bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE CATHEDRAL OF THE ST. NICHOLAS IN UGRESHA MONASTERY BASED ON GRAPHIC AND WRITTEN SOURCES
Authors: Batalov Andrey L.
Published: April 2024

The article analyzes graphic and written sources on the architectural appearance of the Cathedral of the St. Nicholas in Ugresha Monastery. The author establishes the reliability of the architectural drawings that were used to conceive the original appearance of the cathedral. Particular attention is paid to the history of the reconstruction of the cathedral in the early 1840s. As a result, it is stated that it is impossible to draw any definite conclusions about the original composition and design of the cathedral due to significant changes in its historical appearance in the middle of the 19th century and the presence of only assumptive ideas about it. Moreover, records in chronicles do not make it possible to determine when exactly the stone cathedral was built. Its dating can only be made provisionally from the period between 1521 and 1550.
ELITE BURIALS OF THE BEGINNING OF THE IRON AGE IN THE SURGUT AND LOWER OB RIVER REGION
Authors: Borzunov Viktor A.
Published: April 2024

Over the past four decades, in the taiga areas of the Surgut and Lower Ob River Region, six unique burial objects of the Early Iron Age with a large number of imported and local goods have been discovered: single graves, a hoard with shaman’s regalia and a burial of ittarma dolls personifying a group of warriors who died in a foreign land. The studied sites belonged to representatives of the local elite. No similar complexes of the Stone and Bronze Ages have been found. This testifies to the presence of social stratification in the Ugrian and Ugrian-Samoyedic society of the western area of the Kulayka cultural-historical community (KCHC) in the 1st–4th centuries BC. Meanwhile, the emergence in the region of bastion-tower fortresses, anthropomorphic copper figurines in helmets and “solar” crowns, as well as the find of an arrowhead of the “Kulayka culture type” in a dwelling of the Beloyarskaya culture suggest that the formation of the image of a warrior-leader-bogatyr-spirit and of the military, property-owing and cult elite separated from the ordinary community members started perhaps even earlier – around the middle of the 1st millennium BC. The main prerequisite for these phenomena, as well as for the appearance of iron products in the taiga communities of the Ob River Rregion in the absence of a producing economy (animal husbandry, agriculture), was the involvement of hunters-fishers in the north of Western Siberia into the Eurasian economy as regular suppliers of furs.
ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE 16th CENTURY CHURCH IN THE ST. NICHOLAS IN UGRESHA MONASTERY (works in 2004)
Authors: Frolov Mikhail V. , Belyaev Leonid A. , Evdokimov Georgy S. , Chernov Sergey Z.
Published: April 2024

The article publishes materials from excavations of one of the stone churches lost in the 1930s–1940s in the monastery of St. Nicholas “in Ugresha” in the Moscow vicinity. In 2004, the remains of its basement masonry were cleared, which contained a large amount of spolia from an earlier church of the 15th – first half of the 16th century. A part of the monastery cemetery of the 14th–15th centuries was investigated, the site stratigraphy was established. The paper presents a complete plan and cross-sections of the structure, as well as all the limestone fragments found there. The article accompanies the research of A.L. Batalov, which focuses on the history of the church after written and visual sources, published in the same issue.
THE STANDARD HASSUNA POTTERY OF THE YARIM TEPE I SETTLEMENT FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE PUSHKIN STATE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
Authors: Petrova Natalia Yu. , Kolganova Galina Yu. , Titova Marina A.
Published: April 2024

The article overviews the distribution of Neolithic pottery of the Standard Hassuna period in Upper Mesopotamia: from the foothills of the Taurus in the north to approximately the region of the Diyala river in the south; from the foothills of the Zagros in the east to the Balikh river, or possibly as far as the Euphrates river, in the west. In addition, the pottery of the Standard Hassuna (or the influence of this pottery tradition) is recorded in the hinterland of the Zagros. Based on the materials of the Yarim Tepe I settlement from the collection of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the paper examines technological features of the Standard Hassuna pottery. They demonstrate a connection with the pottery technology of the previous periods of the Hassuna culture – Proto-Hassuna and Archaic Hassuna: the presence of an organic plant admixture (dung) in the pottery paste of a part of the vessels and the use of a two-layer slab construction. The innovations include the use of a light slip, as well as the improvement in the quality of firing, associated with the significant development of firing devices at that time. It is possible to assume the appearance of pictographic images on the Samarra pottery represented on the site as items of import.
ON THE LOCALIZATION OF THE LATE ANTIQUITY JEWISH NECROPOLIS NEAR CAPE PAVLOVSKY IN KERCH
Authors: Beylin Denis V. , Rukavishnikova Irina V. , Kulikov Alexey V.
Published: April 2024

The study deals with the discovery of a Late Antiquity necropolis on Cape Pavlovsky in Kerch, the Republic of Crimea. The tombstones and their fragments found in 2020 mark the territory of the ancient necropolis. The main question under discussion is whether the newly identified area of the necropolis belonged to the Jewish community of Panticapaeum or the community of the settlement (fortification) Ak-Burun II of the first centuries AD located to the west of Cape Ak-Burun. 27 Jewish tombstones were found, some of them have survived only in fragments. Twelve tombstones have preserved images of the menorah. Two stones have one of the surfaces carefully processed. Probably, an inscription and images were made on these surfaces with paint. Judging by the studies of the 19th–20th centuries, in the vicinity of cape Ak-Burun there were probably at least two Jewish necropolises: one of them located near Cape Pavlovsky and the other – at the infirmary of the Kerch fortress near Cementnaya Slobodka, where Jewish tombstones were discovered. Based on the analysis of the found tombstones and epitaphs the newly discovered area of the necropolis can be preliminarily dated to the 2nd–4th centuries AD.
A WARRIOR’S BURIAL OF THE BULAN-KOBY CULTURE AT THE KOKSA BURIAL GROUND (materials of excavations by S.I. Rudenko in Altai)
Authors: Gorbunov Vadim V. , Tishkin Alexey A.
Published: April 2024

The article discusses the collection of archaeological items from the State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg) which were obtained by S.I. Rudenko during his excavations in Altai in 1925. The paper provides detailed descriptions of the shape and design of weapons, belt sets and household tools, supplemented with the data of exact dimensions, drawings and photographs. The authors consider a significant body of analogies based on which the complex of artefacts is dated from the 2nd – first half of the 4th century AD. An analysis of the goods and the funeral rite made it possible to include the burial from Koksa in the circle of the Belyi Bom stage sites of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture. The composition of the goods indicates that the burial belonged to a professional man-at-arms of the middle command level in the military hierarchy in the rank of centurion.
THE HOARD OF COINS AND ARTEFACTS FROM THE VICINITY OF THE STARAYA MELNITSA VILLAGE NEAR NOVGOROD
Authors: Kudryavtsev Andrey A. , Gomzin Andrey A. , Gaidukov Petr G. , Dobrova Olga P. , Volkhonsky Vyacheslav A.
Published: April 2024

The article features the characteristics of the coin and artefact hoard of the late 10th – early 11th century AD found in the vicinity of the village of Staraya Melnitsa near Novgorod in 2014. The place of its finding was examined in 2018. In 2021, the complex entered the funds of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve. The hoard consists of 153 items of various categories, including both typically Slavic jewellery and pendants of Scandinavian origin, as well as a belt set of Oghuz-Pecheneg origin, silver coins (dirhams and miliarensia), weights and glass objects (beads and inserts / overlays). This is only the third hoard of such significance in Novgorod Region. In its composition, it is most similar to the complex found near the villages of Goroshkovo and Lyuboezha in the Novgorod Poozerye (lake district), and to some of the Gnezdovo hoards. Nevertheless, a combination of a number of features (details of a belt set ornamented with gilding and niello, weights, two imitations of Samanid dirhams with bird (falcon) heads crowned with a cross) make it possible to claim its exceptional character for Rus.
“FIVE CROSSES” NEAR KOLOMNA: A RARE 17th-CENTURY MEMORIAL COMPLEX
Authors: Mazurov Aleksey B.
Published: April 2024

The article introduces the monument “Five Crosses” (the late 17th century), known for more than two centuries but not yet fully described and analyzed. It is located in Usmerskaya volost of the former Kolomna district (now Moskvoretskaya residential area of the city of Voskresensk). The paper reveals a rich history of studying the site, provides its full scientific description involving early iconography, and analyzes the topographic and cultural context. The memorial complex including the tombstone and several vertical crosses has no analogues either among medieval tombstones or among commemorative crosses. Being a kind of cenotaph of remembrance, it was erected in July 1688, probably, at the initiative of the widow and son of a local landowner, Prince Ya.O. Shchetinin. Is was based on the example of an earlier similar monument to the legendary princes of Zaraysk of 1665. The monument visually embodies the ancient toponym “Five Crosses”, representing in fact an installation on a set theme, which was typical for the second half of the 17th century, the so called era of “medieval historicism”.
WESTERN AND SOUTHERN CISCAUCASIA IN THE POST-CATACOMB PERIOD: FROM THE KUBAN CULTURAL GROUP TO THE NEVINNOMYSSK CULTURE
Authors: Mimokhod Roman A.
Published: April 2024

The article presents characteristics of a new cultural formation in the Western and Southern Ciscaucasia of the post-Catacomb period – the Nevinnomyssk culture represented by burial sites. Burials were made in pits and occasionally in niche graves, the skeletons are arranged in a crouched adorative position, the skulls are oriented mainly to the east and southeast. The grave goods include ceramic ware, a metal tool complex, bone belt buckles and pendants, and a set of various ornaments. An analysis of the material made it possible to identify two local variants in the Nevinnomyssk culture: southeastern and northwestern. Materials of the first one show influences of the neighbouring Dnieper-Don Babino culture, while the second one demonstrates influence of the Lola culture. In its development, the Nevinnomyssk culture went through three stages within 2200–1800 CalBC. It is an integral part of the block of post-catacomb cultural formations and an important component of Lola cultural circle.
ESTATES OF THE MOSCOW NOBILITY OF THE 14th–15th CENTURIES IN THE PODOL (LOWER AREA) OF THE MOSCOW KREMLIN
Authors: Panchenko Konstantin I. , Makarov Nikolay A. , Karpukhin Alexey A. , Koval Vladimir Yu.
Published: April 2024

