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The genes of nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATC) play a key role both in heart valves formation and immune response. The genes belong to transcriptional factors and lead to myocardial hypertrophy in postnatal period that is confirmed by experimental models on animals. The purpose of this study was to reveale NFATC1 and NFATC4 genes expression level in the blood of 30 children with congenital heart diseases (CHD), 15 of them had bicuspid aortic valve, 15 had CHD without valve anomalies and 15 healthy children of the control group. No patients had signs of heart failure. At the first sage of Doppler heart ultrasound study a significant increase of the left ventricle posterior wall and ventricular septum thickness in comparison with CHD and control was revealed in BAV group. At the second stage a significant rise of relative normalized expression of NFATC1 in BAV children compared to CHD and control without differences in the expression of NFATC4 gene were established. Thus, in children with bicuspid aortic valve, formation of early myocardial hypertrophy with changes in nuclear factor of activated T-cells genes expression with prevailing of NFATC1 expression takes place. The detection of NFATC1 expression level in the blood of children could be considered as an early marker of progressive myocardial hypertrophy.

Background. Metabolic changes in terms of developing diabetes, especially hyperglycemia, can directly affect immune metabolism of lymphocytes. Objective: The aim was to find out the level of mRNA gene expression of Glut1, mTOR and AMPK1α in pancreatic lymphatic nodes (PLN) in rats with experimental streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (ESIDM) and after introduction of metformin. Methods. Glut1, mTOR and AMPK1α mRNA expression were analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Total RNA was extracted from PLN tissue by Trizol RNA Prep 100 (Isogen, Russia), according to the manufacturer's instructions. RNA was re-suspended in RNase free water, quantified and subjected to RT-PCR reaction using RT-PCR kit; RT (Syntol, Russia). To determine the level of Glut1, mTOR and AMPK1α mRNA, RT-PCR was performed in real-time by thermal cycler CFX96 ™ Real-Time PCR Detection Systems (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., USA). The relative level of gene expression were studied with rat reference genes GAPDH by the method ΔΔCt. Statistical analysis were conducted using available software «Bio-Rad SFX Manager 3.1» (Bio-Rad, USA). Results. It was established that hyperglycemia caused the transcript induction of genes of glucose transporter Glut1 (in 9,9-28,9 times, p

Background. Formation of immunological tolerance to self-antigens is an important mechanism that prevents development of the autoimmune diseases. Objective. With the help of molecular genetic and immunofluorescence techniques to investigate the effects of experimental gestational diabetes on the level of mRNA expression of autoimmune regulator Aire and differentiation features of Foxp3+ cells in mesenteric lymph nodes in the offspring of Wistar rats. Methods. To determine the level of Аire mRNA RT-PCR was performed in real-time by thermocycler CFX96™ Real-Time PCR Detection Systems («Bio-RadLaboratories, Inc», USA). The relative level of gene expression were studied with rat reference genes GAPDH by the method ΔΔCt. Statistical analysis were conducted using available software «Bio-Rad СFX Manager 3.1» (Bio-Rad, USA). The immunopositive Foxp3+-lymphocytes were determined using an indirect immunofluorescence technique with using a monoclonal rat antibody. Results. The offspring of experimental gestational diabetes rats showed the reduction of autoimmune regulator Aire mRNA in 2,3-8,1 times (p

The problem of investigation of molecular mechanisms of apoptosis and its role in autoimmune disease, includingdiabetes mellitus, became one of the most difficult and actual among the medical sciences last years. Under the experimentthe effect of experimental diabetes mellitus on the intensity of protein expression of apoptotic regulators Bcl-2 and p53 in thespleen of rats was investigated. To detect Bcl-2 and p53 positive-cells we used immunohistochemical technique of indirectimmunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies to Bcl-2 and p53. It was found that the development of experimentaldiabetes mellitus is accompanied by unidirectional tendency to increase the number of p53- and Bcl-2-positive cells inlymphoid follicles of the spleen with a preferential decrease in the concentration of these protein in immune cells.

Peculiarities of protein р53 expression in rat thymus with experimental diabetes mellitus were investigated and discussed in experimental work. Investigations were carried out on 28 male rats Vistar line 5-6 months of age. Experimental diabetes mellitus was designed by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocyn (SIGMA, USA) at dose 50 mg/kg one time. Method of double immunofluorescence with usage of rat monoclonal anti-p53 and anti-СD4 antibodies was used for revelation of p53. Structure of a thymus was analyzed with the help of software VIDAS. Control animals showed an increase of p53+-cells quantity in thymus cortical zone by 58% as compared with medullar zone. Even so immature forms of p53+-cells – big lym-phocytes and p53+-lymphoblasts prevailed in population of p53+-cells of both thymus cortical zone and medullar zone. It has been established that development of experimental diabetes mellitus was accompanied by increase in number of p53+-cells and concentration of protein р53 in thymus cortical zone in the absence of any changes in medullar zone.

