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In the context of war, developing and standardizing new medicinal plants, such as Myrtus communis L., can significantly enhance the availability and effectiveness of medicinal products. The micro- and ultramorphological features of the leaf cells of this species could become crucial parameters for their identification and standardization, thereby facilitating the introduction of new, effective medications into practice. The aim of the work is to study the morphological and anatomical structure and determine the general diagnostic microscopic features of leaves and the structure of meristem cells of common myrtle. Materials and methods. Microscopic analysis of temporary leaf preparations of Myrtus communis L. was carried out using a Carl ZEISS “AxioStar Plus” and “Primo Star” microscopes with a photographic attachment for work in both direct and reflected light. The ultrastructure of leaf cells was additionally studied using transmission electron microscopy methods. Ultra-thin sections, 60 nm thick, were obtained on a Reichert Om 43 ultramicrotome. Sections were contrasted with a 1 % solution of uranyl acetate and lead citrate for 2 minutes in each solution at room temperature. Ultrathin sections were studied using a PEM-100-01 electron microscope at an accelerating voltage of 75 kV. Results. The external features of common myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) leaves are described, including their shape, color, and type of veining. Anatomical features of the leaf include the presence of convoluted epidermal cells, anomocytic stomata located on the abaxial surface of the leaf, calcium oxalate crystals and druses, simple hairs on the midvein, and schizolysigenous secretory receptacles. The ultrastructure study of common myrtle leaf cells revealed characteristic structural components of various cell types, including a nucleus with a nucleolus, chloroplasts with plastoglobules and starch grains, a Golgi complex with numerous dictyosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, lysosomes, oil droplets, and myrtle characteristic storage inclusions such as amyloplasts. During electron microscopy, mature secretory receptacles were observed, with visible remnants of cells in the lumen. They are surrounded by cells with a high metabolic rate, as well as senescent cells that appear darker, with low organelle definition and tortuous walls. Conclusions. The leaves of Myrtus communis L. have a hypostomatic leaf type, with the lower epidermis containing a significant number of uniformly arranged stomata of the anomocytic type. Simple unicellular hairs are present only on the central vein. Shared anatomical features with other species in the Myrtaceae family include the presence of druses and prismatic calcium oxalate crystals, along with schizogenous secretory receptacles that produce lipophilic substances. The ultrastructure of meristem cells and cells adjacent to the secretory receptacles in Myrtus communis includes cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, vacuoles, chloroplasts, Golgi complex with numerous dictyosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, oil droplets, and amyloplasts, which are starch-storing inclusions characteristic for the species. Mature secretory receptacles were found, within which cell remnants are surrounded by metabolically active cells and senescent, darker cells with poorly defined organelles and convoluted walls. Recommended parameters for the standardization of Myrtus communis L. medicinal plant material: microscopic indicators include the anomocytic type of stomatal apparatus with hypostomatic placement, simple hairs, the presence of druses and prismatic calcium oxalate crystals, and schizogenous secretory receptacles. Ultramorphological indicators include cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus with nucleolus, chloroplasts with plastoglobuli and starch granules, Golgi complex with numerous dictyosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, lysosomes, oil droplets, characteristic storage inclusions (amyloplasts), and the presence of secretory receptacles.

Aim. To study pathomorphological signs of revascularization of perifocal areas of brain infarction in the dynamics of the acute period of the disease. Material and methods. Perifocal areas of brain infarction in patients who died at the 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 14th days were studied. General histopathological study was followed by 10 % ammonium silver impregnation and immunohistochemical examination using monoclonal antibodies Mo a-Hu CD34, Clone QBEnd/10 (“Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.” – USA) and Mo a-Hu CD105 Endoglin were used. clone: SN6h1 (“DAKO”, Denmark). Vascular density and total cross-sectional area of vessels were studied. For the morphometric study, Videotest – Morphology 5.2.0.158 software (VideoTest LLC) was used. Statistical processing of the obtained data was carried out using the Statistica® for Windows 13.0 software. Results. According to the data of CD34 expression, from the 3rd day in the perifocal areas of brain infarction, the angiogenesis processes were increased: the density of blood vessels increased by 18.48 %, and the total cross-sectional area of vessels increased by 1.93 times. On the 7th day, the maximal vessel density and total cross-sectional area of vessels were registered in these areas; there was a vascular budding, formation of endothelial proliferates, and increased expression of CD105 on the vascular endothelium and pericytes, which indicates the active participation of the latter in angiogenesis. On the 14th day, blood vessel density and indicators of the total cross-sectional area of vessels decreased. During this period, the density of the astrocytes increased in the infarct’s perifocal areas with hypertrophy of their bodies and processes. Conclusions. According to CD34 and CD105 expression data, in the perifocal areas of cerebral infarction, the processes of angiogenesis gradually increase from the 3rd day manifesting by increase in the blood vessel density and total vascular cross-sectional area, as well as in the vascular budding and the formation of endothelial proliferates. Vascular remodeling is accompanied by increased density and hypertrophy of astroglia in the perifocal areas of cerebral infarction.

Aim. Immunohistochemical study of rat hippocampal neurons and astrocytes at different time-points of experimental brain hemorrhage treated with acelysin and nimotop. Materials and methods. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was modeled according to R. V. Dudhani et al. using 35 Wistar rats which were divided into 7 groups. Animals of the 1st and 2nd groups, for 4 and 7 days respectively received acelysin at a dose of 15 mg/kg once a day; animals of the 3rd and 4th groups received nimodipine at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg every 8 hours for 4 and 7 days. In groups 5th and 6th (control), SAH was modeled without treatment with observation periods of 4 and 7 days, respectively. The 7th group consisted of intact animals. Hippocampal CA1 fields were studied immunohistochemically evaluating the expression of CASP3, NeuN, GFAP by the relative area of immunostaining in ImageJ. Results. CASP3 expression in hippocampal neurons increases by 2.3 and 5.7 times on day 4 and by 1.8 and 3.9 times on day 7 of experimental SAH (groups 1–4) compared to intact group. GFAP expression increases in all observation groups compared to intact animals with the maximum values in the 5th group – by 8.14 times. The dynamics of NeuN expression in hippocampal neurons when using acelysin and nimotop corresponds to the inverse dynamics of CASP3 expression. The NeuN expression increases maximally on the 7th day of acelysin use and is equal to 91.76 % of the intact group values. Conclusions. The experimental SAH is accompanied by a change in the expression of CASP3, NeuN in neurons and GFAP in astrocytes. The use of acelysin and nimotop leads to decrease in CASP3 expression in hippocampal neurons on the 4th day by 3.82 and 1.54 times compared to control group, and on the 7th day by 4.00 and 1.84 times, respectively, which reflects the positive effect of the therapy on the prevention of apoptotic death of hippocampal neurons. Compared with nimotop, the use of acelicine significantly increases the expression of NeuN on day 4 and 7 – by 1.84 and 1.95 times, respectively, which indicates a more pronounced neuroprotective effect of acelysin on hippocampal neurons in SAH. Increased GFAP expression reflects the dynamic reactive remodeling of astrocytes, while the use of acelysin and nimotop does not affect the reduction of GFAP levels on days 4 and 7 of SAH and their return to baseline values. The results of the present experimental study provide a theoretical justification of the feasibility of including metabolitotropic drugs in the basic therapy of SAH.

Aim of the study is to determine the peculiarities of epidermal proliferation and terminal differentiation in various histological types of seborrheic keratosis (SK). Materials and methods. Pathomorphological and immunohistochemical analysis was performed on the skin biopsy material of 60 patients with SK, who constituted the study group, and on the material of 30 healthy skin samples, which were considered a control group. Results. Level of expression of Ki-67 marker in papillomatous and acanthotic types of SK is significantly lower (P < 0.005) compared to healthy skin samples, which indicates a low proliferative potential of tumors. While the expression of the marker of terminal differentiation between these groups of SK and healthy skin is significantly higher (P < 0.005). Comparative characterization of the association of the expression degree of the immunohistochemical marker of proliferation Ki-67 depending on the activity of terminal differentiation processes in acanthotic and papillomatous types of SK indicates a statistically significant inverse correlation of these pathogenetically determined processes. Thus, activation of terminal differentiation with increase of caspase-14 expression level inhibits proliferation in basal epidermal layers that is accompanied by decrease of Ki-67 level. Conclusions. Level of expression of Ki-67 as a marker of proliferative activity in patients with acanthotic and papillomatous types is significantly lower than in the control group, which may indicate no tendency to malignancy. The expression level of caspase-14 in acanthotic and papillomatous types is increased compared to healthy skin, which may indicate a violation of keratinization, which occurs during the terminal differentiation of epidermocytes. Statistical inverse conjugacy between caspase-14 and Ki-67 indicates inhibition of proliferation against the background of increased terminal differentiation activity and may justify the vectors of therapeutic action of topical agents.

