutation of the LMNA gene affects the dynamics of C2C12 myoblast differentiation into myotubules and stimulates formation of fat deposits in the myoblasts and myotubules in a tissue-specific manner.

Skeletal Muscle Resident Progenitor Cells Coexpress Mesenchymal and Myogenic Markers and Are Not Affected by Chronic Heart Failure-Induced Dysregulations.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In heart failure (HF), metabolic alterations induce skeletal muscle wasting and decrease of exercise capacity and quality of life. The activation of skeletal muscle regeneration potential is a prospective strategy to reduce muscle wasting; therefore, the aim of this project was to determine if functional properties of skeletal muscle mesenchymal progenitor cells (SM-MPC) were affected by HF-induced functional and metabolic dysregulations. METHODS: Gastrocnemius muscle biopsy samples were obtained from 3 healthy donors (HD) and 12 HF patients to purify mRNA for further analysis and to isolate SM-MPC. Cells were expanded in vitro and characterized by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry for expression of mesenchymal (CD105/CD73/CD166/CD146/CD140b/CD140a/VIM) and myogenic (Myf5/CD56/MyoG) markers. Cells were induced to differentiate and were then analyzed by immunostaining and Q-PCR to verify the efficiency of differentiation. The expression of genes that control muscle metabolism and development was compared for HD/HF patients in both muscle biopsy and in vitro-differentiated myotubes. RESULTS: The upregulation of MYH3/MYH8/Myf6 detected in HF skeletal muscle along with metabolic alterations indicates chronic pathological activation of the muscle developmental program. SM-MPC isolated from HD and HF patients represented a mixed population that coexpresses both mesenchymal and myogenic markers and differs from AD-MMSC, BM-MMSC, and IMF-MSC. The functional properties of SM-MPC did not differ between HD and HF patients. CONCLUSION: In the present work, we demonstrate that the metabolic and functional alterations we detected in skeletal muscle from HF patients do not dramatically affect the functional properties of purified and expanded in vitro SM-MPC. We speculate that skeletal muscle progenitor cells are protected by their niche and under beneficial circumstances could contribute to muscle restoration and prevention and treatment of muscle wasting. The potential new therapeutic strategies of HF-induced skeletal muscle wasting should be targeted on both activation of SM-MPC regeneration potential and improvement of skeletal muscle metabolic status to provide a favorable environment for SM-MPC-driven muscle restoration.

[PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY FOR INTRADERMAL METASTASES OF BREAST CANCER USING THE MATRIX LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES APPARATUS LATUS].

There are presented results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for patients with chemo- and radioresistant intradermal metastases of breast cancer using the matrix light-emitting diodes apparatus. To all patients prior to irradiation there was performed fluorescence diagnostics to assess the accumulation of the photosensitizer of chlorine series and photobleaching during PDT. The size of the irradiation area was 400 sm, the total dose of irradiation was 250J/cm2. PDT was accompanied by mild pain, which was stopped by administration of non-narcotic analgesics. Complete regression of intradermal lesions was registered in 2 of 4 cases, partial response was observed in 1 patient and the progression of the process in 1 case.

[AUTOLOGOUS TRANSPLANTATION OF ADIPOSE TISSUE IN RECONSTRUCTIVE AND PLASTIC SURGERY. NEW POSSIBILITIES OF "OLD" MATERIAL].

The work is devoted to the methods of application of own adipose tissue as a plastic material and presents the summary of the currently known data on the use of transplantation of adipose tissue in order to correct various defects of the body in plastic and reconstructive surgery. There are analyzed theoretical basis for the use of adipose tissue, provided the methods of administration depending on the area of the use, the severity of the defect and its localization. Data on new methods of the use of adipose tissue and own observations are presented. As an example of the effective use there is provided a detailed analysis of the use of adipose tissue transplantation in breast cancer patients who have different area defects after reconstructive surgery.

Overview of the Liulin type instruments for space radiation measurement and their scientific results.

Ionizing radiation is recognized to be one of the main health concerns for humans in the space radiation environment. Estimation of space radiation effects on health requires the accurate knowledge of the accumulated absorbed dose, which depends on the global space radiation distribution, solar cycle and local shielding generated by the 3D mass distribution of the space vehicle. This paper presents an overview of the spectrometer-dosimeters of the Liulin type, which were developed in the late 1980s and have been in use since then. Two major measurement systems have been developed by our team. The first one is based on one silicon detector and is known as a Liulin-type deposited energy spectrometer (DES) (Dachev et al., 2002, 2003), while the second one is a dosimetric telescope (DT) with two or three silicon detectors. The Liulin-type instruments were calibrated using a number of radioactive sources and particle accelerators. The main results of the calibrations are presented in the paper. In the last section of the paper some of the most significant scientific results obtained in space and on aircraft, balloon and rocket flights since 1989 are presented.

[The use of factor analysis in determining the dietary patterns in the population].

The possibilities of using one of the methods of multivariate statistics, factor analysis, in the study of the frequency of consumption of food categories for the population are considered. Comparison of the results with the results of other statistical methods (cluster and variance analysis) showed the adequacy of factor analysis in the study purposes.

[Whether to apply the standard treatment for breast cancer in older patients: arguments for and against].

Data results of treatment of elderly breast cancer patients in different medical centers are provided, cohort up to 1922 patients. Better survival indicators are recorded within this category when using standard treatment plans (the same as for main category of patients). However it has been noticed that in most cases the patients' age (70-80 years) was considered a barrier to prescription the adequate treatment; 54-98% of patients do not receive standard treatment.

