[Prion diseases and the biosecurity problems.]

The review presents the current state of the problem of prions and prion diseases with an emphasis on theepidemiological and epizootological risks of pathogens that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases in humans and animals. The results of molecular genetic studies of the conversion of normal PrP^c prion protein molecules to infectious forms of PrP^d, resistance to physical disinfection methods, in particular exceptional thermal stability, and their ability to overcome interspecific barriers, while increasing virulence, are described. The possibility of infection not only by nutrition, when eating even heat-treated meat of sick animals, but also due to surgical interventions, especially neurosurgical and ophthalmic, as well as the use of immunobiological preparations, are emphasized. Since there are currently no means for the effective treatment of prion diseases in the world, attention is drawn to the high degree of relevance for the biosafety of the country to develop domestic highly sensitive test systems that can effectively detect prion infectious protein in vivo at the preclinical stage of the disease. The latest methods of automatic protein amplification and identification of prion proteins are briefly described as the most promising areas of research in the field of diagnosis of prion diseases.

[Molecular markers of Alzheimer disease early diagnostic: investigation perspectives of peripheral tissues.]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of elderly and old age people. For intravital diagnosis of the expression of signaling molecules - AD markers, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral tissues are used: lymphocytes and blood platelets, buccal and olfactory epithelium, skin fibroblasts. There are several changes in the production of hyper phosphorylated form of τ-protein, BACE1 and peptide Аβ42 in CSF in case of AD, but CSF taking may have a number of side effects. Less traumatic taking of sampling tissues for the diagnosis of AD is in use of epithelium biopsy and blood portion. An increase in the expression of the hyper phosphorylated form of τ-protein is shown in blood lymphocytes of AD patients. An increase in the content of high molecular weight forms of phosphorylated t-protein and amyloid precursor protein-APP was also revealed in blood platelets of AD patients. Changes in the amount of 2 miRNA families - miR-132 family and miR-134 family were revealed in blood cells 1-5 years before the manifestation of clinical signs of AD. An increase in the concentration of bound calcium, synthesis of peptides Aβ40 and Aβ42, τ protein was observed in AD skin fibroblasts. In the olfactory and buccal epithelium an increase in the expression of hyper phosphorylated form of τ-protein and Aβ peptide was detected in patients with AD. Verification of AD markers in peripheral tissues for biopsy have the important significant for life diagnostics, prevention and and target AD treatment.

[Melatonin as a molecular marker of age-related pathologies]

The review has described melatonin as a prognostic marker of invasive and non-invasive diagnostic of organism aging time and age-related pathology. Decreasing of melatonin level in buccal cells has correlated with patient age. Melatonin level in patients with Alzheimer disease has decreased. Melatonin level in blood plasma has correlated with severity of menopausal syndrome. Melatonin secretion in enterocytes increased during gastric ulcer. In oncology patients was described changes of 6-COMT - metabolite of melatonin in urine in dependent of histology type and stage of disease. Thus, melatonin is the molecular marker, which characterized integral processes in neuro-immuno-endocrine system and can be verified by non-invasive methods in peripheral tissues and biological fluids of organism.

[Slow infections of humans and animals]

This review is dedicated to the 60-th anniversary of the exploration of slow infections of humans and animals caused by viruses and prions.

[Life extension study on high-yield non-myeloablating bone marrow transplantation from young to old mice]

Tissue renewal is the known phenomenon, when the progeny of resident or circulated stem cells (SC) replaces the vanishing cells. The delivery of stem cells via circulation should result in stem cell homing and differentiation into wide variety of tissues and gives promise as therapy for many diseases of tissue failure including aging itself. To test this hypothesis, we created chimeric mice C57BL/6 by bone marrow (BM) transplantation from young 1.5 months old donors to 21.5-months old recipient mice of the same strain C57BL/6. We applied here the recently published new transplantation technique, which allows to get high scores of chimerism due to very high amount of transplanted cells (1.5 x 10(8) per mouse or 25% of its total BM count). In the earlier works only 1% of total BM count (about 5 x 10(6) cells per mouse) was usually transplanted to lethally irradiated mice, what excluded the possibility to apply this method for life extension. As a result of the modified technique implementation, the mean post-transplantation life (starting the 21.5 months old) of treated mice was 4.9 months versus 3.4 months for untreated mice. The difference in 1.5 months counts for 44% extension of mean post-transplantation life.