Aim. To examine the characteristics of immunohistochemical expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and estrogen receptors alpha in patients with keratoderma climactericum compared to postmenopausal women with clinically intact skin, to reveal possible correlation between these markers’ expression levels and pathomorphogenesis of menopausal keratoderma. Materials and methods. The pathomorphological and immunohistochemical analysis was performed on the biopsy material of 22 patients with keratoderma climactericum, who constituted the study group, and on the autopsy material from 32 women in a postmenopausal period without any signs of climacteric keratoderma, who were considered as a control group. Results. A significant difference was found in the area and intensity of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression between the study group diagnosed with keratoderma climactericum and the control group with unaffected skin, with increasing expression parameters among patients with keratoderma. A significant difference was also observed in the area and intensity of estrogen receptors alpha expression between the study and the control group, this time with increasing expression parameters among the control group. Conclusions. Patients with keratoderma climactericum demonstrate statistically significantly higher levels of nuclear and cytoplasmatic expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in epidermal and dermal cells than individuals from the control group, which may indicate acute inflammation as a part of climacteric keratoderma pathogenesis. The area and intensity of estrogen receptors alpha expression in material from patients diagnosed with menopausal keratoderma are lower than in the material from the control group, which demonstrates a correlation between estrogen-deficient state in postmenopausal period and the development of skin changes in women with keratoderma climactericum.

The aim of the study. To study the pathomorphological changes of the vascular bed and the state of collateral blood flow in cerebral infarction. Materials and methods. The brains of 45 deceased patients with hemispheric infarctions with different terms of the disease were studied during the work. The comparison group consisted of 10 patients who died suddenly from acute coronary insufficiency, who did not have diseases of the nervous system. To assess the morpho-functional state of blood vessels and the intensity of blood flow the cross-sectional area of blood vessels, the area of endothelial cell nuclei, the density of their location and the length of the capillary network were determined. Results. In the early stages of stroke, along with the processes of irreversible damage of small capillaries in the area of infarction and partly in the area of the penumbra, myocardial thrombosis and constant number of vessels in the perifocal area of infarction, there are processes aimed at providing effective blood flow in ischemic areas of brain by increasing collateral blood flow from the leptomeningeal vessels, increasing the diameter of blood vessels and the length of the capillary network. On the 6th day of the disease, the processes of collagenization of the subarachnoid space are registered, which reduced the collateral blood flow from the pial vessels to the underlying cortical parts of the brain. With the increasing of the disease duration, the diameter of the capillaries returns to initial values, in the perifocal areas of the infarct there is a recalibration of the lumen of the arterioles with a decrease in the total cross-sectional area of newly formed vessels, a significant number of arterioles with obliteration of the lumen are present. Conclusions. In the early stages of ischemic stroke there is an increase in blood circulation due to an increase in the diameter of the capillaries, the length of the capillary network and increased collateral circulation by the pial vessels. In the long-term period there is a reduction in the total area of the lumen of arterioles and a decrease in the efficiency of collateral blood flow, which should be regarded as an adaptive response of the vascular bed to decreased need for blood supply to stroke areas at the stage of cyst formation.

Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, annually taking 3 million lives. Alcohol abuse to a greater degree negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Aim. Studying the severity of pathomorphological changes in the heart of deceased patients with alcoholism. Materials and methods. The heart sections of 35 deceased alcoholic patients (38–60 years old) were taken for histo-morphometric analysis. As a comparison group, the material of deceased patients (n = 15), suffering from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and hypertension disease (HD) was studied. Results. In conditions of alcoholism in 100 % of cases myocardium showed marked microcirculatory disorders, increased vascular permeability. In all cases sclerotic changes similar in topography to the comparison group were noted, however, sclerosis of large arterioles was 1.9 times less pronounced than in IHD group. In the myocardium of alcoholics, edema, atrophy of cardiomyocytes bundles and areas of fatty stroma are common. In 20 % of cases, there were mosaic necrosis of individual cardiomyocytes and small focal necrosis of small groups of cells, fibrinoid necrosis of small branches of coronary arteries. Compared with IHD group the number of fatty degenerated cardiomyocytes increased by 1.23 times, fuchsinophilic cardiomyocytes – by 1.38 times with simultaneous reducing severity of sclerotic changes in vessels by 1.9 times. Sclerotic changes in stroma are significantly higher in relation to IHD and HD groups (by 1.88 and 6.94 times, respectively). Conclusions. The morphogenesis of heart damage during alcoholism consists of combination of dystrophic, necrotic, atrophic and sclerotic changes – morphological substrate of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. These signs, based on quantitative analysis, are important criteria necessary for the thanatogenetic analysis in cases of death on the background of alcoholism.