[Speech and behavioral contaminations as non-epileptic automatic behavior in Parkinson's disease]. / Rechevye i povedencheskie kontaminatsii kak neepilepticheskie avtomatizmy pri bolezni Parkinsona.

Parkinson's disease is characterized by a variety of motor and non-motor symptoms. More than two hundred years have passed since its description, but we still discover its new manifestations. Abnormal behaviors include impulse control disorders, dopamine dysregulation syndrome, psychotic disorders and others. However, two new phenomena have been recently described in patients with PD. It can manifest in the form of doing inappropriate actions which patient doesn't recognize, or pronouncing/writing unsuitable words and phrases. Patients can't remember such episodes, but find «signs¼ of their unconscious activity or hear about it from attestors. This article represents a review of literature on unrelated communication interlude and automatic behavior in Parkinson's disease and discusses its possible reasons.

[Social cognition impairments in Parkinson's disease]. / Narushenie sotsial'nykh kognitivnykh funktsii pri bolezni Parkinsona.

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease of the elderly caused by the neurodegenerative process in different parts of the brain, which resulted in motor and non-motor symptoms. Investigation of non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease is increasingly rising for the last years. Social cognition is a special type of cognitive process, which provides people interaction in the society and their impairment also can be observed in Parkinson's disease. Social cognitive functions include many aspects: the theory of the mind, morality, personality changes and behavioral disorders. Each of these aspects is based on different neurophysiological, neurochemical and neuroanatomical substrates. This article is an effort to get closer to understanding of the changes, which occur in the brain of a patient with Parkinson's disease.

[Subjective and objective subtypes of excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's disease]. / Sub''ektivnye i ob''ektivnye varianty dnevnoi sonlivosti pri bolezni Parkinsona.

BACKGROUND: Excessive daytime sleepiness (DS) is a common symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), which can occur at any stage of the disease and decrease the quality of life of patients. The relationship between excessive daytime sleepiness and Parkinson's disease is determined by neurodegenerative process in the brain structures. However, there are many other factors, which can contribute to this phenomenon. AIM: To assess the prevalence and causes of DS as well as its impact on the quality of life of patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy patients (mean age 65.0±8.4 years) with PD, stage I-III, including 48 patients with DS and 22 without DS, were examined. All patients underwent clinical/neurological and neuropsychological examinations using a set of scales and polysomnography, if necessary. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Sleep disorders are the most frequent non-motor symptoms of PD. The prevalence of subjective DS is determined for the first time. The disassociation between subjective and objective DS is observed in 32,5% of patients. Clinical combinations of DS with other sleep disorders are described. Taking dopaminergic medication contributes significantly to the development of DS and affective disorders (anxiety, depression) play a role in subjective DS.

[Social cognitive function in neurodegenerative diseases]. / Sotsial'nye kognitivnye funktsii pri neirodegenerativnykh zabolevaniiakh.

The ability to perceive, analyze people's mental states, intentions, thoughts and feelings is an important cognitive function for normal social behavior and interaction. Over the past decade, more attention has been paid to studying how behavioral disorders in patients with neurodegenerative diseases may be explained by theory of mind deficit and whether it can be useful for differential diagnosis. The authors consider the issues of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology of a special kind of cognitive functions provided normal social interaction and interpersonal relationship, problems of its determining in neurodegenerative diseases.

[Determination of homocysteine by tandem mass spectrometry with chemical ionization].

Homocysteine (Hcy) is an intermediate of methionine metabolism. High plasma Hcy concentrations are an independent risk factor for stroke, peripheral vascular disease, deep venous thrombosis, coronary disease, and cognitive deficiency. Apparently, it is a great importance to measure Hcy levels in human blood. A new method for the quantification of Hcy by means of reversed-phase LC/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry has been developed. The MRM ion transition, m/z 136.0 ® 90.0 was used for Hcy quantification. The limit of detection was 0.4 mM, quantification was performed from 1 mM to 40 mM with coefficient of determination of R2=0,997. The method was applied successfully to Hcy determination in human blood.

[The effect of phenols on the parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence and reaction of P700 in the green algae Scenedesmus quadricauda].

The effect of phenols, present in drains of the tsellyulozo-paper industry, on photosynthesis of the microalgae Scenedesmus quadricauda has been studied. The analysis of induction curves of the slowed-down fluorescence and light curves of non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence of microalgae Scenedesmus quadricauda is carried out. It was observed that energization of photosynthetic membranes was inhibited at low concentration of phenol and pyrocatechin (0.1 mM). At higher concentrations phenol and pyrocatechin inhibited electron transport in FSII and increased a share of QB not restoring centers. As a result of it the rate of P700 pigment regeneration slowed down. The results obtained indicate that parameters of induction curves of the fast and slowed-down fluorescence can be used for detecting phenol and pyrocatechin in the environment at early stages of toxic effects.

[Neurophysiological characteristics of treatment efficacy in late onset depression].

To reveal neurophysiological correlates of treatment efficacy of late onset depression, EEG spectral power, peak latencies of the "late" components of auditory cognitive evoked potentials, and sensorimotor reaction time have been analyzed in two groups of elderly patients, aged 53-72 years, with prolonged psychogenic depressive reaction (F43.21 by ICD-10) and with endogenous depression (F33.1 and F31.3 by ICD-10) during the treatment with antidepressants. Baseline depression severity has been associated with the EEG signs of the decreased functional state of anterior areas of the left hemisphere, and of the increased activation of the right hemisphere (especially, of its temporal regions). The pronounced improvement of clinical condition of patients after psychopharmacotherapy with antidepressants led to the decrease of peak latencies of the "late" components (Р2, N2 и Р3) of auditory cognitive evoked potentials, and to the acceleration of sensorimotor reaction time that have been associated with the EEG signs of the improvement of the functional state of posterior brain areas, and of the facilitation of inhibitory processes in the right hemisphere (especially, in its frontal, central and temporal regions), and of the more pronounced activation of frontal areas of the left hemisphere. The results are in line with the views on systemic character of brain functioning impairment in depression, as well as on the preferential role of the left hemisphere in the control of positive emotions, and of the right hemisphere role in the control of negative emotions as well as in the pathogenesis of depression.

[Performance index as an indicator of the physiological state of trees in urban forest ecosystems].

Based on the measurements of fluorescence of bark chloroplasts by means of PAM and PEA fluorometers, the information capacity of the methods for assessing the physiological state of Tilia cordata L. from the maximum quantum efficiency of PS II photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and the performance index (PI) has been compared. The measurements were performed on annual shoots of linden trees growing in different environment. It was shown that the chlorophyll content in the bark of shoots growing near the busy urban street was twice less compared with trees growing out of the city. On the trees from the unsafe environment, a small decrease in the relative fluorescence variable (Fv/Fm) was registered, and there was a significant statistical deviation of this value compared to control trees. It was found that the PI and its constituent parameters calculated on the basis of light fluorescence induction curve (PEA-method) are more informative and allow one to recognize changes in the primary energy transformation processes in PS II when they are comparatively small. The results of our work show that PI can be used as a sensitive and a rapid test to evaluate the physiological state of trees and other plant objects even under minor environmental changes.

[The shift in plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity in coleoptile cells within maize seedling development].

The activity of plasma membrane H+-ATPase was cytochemically investigated in parenchyma cells of maize coleoptile. The intensity of ATP hydrolysis was determined by deposition of electron density sediment formed by lead and inorganic phosphate. The shift in the enzyme distribution and its hydrolytic activity in the plasma membrane of maize coleoptile cells were revealed within seedling development. The intensity of precipitation was quantified by Image Pro Plus. The maximum precipitation was determined in plasma membrane of coleoptile cells of 4-days-old seedlings. The data obtained coincide with the results of previous biochemical investigation of H+-ATPase hydrolytic activity, provided with purified plasma membrane vesicles. Nevertheless the increase in quantity and(or) activity of the enzyme was observed at the 4th day of seedling development which was characterized by slowing down of growth intensity. The results show the possibility of changes in quantity and distribution of the enzyme in plasma membrane during the differentiation process of cell elongation.

[Genetic analysis of toxic ion tolerance in barley].

The genetic control of high tolerance of toxic aluminum ions in barley Hordeum vulgare L. has been studied. Cultivar Faust I (c-24612) and accession 9736 from Karelia have been compared with aluminum-sensitive cv. Colsess IV (accession c-24626). Analysis of F1, F2BC1, F3, and F4 progenies has shown that the development of roots of cv. Faust I in water medium with aluminum ions is determined by one (AlpF1) or two (AlpF1, AlpF2) genes. The development of roots of accession 9736 is determined by two genes, AlpK1 and AlpK2. The genes have not been not tested for nonidentity. The high tolerance of Faust I shoots are determined by one major tolerance factor and one dominant inhibitor gene, which hampers the manifestation of the dominant tolerance gene. The penetrance of the inhibitor gene may be incomplete. The aluminum sensitivity of roots and 7-day shoots of cv. Faust I is determined by different genetic factors. The response of barley plants to aluminum ions may be determined by small-effect genes.

[Fluorescence parameters of chlorophyll in leaves of caules plants in different environmental conditions].

The functional state of medicinal plants of Convallaria majalis L., Vaccinium vitis-idaeae L., Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. in connection with heavy metal accumulation in their leaves under man impact was studied by the pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) fluorometric method. The relative yield of variable fluorescence (F(v)/F(m)), induction of fluorescence of chlorophyll, and fluorescence quenching processes in leaves at different distances from the local Kirov-Sovetsk, Kirov-Omutninsk road in Kirov region were analyzed. Changes in biophysical characteristics with the increasing content of heavy metals in leaves were demonstrated. The most informative characteristic is F(v)/F(m). Its value correlates with the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus and reflects the potential effeciency of photosynthesis. The better are the environmental conditions of plant growth, the higher is the F(v)/F(m) ratio and the lower is its average statistical deviation. Fluorescence induction curves do not always vary in shape under our ecological conditions, indicating relatively favorable conditions at places of plant growth investigated. The rate of the environmental pollution in the investigated region is not critical, since the content of heavy metal in leaves does not change considerably with the distance from the road.

[Variants of heart remodeling in essential hypertension: prevalence and determinants].

AIM: To study myocardial remodeling (MR) in hypertensive patients with normal and excessive body mass, to analyse MR features depending on clinical and hemodynamic parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Structural-functional conditions of the myocardium were studied with echocardiography, and determination of left ventricular remodeling (LVR) type was made in 734 untreated hypertensive patients aged 19-76 years. RESULTS: Patients with essential hypertension (EH) stage I had mostly excentric left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The number of patients with concentric LVH increases with age, disease severity. This type of LVH occurs more frequently in males than in females. In females, LVH severity depends, primarily, on the degree of obesity. If EH combines with obesity, structural alterations of the myocardium are more prominent than in isolated pathology. In android obesity, LVH is more frequent. CONCLUSION: In EH, structural alterations of the heart and a LVR variant are determined, besides arterial pressure, by such factors as age and gender, duration of EH, obesity, its degree and kind.

[Current views on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis from the position of infectious pathology]. / Sovremennye vzgliady na problemu patogeneza ateroskleroza s pozitsii infektsionnoi patologii.

The role of immune inflammation at atherogenesis is studied in the paper. Two etiological factors of atherosclerosis pathogeny are under examination: the role of modified low density lipoproteins (mLDL) and essential parasites (Chlamydia pneumoniae and Cytomegaloviruses). Generality of immune response during persistent infection into a blood vessel wall and deposit or formation of mLDL are discussed. The point of view is substantiated that the development of atherosclerotic damages of blood vessels is speeded up by a combination of the two mentioned etiological factors.

The X-ray absorption spectroscopy Debye-Waller factors of an iron compound and of met-myoglobin as a function of temperature.

Protein dynamics can be characterized by the mean square displacements of the individual atoms of a molecule. This concept is extended to X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) of proteins where the physical information in the Debye-Waller factor is in general neglected. In a first step, a procedure for the investigation of the temperature dependence of XAS spectra has been developed for a small iron compound. Subsequently, experiments have been performed on met-myoglobin. It is shown that the mean square displacements of XAS are smaller than those obtained by Mössbauer spectroscopy and far smaller than crystallographic mean square displacements. This behavior is explained by the different sensitivity of the methods. XAS measures a relative mean square displacement between the absorbing and backscattering atoms only. A comparison with mean square displacements calculated from normal modes shows that static displacements contribute significantly. It becomes obvious that the atoms of the active center show a high correlation of their motions.