[Chronic persistent infections of anterior segment of eye: clinico-laboratory aspects]

AIM

Improvement of therapy of chronic ophthalmic infectious diseases during assessment of functioning of different arms of immune system.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three hundred and fifty patients with chronic red-eye syndrome were tested by immunofluorescence assay on the presence of antigens of herpesviruses, adenoviruses and Chlamydia in samples from conjunctiva. Expression of 11 cytokines' genes was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Production of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma, levels of serum and spontaneously produced interferon as well as level of susceptibility to the range of immunomodulating preparations were measured during study of interferon status in whole blood cells. Study of parameters of cytokine, interferon and immune statuses was performed in 70 patients. Counts of T- and B-lymphocytes, T-helpers, NK-cells as well as level of circulating immune complexes were measured during study of immune status.

RESULTS

Antigens of herpes simplex virus and adenoviruses were detected in samples from conjunctiva in 27% (95 persons) and 36% (126 persons) of patients respectively. Enhanced level of expression of several cytokines (IL-2, IL-4) in studied patients compared with healthy volunteers was observed. Expression levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha mRNAs were, in opposite, in 2 - 3 times lower. Disorder of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma synthesis on post-transciption level was observed in 60 - 90% of patients. Decrease of absolute numbers of total T-lymphocytes and T-helpers as well as increase of absolute number of NK-cells was noted in 20%, 25%, and 27% of patients respectively.

CONCLUSION

Assignment of individually oriented antiviral, antibacterial and immunomodulating therapy allowed to mitigate intensity of clinical symptoms in 30 -60% of patients with chronic persistent infections of anterior segment of eye.

Transfer of signs of aging to young mice by splenic lymphoid cells from old syngeneic donors

Single intraperitoneal injection of splenic lymphoid cells from 20-month-old mice to 2-month-old syngeneic mice (similarly as 5-day injections of purified brain extract) leads to preterm (4 months earlier than in the control) appearance of aging factor in the blood (the main sign of old age). Combined injections of brain extract and splenic lymphoid cells led to the appearance of aging factor in the blood 5 months earlier than in the control.

Artificial aging of mice

Clinical signs of aging verified by morphometrical analysis of brain tissue were observed in young mice 4 months after administration of brain extract from old mice (5 intraperitoneal injections).

[Gliosis as a trigger of pathomorphological changes in prion diseases]

Experiments with three cell lines revealed that the scraplecontaining cerebral extract, obtained from preliminarily infected 6-month mice, sharply induced the cellular proliferation, which was registered yet in 3 days after incubation. However, the cerebral extract of healthy 6-month mice did not virtually influence the velocity of cells' reproduction in all three cultures. The authors suggest, with respect to published data and to their independently found research results, that the gliosis of primary importance in shaping up the pathomorphological alterations in the cerebral tissue in prion diseases of man and animal.

[From prion diseases to the problem of aging and death]

The brain tissue of aging mice shows a factor that stimulates the proliferation of cells of glial origin both in primarily trypsinized and inoculated cultures. This factor that is likely to be of peptide origin is characterized by pronounced accumulation dynamics with increasing age in mammals, by unusually high thermal stability and by its possible detection in the brain extracts by means of isoelectrofocusing rather than electrophoresis. The author proposes a concept under which the brain tissue of aging mammals, including human beings, accumulates the factor that is active in stimulating the proliferation of glial elements, thus resulting in impairment of neuronal trophism, which can in turn be a cause of their death and, in the long run, a cause of death of the brain and the whole body.

