Moscow Technological Institute

The neurobiology of human stress-related disorders remains poorly understood, necessitating novel models and new model organisms to advance translational research in this field. Complementing rodent studies, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a useful model species for stress-related disorders. Here, we develop two novel experimental models of stress-related brain disorders, based on repeated prolonged exposure to predators or on chronic unpredictable stress in adult zebrafish. The ability of both models to recapitulate human stress in these fish was assessed behaviorally, in the novel tank and the plus maze (anxiety, locomotor, and cognitive tests), as well as by analyzing the baseline levels of cortisol, a common neuroendocrine biomarker of stress. Overall, anxiety-like behavior in the novel tank test was seen in both stressed groups, whereas poor learning and higher anxiety were observed in the plus maze test in predator-exposed fish, paralleling clinical cognitive and affective symptoms. Elevated cortisol in both stressed zebrafish further resembled neuroendocrine deficits seen in stress-related disorders clinically. Finally, the evoked behavioral and endocrine stress symptoms were rescued by treatment with two popular, clinically active antidepressant drugs, fluoxetine and paroxetine. Collectively, these models successfully recapitulated in zebrafish several key aspects of clinical stress-related disorders, further supporting the utility of these fish for translational stress research and anti-stress drug development.

A microprinting approach is developed to fabricate uniform polymer microcages from microarray structures, enabling scalable production and tunable drug release through precise control over polymer composition.

Vitamin B12 (B12), a crucial water-soluble vitamin, plays an essential role in various cellular functions, including DNA synthesis and cellular metabolism. This review explores recent advancements in B12 delivery systems and their potential applications in drug delivery. The unique absorption pathways of B12, which involve specific binding proteins and receptors, are highlighted, emphasizing the vitamin’s protective mechanisms that enhance its bioavailability. The review discusses the intricate multi-protein network involved in B12 metabolism and the implications of B12 deficiency, which can lead to significant health issues, including neurological and hematological disorders. Additionally, the potential of B12 as a drug carrier to improve the pharmacokinetic properties of poorly bioavailable medications is examined. The findings suggest that optimizing B12 delivery could enhance therapeutic outcomes in nanomedicine and other clinical applications.

Aggressive behaviour in pigs poses significant challenges to animal welfare, production efficiency, and economic performance in the pork industry. This review explores the multifaceted causes of pig aggression, focusing on genetic, environmental, and physiological factors. Aggression in pigs is categorized into social, maternal, fear-induced, play, and redirected aggression, with early-life hierarchies and environmental stressors playing critical roles. Physiological markers, such as elevated cortisol and reduced serotonin levels, are closely linked to aggressive behaviour, while dietary interventions, including tryptophan supplementation, have shown promise in mitigating aggression. Environmental factors, such as overcrowding, noise, and heat stress, exacerbate aggressive tendencies, whereas enrichment strategies, like music and improved housing conditions, can reduce stress and aggression. Genome-wide analyses have pinpointed specific polymorphisms in neurotransmitter genes (DRD2, SLC6A4, MAOA) and stress-response loci (RYR1) as significant predictors of porcine aggression. Advances in genomic technologies, including genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and transcriptomic analyses, have further elucidated the genetic and epigenetic underpinnings of aggressive behaviour. Practical application in breeding programmes remains challenging due to aggression polygenic nature and industry hesitancy toward genomic approaches. Future research should focus on integrating genetic markers into breeding programmes, developing multitrait selection indices, and exploring epigenetic modifications to improve animal welfare and production efficiency. By addressing these challenges, the pork industry can enhance both the well-being of pigs and the sustainability of production systems.

Purpose This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the effectiveness of ASPs in managing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), focusing on antibiotic optimization and resistance mitigation. Methods Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using PICOS criteria. Studies involving adults with CAP exposed to ASPs were included. Data on clinical, economic, diagnostic, and treatment outcomes were extracted. Random-effects meta-analysis using R software pooled effect sizes. Outcomes reported in at least three studies were analyzed for robustness. Results ASPs did not significantly impact in-hospital mortality, length of stay, 30-day readmissions, sample collection rates, or intravenous antibiotic duration. However, notable improvements included shorter time to clinical stability and a 31% reduction in 30-day mortality. Legionella urinary antigen testing frequency increased nearly threefold, and the time from admission to antibiotic initiation was reduced. Enhanced adherence to timely antibiotic administration and recommended regimens was observed, though outcome variability persisted. Conclusion ASPs significantly improve CAP management by enhancing clinical stability and accelerating antibiotic initiation. Multifaceted strategies, including rapid diagnostics and clinician education, yield clinical benefits. However, outcome variability suggests a need for tailored interventions. Future research should isolate specific ASP components influencing prescriber behavior. Ongoing investment in education, diagnostics, and interdisciplinary collaboration is vital to optimize CAP treatment and combat antibiotic resistance.

Mugwort-allergic patients frequently experience severe respiratory allergies due to sensitization to the major allergen Art v 1, with allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) as the only causal treatment to halt disease progression. This study evaluated the effects of subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual (SLIT) ASIT with purified recombinant Art v 1 (rArt v 1) in a murine model of mugwort pollen of asthma. BALB/c mice were sensitized with Artemisia vulgaris pollen extract and treated with either rArt v 1-based SCIT adjuvanted with Montanide ISA-51, rArt v 1-based SLIT, an extract-based commercial SLIT vaccine, or PBS. Both rArt v 1-based SCIT and SLIT improved lung pathology and reduced airway reactivity following allergen challenge, with rArt v 1-based SCIT inducing Th1-polarized immune responses marked by increased IFN-γ production and rArt v 1-specific IgG1/IgG2a, while SLIT induced stronger mucosal IgA responses. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of rArt v 1-based ASIT for mugwort allergy.

