Hepatic Insulin-Positive Cells and Major Transcription Factors (PDX1, MAFA,NGN3) in Rat Models of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology - Due to a high occurrence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications, insulin-positive cells detected in different organs are of great...     

The role of monocytes in the effects of β-endorphin and selective agonists of μ-and δ-opiate receptors on the proliferative activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes

The effects of β-endorphin under the conditions of naloxone hydrochloride blockade of opiate receptors, as well as the effects of the selective agonists of μ-and δ-receptors DAGO and DADLE and the effects of melanocyte-potentiating factor (MPF), on the in vitro proliferative response of lymphocytes were studied. The dose-effect dependence indicated stimulating effects of β-endorphin, DAGO, and DADLE on the proliferative response in the presence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The tetrapeptide MPF, which is the C-terminal sequence of β-endorphin, had almost no effect on the proliferative activity of lymphocytes. β-Endorphin, naloxone, and the μ-and δ-receptor selective agonists enhanced the proliferative response of lymphocytes in an unfractionated cell culture, whereas β-endorphin, naloxone, and DAGO suppressed the proliferative activity of lymphocytes in the mononuclear fraction purified of monocytes. In both cases, the naloxone blockade of opiate receptors enhanced rather than eliminated the β-endorphin effect.     

Effect of Alpha-Fetoprotein on Differentiation of Myeloid Supressor Cells

Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics - The effect of recombinant alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) on human myeloid suppressor cell (MDSC) differentiation was studied in vitro in the presence of cytokines...     

Steroid hormones: their physiological role and diagnostic value during pregnancy

Steroid hormones play a key role in the beginning, development and termination of gestation. This reveiw is devoted for physiological effects of estrogens, progesterone, cortisole, ACTH, CRH in various pregnancy events: implantation, fetus development, maternal adaptation and birth initiation. Priority is fixed for estrogens--steroids that vastly increase maternal circulating blood value, induce progesterone action on uterus, regulate fetal "hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical" axis, control free cortisole level in feminine blood. Diagnostic criterions of steroid hormone determination durijng pregnancy are presented. To day unconjugated estriol is the only steroid hormone that implicated in total pregnancy screening programs. Its concentration reduction has been noted in pregnancies with Dawn syndrome, some child enzyme defetcs, intrauterine growth retardation and fetal death incidents.     

The blood system and the organism adaptation to extreme factor

The formation of blood system adoptive reaction in many cases is defined by the type of action and the condition of hemopoietic inductive microenvironment: hemodynamics of hemopoietic tissue, functional conditions of bone marrow macrophages, mast cells and glycosaminoglycans content. The shift in hemodlobin fraction occurs in extreme conditions requiring an increased gas transport by the blood. In case of tissue lesion, lymphocytes stimulate their regeneration. Morphogenetic function of lymphoid cells may be alerted by immunomodulators. Blood cells participate in angiogenesis, and this property may be used for vessel grafts production.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Magadania skopetsi</Emphasis>, a new genus and species of Zoarcidae (Teleostei: Perciformes) from the Sea of Okhotsk

A new genus and species of zoarcid fish, Magadania skopetsi, is described on the basis of 17 specimens (83.4–115.9mm SL) from the intertidal zone of the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, near Magadan, Russia. This species differs from other known zoarcid genera and species by having the following combination of characters: suborbital bones 5, the suborbital canal with 6–8 small pores; first epibranchial fan-shaped; palatopterygoid series reduced; supraoccipital broadly contacting exoccipital; posttemporal ventral ramus weak; upper lip continuous at symphysis; palatine teeth, pelvic fins and scales present; lateral line configuration mediolateral, incomplete, absent on posterior half of body; vertebrae 18–22+78–83=97–104. The closest genus cannot be determined cladistically except that the species is a member of the subfamily Gymnelinae. During the spawning season, M. skopetsi lives under stones near the outer marginal area of the intertidal zone.     

Relationships of eelpouts of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zoarces</Emphasis> (Zoarcidae,Pisces) inferred from molecular genetic and morphological data

Abstract-Molecular genetic and morphological analysis of eelpouts of the genus Zoarces was carried out. Based on the mitochondrial DNA sequence variation, haplotypes of notched-fin eelpout, Z. elogatus, more closely related Fedorov eelpout, Z. fedorovi, and common eelpout, Z. viviparus, as well as of Andriyashev eelpout, Z. andriashevi, were grouped in one macrocluster. Haplotypes of American eelpout, Z. americanus, and blotched eelpout, Z. gillii, clustered separately from other species. The genetic differences between Z. gillii and the other eelpout species were very high for within-genus comparisons, constituting 7.62%. Species divergence in terms of morphological characters was generally consistent with molecular genetic data and confirmed distinct isolation of American eelpout, and especially of blotched eelpout.     

Restriction fragment variation of the mitochondrial gene of cytochrome b in some taxa of the Eelpout Family (Pisces, Perciformes, Zoarcidae) from the northern Sea of Okhotsk

The first analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the mitochondrial gene of cytochrome b of fish from the Eelpout Family (Zoarcidae) from the northern Sea of Okhotsk has been performed. The mean genetic distances between the subfamilies Zoarcinae and Lycodinae, subfamilies Lycodinae and Gymnelinae, and subfamilies Zoarcinae and Gymnelinae are 11.14, 13.87, and 14.00%, respectively. Species of the genus Lycodes (Lycodinae) are characterized by a mtDNA small divergence (on average, 2.04%) and are divided into two groups on the basis of lateral line morphology. Magadania skopetsi, an endemic of Tauiskaya Bay of the Sea of Okhotsk, is genetically close to Hadropareia middendorffii from the same subfamily (Gymnelinae). The mtDNA sequences of species from the genus Lycogrammoides (Lycodinae) differ by 3.83%. The genetic differences between the eelpout Zoarces elongatus Zoarces sp. (d = 4.54%) suggest that the latter is a separate species.     

Differences Between two Subspecies of Dolly Varden, Salvelinus malma, Revealed by RFLP—PCR Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA

Genetic differences between two subspecies of Dolly Varden, northern Salvelinus malma malma and southern Salvelinus malma krascheninnikovi, from rivers of eastern Russia were studied. Mitochondrial DNA was analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) performed on products amplified with polymerase chain reaction. Three adjacent segments (approximately 7670 bp), comprising 47% of the mitochondrial genome were used: two encoding the five complete NADH dehydrogenase subunits and the other the cytochrome b gene and the control region (D-loop). Total composite haplotypes 46 were found among 136 fishes using RFLP analysis with 14 restriction enzymes. The amount of nucleotide divergence between haplotypes of two subspecies of Dolly Varden was estimated to be approximately 4%. The differences in the level of nucleotide diversity, mismatch distribution between haplotypes, and population-genetic structure of two subspecies of Dolly Varden suggest that these two forms have existed separately for a long time.     

Relationships and divergence of some taxa of the subfamily Lycodinae (Zoarcidae,Pisces) based on molecular-genetic and morphological data

An integrated molecular-genetic and morphological study of 14 species of 6 genera of Zoarcidae of the subfamily Lycodinae was performed. A high coincidence of study results obtained using both methods was found. The generic independence of the genus Petroschmidtia that includes species P. albonotata and P. toyamensis was justified. It was shown that species L. schmidti and L. nigrocaudatus belong to the genus Lycogrammoides; and the generic status of the genus Bothrocarichthys with species B. microcephalus and of the genus Allolepis with species A. hollandi was restored. The studied taxa fall into three large monophyletic groups that include species of the genus Petroschmidtia, species of the genus Lycodes, and species of the genera Bothrocara, Allolepis, Bothrocarichthys, and Lycogrammoides. Taxa of the last group are characterized by a large complex of morphological differences from the first two groups, including the absence of ventral fins. A key to species and genera of Lycogrammoides and Bothrocarichthys was compiled. The problem of determination of the time of divergence of the studied zoarcid-like fish using the concept of “molecular clock” and its calibration according to paleontological and paleogeographic data is discussed.