The article provides a preliminary general description of the results of archaeological studies in wet cultural layers in the Tainitsky Garden of the Moscow Kremlin in 2020. The materials collected during the excavations are of exceptional interest for studying the stratigraphy and chronology of cultural deposits in Podol (lower) area and provide a rare opportunity (for the case of the Kremlin) of dating individual structures dendrochronologically. Moreover, the material adds considerable new evidence on the culture of Moscow and the social image of the owners of the Kremlin estates of the 14th–15th centuries AD. The construction in the investigated section of the Podol area since the middle of the 14th century AD was dense and the size of the estates is unknown. The inventory of found artefacts of the period under consideration contains both everyday household objects common for urban use and items associated with a prestigious lifestyle and military activities. Estates of the middle – second half of the 14th century AD can be considered as part of the Kremlin households of Timofey Vasilyevich Velyaminov or his closest relatives.
AN INDIVIDUAL OF THE VOLINTSEVO PERIOD FROM KURILOVKA: THE FIRST ARCHAEOGENETIC DATA
Authors: Andreeva Tatiana V. , Malyarchuk Alexandra B. , Rodinkova Vlasta E. , Soshkina Anna D. , Rozhdestvenskikh Elizaveta V. , Dobrovolskaya Maria V. , Rogaev Evgeny I.
Published: April 2024

Despite the achievements of recent years of palaeogenomic research, the genetic features and diversity of the early Slavic population remain unexplored due to the cremation ritual common in the ancient Slavic tribes. Therefore, each find of an Early Slavic site is an important material. Such a unique Early Slavic object is an individual whose remains were found in a dwelling attributed to the Volintsevo culture from the Kurilovka 2 site in Kursk Region, which dates back to the end of the 7th – first half/middle of the 8th century AD. We extracted DNA from the tooth and used it for genetic analysis. We reconstructed the complete mitochondrial DNA sequence and determined that it belongs to the European haplogroup H1b. The results of the phylogenetic analysis testify the common maternal lineages of the individual from Kurilovka with Medieval and modern European samples and suggest a commonality of the early Slavic and northwestern European mitochondrial lineages.
MINERALOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL RESEARCH ON EVIDENCE OF ALAKUL METAL PRODUCTION AT THE VOROVSKAYA YAMA MINE (SOUTHERN TRANS-URALS)
Authors: Ankusheva Polina S. , Ankushev Maksim N. , Blinov Ivan A. , Artemyev Dmitry A. , Alaeva Irina P.
Published: April 2024

The article discusses the processes of Alakul metal production at the Vorovskaya Yama copper mine (Southern Trans-Urals, middle of the 2nd millennium BC). The study sources are the materials of the 2021 excavation site including ruined remains of heating facilities, metallurgical slag and slagged ceramics. The research employed optical and electron microscopy, XRF and LA-ICP-MS methods. It was established that technological operations at the deposit were not limited to the extraction of copper ore and its primary enrichment. In addition, metal was smelted from sulfide or oxidized-sulfide ores in the immediate vicinity of the mine entry; however, it was done outside the studied areas of the structures. Secondary remelting of copper and tin bronze products was performed in ceramic crucibles using heating facilities inside structures.
STUDY IN THE FYODOROVKA POTTERY FROM THE MOCHISHCHE SETTLEMENT IN THE SOUTHERN URALS
Authors: Grigoriev Stanislav A. , Salugina Natalia P.
Published: April 2024

The settlement of Mochishche contains materials from all the Bronze Age cultures of the Trans-Urals: Petrovka, Alakul, Fyodorovka, Cherkaskul, Mezhovka and Sargary ones. The study of Fyodorovka pottery showed that its forms and ornamentation could not be derived from the Alakul tradition. However, technological research yielded a different result: a significant part of clays and inclusions had parallels in the Alakul pottery of the settlement, but potters also started to use silty clay, which had been probably introduced by the Fyodorovka population of the Lower Tobol region. The number of polished ware decreased sharply, the use of grog increased to some extent, and there is no evidence of ware forming techniques with form-models characteristic of Alakul, but this may be due to the small number of items studied. Nevertheless, their vessels, like the Alakul ones, were formed with the spiral patching method following the bottom and lower part of wall formation on the model. Therefore, the pottery technology of the Fyodorovka population of Mochishche reflects the contacts of potters, bearers of two traditions: the local Alakul and Fyodorovka ones, probably from the Lower Tobol region. However, in the pottery shape and ornamentation, they were guided by Fyodorovka stereotypes, which began to dominate for some social reasons.
THE GARINO TRADITION OF BIFACIAL FLINT KNAPPING AND THE PROBLEM OF SEARCHING FOR ITS ORIGINS
Authors: Karmanov Viktor N.
Published: April 2024

The paper focuses on the results of studying of the bifacial flint knapping by the bearers of the Garinskaya culture (Chalcolithic, east of the Russian Plain and the Ural region). Based on the analysis of processing traces on the artefacts of certain target forms, the specifics of their production and workshop organization were identified. Bifacial knapping during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of the Russian Plain has not been studied properly. This can be explained by a number of problems: absence or insufficient number of homogeneous complexes, deficiency of technological contexts, outdated insight into the problem of bifacial treatment, misunderstanding of the nature of archaeological sources and their information potential. Due to lack of knowledge of the phenomenon and absence of provable data the sources of the tradition under study cannot be clearly defined. They are either lost in context of different periods or have not been identified by researchers. Probably, the emergence and evolution of the intensive production of flint arrowheads is connected with prestigious economy and an increase in artefact exchange in the Chalcolithic.
STRATIGRAPHY OF THE CULTURAL LAYER OF THE MOSCOW KREMLIN: NEW DATA FROM THE 2019–2021 EXCAVATIONS
Authors: Koval Vladimir Yu. , Modin Roman N. , Makarov Nikolay A.
Published: April 2024