The Possible Immunological Mechanisms of Pathology in Mice with Congenitally Acquired Influenza Infection

The fact that congenitally acquired viral infection often strongly influences specific and non-specific immunoreactivity is well documented. Viral infection of pregnant female may lead to serious of pathological consequences for the offspring, namely, to mortality, developmental disorders and in less severe cases to body growth retardation, wasting syndrome and immunodeficiency. In this connection, we have studied congenitally acquired influenza infection in CII mice. The progeny of C57BL/6 female mice, which were infected with influenza virus (A/WSN) by the 3rd week of pregnancy, exhibited a profound growth retardation and major morphological lesions of central nervous system, lymphoid and other organs. We have found out that mice with congenitally acquired influenza infection had autoreactive killer T cells in their lymphoid organs. CII mice exhibited some features of chronic immune activation, namely elevated spontaneous proliferation, spontaneous development of plaque forming cells, and spontaneous inhibition of migration activity. Lymphoid cells from mice with congenitally acquired influenza infection induced an enlargement of regional lymph nodes after they had been injected into syngeneic non-infected recipient in popleteal node assay. The level of this reaction depended on the level of virus-bearing cells in donor cell population and correlated with the increase of gammadelta and CD4(+) T cells. The role of these interactions in pathology is discussed herein.

[The immunological consequences of congenital infections]

Mice of different strains were inoculated with type A influenza virus or Mycoplasma arthritidis in the second half of pregnancy. A part of the animals born after this inoculation were characterized by a sharp retardation of growth. The study of the immune status of such animals revealed that their proliferative response to mitogenic/superantigenic factors of the infective agents introduced during pregnancy was suppressed or absent, and the cells of their immune system began to recognize syngeneic intact stimulators in the mixed lymphocytes culture as heterogeneous ones. The spleen of the experimental animals was found to contain suppressor cells, both specific and nonspecific with respect to the infective agent. After inoculation with M. arthritidis areactivity was observed only in mice, sensitive to mycoplasmal superantigen. The data thus obtained suggest that the penetration of infecting agents producing mitogenic/superantigenic factors induced changes in the immune system, contributing to the persistence of the infective agent in the host body.

[The induction by the influenza virus A/H1N1 (serovariant Hsw1N1) and its glycoproteins of congenital pathology in mice]

Influenza A/H1N1 (serovariant Hsw1N1) virus, a sum of isolated glycoproteins, separately neuraminidase "heads", inoculated into white random-bred female mice, induced in some of the offsprings the pathology clinically and pathomorphologically similar to previously described slow virus infection. At the same time, the pathology in the offsprings caused by the antigenic virus variant under study was characterized by complete absence of fur and more dynamic progress of the disease. It is quite obvious that glycoproteins, particularly neuraminidase, are the molecular biological basis of dystrophic and degenerative changes in the organs of baby mice due to desialization and increased fluidity of capillary endothelium membranes and, possibly, CNS and other organ cells.

[The pathomorphological changes in the organs and tissues of mice with congenital pathology induced by the inactivated influenza virus]

The structural and functional changes in organs and tissues of 30 young mice born from mothers treated intravenously with irradiation-inactivated influenza virus were studied. A detailed morphological analysis showed that a single inoculation of pregnant females with inactivated influenza virus resulted in the progeny in morphological lesions in organs and tissues typical of slow influenza infection.

[The humoral immunity system of mice with experimental slow influenzal infection]

The status of the interferon system and level of immunoglobulins were studied in C57BL6 mice with slow influenza infection. These mice showed signs of immunosuppression: low endogenous interferon production, synthesis of alpha- and gamma-interferon by splenocytes of these mice in vitro 4-8 times lower than by those of the controls, lower levels of IgG in the blood serum. These data indicate general suppression of humoral immunity.

[Effect of maternal virus-specific T-lymphocytes on pregnancy and fetal pathogenesis in experimental congenital influenza infection]

Inoculation of virus-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL) to pregnant mice infected with influenza virus was shown to result in a decrease of infectious virus concentration in the lungs and blood of mice as well as in the placentas and fetuses. With an increase in the dose of inoculated CTL, however, premature deliveries with stillbirths were observed as well as deaths of the mice, the highest frequency of fetal deaths being observed after infection of pregnant mice in the first half of pregnancy. It is not excluded that maternal virus-specific CTL played a role in the formation of developmental abnormalities and immunodeficient states in newborns.

[Persistence of the influenza virus in children with congenital CNS pathology]

Sick infants born to mothers who experienced influenza during pregnancy were examined. The cerebrospinal fluid, serum and blood cells were collected from such children with signs of congenital immune deficiency and progressive pathology of the central nervous system. None of the specimens yielded infectious influenza virus, but by means of molecular hybridization virus-specific genetic sequences were found in small amounts in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum and in high concentrations in blood cells. Persistence of genes NP, M and H1 of influenza A/H1N1 virus was observed in the blood cells of one infant for 83 days (the observation period). At the same time, the lack of antibodies to viral M protein in serum of this baby was demonstrated by the immune blotting method.

[The use of T-activin for the prevention of congenital influenzal infection in mice and the correction of the immune deficiency]

Viremia accompanying influenza infection and the possibility of transplacental passage of the virus into the fetus make it expedient to develop measures for the prophylaxis of intrauterine infection of the fetus in case of influenza during pregnancy. The work presents the optimum scheme of administration of T-activin for prophylactic purposes to pregnant mice with acute influenza infection. Besides, the use of T-activin for immunocorrection in case of established congenital influenza infection in mice is proposed.

[Characteristics of immune reactions to the influenza virus in mice with a slow influenzal infection]

It had previously been shown that intrauterine infection of mice with influenza virus resulted in growth retardation and significant immunosuppression to various nonspecific agents and influenza virus. The present study demonstrated that such mice also had lower production of specific antibody and reduced capacity to form the delayed hypersensitivity to influenza virus. Despite the lack of specific immune response, such mice had high levels of response to influenza virus in adoptive transfer. The reasons for which lymphocytes of mice with slow influenza infection fail to manifest their immunological potentials in situ require further study.

[The role of maternal virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in the immunopathology of congenital influenza infection in mice]

Using 51Cr isotope label it was demonstrated that a very low per cent of syngeneic lymphocytes derived from healthy donors and inoculated in the blood stream of uninfected or influenza virus-infected pregnant mice is found in fetuses before delivery. Similar results were obtained after inoculation of virus-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL) into uninfected pregnant mice. After inoculation into the blood stream of infected pregnant mice of virus-specific CTL their migration into fetuses before delivery increases, being most marked in 25-30% of mice. Intravenous inoculation of excess CTL (10(6) cells) to infected pregnant mice resulted in rapid development of signs of slow influenza infection in the progeny with typical clinical picture and histopathological lesions in organs and tissues. Large doses (10(7)-10(8) cells) of CTL inoculated into the blood stream cause higher reduction and death of fetuses and increase the rate of stillbirths. The role of maternal virus-specific CTL in the pathogenesis of experimental congenital and especially slow influenza infection is discussed.

[Morphometric analysis of immunologic deficiency in newborn mice developing after transplacental transmission of live or inactivated influenza A virus]

Morphometric evaluation of the thymus and spleen was used to characterize the complex immunological deficiency in suckling mice developing as a result of transplacental transmission of both live and inactivated influenza virus.

Influenza virus genetic sequences in the blood of children with congenital pathology of the CNS

Influenza A virus genetic sequences revealed by dot hybridization were detected in peripheral blood cells, serum and liquor of three children with congenital pathology of the CNS. The children were born to mothers who contacted influenza during pregnancy. The virus-specific sequences were found for a long period of time (83 days in one case). The serum of the child did not contain antibodies against M protein suggesting that viral nucleocapsids but not the virus particles persist in the organism of the sick child.

[The role of suppressor cells in congenital influenza infection in mice]

Young mice with congenital influenza infection have lower immune responsiveness of lymphocytes to nonspecific mitogens and influenza virus antigens. Lymphocytes of such animals inhibit proliferation of normal lymphoid cells activated with concanavalin A and immune lymphocytes activated with influenza virus antigens. It is assumed that in congenital influenza infection one of the possible mechanisms of immunosuppression in mice is the activation of suppressor T-cells.

[Induction by an inactivated influenza virus of congenital pathology and pregnancy pathology in mice]

Intravenous inoculation of pregnant mice with inactivated (noninfectious) influenza virus reduces by one-third their fertility owing to the death of the fetuses. Among the progeny of such females, there are specimens with signs of progressive pathology clinically similar to that which develops in the progeny born to the females intranasally inoculated during pregnancy with a live (infectious) influenza virus. The frequency of such pathology depends both on the virus strain and on genetic characteristics of mice. The role of influenza virus surface structures in the development of pathology of pregnancy and pathology in the progeny is discussed.

[Cochleovestibular disorders in chronic alcoholics]

Auditory and vestibular functions were studied in 85 chronic alcoholics (45 subjects with Stage II and 40 with Stage III alcoholism). In 54.1% of all cases, disorders in the auditory analyzer, predominantly at the site of the first neuron, were detected. It was revealed that following the progression of the disease to Stage III, auditory disturbances in such patients became more frequent and prominent. The study of the vestibular analyzer showed that the hyperreflexia of caloric and postrotatory nystagmus characteristic of the second stage of chronic alcoholism was replaced, at the next stage of disease, by normo- and hyporeflexia; there was also an increase in the changes of caloric nystagmus expressed in the form of rhythm disturbances.

[Slow influenzal infection developing in the progeny of mice as a result of infection of the females during pregnancy]

Transplacental transmission of influenza virus from female mice infected during pregnancy may be detected as early as one day after virus inoculation, and the concentration of the infectious virus in fetal tissues is proportional to the infective dose. The intrauterine infection of fetuses leads to the development in a portion of progeny of slow influenza infection the frequency of which depends on the size of the dose used for inoculation of pregnant females. The slow influenza infection developed with similar effectiveness in the progeny of SHK colony mice and C57BL/6 line. As a result of influenza virus infection of pregnant C57BL/6 mice, there were specimens among their progeny devoid of body fur resembling the line of athymic nude mice. It is suggested that the birth of such nude mice is due to reversible changes in the thymus occurring under the influence of influenza virus.

[Experimental slow influenza infection in mice]

In baby mice born to mothers--virus carriers (surviving for various periods after intranasal administration of influenza virus), infectious persisting influenza virus in titres of 10(0.5) to 10(2.5) EID50/0.1 ml was found in the blood, lungs, livers, kidneys, spleens, and brains. Not infrequently, such animals developed a severe pathological process accompanied by growth retardation and characterized by progressive involvement of the hypothalamus, immunocompetent organs, endocrine system and always terminating by the death of the animals. Possible mechanisms of the described slow form of influenza infection are discussed.

[Possible ways of modeling latent influenzae infection in mice]

A latent influenza infection was produced experimentally in three ways: after experiencing the disease, after immunization with a live virus, as a result of vertical transmission of the virus persisting in females. In the latent influenza infection forming after the disease the duration of virus persistence was 112 days postinfection. The persisting virus from the animals receiving a single immunization was isolated only up to 35 days postinoculation. Both after the disease and immunization with a live virus the persisting infectious virus was found in the lungs in low titres not exceeding 1 lg EID50/0.2 ml. In contrast, a latent influenza infection in mice born to mothers-virus carriers was characterized by virus persistence in the blood and viscera in titres of 10(1) to 10(2) EID50/0.1 ml. Features of influenza virus persistence and conditions of its formation in mammals by the three ways mentioned are discussed.

[Acute and latent influenzal infection in mice with altered endogenous serotonin metabolism]

A steady and long-term increase of the endogenous serotonine concentration in the lungs, spleen, and brain achieved by administration of nontoxic doses of indopan, an inhibitor of monoamineoxidase, caused a significant decrease of resistance of animals to influenza virus in acute infection. After natural route of inoculation with 20 LD50 of the allantoic influenza A3/WSN (HON1) virus strain in the animals treated with indopan the area of lung affection with specific influenza pneumonia increased, the virus concentration in the lungs and spleen rose sharply, the titre of IgM antibody in the blood decreased; the animal mortality in this group also increased. The level of serotonin in the blood and organs of latently infected animals became normal 6 weeks after virus inoculation. In some of these animals, however, indopan caused a greater increase of serotonin level in the lungs than in intact mice of the same weight and age. Without changing the amine levels in the spleen and the brain, indopan caused 4-16-fold increase in the titer of specific antihemagglutinins in the blood, mostly of IgM fraction, as compared with the controls. In latent influenza infection the balance of serotonin metabolism in the lungs in unstable.