Inorganic polysulfur compounds (polysulfides, Sx2-; polysulfur radical ions, Sx·-; thiosulfate, S2O32-; polythionate, SxO62-; elemental sulfur, e.g. S8) participate in numerous geochemical processes related to the sulfur cycle. These include authigenic pyrite formation in sediments undergoing early stages of diagenesis, reactions associated with magmatic-hydrothermal processes, and numerous other aquatic sulfur redox processes (e.g., pyrite and sulfide oxidation). Sulfur isotope fractionations among many of these and associated compounds (e.g., H2S, HSO4-) are either unknown or unconstrained over wide ranges of temperatures. We present theoretical estimates of equilibrium sulfur isotope fractionation factors among aqueous polysulfur compounds (including select polysulfides, polysulfur radical anions, and polythionates) and select aqueous sulfide and sulfate compounds that correspond to all three stable isotope ratios of sulfur (33S/32S, 34S/32S, 36S/32S). Our estimates are based on electronic structure calculations performed at the B3LYP/6–31+G(d,p) level of theory and basis set implemented in concert with an explicit solvation model whereby molecules are encapsulated in water clusters of varying size (30–52 H2O) to simulate the aqueous solvation environment. These calculations yield relatively small magnitude fractionation factors between aqueous polysulfides, polysulfur radicals, and reduced sulfur moieties in polythionates relative to the aqueous sulfide compounds but reveal numerous crossovers that result in non-intuitive temperature dependencies. Our predictions of 34S/32S-based fractionation factors among aqueous sulfur compounds generally agree with previous experimental constraints where available within estimated uncertainties (e.g., HSO4-/H2S(aq), H2S(aq)/HS-, HSO4-/S0, H2S(aq)/S0). We use our calculations to explore equilibrium isotope fractionations among polysulfur and sulfide compounds that are precursors to authigenic pyrite in the framework of established mechanisms (e.g., the polysulfide mechanism). We examine possible explanations for why pyrite formation may be associated with relatively small isotope fractionation with respect to precursor aqueous sulfur compounds. We additionally use our theoretical calculations to constrain multiple sulfur isotope (33S/32S, 34S/32S, 36S/32S) mass balance models associated with the abiotic hydrolytic disproportionation of intermediate sulfur compounds (SO2, S8, S3·-) relevant to hydrothermal-magmatic-volcanic systems in order to illustrate the potential for subtle but potentially resolvable effects expressed in values of Δ33S and Δ36S associated with these processes. We apply a SO2 disproportionation mass balance model based on previous work but newly constrained by our theoretical calculations to (hyper-) acid crater lakes associated with active volcanoes, and newly highlight the potential for the utility of multiple sulfur isotope analyses in volcanic gas monitoring and constraining sulfur cycling processes in such systems.

Inorganic polysulfur compounds (polysulfides, Sx2-; polysulfur radical ions, Sx·-; thiosulfate, S2O32-; polythionate, SxO62-; elemental sulfur, e.g. S8) participate in numerous geochemical processes related to the sulfur cycle. These include authigenic pyrite formation in sediments undergoing early stages of diagenesis, reactions associated with magmatic-hydrothermal processes, and numerous other aquatic sulfur redox processes (e.g., pyrite and sulfide oxidation). Sulfur isotope fractionations among many of these and associated compounds (e.g., H2S, HSO4-) are either unknown or unconstrained over wide ranges of temperatures. We present theoretical estimates of equilibrium sulfur isotope fractionation factors among aqueous polysulfur compounds (including select polysulfides, polysulfur radical anions, and polythionates) and select aqueous sulfide and sulfate compounds that correspond to all three stable isotope ratios of sulfur (33S/32S, 34S/32S, 36S/32S). Our estimates are based on electronic structure calculations performed at the B3LYP/6–31+G(d,p) level of theory and basis set implemented in concert with an explicit solvation model whereby molecules are encapsulated in water clusters of varying size (30–52 H2O) to simulate the aqueous solvation environment. These calculations yield relatively small magnitude fractionation factors between aqueous polysulfides, polysulfur radicals, and reduced sulfur moieties in polythionates relative to the aqueous sulfide compounds but reveal numerous crossovers that result in non-intuitive temperature dependencies. Our predictions of 34S/32S-based fractionation factors among aqueous sulfur compounds generally agree with previous experimental constraints where available within estimated uncertainties (e.g., HSO4-/H2S(aq), H2S(aq)/HS-, HSO4-/S0, H2S(aq)/S0). We use our calculations to explore equilibrium isotope fractionations among polysulfur and sulfide compounds that are precursors to authigenic pyrite in the framework of established mechanisms (e.g., the polysulfide mechanism). We examine possible explanations for why pyrite formation may be associated with relatively small isotope fractionation with respect to precursor aqueous sulfur compounds. We additionally use our theoretical calculations to constrain multiple sulfur isotope (33S/32S, 34S/32S, 36S/32S) mass balance models associated with the abiotic hydrolytic disproportionation of intermediate sulfur compounds (SO2, S8, S3·-) relevant to hydrothermal-magmatic-volcanic systems in order to illustrate the potential for subtle but potentially resolvable effects expressed in values of Δ33S and Δ36S associated with these processes. We apply a SO2 disproportionation mass balance model based on previous work but newly constrained by our theoretical calculations to (hyper-) acid crater lakes associated with active volcanoes, and newly highlight the potential for the utility of multiple sulfur isotope analyses in volcanic gas monitoring and constraining sulfur cycling processes in such systems.

UV-curable particle-free ceramic compositions for stereolithography-based 3D printing technologies present a promising alternative to the commonly used particle-based compositions. So far, such compositions were mainly based on solutions of pre-ceramic polymers which limit their applications to silicon-containing materials. However, the application of particle-free inks for the fabrication of other ceramic materials, in particular dense polycrystalline ones, is very little explored. We present a new and general fabrication approach based on all-solution compositions, by combining sol–gel chemistry and photopolymerization, for obtaining dense 3D ceramic structures by DLP printing. The process is demonstrated here for the fabrication of barium titanate (BaTiO3). By using chelating solvent and monomer, a stable UV-curable solution is obtained. An aging period of 8–14 days was crucial for obtaining dense ceramic objects without any secondary phases. The heat treatment was found to affect the microstructure, density and hardness of the resulting ceramics. The presented process enables obtaining objects free of carbon materials, having a density as high as 98% of the theoretical value, and a hardness of 4.3 GPa.