[Spectral analysis of the heart rate variability in various types of the left heart ventricle remodelling in patients with hypertension]. / Spektral'nyi analiz variabel'nosti serdechnogo ritma pri razlichnykh variantakh remodelirovaniia levogo zheludochka u bol'nykh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu.

Autonomic cardiac regulation in different types (normal, concentric, and eccentric geometries) of the left ventricle (LV) was evaluated in 86 hypertensive patients. LV structure and function were evaluated by echocardiography). To calculate heart rate variability (HRV), 512 RR intervals were measured in supine rest and passive tilt. Power spectral analysis with fast Furrier transform was used to derive low- and high-frequency power spectra and the sympathovagal index (SVI). In the normal LV geometry group, there was a good response to the tilt test, by causing a 3-fold increase in SVI while in the two LV hypertrophy groups, the index was virtually unchanged or even decreased. The normal LV geometry group patients showed a positive correlation between low-frequency power and the relative LV wall thickness (RLVWT) while the two LV hypertrophy groups did increases in RLVWT and LV myocardial mass, which were associated with a reduction in HRV. In conclusion, HRV is significantly reduced in essential hypertension and is also closely connected with cardiac structure and function. Patients with normal LV geometry showed a preserved response to the tilt test. LVH produces significant autonomic regulatory disturbances possibly due to the lower sensitivity of cardiac adrenoceptors independently of the pattern of LV hypertrophy.

Comparison and characterization of the [Fe4S4]2+/3+ centre in the wild-type and C77S mutated HiPIPs from Chromatium vinosum monitored by Mössbauer, 57Fe ENDOR and EPR spectroscopies.

Mössbauer, 57Fe ENDOR, CW and pulsed EPR experiments were performed on the reduced and the oxidized high-potential iron proteins (HiPIPs) of the wild type (WT) and the C77S mutant from Chromatium vinosum. The EPR spectra of the oxidized WT and mutant show three species respectively having nearly the same g-values but strongly changed spectral contributions. Relaxation times were estimated for oxidized WT and mutant at T = 5 K with pulsed EPR. A-tensor components of both iron pairs were obtained by 57Fe ENDOR, proving a similar magnetic structure for the WT and the mutant. Electronic relaxation has to be taken into account at T = 5 K in native and mutated oxidized HiPIPs to achieve agreement between Mössbauer and 57Fe ENDOR spectroscopies. The Mössbauer spectroscopy shows that the oxidized cluster contains a pure ferric and a mixed-valence iron pair coupled antiparallel. While all cluster irons from reduced C. vinosum WT are indistinguishable in the Mössbauer spectrum, the reduced C77S mutant shows a non-equivalence between the serine-bound and the three cysteine-ligated iron ions. The Mössbauer parameters confirm a loss of the covalent character of the iron bond when S is replaced by O and indicate a shift of the cluster's electron cloud towards the serine. Mössbauer spectra of the oxidized mutant can be simulated with two models: model I introduces a single electronic isomer with the serine always ligated to a ferric iron. Model II assumes two equally populated electronic isomers with the serine ligated to a ferric iron and a mixed-valence iron, respectively. The latter model is in better agreement with EPR and NMR.

Mössbauer study of iron centers in D1/D2/Cyt b559 complexes isolated from photosystem II of spinach.

Mössbauer spectroscopy was applied to study the properties of cytochrome b559 (Cyt b559) in isolated D1/D2/Cyt b559 preparations (from spinach) that are completely deprived of non-heme iron. In these samples, all Cyt b559 exists as low-potential form(s) with the iron center attaining the low-spin ferric state in the absence of a strong reductant. The Mössbauer spectra were analyzed using isomer shift and quadrupole splitting parameters below 100 K, gathered from an extrapolation of the temperature dependence of experimental data of photosystem II membrane fragments from spinach. The calculations, based on the Griffith model, lead to the conclusion that the crystal field around the heme iron of Cyt b559 is characterized by a strong rhombic distortion. The g-values obtained are in agreement with recently published EPR results. The use of an extended theoretical approach permits the description of the relaxation changes of the Mössbauer spectra in the temperature region from 5 K to 60 K. It shows that the environment of the heme iron in D1/D2/Cyt b559 is not homogeneous but most likely reflects the existence of two different forms. We assume that factors other than changes of the first coordination sphere are responsible for the drastic negative shift in the redox potential of Cyt b559 that takes place during the isolation procedure of D1/D2/Cyt b559 complexes. Possible implications of these findings are discussed.