One of the main issues of the satellite-to-ground optical communication, including free-space satellite quantum key distribution (QKD), is an achievement of the reasonable accuracy of positioning, navigation, and optical stabilization. Proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controllers can handle various control tasks in optical systems. Recent research shows the promising results in the area of composite control systems including classical control via PID controllers and reinforcement learning (RL) approach. In this work, we apply a RL agent to an experimental stand of the optical stabilization system of the QKD terminal. We find via agent control history more precise PID parameters and also provide an effective combined RL-PID dynamic control approach for the optical stabilization of the satellite-to-ground communication system.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects millions of people worldwide. One of the main challenges of rehabilitation strategies is re-training and enhancing the plasticity of the spinal circuitry that was preserved or rebuilt after the injury. The serotonergic system appears to be crucial in these processes, since recent studies have reported the capability of serotonergic (5-HT) axons for axonal sprouting and regeneration in response to central nervous system (CNS) trauma or neurodegeneration. We took advantage of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 knockout (TPH2 KO) rats, lacking serotonin specifically in the brain and spinal cord, to study the role of the serotonergic system in the recovery of sensorimotor function after SCI. In the present work, we compared the rate of sensorimotor recovery of TPH2 KO and wild-type (WT) female rats after SCI (lateral hemisection at the T8 spinal level). SCI caused severe motor impairments in the ipsilateral left hindlimb, the most pronounced in the first week after the hemisection with gradual functional recovery during the following 3 weeks. The results demonstrate that TPH2 KO rats have less potential to recover motor functions since the degree of sensorimotor deficit in the tapered beam walking test (TBW) and ladder walking test (LW) was significantly higher in the TPH2 KO group in comparison to the WT animals in the 3rd and 4th weeks after SCI. The recovery dynamics of the hindlimb muscle tone and voluntary movements was in agreement with the restoration of motor performance in TBW and LW. Compound muscle action potential analysis in the gastrocnemius (GM) and tibialis (TA) muscles of both hindlimbs after electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve or lumbar region (L5–L6) of the spinal cord indicated slower recovery of sensorimotor pathways in the TPH2 KO group versus their WT counterparts. In general, the observed results confirm the significance of central serotonergic mechanisms in the recovery of sensorimotor functions in rats and the relevance of the TPH2 KO rat model in studying the role of the 5-HT system in neurorehabilitation.

Background: Muscle disuse results in complex signaling alterations followed by structural and functional changes, such as atrophy, force decrease and slow-to-fast fiber-type shift. Little is known about human skeletal muscle signaling alterations under long-term muscle disuse. Methods: In this study, we describe the effects of 21-day dry immersion on human postural soleus muscle. We performed both transcriptomic analysis and Western blots to describe the states of the key signaling pathways regulating soleus muscle fiber size, fiber-type, and metabolism. Results: 21-day dry immersion resulted in both slow-type and fast-type myofibers atrophy, downregulation of rRNA content, and mTOR signaling. 21-day dry immersion also leads to slow-to-fast fiber-type and gene expression shift, upregulation of p-eEF2, p-CaMKII, p-ACC content and downregulation of NFATc1 nuclear content. It also caused massive gene expression alterations associated with calcium signaling, cytoskeletal parameters, and downregulated mitochondrial signaling (including fusion, fission, and marker of mitochondrial density).

Comparative studies of the characteristics of high-molecular organic matter (cotton lint), subjected to pyrolytic carbonization under conditions of high-intensity microwave radiation in various gaseous media (N2, CO2, Ar), have been carried out. The following methods were applied: determination of the adsorption activity by methylene blue indicator, X-ray fluorescence analysis, transmission electron microscopy with microanalysis, and X-ray phase analysis. Electrodes were fabricated from carbon materials obtained by microwave carbonization using different gases, and symmetric cells were assembled according to the two-electrode scheme. Their electrochemical properties were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge methods. The materials obtained using a CO2 gaseous medium were found to possess the best characteristics.

Epidural electrical stimulation of the spinal cord (ES) is used to restore/improve locomotor movements in patients. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying activation of locomotor networks by ES are unknown. Here, we analyzed the effects of ES on the activity of individual spinal neurons of different functional locomotor groups. Neuronal activity was recorded in decerebrate cats before and during ES that evoked locomotion. During ES initial period (NW-period, before the locomotion onset), the activity was increased in most neurons as compared to that before ES. We found that ES-caused activation of neurons of locomotor network to the average level similar to that observed during locomotion is not sufficient for initiation of locomotion. We demonstrated that the onset of ES-evoked locomotion was associated with specific changes in the activity of individual neurons within functional locomotor groups and in their responses to epidural stimuli. With the locomotion onset, there was a trend for individual neurons with extremely high activity during NW-period to decrease their activity, while for neurons with extremely low activity to become more active. Also, in neurons contributing to generation of a specific mode of locomotion, peaks and troughs in responses to individual epidural stimuli were significantly less pronounced as compared with those observed during NW-period. We suggest that these changes allow ES to maintain the high level of excitability of the locomotor network necessary for its operation without distortion of the locomotor rhythm. The obtained results advance our understanding of the neuronal mechanisms underlying activation of locomotor network by ES.