This study investigated the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) gene polymorphisms as possible genetic risk factors for the restenosis development in patients with drug-eluting stents. 113 participants had coronary artery disease and underwent stenting. The control group consisted of 62 individuals with intact coronary arteries. Patients were divided into two groups: with in-stent restenosis (ISR) and without it. The patients with ISR were classified into subgroups by the terms of the restenosis development and age. Real-time PCR and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism-PCR were used to genotype the study participants for RAAS gene polymorphisms. We found that the development of restenosis is generally associated with the minor A allele for renin (REN) rs2368564 and the major TT genotype for angiotensinogen (AGT) rs699. The heterozygous genotype for AGT rs4762 acts as a protective marker. A minor A allele for angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AGTR2) rs1403543 is associated with a risk of restenosis in people under 65 years old. Among patients with the early ISR, heterozygotes for angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGTR1) rs5186 are more frequent, as well as A allele carriers for AGTR2 rs1403543. A minor homozygous genotype for REN rs41317140 and heterozygous genotype for aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) rs1799998 are predisposed to the late restenosis. Thus, to choose the effective treatment tactics for patients with coronary artery disease, it is necessary to genotype patients for the RAAS polymorphisms, which, along with age and clinical characteristics, will allow a comprehensive assessment of the risk of the restenosis development after stenting.

Artificial light is characterized by certain features of its impact on the body in terms of its spectral distribution of power, duration of exposure and intensity. Short waves, perceived as blue light, are the strongest synchronizing agent for the circadian system. In the present work, we investigated the features of the circadian rhythms of blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), the excretion of electrolytes and the secretion of melatonin in normotensive (Wistar–Kyoto) and hypertensive (SHR) rats under the action of monochromatic blue light in the daytime period. It was found that the exposure of Wistar–Kyoto rats to monochromatic blue light was accompanied by a significant decrease in nighttime and 24 h systolic BP. The most remarkable changes are characteristic of the HR in SHR rats under monochromatic light. A significant decrease in HR in each time period was found, but the predominance of nighttime over daytime values remained in SHR animals. There was also a significant increase in the mesor of the HR in SHR rats. Additionally, the amplitude of diastolic BP and HR, as well as the range of oscillations in HR, were significantly increased compared with the standard light pattern. In contrast to SHR rats, the regulation of the circadian rhythms in Wistar–Kyoto rats was more flexible and presented more changes, which may be aimed at the adaptation of the body to environmental conditions. For Wistar–Kyoto rats, an increase in the level of excreted electrolytes was observed under the action of monochromatic light, but no similar changes were found in SHR rats. For Wistar–Kyoto rats, a significant decrease in the urine concentration of aMT6s in the daytime and nighttime periods is characteristic, which results in the loss of the circadian rhythm. In SHR rats, there was a significant decrease in the nighttime content of aMT6s in the urine, while the daytime concentration, on the contrary, increased. The obtained data demonstrate that prolonged exposure to monochromatic blue light in the daytime period affects the circadian structure of the rhythms of the cardiovascular system, the rhythm of electrolyte excretion and the production of epiphyseal melatonin in wild-type and hypertensive animals. In SHR rats, the rhythms of BP and HR exhibit a more rigid pattern.

Background: In recent years, the interest in genetic predisposition studies for coronary artery disease and restenosis has increased. Studies show that polymorphisms of genes encoding folate cycle and homocysteine metabolism enzymes significantly contribute to atherogenesis and endothelial dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to examine some SNPs of genes coding for folate cycle enzymes and DNA methyltransferases as risk factors for in-stent restenosis. Methods: The study included 113 patients after stent implantation and 62 patients without signs of coronary artery disease at coronary angiography as the control group. Real-time PCR and RFLP-PCR were applied to genotype all participants for MTHFR rs1801133, MTHFR rs1801131, MTR rs1805087, MTRR rs1801394, DNMT1 rs8101626, DNMT3B rs1569686, and DNMT3B rs2424913 gene polymorphisms. Statistical data processing was carried out using the R language and the SPSS Statistics 20 software. Results: Statistically significant differences in the DNMT3B gene polymorphisms were found between patients with and without in-stent restenosis. An association of TT rs1569686 and TT rs2424913 genotypes with the development of restenosis was revealed. The TT rs1569686 genotype was more frequent in the patients under the age of 65 years and in the subgroup of patients with post-12-month restenosis, as was the minor GG genotype for MTR rs1805087. The homozygous TT genotype for MTHFR rs1801133 was significantly more frequent in the subgroup over 65 years old. The frequencies of the heterozygous genotype for the MTRR gene and the minor GG homozygotes for the DNMT1 gene were significantly higher in the subgroup with in-stent restenosis under 65 years old. Conclusions: The results of this study could be used for a comprehensive risk assessment of ISR development, determining the optimal tactics and an individual approach in the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease before or after percutaneous coronary interventions, including homocysteine-lowering treatment in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia and a high risk of in-stent restenosis.

