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The gut microbiota is a complex collection of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, archaea, and fungi colonising the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The microbiota plays a fundamental role in keeping the body healthy and the development of various diseases, including mental ones. Clinical studies have showed that there exists a bidirectional communication between the gut, microbiota and brain within the brain-gut-microbiome axis. It is understood that gut microbes play a role in many mental disorders and may be a potential therapeutic target. The nervous system and GI tract communicate through a bidirectional signalling network that includes multiple pathways, among which are the vagus nerve, the immune system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, some transmitters, and bacterial metabolites. The available data indicate the mutual influence of the microbiota and the activation of inflammatory processes in the brain. Psychobiotics have been increasingly used for the management of the microbiota in case of injury of this pathway. The term that was used for the first time in 2013 defined psychobiotics as probiotics, which have a positive effect on mental health provided that they are taken orally at adequate doses.Afterwards they were included in the definition, given the proven benefit of prebiotics. Thus, psychobiotics are beneficial bacteria (probiotics) or auxiliary substances for such bacteria (prebiotics) that affect the communication and interactions between bacteria and the brain. Following ingestion, probiotic bacteria concentrate mainly in the intestinal epithelium, providing the host with nutrients and influencing the immune system, as well as producing neuroactive substances that act on the brain-gut axis. This review is devoted to the new interesting area that correlates the gut microbiota with nervous system diseases and its possible treatment with psychobiotics.

Fever is a defensive and adaptive reaction of the body that develops in response to the action of pathogenic stimuli. It often accompanies various infectious, autoimmune, oncohematological and other diseases. Due to the frequent significant deterioration of children's general health, the occurrence of fever in children gives rise to concern not only in parents, but also in pediatricians. According to temperature level, fever can be classified into different categories: subfebrile - 37.1 to 37.9 °C, moderate -38 to 39 °C, febrile - 39.1 to 41 °C and hyperthermic - above 41 °C. By clinical manifestation distinguish benign, or rose, and malignant, or white, fever. The need to use antipyretic drugs depends not only on the hight of the body temperature elevation, but also on the patient's general health. The clinical guidelines state that the use of acetylsalicylic acid, nimesulide and met-amizole to lower the body temperature in children is not recommended, due to high risk of adverse reactions. Ibuprofen and paracetamol are the drugs of choice to lower body temperature in children both in Russia and abroad. Over 120 comparative studies of these two drug formulations have shown their close efficacy, but ibuprofen is most preferred for the treatment of fever and pain. In order to lower body temperature, parents can uncontrollably use antipyretic drugs in various combinations and incorrect dosages, which leads to severe toxic effects. The article presents a clinical case of Reye's syndrome in a 10-year-old girl, which is most likely associated with the use of aspirin as an antipyretic.

Over the past decades, research on bivalve immune system is focused on studying the effect of environmental factors on the basal status of defense systems. The immune system of bivalves is greatly affected by abiotic factors, and the most significant ones are water temperature, salinity, and level of dissolved oxygen. Hypoxia is widespread in the coastal waters of the World Ocean since the 1950s. Hypoxic zones (with dissolved oxygen concentration < 0.5 mL O2·L−1) occur in shelf areas for a long time corresponding to the life cycle of many hydrobionts. Being benthic organisms, bivalve molluscs often experience reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations. This group of aquatic invertebrates both plays an important role in aquatic ecosystem functioning and is actively used in aquaculture. The efficiency of bivalve cultivation directly depends on its immune status determining resistance to diseases. The immune system of bivalve molluscs is based on a complex of nonspecific reactions of cellular and humoral components. Hemocytes circulating in the hemolymph are the key effectors of the cellular immune response which, along with the barrier tissues of molluscs, synthesize humoral factors with a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity. The hemolymph of various bivalve species contains different cell types differing by size, morphology, and granulation of cytoplasm. Most bivalve species have 2 types of hemocytes – granular and agranular ones; those can be subdivided into morphotypes depending on number and color of granules, size of the nucleus, and presence of organelles in the cytoplasm. Granulocytes are considered the main immune cells that perform phagocytosis and (or) encapsulation of infectious agents, as well as their subsequent neutralization by releasing reactive oxygen species, lysing enzymes, and humoral antimicrobial proteins. Moreover, the complex of defense systems includes an antioxidant system which is closely related to mollusc immunity since it neutralizes reactive oxygen species releasing during cellular immune mechanism activation. An excess of these compounds damages mollusc cells by oxidizing proteins, cytoplasmic membrane lipids, and DNA. This article provides data on an oxygen deficiency effect on the cellular and humoral components of the immune system, as well as the tissue antioxidant complex of bivalve molluscs.