In 2019–2021, the Institute of Archaeology RAS conducted excavations in the Great Garden of the Moscow Kremlin, east of the Archangel Cathedral, where the buildings of Prikazes (central administrative bodies of the Russian state) were located in the 16th–17th centuries AD. In the deposits, whose total thickness reached 6 m, it was possible to identify several layers, a part of which contained debris from the construction of the buildings of the Old (1591) and New (1675–1682) Prikazes. The foundations of the administrative buildings cut through earlier deposits of the second half of the 12th–16th century AD, among which a fire layer of the late 15th century stands out. It contains the remains of powerful fires, which destroyed the wooden structures of the estate that probably belonged to the descendants of Prince Vladimir Andreyevich the Bold. Another notable layer is that of the 14th century saturated with various imported artefacts; it is possible to relate it to a part of the area that was occupied by the court of Vladimir Andreyevich himself.
RADIOCARBON CHRONOLOGY OF THE POZDNYAKOVO CULTURE: PRELIMINARY RESULTS
Authors: Maryenkina Tatiana A. , Mimokhod Roman A. , Zelentsova Olga V.
Published: April 2024

The article presents the results of radiocarbon dating of the Pozdnyakovo culture. The database includes 22 correct dates for samples from four sites obtained with different carbonaceous materials. The paper outlines principles for determining the relative correctness of radiocarbon dates. The authors’ analysis of 14C data shows that even this series requires a critical approach for some objective reasons. As the number of dates is still limited, the radiocarbon range of the Pozdnyakovo culture is still unstable, but it has a pronounced tendency to stabilize. The summation of radiocarbon dates makes it possible to date the Pozdnyakovo sites tentatively within 1750–1250 CalBC.
JEWELLER’S ESTATE AT STAEVO-5 SETTLEMENT OF THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES (THE UPPER VORONEZH RIVER)
Authors: Oblomsky Andrey M. , Maslennikov Kirill I.
Published: April 2024

In the eastern part of the Staevo-5 settlement, an estate consisting of a dwelling, two outbuildings, two hearths, and a series of pits has been completely explored. From the south, its territory was limited by a fence resting on massive pillars. The estate belongs to the initial stage of the settlement functioning and dates back to the late 5th–6th century AD (possibly, the first half of this century). Based on the distribution of ceramics in the structures and the cultural layer, it was possible to distinguish three conditionally closed complexes. The first one refers to the period of the estate functioning, the second – to the period of its destruction, the third (the latest) – to the garbage dump that was formed in its place. It is indicative that all three complexes include ceramics of both the post-Kiev and Oka traditions. Thus, from the very beginning of the settlement existence, two main components of the Upper Voronezh cultural group are distinguished in the composition of its population – the Early Slavic and Finnish ones. The estate dwellers were engaged in jewellery and bronze casting. They used a domestic hearth for melting metal. The crucibles, most likely, were made of clay which was prepared for this reason in one of the pits.
A NEW FIND OF A KUBAN-TYPE HELMET FROM THE NORTHWEST CAUCASUS
Authors: Valchak Sergey B. , Muravenko Evgeniy V.
Published: April 2024

The article publishes the discovery of a new cast helmet of the “Kuban type” of the Early Scythian culture. The helmet is considered against the background of other similar cast helmets from the territory of Eastern Europe dating from the 7th–6th centuries BC. The authors discuss an assumption of the origin of East European cast helmets from the prototypes of the Zhou period from Northern China. Special attention is paid to the typological similarity and difference of East European specimens from similar finds from Central and East Asia. The paper proposes a variant for the reconstruction of the technology of mould manufacturing and casting of the product. The authors provide the results of X-ray fluorescence analysis of the metal in the published helmet and compare them with data on other known finds of Kuban type helmets. The comparison shows the difference in the composition of metal which they were made from.
STRUCTURES OF THE ESTATE LAYOUT OF THE 14TH–FIRST HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY IN THE MOSCOW KREMLIN BASED ON THE EXCAVATIONS IN THE GREAT GARDEN
Authors: Modin Roman N. , Koval Vladimir Yu.
Published: April 2024

The wooden structures that were part of the manor complexes of the 14th – the first half of the 16th century AD are the remains of above-ground structures and cellars dug into the ground. The latter were log frames placed in a pit dug for them. Most of the log frames were made of oak or young pine and spruce logs, which prevent researchers from obtaining a series of reliable dendrochronological dates. The above-ground (residential and economic) structures have survived in a worse condition, some of them perished in a fire at the end of the 15th century AD. Remains of ovens made of raw bricks are associated with residential buildings. The compact arrangement of the studied structures, the construction of cellars and ovens on the same site testifies to the stable layout of the estate space for a long time – from the 14th to the middle of the 16th century. At the end of the site functioning period, a very large cellar up to 5 m deep appeared on it, which could be related to the temporary court of Ivan III at the end of the 15th century.
THE PROBLEM OF CONTACTS BETWEEN THE ANCIENT MORDVINIAN POPULATION OF THE MIDDLE TSNA REGION AND THE UPPER VORONEZH CULTURAL GROUP
Authors: Syshchikov Nikolay V.
Published: April 2024

The issue of contacts between the ancient Mordvins and the early Slavs has become relevant again after finding a group of early medieval sites in the upper reaches of the Voronezh River that are associated with the Dnieper cultural circle. The paper aims to prove contacts between the ancient Mordvins, who left burial sites with cremations in the middle Tsna region (mid-second half of the 7th century AD), and the population of the Upper Voronezh cultural group of the early Middle Ages. To meet the aims the following tasks were set: to consider the origin of the rite of burning the burial grounds in the middle Tsna region during the mid-second half of the 7th century AD; to determine which of the neighbouring archaeological cultures it shows the greatest similarity with; to analyze the clothing complex of the Middle Tsna burial grounds of the specified period with the view to identify the presence of decorations of the Dnieper cultural circle. The research included a comparative analysis of the body cremation rite of the middle Tsna region burial grounds of phase A stage 1 (according to O.V. Zelentsova) with synchronous antiquities of neighbouring regions. As a result, its similarity to the cremations of the Ryazan-Oka culture was established and the assumption of its Slavic origin was rejected. At the same time, the correlation of jewellery originating from some of the earliest burials at cemeteries in the middle Tsna region with materials from the Dnieper cultural circle made it possible to assume the presence of contacts between the indicated communities and suggest a hypothesis that the Upper Voronezh region could be the territory from which objects of the Dnieper appearance, as well as Byzantine imports, came to the Middle Tsna.
Effects of Semax in the Models of Acute Stress
Authors: Glazova N. Yu. , Myasoedov N. F. , Limborska S. A. , Dergunova L. V. , Kamensky A. A. , Andreeva L. A. , Sebentsova E. A. , Vilensky D. A. , Manchenko D. M. , Levitskaya N. G.
Published: April 2024

Acute stress exposure causes a cascade of neurochemical reactions, leading, in particular, to a change in behavior and increased tolerance to pain in humans and animals. ACTH/MSH-like peptides play an important role in regulating the body’s response to stressful exposures. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of the ACTH4–10 analogue heptapeptide Semax in various models of acute stress. The effect of intraperitoneal Semax administration at doses of 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg on changes in behavior and pain sensitivity of Wistar rats in models of inescapable intermittent foot shock stress and forced cold-water swim stress was investigated. To assess the involvement of the endogenous opioid system in the effects of stress, an impact of pretreatment with opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (1 mg/kg) was studied. The stressors used led to an increase in the pain threshold in the paw-pressure test, which indicates the development of stress-induced analgesia (SIA). In addition, rats exposed to stress had an decrease in exploratory behavior and an increase in the anxiety-like behavior in the hole board test. Both Semax and naloxone attenuated SIA in the model of inescapable foot shock stress, but did not affect the value of the pain threshold in the model of forced cold swim stress. Both studied drugs did not affect the behavior of rats in the models of acute stress used. It can be concluded that Semax blocks the opioid form of stress-induced analgesia, but does not affect the behavioral alterations in rats exposed to acute stress.
Involvement of Dihydropyrimidinase-Related Protein 2 in Regulation of Anxiety in Humans
Authors: Guliyeva Sh. M. , Mekhtiev A. A.
Published: April 2024

The goal of the study was analysis of the role for dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 2 (DRP2) in regulation of anxiety in humans and animals. For this purpose, the levels of DRP2 in the platelets and saliva and the levels of natural autoantibodies to DRP2 in the blood serum of the patients, admitted for a surgical operation, were analyzed alongside with the effects of DRP2 on rat behavior using the model of elevated plus-maze. Blood samples were collected from the veins of the patients, feeling anxiety at the day of surgery, into test tubes containing 5% EDTA as an anticoagulant. Platelets and serum were purified and through indirect ELISA-test the levels of DRP2 were evaluated in the platelets, while the levels of natural anti-DRP2 autoantibodies were measured in the blood serum. Concomitantly, the levels of DRP2 were estimated in the patients’ saliva sampled on the same day. The results showed upregulation of DRP2 in the platelets (p 0.05 on Student’s t-criterion) and natural anti-DRP2 autoantibodies in the serum of the patients (p  0.001) relative to healthy persons. Evaluation of the level of the stress hormone cortisol in the patients’ serum revealed its upregulation (p 0.01). At the same time downregulation of DRP2 in the patients’ saliva (p 0.01) was noticed. Intra-cerebral administration of DRP2 to the rats resulted in an increase in the number of crossed squares in the open arms of the maze relative to the control rats injected with inactivated DRP2 (p  0.01, Wilcoxon and Mann–Whitney U-criterion) which indicates their reduced anxiety. Based on the data obtained we conclude that evaluation of DRP2 in the platelets, natural anti-DRP2 autoantibodies in the blood serum and DRP2 in the saliva might serve as an indicator of anxiety levels in humans.
Mesenteric Artery Reactivity in the Development of Metabolic Syndrome in Rats Fed on a High-Fat Diet
Authors: Ivanova G. T.
Published: April 2024

Higt fat diet can lead to the development of metabolic syndrome (MS). However, the question of the mechanisms of pathophysiological processes in MS has not been studied enough. The aim of the work was to study the effect of a high-fat diet (HFD) on the reactivity of the mesenteric arteries of Wistar rats in vivo, as well as to evaluate the change in the mechanisms of endothelium-dependent arterial dilatation in HFD. The HFD-group of rats (n = 25) received HFD containing 50% animal fat for 10 weeks, the control group (n = 25) received a standard diet. The effect of HFD on endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent responses of the mesenteric arteries under the action of agonists in the absence and with the use of blockers of NO-synthase (L-NAME), cyclooxygenase (indomethacin), and K+-channels (tetraethylammonium) was assessed using photomicrography and video recording of mesenteric artery diameter in vivo. HFD in rats led to the development of MS, including dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, and an increase in blood pressure. MS was accompanied by impaired functional state of the mesenteric arteries. In rats of the HFD group, compared with the control group, there was an increase in the constrictor reaction to phenylephrine by 29%, as well as a decrease in the reactivity of vessels previously contracted by phenylephrine under the action of acetylcholine by 36%. Pre-incubation of vessels with blockers reduced the amplitude of relaxation under the action of acetylcholine, compared with the initial acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation, in HFD-group rats: with L-NAME – by 47%, L-NAME and indomethacin – by 50%, L-NAME, indomethacin and tetraethylammonium – by 65%; in the control group – by 69, 72 and 83%, respectively. HFD had no significant effect on the amplitude of vasodilation under the action of sodium nitroprusside. Thus, endothelial dysfunction in HFD-treated rats was mediated both by impairment of NO-dependent mechanisms of vasodilation, in particular, by a decrease in NO production by the endothelium, and by a decrease in the effectiveness of ВКСа. The decrease in NO bioavailability in HFD was partially compensated by the activation of endothelial hyperpolarization mechanisms (mediated by IKCa and SKCa activities) in acetylcholine-induced vasodilation.
Lethal Aggression in Captive Monkeys
Authors: Chalyan V. G. , Meishvili N. V. , Pachulia I. G. , Anikaeva E. N. , Zadorojnii D. V.
Published: April 2024

Establishing the characteristics of monkey lethal aggression, assessing the age and sex of aggressors and victims, and the nature of the aggressors' actions seems necessary to identify the evolutionary roots of cases of human lethal aggression. In addition, the study of the features of lethal aggression can be considered as a condition for the development of measures aimed at preventing its manifestations in captive monkeys. The aim of the study is to study the species-specific features of lethal aggression in captive macaques, baboons and guenons. An analysis was made of cases of intra-group lethal aggression that occurred over a 10-year period in Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), Crab-eathing macaques (Macaca fascicularis), Pig-tail macaques (Macaca nemestrina), Green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops), Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas), Anubis baboons (Papio anubis) kept by social groups. It has been established that cases of lethal aggression are observed in all 6 studied species of monkeys. It was shown that in groups consisting of adult males, the highest frequency of cases of lethal aggression was noted in Rhesus macaques, and the lowest in Hamadryas baboons. Species-specific differences were found in the nature of lethal aggression in monkey family groups consisting of males, females, infants, and adolescents. It has been established that in Hamadryas baboons, Anubis baboons and Pig-tail macaques, that is, in species with pronounced sexual dimorphism in body size and social status, the main form of lethal aggression in family groups is infanticide committed by a single sexually mature male. In Rhesus monkeys, Crab-eathing macaques and Green monkeys, that is, those species that are characterized by relatively mild sexual dimorphism in body size and social status, the predominant form of lethal aggression in family groups is the collective actions of females aimed at young and adult members of the group.
The Effects of Insulin on Spike Activity of the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Neurones and Functional State of Afferent Inputs from the Arcuate Nucleus in Rats
Authors: Inyushkin A. N. , Mistryugov K. A. , Ledyaeva O. V. , Romanova I. D. , Isakova T. S. , Inyushkin A. A.
Published: April 2024

In experiments on the sagittal hypothalamic slices of male Wistar rats, the effects of 15 nM insulin on the level of spike activity, parameters of spike information coding by the suprachiasmatic nucleus neurones, and functional state of afferent inputs to the neurones from the arcuate nucleus were studied. Application of insulin induced a decrease in the frequency of action potential generation and an increase in the entropy of interspike interval distribution in 33.3% of neurones recorded; in 12% of cells, the responses of opposite direction were found; in the remaining 54.7% neurones, spike activity did not change. The responses of the entropy of interspike interval distribution suggest the related changes in a degree of interspike interval irregularity induced by insulin. To characterise afferent inputs to the suprachiasmatic nucleus neurones from the arcuate nucleus, electrophysiological technique of the construction and analysis of the peristimulus time histogram (PSTH) was used. Statistically significant responses to the stimulation of the arcuate nucleus were recorded in 24 of 38 neurones of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. In 6 of the neurones, the responses were in the form of a short-latency (20 ms) excitation, in 1 neurone in the form of a long-latency excitation, in 6 neurones in the form of a short-latency inhibition; in 11 neurones complex two- or three-phase responses in the form of different compositions of excitation and inhibition were observed. Application of 15 nM insulin induced a qualitative transformation of the responses (disappearing of the initial responses or emergence of new responses) in 5 neurones initially responded to stimulation, and in 1 neurone initially not responded to stimulation of the arcuate nucleus. Statistically significant changes in the latency or duration of the responses in the presence of insulin were not found. The results of the study suggest the ability of insulin to influence the activity level and the spike code of a respectively numerous population of neurones in the suprachiasmatic nucleus circadian oscillator as well as modulate the functional state of afferent inputs to the circadian oscillator from hypothalamic arcuate nucleus playing an important role in the control of appetite and metabolism.
A Minimally Invasive Method of Wireless Electroencephalogram Recording in Rats in a Lithium–Pilocarpine Model of Epilepsy
Authors: Sinyak D. S. , Bukov G. A. , Sizov V. V. , Zubareva O. E. , Amakhin D. V. , Zaitsev A. V.
Published: April 2024

