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Effects of acute treatment with antidepressant drugs, imipramine and citalopram, on behavior and activity of striatal-enriched tyrosine protein phosphatase (STEP) in the whole brain of zebrafish Danio rerio were studied. Mature zebrafish were exposed for 3 h to water (control) or to solutions of 0.25, 0.5, or 1 mg/liter of imipramine or citalopram, and then their behavior was studied in novel tank test. STEP activity was assayed in the brain of animals by the difference between the rates of transformation of p-nitrophenyl phosphate to 4-nitrophenol in the absence or presence of a selective STEP inhibitor. In novel tank test, imipramine and citalopram reduced locomotor activity and increased freezing time; at this, imipramine increased the total time spent in top of the tank. Citalopram (all concentrations) and imipramine (0.5 and 1 mg/liter) increased STEP activity in zebrafish brain.

We compared proliferative activity and hypoxic tolerance in a co-culture of neurons and astrocytes in vitro after preliminary exposure to normobaric hypoxia and/or permissive hypercapnia in vivo. Preliminary hypoxic exposure increased the cell index throughout the 72-h period of observation, the effect of hypercapnia was observed on days 1 and 3 of the experiment, and the effect of hypercapnic hypoxia was noted only on day 1. Preliminary hypoxic exposure has a protective effect on nerve cells under conditions of chemical hypoxia. This suggests that hypercapnia and hypoxia activate proliferative activity of nerve cells, which can be viewed as a mechanism of their neuroprotective effectiveness.

Reduced daylight duration causes the development of seasonal affective disorder (SAD; depression-like disorders characterized by depressed mood, apathy, bulimia, and weight gain) in sensitive individuals. Neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) is involved in the mechanism of SAD. Zebrafish (D. rerio) is a promising model for translational studies. We studied changes in the behavior, content of 5-HT and its major metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and the expression of genes encoding the key enzymes of 5-HT metabolism, tryptophan hydroxylases TPH1A, TPH1B, TPH2, monoamine oxidase (MAO), 5-HT transporter, and 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors in the brain of zebrafish reared for 60 days under short (04:20 h) compared to those reared at normal (12:12 h) photoperiod. Exposure to short photoperiod decreased locomotor activity in the novel tank diving test, increased the level 5-HIAA, and reduced the level of Mao gene mRNA, but did not affect the level of 5-HT and expression of Tph1a, Tph1b, Tph2, Slc6a4a (transporter), Htr1aa, and Htr2aa (receptors) genes. Thus, zebrafish can be used as a promising model to study the involvement of 5-HT in the SAD mechanism.

We studied the influence of obesity caused by lethal yellow (AY) mutation in the agouti gene, short photoperiod (4/20 h light/darkness), and combination of these factors on depressive-like behavior in the forced swimming test and expression of genes encoding proinflammatory cytokines in the hypothalamus of heterozygous male C57Bl/6-AY/a mice and their wild-type littermate controls (C57Bl/6-a/a). It was shown that AY mutation as well as short photoperiod increased depressive-like behavior in mice. No effect of the interaction of AY mutation and photoperiod on immobility in the forced swimming test was revealed. In wild-type mice, increased depressive-like behavior caused by short photoperiod was accompanied by enhanced expression of Tnf gene. Exposure to short daylight increased the expression of Nos2.

The effects of composite fibroin-gelatin microparticles (100-250 μ) on the rate of wound healing and regeneration under conditions of contraction prevention were studied on the model of splinted full-thickness skin wound in a mouse. Subcutaneous injection of these particles into the defect area accelerated wound healing and promoted re-epithelialization and recovery of normal structure of the epidermis. In addition, the composite microparticles promoted the formation of connective tissue of characteristic structure, replacing the derma over the entire defect, and stimulated regeneration of subcutaneous muscle (panniculus carnosus) and skin appendages (sebaceous glands and hair follicles).

Effects of acute treatment with antidepressant drugs, imipramine and citalopram, on behavior and activity of striatal-enriched tyrosine protein phosphatase (STEP) in the whole brain of zebrafish Danio rerio were studied. Mature zebrafish were exposed for 3 h to water (control) or to solutions of 0.25, 0.5, or 1 mg/liter of imipramine or citalopram, and then their behavior was studied in novel tank test. STEP activity was assayed in the brain of animals by the difference between the rates of transformation of p-nitrophenyl phosphate to 4-nitrophenol in the absence or presence of a selective STEP inhibitor. In novel tank test, imipramine and citalopram reduced locomotor activity and increased freezing time; at this, imipramine increased the total time spent in top of the tank. Citalopram (all concentrations) and imipramine (0.5 and 1 mg/liter) increased STEP activity in zebrafish brain.

We compared the effect of a new potential antidepressant 8-trifluoromethyl 1,2,3,4,5-benzopentathiepine-6-amine hydrochloride (TC-2153) and classical antidepressant fluoxetine in a dose of 0.25 mg/liter on the behavior of Danio rerio in the "novel tank" test and content of biogenic amines and their metabolites in the brain. Fluoxetine alone and TC-2153 alone significantly increased the time spent in the upper part of the tank and insignificantly reduced motor activity. Combined exposure of fishes in the solution containing potential and classical antidepressants potentiated their effects on both parameters. The compounds did not affect brain contents of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. At the same time, fluoxetine, but not TC-2153, reduced brain content of the main serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid.