The purpose of this work was to study changes in the level of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the blood of young and old rats in the normal state and with induced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups—young (3 months), old (20 months), intact, or with testosterone-induced BPH. Groups with BPH were subjected to surgical castration and administration of testosterone esters at a dose of 25 mg/kg for a total of 7 injections for 20 days. In intact animals, the level of cfDNA in old rats (2.00±0.14 ng/μl) was significantly higher than that in the young (1.02±0.30 ng/μl). The body and the prostate weights of old rats were 1.6 and 1.4 times larger than those of the young, without an increase in the prostate index (PI). The testosterone level in the blood of young rats was 1.6 times higher than that of old (6.20±0.93 nmol/l vs. 3.77±0.55 nmol/l; NS). In animals with BPH, the level of cfDNA in old rats (3.14±0.76 ng/μl) was significantly higher than that in young rats (0.80±0.14 ng/μl). The body and the prostate weights in old rats were 1.8 and 2.3 times larger, than those in young rats, with an increase in the PI. The level of testosterone in the blood of young (15.76±0.51 nmol/l) and old (16.99±1.1 nmol/l) rats was not significantly different. Morphological signs of BPH were observed in the prostate of both young and old rats. During the induction of BPH in the experiment, according to the level of cfDNA, cell death processes have not changed significantly in young rats but significantly increased in old rats. A similar trend was observed in the group of intact animals. The obtained data indicate that apoptosis processes are enhanced during the development of BPH despite the growth of tissues in the prostate itself.

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Human gut microbiome plays important roles in protecting against it, as well as contributing to its onset and progression. Identification of specific bacterial taxa associated with early stages of colorectal cancer may help develop effective microbiome-based diagnostics. For precancerous lesions, links of their characteristics to luminal and tumor-associated microbiome composition are to be elucidated. Paired stool and tumor brush biopsy samples were collected from 50 patients with precancerous lesions and early forms of colon cancer; their microbial communities were profiled using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. We showed that the microbiome differences between stool and biopsy samples can be to a high extent computationally corrected. Compositionality-aware statistical analysis of microbiome composition revealed its associations with the number of lesions, lesion type, location and malignization pathway. A major determinant of precancerous lesions malignancy risk—the number of lesions—was positively associated with the abundance of H2S-producing taxa. Our results contribute to the basis for developing early non-invasive colorectal cancer diagnostics via identifying microorganisms likely participating in early stages of cancer pathogenesis.

Background: There is some evidence that Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer, so conducting research on effective BPH inhibitors is important. Objective: This research studied the inhibitory effect of Iodized Serum Milk Protein (ISMP) on BPH in rats. ISMP is a concentrate of lactic protein containing 2.2% iodine. Methods: Male Wistar rats, aged 18 months, were used. In the intact control group, sunflower oil was administered intragastrically by gavage. In 36 rats, BPH was induced by surgical castration, followed by subcutaneous injections of prolonged testosterone - omnadren, 25mg/kg every other day (7 administrations). One group of rats served as BPH-control. ISMP and finasteride (positive control), dissolved in sunflower oil, were administered to rats intragastrically daily at a dose of 200μg/kg and 5mg/kg, respectively, for 4 weeks starting immediately after castration. Results: ISMP inhibited the development of BPH in rats, significantly reducing the mass of the prostate and its parts (except for the anterior lobes) by 1.1-1.3 times and the prostatic index (the ratio of prostate weight to the body weight) - by 1.3-1.4 times. Finasteride inhibited the development of BPH, and its activity was higher (by 1.1-1.3 times) than in ISMP. : Histological analysis of the prostate showed fewer pronounced morphological hyperplasia signs in animals treated with ISMP or finasteride. Conclusion: The iodine-containing preparation ISMP has the ability to inhibit the development of BPH in rats although its activity is somewhat lower than that of finasteride.

Стоматологический кариес — инфекционное заболевание, вызванное бактериями Strepto­coccus mutans. Существует множество исследований по разработке методов и материалов для профилактики кариеса. Использование пассивной иммунизации, когда специфические антитела и антиген активно удаляются из зоны поражения, являются наиболее безопасной и эффективной стратегией лечения. В данной работе были получены высокоактивные антитела IgY из желтков кур против S. mutans с высокими титрами как в ИФА, так и в реакции агглютинации. Разработана оригинальная методика выделения и очистки IgY, позволяющая получать высокоочищенные IgY-антитела с высокими титрами в промышленных масштабах. Полученные антитела могут быть использованы как при разработке средств защиты полости рта от S. mutans (зубные пасты, ополаскиватели для полости рта, таблетки для рассасывания), так и в целях диагностики.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common chronic disease in ageing men. Synthetic inhibitors of 5α‐reductase commonly used in BPH treatment have limited effectiveness and may cause side effects. Evaluation of iodised serum milk protein and lycopene therapeutic effect in rat BPH model was the aim of the present study. BPH was induced in male Wistar rats by surgical castration and subsequent testosterone administrations (25 mg/kg, 7 injections). Rats with induced BPH received lycopene (5 mg/kg), iodised serum milk protein (200 µg/kg) or their combination for 1 month daily. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated by the prostate weight, prostatic index and ventral lobe epithelium thickness. In lycopene and iodised serum milk protein‐treated rats, prostate weight and prostatic index were significantly reduced compared to control group; and lycopene and iodised serum milk protein used in combination yielded an additive effect. Thus, further investigation of combined supplementation with micronutrients and plant‐derived substances in BPH models may help to find new opportunities or its safe and effective treatment.