Influence of the Neural Crest Derived Stem Cells to Optic Nerve Regeneration After Its Experimental Injury

Purpose: Orbital trauma is a challenging problem due to such severe sequel as diplopia, decrease of vision or eye motility disorder. However, the conditions of orbital soft tissue content still become underestimated. The aim of this study was to investigate structural changes in the rat optic nerve after experimental injury followed by treatment with stem cells. Materials and Ьethods: An experimental model of injury to the orbital soft tissue content in the rat was developed. Forty Wistar rats maintained under daylight were divided into two equal experimental groups. Unlike the rats of Group I, in rats of Group II, the site of injury to the orbital soft tissue mass received postnatal multipotent stem cells, epidermal neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) derived from the bulge of hair follicles. Results: Comparing the number of glial cells per certain area of the slice (NC) between group І and site without injury (control) after 3 week of observation, it was higher in group I more than 258.8% (p < 0.0001) and on 272.4% in group II (p < 0.0001). After 6 weeks NC in group I was higher than at previous terms: more then 128.9% (р < 0.0001). At the same, NC in group II was higher comparing with previous terms only on 17.1% (р = 0.0212). Between the animals of group I at terms of 12 and 24 weeks NC high and wasn’t significantly differ between this terms of observation (ANOVA p = 0.4379). In contrast, NC in group II stopped rising between 6 and 12 weeks demonstrating statistical equality (p = 0.4563). Conclusions: It can be assumed that the application of mesenchymal stem cells, derivates of the neural crest, after the experimental orbital trauma, stimulates a recovery of the optic nerve. Further studies should be performed to more deeply discover the neural crest derived stem cell populations, ivoleved into recovery of damaged optic nerves.

Transcranial Focal Electrical Stimulation Modifies Biogenic Amines’ Alterations Induced by 6-Hydroxydopamine in Rat Brain

Transcranial focal stimulation (TFS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation strategy with neuroprotective effects. On the other hand, 6-hidroxidopamine (6-OHDA) induces neurodegeneration of the nigrostriatal system producing modifications in the dopaminergic, serotoninergic, and histaminergic systems. The present study was conducted to test whether repetitive application of TFS avoids the biogenic amines’ changes induced by the intrastriatal injection of 6-OHDA. Experiments were designed to determine the tissue content of dopamine, serotonin, and histamine in the brain of animals injected with 6-OHDA and then receiving daily TFS for 21 days. Tissue content of biogenic amines was evaluated in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and striatum, ipsi- and contralateral to the side of 6-OHDA injection. Results obtained were compared to animals with 6-OHDA, TFS alone, and a Sham group. The present study revealed that TFS did not avoid the changes in the tissue content of dopamine in striatum. However, TFS was able to avoid several of the changes induced by 6-OHDA in the tissue content of dopamine, serotonin, and histamine in the different brain areas evaluated. Interestingly, TFS alone did not induce significant changes in the different brain areas evaluated. The present study showed that repetitive TFS avoids the biogenic amines’ changes induced by 6-OHDA. TFS can represent a new therapeutic strategy to avoid the neurotoxicity induced by 6-OHDA.

Effects of Garden Amendments on Soil Available Lead and Plant Uptake in a Contaminated Calcareous Soil

Gardeners use organic and inorganic substances to enhance plant growth, which can inadvertently impact soil solubility and plant uptake of unknown contaminants. Consequently, human exposure can increase through gardening and consumption of produce grown in potentially contaminated soils. A greenhouse experiment was established to examine the effects of biochar, compost, and common inorganic fertilizer on soil lead (Pb) availability for radish (Raphanus sativus, L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa, L.) grown in a calcareous soil containing excessively high lead (Pb), along with Pb accumulation in radish tissue. Results indicate that soil amended with biochar and planted to radish saw an 18% reduction in available Pb and an 11% decrease in plant tissue content when compared to the control. Compost showed an 8% reduction in available Pb, but a 19% increase in tissue content. In contrast, soil with inorganic fertilizer planted to radish increased in both soil Pb availability by 11% and Pb tissue content by 40%. Adding water-soluble inorganic fertilizers to contaminated calcareous soils without added organic matter enhances soil Pb availability and often asymptomatic plant Pb bioaccumulation. In conclusion, gardeners are encouraged to test their soils for contamination and apply biochar in combination with compost, as this combination is recommended to improve soil health and aid in overcoming initial N deficiencies induced by biochar.

Modern approaches to assessing physical development of children and adolescents

Background. At present in Ukraine negative tendencies in terms of the physical development of the younger generation population have been revealed with the overweight issue getting increasingly urgent that is a predictor of obesity development in adulthood, an increase in levels of chronic somatic prevalence and mortality. The purpose of the research is to assess the level of the physical development of schoolchildren and to determine the most informative approach to determining risk groups in terms of nutritional status impairment. Materials and methods. We have conducted a cross-sectional examination of 277 schoolchildren aged 10–14 years (125 boys and 152 girls) based on the corresponding anthropometric parameters, Quetelet weight-to-height index, Vervek-Vorontsov index, the results of caliperometry and bio-impedancemetry with their further assessment according to the international and national standards. The data are statistically processed in the licensed package IBM SPSS Statistics v. 22, using the t-test and generalized linear models. Results. The analysis of sex and age peculiarities of the physical development has demonstrated a probable decrease in body mass index at the age of 11 and its increase at the age of 12 in both sex groups, the risk of obesity development in boys of 10 and 12 years, and harmonious development in girls observed. Based on the Vervek-Vorontsov index, elongation growth processes are noticed in eleven-year-old girls, and growth retardation processes are observed in ten-year-old schoolchildren of both sexes. A highly disharmonious physical development by the national regression scales is found at the age of 12, and harmonious development is revealed in ten-year-old boys and thirteen-year-old girls. The amount of adipose tissue content does not differ significantly across different age groups, and muscle content is considerably higher in boys of 14. Such data, in comparison with the body mass index, allow us to make an assumption that higher Quetelet indices are determined due to the developed muscle system and are not the proof of obesity development in boys. It is also confirmed by the results of caliperometry. According to the results of the anthropocentric research, two generalized integrative linear models have been developed to determine adipose and muscle tissue content. The comparison of the models obtained with the results of bio-impedancemetry has shown a high precision of the models developed, which has been proved by the results of the t-test. Conclusions. The study has proved the high informative value of the methods which have been used to assess the physical development and the relevance of their application as a component of the algorithm of the comprehensive assessment of schoolchildren’s physical development, which is potential for further monitoring and analyzing morphofunctional changes.

Comparative Study of Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Adnexal Masses

Background: Current study aimed to assess the role of ultrasound and MRI in the evaluation of adnexal mass lesions and comparison with clinical outcomes. Subjects & Methods: A total of 30 suspected adnexal mass detected on ultrasonography was performed MRI, and accuracy of both USG and MRI were compared with histopathology. Results: Abdominal pain was predominantly confined to the lower abdomen in13 of 30 cases (43.3%). On USG total number of benign lesions was 19, and the total number of malignancies was 11. However, on MRI, 21 cases were mild, and 9 cases were malignant. six cases were diagnosed as malignant in ultrasound. In these six cases, two cases were serous cystadenocarcinoma, two were mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, one was serious papillary cystadenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube, and one was a malignant tubo-ovarian mass. MRI accurately diagnosed 4 indeterminate cases that correlated with the histopathology report. 9 malignant lesions were diagnosed as malignant by MRI were 3 cases of serous cystadenocarcinoma, 2 cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, 1 case of malignant tubo-ovarian mass, 1 case of endometrioid carcinoma, 1 case of serous papillary cystadenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube and 2 cases of malignant sex cord-stromal neoplasms. Both the cases of serous cystadenomas were correctly diagnosed as benign lesions on both ultrasound and MRI. There were 2 cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, which were accurately diagnosed as malignant on both USG and MRI due to the presence of solid components, mural thickening. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of USG were 36.6%, 94% and 55% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI were 81.80%, 94.7%, and 65.7%, respectively. Conclusion: The best agreement was observed between MR findings and diagnosis in origin, tissue content, and tissue characteristics. Sonography had a weak correlation in context to the definitive diagnosis for the origin and tissue content of a mass.