Recent studies have shown that neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many nervous and mental diseases, such as cortical ischemia, craniocerebral trauma, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, etc. Therefore, when recording EEG in experimental models of these diseases, it is preferable to use noninvasive recording methods to exclude neuroinflammation. However, such approaches are rarely used, since it is difficult to perform reliable EEG recording in animals without the use of implanted electrodes. In the present work a new device for minimally invasive wireless EEG recording in rats is proposed. The electrodes are located on the surface of the skull and are attached to a platform, which is fixed to the skull with screws. This design avoids damage to brain tissue. The surgery is minimally traumatic, and EEG registration can be performed as early as 2–3 days after surgery. High reliability of electrode attachment allows long-term registration. This method of EEG registration has been tested on a lithium-pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy. EEG recordings in experimental and control rats were made under background conditions and with the use of functional loads – rhythmic photo- and phonostimulation, as well as sleep deprivation. It was shown that these functional loads allow increasing the severity of epileptiform manifestations on the EEG (spike frequencies), the maximum differences between the groups being manifested with a combination of the above loads. Thus, the main feature of the proposed EEG recording device is that it makes it possible to perform prolonged EEG studies on a free-moving rat without the development of possible neuroinflammation. This device can be used in experiments to study epileptogenesis and to test new antiepileptic drugs on experimental animals.
Neurophysiological Approaches for Temporal Sound Analysis in the Mouse Auditory Midbrain Neurons
Authors: Khorunzhii G. D. , Egorova M. A.
Published: April 2024

The dynamics of the response patterns of the mouse auditory midbrain single neurons in the whole neuronal excitatory receptive field was studied by the extracellular recordings of the pulse activity of neurons. The obtained data showed that the V-shaped neurons demonstrated the highest stability of their responses among the whole population of ICC neurons. The discharges of both primary-like and inhibition-dominated neurons were more variable and their variations more likely followed the changes of the sound frequency and intensity. Changes of the discharge pattern of the vast majority of studied neurons occurred 1/3–1/2 octave away the neuronal CF in the direction of both the low-frequency and high-frequency borders of the neural FRA. The results of present study are discussed taking into account the available data about the formation of IC neurons response due the interaction of the excitatory and inhibitory processes mediated by the activation of different types of cellular glutamate and GABA receptors.
Neurobiological Effects of Combined Exposure to Antiorthostatic Suspension, Quasi-Chronic Gamma Irradiation and Heavy Ion Irradiation in Rats
Authors: Perevezentsev A. A. , Lebedeva-Georgievskaya K. B. , Kuznetsova O. S. , Kudrin V. S. , Pikalov V. A. , Shtemberg A. S.
Published: April 2024

We have researched neurobiological effects of physical impacts, modeling conditions of interplanetary space flight: microgravity (modeled by AntiOrthostatic Suspension, AOS) and deep space radiation (modeled by quasi-chronic gamma irradiation and head irradiation by 12C ions) taking into account typological characteristics of high nervous activity (HNA) of model animals (Long Evans male rats). Behavioral changes, as well as EEG and neurochemical changes in key brain areas are investigated. We have shown difference between control and exposed animals, as well as between animals of different HNA typologies (more or less excitable), in motoric and research activity aside as in cognitive abilities. Such difference is driven by shift in balance in main inhibition and exctitation-related neurotransmitters, GABA and GLU and dopaminergic system. In particular, more excitable rats learn faster but are more vulnerable to mentioned model impacts. As a clear sign of HNA distortion we also found some changes in EEG waves.
Effect of Glucose on Water Transport in Rat Peritoneal Mesothelium Cells
Authors: Baturina G. S. , Katkova L. E. , Solenov E. I.
Published: April 2024