[Atherogenesis as a reflection of immune inflammation in the vascular wall]. / Aterogenez kak otrazhenie razvitiia immunnogo vospaleniia v sosudistoi stenke.

Despite numerous basic and applied studies into the pathogenesis and treatment of atherosclerosis, there is no theory which could explain the development of the whole complex of changes united under the term "atherosclerosis". Examining the causes of atherosclerosis disclosed a pathogenetic association of the immunoregulatory signal CD40-CD40L with the occurrence of arterial atherosclerotic lesions. Studies of the immune mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (autoimmune complexes containing oxidative modification of LDL, T and B lymphocytes, inflammation mediators, hemoadhesive molecules, and immunoregulatory molecules showed the leading role of autoimmune mechanisms in atherosclerosis. The conceptual result of the studies is that the authors have elucidated the leading role of immune inflammation in the appearance and development of arterial atherosclerotic lesions. The development of a new concept of assessing the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in the context of immune inflammation in the vascular wall opens new vistas for the treatment of this disease.

[Use of tianeptine (coaxil) in the treatment of late-life depression]. / Ispol'zovanie tianeptina (koaksila) pri lechenii pozdnikh depressii.

Efficacy and safety of tianeptine (coaxil) for treatment of depressions in old age were studied in 15 depressed patients at the age of 54-78 years meeting ICD-10 criteria for depressive episode. Open method with a set of rating scales was employed. After the 28-day treatment relief of depressive symptoms was registered by all the scales since the therapy day 7. The degree of improvement on HAMD-scale was 50%, amount of responders--60%. The improvement of cognitive functions by the end of therapy was noted. Clinical predictors of Coaxil efficacy were determined by means of correlation and factor analyses. Relationship between the therapy efficacy and severity of some symptoms in the structure of depression were analyzed. The greatest efficacy of Coaxil was found in depression with prevalence of asthenic and somatovegetative symptoms, in patients with mild anxiety opposite the decrease of the effect in those with severe agitated depressions. The analysis of both frequency and severity of the side-effects has shown good tolerance to Coaxil. The adverse effects manifested with mild gastrointestinal disturbances and drowsiness during daytime.

Simultaneous interpretation of Mössbauer, EPR and 57Fe ENDOR spectra of the [Fe4S4] cluster in the high-potential iron protein I from Ectothiorhodospira halophila.

Mössbauer spectra of the oxidized [Fe4S4]3+ and the reduced [Fe4S4]2+ clusters in the high-potential iron protein I from Ectothiorhodospira halophila were measured in a temperature range from 5 K to 240 K. EPR measurements and 57Fe electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) experiments were carried out with the oxidized protein. In the oxidized state the cluster has a net spin S = 1/2 and is paramagnetic. As common in [Fe4S4]3+ clusters, the Mössbauer spectrum was simulated with two species contributing equally to the absorption area: two Fe3+ atoms couple to the "ferric-ferric" pair, and one Fe2+ and one Fe3+ atom give the "ferric-ferrous pair". For the simulation of the Mössbauer spectrum, g-values were taken from EPR measurements. A-tensor components were determined by 57Fe ENDOR experiments that turned out to be a necessary source of estimating parameters independently. In order to obtain a detailed agreement of Mössbauer and ENDOR data, electronic relaxation has to be taken into account. Relaxing the symmetry condition in a way that the electric field gradient tensor does not coincide with g- and A-tensors yielded an even better agreement of experimental and theoretical Mössbauer spectra. Spin-spin and spinlattice relaxation times were estimated by pulsed EPR; the former turned out to be the dominating mechanism at T = 5 K. Relaxation times measured by pulsed EPR and obtained from the Mössbauer fit were compared and yield nearly identical values. The reduced cluster has one additional electron and has a diamagnetic (S = 0) ground state. All the four irons are indistinguishable in the Mössbauer spectrum, indicating a mixed-valence state of Fe2.5+ for each.