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The impact of inorganic pollutants in the zone of industrial wastewater settling tanks (South of Russia) was studied. The levels of Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd were determined for Verbascum thapsus L., which are part of the mesophilic succession of wild plants in the studied technogenically polluted territory. The bioavailability of heavy metals (HM) for plants from transformed soils has been established. Anatomical and morphological features in the tissues of the plants affected by HM were analyzed using light-optical and electron microscopic methods. Contamination of the soil cover with Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd has been established with maximum content of Zn. It was revealed that the HM content in the V. thapsus plants exceeded the maximum permissible levels (Russian state standard): Zn by 23, Pb by 2, Cr by 31 and Cd by 3 times. The lower level of HM content in the inflorescences of mullein plants in comparison with the root system, stems and leaves indicates the resistance of generative organs to technogenic pollution. In the root and leaves of the V. thapsus, the anatomical and ultrastructural observation were carried out using light-optical and transmission electron microscopy. Changes in the ultrastructure of plants under the influence of anthropogenic impact have been revealed. The most significant changes of the ultrastructure of the polluted plants were found in the cell organelles of leaves (mitochondria, plastids, peroxisomes, etc.) including spatial transformation of the thylakoid system of plastids during the metal accumulation by plants, which may determine the mechanism of plant adaptation to technogenic pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trematoda Opisthorchis felineus Rivolta, 1884 is the causative agent of dangerous parasite disease—opisthorchiasis, widespread in the Russian Federation. The details of the neuroanatomical localization of the serotoninergic and FMRFamidergic neurotransmitter elements as well as their functional roles remain not studied enough in both adult and larval forms of O. felineus. The studies in this area are important in term of the development of a new pharmacological strategy of the struggle with the causative agent of opisthorchiasis affecting the neuronal signal substances and the function of its nervous system. Purpose: The aim of this work was the immunocytochemical study of the neurotransmitters serotonin (5-HT, 5-Hydroxitryptamine) and neuropeptide FMRFamide localization in the nervous system of the opisthorchiasis causative agent—O. felineus metacercaria. To study the relationship between the detected neurotransmitters and the muscular elements of the parasite, the muscle staining was carried out simultaneously using fluorophore-conjugated phalloidin. Methods: The localization of 5-HTergic and FMRFamidergic nerve structures was determined by immunocytochemical method. The staining samples were analyzed using a fluorescent and confocal laser scanning microscopies. Results: The new data on the presence and distribution of the serotonin-immunopositive (IP)- and FMRFa-IP components in the central and peripheral departments of the nervous system of O. felineus metacercaria has been obtained. Besides that a number of the new anatomical details of the nervous system organization and of the innervation of the organs and tissues in the investigated parasite have been revealed. Conclusion: The data obtained on the presence and localization of the 5-HTergic and peptidergic (FMRFamide) components in central and peripheral departments of the nervous system of O. felineus metacercaria elaborated and expanded the existing information about the nervous system as well as the innervations of the tissues and organs in the causative agent of opistchorchiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichinellosis, a zoonotic disease caused by nematodes of the genus Trichinella , is still a public health concern in the Arctic. The aims of this study were to investigate the seroprevalence of anti- Trichinella IgG in aboriginal peoples of two settlements in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (Russian Federation) on the Arctic coast of the Bering Sea, and to evaluate the survival of Trichinella nativa larvae in local fermented and frozen meat products. A seroprevalence of 24.3% was detected in 259 people tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The highest prevalence was detected among people who consumed traditional local foods made from the meat of marine mammals. Trichinella nativa larvae were found to survive for up to 24 months in a fermented and frozen marine mammal meat product called kopalkhen. Since the T. nativa life cycle can be completed in the absence of humans, it can be expected to persist in the environment and therefore remain a cause of morbidity in the human populations living in Arctic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]