Aim. Study of a group of biochemical parameters of the hepatopancreas and gills of the Black Sea mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lam. and the functional indicator of cardiac system adaptivity of mussels from Sevastopol bays with different levels of recreational and anthropogenic impact.Methods. Mussels were collected from four Sevastopol water areas (Kruglaya Bay, Kazachya Bay, Matyushenko Bay and Cape Khrustalnii) in autumn 2018. The bioindication methods used were based on application of functional (cardiac system adaptability) and biochemical indicators (antioxidant enzymes activity [AEA], aminotransferases, the alkaline phosphatase [AP], and products of the lipid peroxidation [LPO] and protein oxidation [PO]) of mussel tissues. The hydrochemical parameters of the investigated areas were determined.Results. The anthropogenic impact on a complex of biochemical indicators of mussels at the sampling sites was shown. At the same time, low values of mussel heart rate (HR) recovery time (Trec) (less than 60 min.) in all sampling sites demonstrated the efficiency of biochemical changes in mussels and the possible use of all tested bays as recreational areas.Conclusion. Results of the present research allow the characterization of the ecological status of these Sevastopol sea water areas and to make recommendations about their rational use. Matyushenko and Kazachya Bays are most suitable for beach recreation and recreational fishery. Kazachya Bay also has favourable conditions for the development of water sports. Kruglaya Bay and Cape Khrustalnii are less ecologically safe and require a series of actions to improve water quality.

Aim. This research studies the effect of a low-temperature atmospheric plasma and the subsequent γ-ray sterilization on topography and properties of track membranes (TM) based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET).Materials and methods. TM were obtained by irradiating a PET film with a 40Ar+8 ion beam and then by chemical etching in an aqueous solution of 1.5N NaOH. Modification of the membrane surface was carried out by exposure to an atmospheric low-temperature plasma. The gamma radiation of the radionuclide 60Со with the dosages of 1kGy (SI) and 10 kGy (SI) was used to sterilize the membranes. In vitro studies of the TM biocompatibility were performed by using a culture of prenatal stromal cells isolated from a lung of an 11-week human embryo and maintained ex vivo.Results. It has been established that the treatment of the membranes with the low-temperature atmospheric plasma leads to an increase in the roughness and hydrophilization of the TM surface. The change in the physical-chemical state of the TM surface as a result of the exposure of cold plasma and subsequent sterilization had practically no effect on the morphofunctional state of the culture of human prenatal stromal cells. In vitro tests on the TM cellular-molecular biocompability with a short-term culture of in vitro fibroblast-like cells have made it possible to indicate their relative bioinerticity with respect to human stromal cells. The conclusion is made about the relative bioinerticity of TM and the proposed regimes for their sterilization with respect to the culture of human stromal cells, the prospects for further research in applying the material to the areas of surgical practice (cardiology, ophthalmology).

It is known that desynchronosis and physical stress to the point of fatigue are powerful stressors for the body. Studies indicate a depleting effect of the combined stress factors on the adaptive reserves of the organism, especially when the joint exposure is prolonged. However, the adaptive value of the training process in various activities is also well known. In this regard, it seems important to study these two aspects of adaptation when combined effects of light desynchronosis and physical overwork on the body.Рurpose of this study was to study the features of adaptive reactions of rats under conditions of light desynchronosis and physical overwork.Materials and methods. An experimental study was performed on 60 mature male rats of the Wistar breed. For the induction of experimental desynchronosis, the animals of the experimental groups were kept for 10 days in artificial bright illumination (150 LX) or full darkening (2-3 LX). The model of physical overfatigue used the method of forced swimming of rats to complete fatigue in their own modification. At the end of the swim test, all the animals were withdrawn from the experiment and underwent one-step-long decapitation under CO2 with anesthesia. In decapitated animals, to collect serum, the blood was collected in a clean, dry vial. In the blood serum of rats, the biochemical standard method was used to determine the level of lactate. Using the ELISA method and the reagent kit “IBL” (Germany), the concentrations of corticosterone and serotonin were determined. The histological analysis of the stress-realizing organs was carried out according to a standard procedure using light microscopy using the Axioskop 40 microscope from CarlZeiss (Germany).Results. It was found that physical fatigue in rats after daily swimming activities (5 days) was accompanied by a decrease in the level of corticosterone in the blood serum and destructive changes in the adrenal and femoral muscles in comparison with intact animals. In comparison with the intact group, dark deprivation and physical activity did not alter the content of corticosterone, serotonin, and lactate in the blood and caused minor destructive processes in the adrenal glands. Light deprivation and fatigue lowered the level of corticosterone in the blood, caused destructive changes in the adrenal glands and muscles, and increased serotonin levels in serum, but did not change the level of lactate.Conclusions. The features of adaptive reactions of rats under conditions of light desynchronosis and physical overfatigue are determined by the nature of deprivation or the direction of the phase shift (deprivation of light or darkness). Dark deprivation followed by physical overfatigue causes the development of the resistance phase of the general adaptation syndrome, and light deprivation followed by physical overwork is the phase of exhaustion.

Aim. As is known, various stressful loads and their combination lead to unequal direction and degree of psychological and emotional instability. In this regard, one of the pressing issues becomes regulation and correction of psycho-emotional conditions of the person in the complicated conditions of activity, such as athletes during training and competition. To develop appropriate stress-corrective programs should their experimental validation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the behavioral activity of rats in the “open field” after dark or light deprivation and physical fatigue.Materials and methods. The experimental study was performed on the 40 adult male rats “Wistar”. The experimental groups for 10 days were kept in an artificial bright light (150 lx) or darkness (2–3 lx) for the induction of desynchronozes. Method of forced swimming until complete exhaustion was chosen for the model of physical fatigue. The animals in all groups evaluated behavioral activity in the “open field” in daylight conditions after 24 h after swim test.Results. It was established that in the control group in the terms of natural lighting day after 5 days of daily physical activity occurred depression of the active-search behavior in the “open field”. It was expressed in reducing the number of crossed squares and vertical struts in comparison to intact animals receiving no load. In the groups of animals, which kept in a dark or light deprivation until the presentation of the swim test there was an increase in passive-defensive behavior in the “open field”, which was reflected in an increase in acts of grooming and defecation.

Combined effect of two stress factors (decreasing of salinity and presence of potassium dichromate in the medium) on adaptive capacity of benthic alga Attheya ussurensis is investigated. The salinity decreasing to 20 ‰ combined with 0.01 mg/L of K2Cr2O7 in the medium didn’t cause any change of the cells growth in number, as compared with uncontaminated environment (32 ‰, control), or changes in their morphology. The same salinity decreasing with K2Cr2O7 concentration 0.10 mg/L caused a lowering of the cells growth to 86 % of the control value by the end of experiment that was accompanied by minor morphological abnormalities, as cells elongation in pervalvar axis direction and granulation of chloroplasts. In the second seeding, there was no change of the cells growth again under the low concentration of K2Cr2O7 and their adaptation to the concentration 0.10 mg/L was observed: in the end of experiment the cells number had no significant difference from the control one. The salinity decreasing to 16 ‰ with the toxicant concentration 0.01 mg/L caused a lowering of the cells growth in the 4th day that persisted until the end of experiment and some insignificant changes of their morphology. The same salinity decreasing with the toxicant concentration 0.10 mg/L caused a significant drop of the cells number with strong negative morphological changes; moreover, the alga wasn’t able to adapt to this combined stress after re-seeding.