Background: Arterial hypertension (AH) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM) are major comorbid risk factors for accelerated myocardial damage, yet the behavior of key stress-adaptive heat shock proteins HSP70 and HSP90 under combined stress remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize the expression profiles of HSP70 and HSP90 in left ventricular cardiomyocytes during isolated and comorbid AH and DM, and to evaluate their association with structural remodeling and expansion of interstitial elements. Methods: The study was conducted in accordance with the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals (ethical approval No. 26, RUDN Institute of Medicine, 18 February 2021) on 25 male rats divided into five groups (n = 5 each): control—38-week-old Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats; AH—38-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR); long-term AH—57-week-old SHR; DM—38-week-old WKY rats with streptozotocin-induced insulin-dependent DM (65 mg/kg, i.p.); AH+DM—38-week-old SHR with STZ-induced DM. After 30 days of DM, left ventricular (LV) tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for HSP70/HSP90 protein expression and by RT-qPCR for mRNA levels. Increased stromal elements in myocardium were quantified morphometrically as interstitial stromal volume fraction (%) on hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. Results: HSP90 was significantly upregulated in all pathological groups. The most pronounced increase occurred in isolated DM, with a 4.0-fold rise in HSP90-positive area (21.80% vs. 5.45% in control) and a 1.82-fold increase in mRNA. In the AH+DM group, HSP90 mRNA expression was extremely elevated (25.93-fold), accompanied by a 3.7-fold increase in protein. In contrast, HSP70 protein was elevated only in the 38-week AH group (27.68% vs. 19.70% control, p ≤ 0.05), remained unchanged in isolated DM (19.50%), and was significantly reduced in AH+DM (14.71%, p ≤ 0.05), despite a modest 1.64-fold mRNA upregulation in DM. Morphometric analysis revealed progressive expansion of interstitial elements, most severe in AH+DM (9.43% stromal volume vs. 4.81% in control, p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Comorbid AH and DM provoke synergistic HSP90 upregulation, while HSP70 expression is markedly suppressed, indicating a shift from an adaptive to a maladaptive cellular-stress response. The imbalance between HSP90 and HSP70 may represent a key molecular mechanism underlying accelerated structural and functional deterioration of the myocardium in cardiometabolic comorbidity.

Antioxidant protection is one of the key reactions of cardiomyocytes (CMCs) in response to myocardial damage of various origins. The thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP) is an inhibitor of thioredoxin (TXN). Over the recent few years, TXNIP has received significant attention due to its wide range of functions in energy metabolism. In the present work, we studied the features of the redox-thiol systems, in particular, the amount of TXNIP and glutathione synthetase (GS) as markers of oxidative damage to CMCs and antioxidant protection, respectively. This study was carried out on 38-week-old Wistar-Kyoto rats with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM) induced by streptozotocin, on 38- and 57-week-old hypertensive SHR rats and on a model of combined hypertension and DM (38-week-old SHR rats with DM). It was found that the amount of TXNIP increased in 57-week-old SHR rats, in diabetic rats and in SHR rats with DM. In 38-week-old SHR rats, the expression of TXNIP significantly decreased. The expression of GS was significantly higher compared with the controls in 57-week-old SHR rats, in DM rats and in the case of the combination of hypertension and DM. The obtained data show that myocardial damage caused by DM and hypertension are accompanied by the activation of oxidative stress and antioxidant protection.

Background. A variety of biological processes regulated by differential gene expression are required to maintain a normal gestation and accordingly, the mutations and polymorphisms in such genes may cause miscellaneous biological disorders that eventually result in early pregnancy loss. Many studies reported that aberrant fetal DNA methylation as well as embryonic chromosome abnormalities may lead to impairment of fetal early growth and development. Therefore, we have aimed to genotype several gene polymorphisms might be involved in the above-mentioned biological disorders to screen their prevalence in Russian population. Materials and methods. 81 Russian women without previous history of normal pregnancy or early abortion were recruited into this population study to determine the genotype and allele frequencies through genotyping using RFLP-PCR method for DNMT3B rs2424913, DNMT3B rs1569686, DNMT3A rs7590760, DNMT1 rs2228611, DNMT1 rs8101626, DNMT3L rs2276248, and DNMT3L rs2070565, allele-specific PCR for SYCP3 T657C, and real-time PCR for MTHFR rs1801133, MTHFR rs1801131, MTR rs1805087, and MTRR rs1801394. Results. Minor homozygous genotypes and minor alleles of the polymorphisms DNMT3B rs2424913 (TT: 11.1%, T: 37.05%), DNMT1 rs2228611 (GG: 18.5%, G: 40.75%), and DNMT1 rs8101626 (GG: 16.0%, G: 40.1%) were quite prevalent in Russian women and as frequent as those of the well-studied polymorphisms: MTRR rs1801394 (GG: 27.2%, G: 50.65%), MTHFR rs1801131 (CC: 17.3%, C: 40.15%), and MTHFR rs1801133 (TT: 11.1%, T: 29.0%).The heterozygous genotype of SYCP3 T657C (CT: 12.3%, T: 6.15%) was also quite frequent. Conclusion. Based on our study and literature data, we suggest that DNMT3B rs2424913, DNMT1 rs2228611, DNMT1 rs8101626, and SYCP3 T657C polymorphisms along with the common folate cycle gene polymorphisms can be potential genetic predictors for early pregnancy loss in Russian women.