Glucose is widely used as an osmotic agent in the preparation of solutions for peritoneal dialysis. The aim of this work was to study the effect of glucose on the expression of the water channel aquaporin- 1 (AQP1) and the transcription factor TonEBP, as well as on water permeability of cells in the primary mesothelial mesentery culture of Wistar rats. The method of fluorescence microscopy with intracellular dye сalcein was used in the work. The mRNA content was evaluated by real time RT-PCR. Preincubation of cells in a DMEM medium containing glucose (2.3%, 24 hours, 37°C, 5% CO2) led to a decrease in the expression of the aqp1 gene by approx. 60% (control 0.87 ± 0.18; glucose 0.34 ± 0.12, n = 9, p 0.05) and tonebp by 20% (control 0.37 ± 0.024; glucose 0.3 ± 0.012, n = 9, p 0.05). A decrease by 40% in the permeability to water of the plasma membrane of peritoneal mesothelium cells after 24 h preincubation with glucose was also observed (control 7.3Е–3 ± 1.3Е–3 (sm/s), n = 27; glucose 4.3E–3 ± ± 3.8E–4 (sm/s), n = 57, p 0.01). The results of the study indicate that glucose can have an inhibitory effec-t on the transport processes in the cells of the peritoneal mesothelium, which, with multiple exposures, can lead to structural and functional disorders of the peritoneal membrane.
Immune Response to the Introduction of Fibrillogenic β2-Microglobulin Protein Conjugated with Different Types of Polymer Particles
Authors: Sakhabeev R. G. , Polyakov D. S. , Sinitsyna E. S. , Korzhikova-Vlakh E. G. , Korzhikov-Vlakh V. A. , Shavlovsky M. M.
Published: April 2024

The effect of the composition and size of polymeric particles on the immunogenicity of the fibrillogenic β2-microglobulin protein immobilized on their surface was studied. For this purpose, nanoparticles (NP) based on a copolymer of L-glutamic acid and L-phenylalanine (P(Glu-co-Phe)) and a block copolymer of poly(ethylene glycol) with poly(lactic acid) (PEG-b-PLA) as well as microparticles (MP) based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were selected. α-L-amino acid copolymer-based nanoparticles were prepared by gradient phase inversion, and PEG-b-PLA-based nanoparticles by nanoprecipitation. Double emulsion method was used to form polymeric microparticles based on PLA. Recombinant chimeric model protein beta-2-microglobulin-green fluorescent protein (β2M-sfGFP) was used to covalently modify all types of polymeric particles followed by immunization of four groups of laboratory animals equal in number. An enzyme immunoassay method was used to evaluate the humoral immune response. In three experimental groups, mice were immunized using poly(amino acid)-based nanoparticles (NP-PAA) and PEG-b-PMC (NP-PLA) as well as PLA microparticles containing immobilized β2M-sfGFP on the surface. The control group was immunized using a physical mixture of PEG-b-PLA nanoparticles and free β2M-sfGFP. The highest level of antibodies to sfGFP in blood serum was found when mice were immunized with a mixture of protein and nanoparticles. When mice were immunized with β2M-sfGFP-modified nanoparticles, the amount of antibodies to sfGFP was statistically significantly lower (p0.001) compared to the control group. However, the groups immunized with nanoparticles of similar size but different composition conjugated to the model proteins did not differ significantly among themselves. It was also found that the size of the particles affects the immunogenicity of the associated protein. A similar pattern of relative antibody content in the sera of mice was maintained at all steps of immunization.
Features of Changes in the Velocity Indicators of Cerebral Blood Flow in Rats at Different Stages of Aging
Authors: Gorshkova O. P.
Published: April 2024

Changes in the velocity of cerebral blood flow can make a significant contribution to the formation of age-related cerebrovascular diseases. The age-related changes in the velocity indicators of cerebral blood flow in rats at different stages of aging were studied. Using Doppler ultrasound the state of blood flow in the cortex and subcortical structures of the cerebral hemispheres was analyzed by the value of linear velocities and blood flow indexes in young Sprague-Dawley 4-month-old and aging 18 and 23-month-old rats. It has been established that aging is accompanied by changes in the parameters of cerebral blood flow in the cortex and subcortical structures of the rat brain. Changes develop gradually and differ at different stages of aging. By 18 months, perfusion in the frontal and parietal regions hemispheres of the brain increases due to an increase in peak and mean velocity per cardiac cycle and a decrease in the level of resistance of cerebral vessels. These processes precede the development of subsequent hypoperfusion disorders of blood flow observed at later stages of aging. Hypoperfusion changes in 23-month-old rats are most pronounced in the frontal region of the cerebral hemispheres and are characterized by a decrease in peak velocities and an increase in blood flow indexes.
Role of L-Type Calcium Channels in the Increased Fatigue of Rat Soleus Muscle under Functional Unloading
Authors: Sharlo K. A. , Lvova I. D. , Tyganov S. A. , Sidorenko D. A. , Shenkman B. S.
Published: April 2024

Excessive long-term accumulation of calcium ions in the myoplasm of skeletal muscles can negatively affect mitochondria and lead to muscle dysfunction. The aim of our study was to identify the role of L-type calcium channels in the development of increased fatigue rat soleus muscle under functional unloading. Young male Wistar rats were divided into three groups of 8 animals each: the vivarium control group (C), the group subjected to hind limb unloading for 7 days (7HS) and the group with 7 days of hindlimb unloading with daily intraperitoneal injections of nifedipine (7 mg/kg body weight). The administration of nifidipine during hindlimb unloading prevented the upregulation of calcium-dependent phosphorylation of calcium-calmodulin kinase II (CaMK II), prevented the increase in fatigue and contributed to the preservation of mitochondrial proteins, DNA and mRNA expression of a number of genes that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis.