Diversity of Harpin-Like Defense Peptides from Barnyard Grass (Echinochloa crusgalli L.) Seeds

The results of the study of the structure and function of harpin-like peptides (alpha-harpinins) of the EcAMP group from the barnyard grass (E. crusgalli) seeds and the possibility of their involvement in the innate immunity to biotic stresses are presented.

New genes for accurate normalization of qRT-PCR results in study of iPS and iPS-derived cells

iPSC-derived cells (from induced pluripotent stem cells) are a useful source that provide a powerful and widely accepted tool for the study of various types of human cells in vitro. Indeed, iPSC-derived cells from patients with hereditary diseases have been shown to reproduce the hallmarks of these diseases in vitro, phenotypes that can then also be manipulated in vitro. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is often used to characterize the progress of iPSC differentiation, validate mature cell types and to determine levels of pathological markers. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is used to quantify mRNA levels. This method requires some way of normalizing the data, typically by relating the obtained levels of gene expression to the levels of expression of a "house keeping gene", a gene whose expression is presumed not to change during manipulation of the cells. In the literature, typically only one such reference gene is used and its stability of expression during cell manipulation is not demonstrated. We are not aware of any study systematically looking at the expression of such genes in human iPSC or during their differentiation into neurons. Here we compare the expression of 16 reference genes in iPSC, neural stem cells (NSC) and neurons derived from iPSC. The applications GeNorm and NormFinder were used to identify the most suitable reference genes. We showed that ACTb, C1orf43, PSMB4, GAPDH and HMBS have the most stable expression. The use of these reference genes allows an accurate normalization of qRT-PCR results in all the cell types discussed above. We hope that this report will help to enable the performance of proper qRT-PCR results normalization in studies with iPSC-derived cells and in disease-modeling reports.

[Objectivization of the choice of the amputation level in patients with lower limb critical ischaemia]

The authors compared the informative value of the intraoperative criteria for assessing viability of muscles in high amputations of limbs for chronic critical ischaemia. It was revealed that such signs as subjectively evaluated bleeding, contractility and oedema of muscles possess low specificity in relation to the development of early postoperative complications. Intraoperative macroscopic histochemical study (IHCS) of the activity of muscular tissue lactate dehydrogenase at the level of amputation showed sensitivity of 96,3% and specificity of 92,9 %. Taking into consideration the results of IHCS for objectivization of the choice of the level of amputation made it possible to save the knee joint in 8,9 % of patients with gangrene on the background of high occlusion of lower limb arteries and to decrease the frequency of postoperative necrosis of muscle of the stump from 15,0% to 3,5%.

[Intra-operative histochemical detection of vitalized muscular tissue during lower limb amputation for chronic critical ischemia]

Direct results of 747 lower limb amputations for chronic critical lower limb ischemia were analyzed. Early postoperative complications were observed in 45,1% of cases. Among them 45,4% were caused by tissue ischemia. Basing on detection of lactate dehydrogenase activity in muscular tissue method of intra-operative evaluation of tissue ischemia at the level of amputation is proposed. Relationship between this index and frequency of early postoperative complications is proved.

[Regional anesthesia and timely treatment for neuropathy in patients with pyonecrotic forms of the diabetic foot]

Regional anesthesia was studied for its impact on the functional status of a peripheral nerve in 20 patients with purulent diseases of the lower extremities in the presence of diabetes mellitus. The impact of conservative therapy on the peripheral nerve was also studied in these patients. There was no negative impact of regional methods of anesthesia on the function of the nerve, its improvement due to treatment with alpha-lipoic acid and serotonin adipinate.

[Enzymatic production of superoxide by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in burns]

Production of superoxide anion by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) was studied in donors and patients with burns. N-formyl-L-Met-L-Leu-L-Phe (FMLP) was used as an activator of PMNL. Evaluation in production of superoxide anion, caused by the activating effect of FMLP, proved to be useful as a diagnostic and prognostic criterion. 56 preparations of blood were studied in 21 patients with burns within the periods of acute burns toxemia, burns septicotoxemia and convalescence. Superoxide anion generating activity correlated with the disease severity: content of superoxide anion was distinctly decreased within the period of sepsis development. At the same time, complex treatment of the patients, involving step-by-step autodermoplastics, antibacterial preparations and immunotherapy, enabled to restore the superoxide anion production up to normal values. Evaluation of the superoxide anion generating activity by PMNL in the patients with severe forms of burns enabled to estimate the state of cell immunity in the patients depending on severity of burns trauma, period of burn disease and adequacy of the treatment applied.