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Primary cell cultures derived from human myocardial explants were obtained and characterized. The explant cultures contained cardiac stem cells (c-kit(+); ≈ 4%), microvascular cells (endothelial cells and pericytes), fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts. It was demonstrated that culturing of cardiac cells in cardiospheres did not promote enrichment of the cell culture with stem cells. MACS-sorted c-kit(+) cells from the explant culture were characterized by limited proliferative capacity and were capable of cardiomyogenic differentiation. The presence of microvascular cells determined general angiogenic potential of the culture.

The objective of the present study was to estimate the therapeutic efficacy of the combined treatment of infantile cerebral palsy by means of microcurrent reflexotherapy (MCRT) in combination with the neuroprotector cortexin. This treatment including 15 sessions with the use of a MAKS apparatus was given to 69 children at the age from 3 to 7 years. They were randomly allocated to two groups. The patients of group 1 underwent three courses of MCRT and two courses of cortexin therapy in conjunction with massage and remedial gymnastics, those in group 2 were treated with massage and remedial gymnastics alone. Positive dynamics in the patients' clinical conditions was documented in the end of the rehabilitative program. Specifically, 60.5% of the children in group 1 developed the ability to walk unassisted compared with 38.6% in group 2. Positive changes in the brain functional status were documented, based on the results of the electroencephalographic study, in 21 (71%) and 16 (53%) children of groups 1 and 2 respectively.

One hundred and five children, aged from 3 to 7 years, with the diagnosis "spastic diplegia cerebral palsy" were treated. Patients were stratified into three groups: group I (n=36) received three courses of microcurrent therapy (MENS) in addition to standard treatment; group II (n=38) received three courses of MENS in the combination with two treatment courses with the nootropic drug cortexin; children of group III (n=31) received standard therapy using massage and gymnastics. MENS was carried out in courses, including 15 sessions each, using the apparatus "MEKS". Cortexin was introduced intramuscular in dosage 10 mg, the treatment course consisted of 10 injections. To the end of the rehabilitation program, positive changes were found: 50% patients of group I, 66% patients of group II and 16% patients of group III could perform complex instructions and acquired skills in modeling and recognition of geometric forms. Positive changes in the brain's electrical activity were found in 75% of children in group I, in 82% of children in group II and in 64% of children in group III.

The influence of reamberin on hematological indices in the acute period of alloxan-induced diabetes has been studied. It is established that anemia develops within 72 hours after alloxan injection at a diabetogenic dose in rats, which is related to bone marrow erythropoiesis suppression and is accompanied by inflammatory leukocytosis. Single administration of reamberin in a dose equivalent to the human therapeutic dose produces correction of the leukocyte content in the blood, normalizes the bone marrow erythropoiesis, and prevents anemia development in rats with alloxan-induced diabetes. The antianemic action of reamberin is not related to its influence on carbohydrate metabolism in experimental diabetes mellitus.

In female mammals, the process of dosage compensation occurs during early embryonic development. As a result of this, one of X-chromosomes becomes transcriptionally inactive. This process is accompanied by chromatin remodeling on inactivated X-chromosome, providing transcriptional silencing of the genes and maintenance of their inactive state. In the present review, the dynamics of modifications occurring during embryonic inactivation, their distribution over the inactive X-chromosome, interaction, and the role in establishing and maintening the inactive state are discussed. As an illustration, modifications on the inactive X-chromosome of the Microtus common vole are presented.

Antigenic specificity of recombinant polypeptides HE40 and HE60 containing fragments of gene ORF2 and ORF3 protein products of hepatitis E, strain Burma, produced in E. coli cells, is analyzed. Blood sera from patients with acute hepatitis from an endemic region in Uzbekistan were tested for IgG to recombinant antigens by solid-phase enzyme immunoassay with a protein fragment coded by PRF3 gene, a synthetic peptide previously characterized in a commercial test system, as the positive control. 93% sera reacting with recombinant polypeptide HE60 and 32% reacting with HE40 reacted with the synthetic peptide. No antibodies to the studied polypeptides were detected in the sera of Moscow patients with hepatitis A, B, or C confirmed by laboratory findings. Antigenic specificity of recombinant polypeptide HE60 was confirmed by competitive enzyme immunoassay with the same peptide as the competitive antigen. Test system based on recombinant polypeptides HE40 and HE60 was used for deciphering the etiological structure of acute viral hepatitis which occurred in a hepatitis E endemic region of Uzbekistan in 1993.

Six synthetic peptides from immunodominant region 65-80 aa derived from the sequences of delta-antigen corresponding to 3 HDV genotypes were obtained. Their antigenic activities were assessed by indirect enzyme immunoassay with sera of patients with hepatitis D and of asymptomatic carriers of anti-delta antibodies. Differences in antigenic characteristics of full-size 65-80 and truncated 71-80 aa peptides corresponding to three HDV genotypes were revealed. The diagnostic significance of synthetic 65-80 aa fragments is shown.

A set of synthetic peptides of different length derived from proteins encoded by open reading frames (ORF) 1, 2, and 3 of hepatitis E virus (HEV) genome was synthesized and tested for antigenicity in indirect enzyme immunoassay. Peptides 414-433 (ORF2 protein) and 99-119 (ORF3) specifically react with antiHEV-positive sera collected during outbreaks in the Central Asian areas of the former USSR. The antigenic structure of the Central Asian variants and the Burmese types of HEV was found similar.

Novel structural analogues of the platelet activating factor (PAF), rac-1-octadecyl-2-allyl-glycerol-3-phosphocholine and rac-1-octadecyl-2-allyl-1-thioglycerol-3-phosphocholine , have been synthesized. The phospholipids obtained showed neither PAF-agonistic nor PAF-antagonistic activity at the concentration of 10(-5) to 10(-7) M.