Low-molecular-weight ligands in plants: role in metal homeostasis and hyperaccumulation.

Mineral nutrition is one of the key factors determining plant productivity. In plants, metal homeostasis is achieved through the functioning of a complex system governing metal uptake, translocation, distribution, and sequestration, leading to the maintenance of a regulated delivery of micronutrients to metal-requiring processes as well as detoxification of excess or non-essential metals. Low-molecular-weight ligands, such as nicotianamine, histidine, phytochelatins, phytosiderophores, and organic acids, play an important role in metal transport and detoxification in plants. Nicotianamine and histidine are also involved in metal hyperaccumulation, which determines the ability of some plant species to accumulate a large amount of metals in their shoots. In this review we extensively summarize and discuss the current knowledge of the main pathways for the biosynthesis of these ligands, their involvement in metal uptake, radial and long-distance transport, as well as metal influx, isolation and sequestration in plant tissues and cell compartments. It is analyzed how diverse endogenous ligand levels in plants can determine their different tolerance to metal toxic effects. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the physiological role of these compounds in metal homeostasis, which is an essential task of modern ionomics and plant physiology. It is of key importance in studying the influence of metal deficiency or excess on various physiological processes, which is a prerequisite to the improvement of micronutrient uptake efficiency and crop productivity and to the development of a variety of applications in phytoremediation, phytomining, biofortification, and nutritional crop safety.

[Quality of life in women after anterior pelvic exenteration].

60 women, who underwent anterior pelvic exenteration with different types of urine derivation since 2004 till 2014 years in urology department, RMAPO, S.P. Botkin city hospital, were included in retrospective investigation. Middle age of patients was 53,2+/-3 (32-68). 38 women with bladder cancer and 22 women with urinary injuries after radiation therapy underwent anterior pelvic exenteration. Aim of this work is to perform quality of life comparison of patients after anterior pelvic exenteration with different types of urine derivation. Patients were divided in 3 groups: 1-st group 39 (65%) women, who underwent Brickers operation, 2-nd group 19 (31,66% ) women, who had Studers operation and 3-rd group - 2 (3,34%), patients who underwent continent urine derivation with formation of catheterizing urinary reservoir. Questionnaire (SF-36) was used to evaluate quality of life. Observation period was from 2 to 10 years. Postsurgical lethality was 3%, 5-years survival rate was 60,9+/-15,8% and 5-years recurrence-free survival rate was 55,4+/-12,6%. We established that quality of life in women who underwent orthotopic urine derivation was higher than in patients who underwent incontinent ileoconduit formation. Better quality of life was demonstrated by women, who had catheterizing urinary reservoir, but it is difficult to compare this group with the others, because of small number of patients with heterotopic catheterizing reservoir. Regarding the results of our investigation we made next conclusions: In spite of difficult technique, high risk of postoperative complications and lethality, anterior pelvic exenteration provide 5-years survival rate for 70% of patients In locally advanced tumors of pelvic organs anterior pelvic exenteration is salvational operation and keep satisfactory quality of life Orthotopic intestinal urine derivation is better to provide satisfactory quality of life for patients with invasive bladder cancer. For women with urinary injuries after radiation therapy Brikers operation is better type of urine derivation, in special cases heterotopic catheterizing reservoirs can be made.

[MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES ON KIDNEY STONES].

The clinical material obtained surgically in patients with kidney stone disease (KSD) was tested for content of the stone microflora using PCR and standard microbiological methods. It was demonstrated that about 50% of stones in patients with KSD were infected with various infection agents as observed using standard microbiological and molecular genetic methods. The percentage of detection of the Mycoplasma hominis using cultural method is lower than the percentage detected using PCR, which is due to difficult isolation and cultivation, as well as DNA fragments of mycoplasma observed after antibiotic therapy. Studies based on modern microscopy methods showed that microorganisms on the surface of the kidney stone formed multispecies biofilms.

[Morphological results of repeated transurethral resection of the bladder for muscle-non-invasive cancer].

Operating material taken from 101 patients aged 32 to 88 years with verified bladder cancer was investigated. Repeated morphological analysis of biopsy material obtained after repeated transurethral resection (TUR) has revealed 35.6% of residual tumors, and the same stage cancer was diagnosed in 23% of cases, lower stage Ta cancer--in 5% of cases. Underestimating the stage took place in 7.9% of cases. Residual tumors according to histological examination were revealed in 24.7% of patients. In tumor size larger than 3 cm, the frequency of detection of residual tumors and muscular invasion was 44.8 and 12.1%, and in tumor size less than 3 cm--23.2 and 2.3%, respectively. Residual tumor was found in 45.7% of cases with rT1G3 and in 27.2% of cases with rT1G2. The muscle invasion was observed only in low-grade tumors--13.5% of cases. In the presence of muscular tissue, invasion was diagnosed in 1.4% of cases, and in the absence of muscular tissue--in 20.5%. Repeated TUR of bladder for muscles-non-invasive cancer allows achieving optimal local control, obtaining additional histological material for morphological examination to confirm the stage of the disease, there from, choose the appropriate treatment and remove residual tumor.

[Current approaches to treatment of urinary bladder cancer]. / Sovremennye podkhody k lecheniiu raka mochevogo puzyria.

The study included 30 patients with surface cancer of the urinary bladder stage TA-T1 G1-3. As the first step of the treatment, all the patients were operated with removal of the tumor then the patients were randomized to postoperative intravesicular immunotherapy with ronkoleucine in single doses 500,000 IU (15 patients of group 1) or 1,000,000 IU (15 patients of group 2). It was found that group 2 patients had recurrences much less frequently (26.7 vs 66.7%, respectively). With higher degrees of differentiation of the tumor cells recurrences occurred more frequently in both groups. Group 2 patients developed recurrences significantly less frequently in G1 and G2 (22.2%). In G3 all the patients had recurrences. Intravesicular administration of ronkoleukine raised absolute number of CD3 and CD4 subpopulations during the treatment and after it as well as raised concentration of TNF. The levels of the latter in the urine rose after the end of each immunoprophylaxis course. Intravesicular use of ronkoleukine entailed no specific toxic reactions. Thus, intravesicular prophylactic immunotherapy of recurrent surface cancer of the urinary bladder with ronkoleukine in a single dose 1,000,000 IU is effective prevention in patients with high (G1) and moderate (G2) grade of tumor cell differentiation. The single dose 500,000 IU is uneffective. A rise in subpopulations CD3, CD4 and TNF cytokine in the urine evidences for systemic activation of the immunity.