[Work intensity and arterial hypertension].

The authors presented dependence of arterial hypertension on work intensity, exemplified by two occupational groups--teachers and electricians, and demonstrated modifying influence of occupation on prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

[Working adaptation in brain workers: sociohygienic aspects].

The parameters of subjective well-being in teachers and their significance in a possible reduction in work capacity and precocious retirement were studied. The teachers with low need satisfaction levels were found to have increased subjective stress or fatigability on doing their work and decreased rest recovery of work capacity. Lower need satisfaction levels with negative reasons for refusal to continue work activities appear to be one of the factors of professional aging and its related reduction in their active work period.

[Fatiguability and performance of comprehensive school teachers in accordance with length of service].

Polling covered 184 comprehensive school teachers and touched occupationally mediated fatiguability and performance recovery facilities. In connection to teachers' length of service, the parameters studied appeared to differ--that is caused by natural age-related differences and occupational self-selection process.

[The Hirsch index is a new criterion for evaluation of scientific activity].

A new criterion for evaluation of scientific activity by J. Hirsch has been considered.

[Inflammatory breast carcinoma and prognosticators of efficacy of primary chemotherapy].

The efficacy of primary chemotherapy for inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) was studied vis-a-vis certain symptoms characterizing patient's status and biological features of tumor. It was shown that such factors as estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor status and malignancy grade of tumor can be used to predict the efficacy. Negative ER/PR status plus high malignancy grade involved higher frequency of complete pathomorphological responses. Worst prognosis was in patients under 35 years of age, with ductal BC and negative ER/PR status of tumor.

Polyclonal antibodies against a structure mimicking the covalent linkage unit between picornavirus RNA and VPg: an immunochemical study.

We propose that therapy of patients with anticancer drugs that poison DNA topoisomerases induces formation of covalent complexes of cellular RNAs and DNA topoisomerases. The appearance of these complexes can be detected with antibodies against a synthetic hapten mimicking the covalent linkage unit Tyr-pU(p) of picornavirus RNA and VPg. We synthesized hapten [N(Ac),CO(NH2)]Tyr-(5 P --> O)Up-O-(CH2)6NH2, conjugated it with BSA, and immunized rabbits with the antigen obtained. The raised polyclonal antibodies were purified by successive affinity chromatography on BSA-Sepharose and hapten-Sepharose columns. Target antibodies recognized hapten and encephalomyocarditis virus RNA-VPg complex specifically as found using the dot-immunogold method. We believe that these antibodies might be useful to study mechanism of picorna and similar virus RNA synthesis. The discovery and qualitative determination of the cellular RNA-DNA topoisomerases covalent complexes with these antibodies might be useful to monitor therapy efficacy by drugs "freezing" dead-end complexes of DNA topoisomerases and nucleic acids and to understand the mechanism of DNA topoisomerase poisoning in situ.

Desialylation decreases the resistance of apo B-containing lipoproteins to aggregation and increases their atherogenic potential.

Subfractions of apo B-containing lipoproteins (VLDL and intermediate-density lipoproteins) with reduced content of sialic acid were found in human blood. These lipoproteins are characterized by high capacity to spontaneous association (aggregation) and stimulated accumulation of cholesterol in smooth muscle cells of human aortic intima. In vitro treatment of apo B-containing lipoproteins with alpha-2,6-sialidase and alpha-2,3-sialidase stimulated aggregation and increased the ability of these particles to potentiate cholesterol accumulation in smooth muscle cells of the intact human aortic intima. Probably, desialylation of various apo B-containing lipoproteins can occur in the blood; this process decreases their resistance to aggregation, and increases the ability of these particles to stimulate accumulation of cholesterol in human aortic intima cells, i.e. increases their atherogenic potential.

[Investigation of the drug "Mamoclam" for the treatment of patients with fibroadenomatosis of the breast].

The clinical trial of a new drug "mamoclam" was carried out in patients with benign breast disease. The drug contains omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, iodine and chlorophyll derivatives and is produced from the brown sea alga laminaria. The study involved 33 patients (mean age 42.5 +/- 1.1 yrs). Two tablets were administered thrice a day for three months. Examination included clinical evaluation of symptoms of mastopathy and dysalgomenorrhea, breast sonography and mammography. Therapeutic response presented as reduced mastalgia, premenopausal syndrome, dysmenorrhea and algomenorrhea, breast cyst regression as well as attenuated pain associated with benign breast disease and palpation. Positive response was reported in 94%. The drug should be recommended for benign breast disease treatment.

[Study of an antioxidant dietary supplement "Karinat" in patients with benign breast disease]. / Izuchenie antioksidantnoi biologicheski aktivnoi dobavki k pishche "Karinat" u bol'nykh s fibroadenomatozom molochnykh zhelez.

A randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial of efficiency of a dietary supplement "Karinat" in patients with benign breast disease was carried out. Karinat contains beta-carotene 2.5 mg, alpha-tocopherol 5 mg, ascorbic acid 30 mg and garlic powder 150 mg per one tablet. Out of 66 patients, 33 patients were given karinat, 33 were given placebo. The patients reccived a tablet of karinal or placebo twice a day during 6 months. Examinations of the patients included clinical estimation of symptoms of mastopathy and dysalgomenorrhea, breast sonography and mammography. It was found that karinat reduced the severity of mastalgia, premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhea and algomenorrhea and caused regression of palpable symptoms of the breast fibromatosis. On the whole karinat had positive action in 75.8% that was significantly greater by 45.5% as compared with placebo. Karinat may be useful for the treatment of patients with benign breast disease.