The efficacy of treating acute myocardial ischemic damages depends, to a large extent, on the development of technologies for predicting their course and outcome. The aim of this paper was to explore whether it would be possible to consider the content of free circulating mitochondrial DNA as a danger-associated molecular pattern for assessing the probability of death from myocardial infarction. We have analyzed the clinical outcomes based on discharge summaries and autopsy reports obtained in the course of the PROTOCOL observational trial. This study was approved by the Irkutsk Scientific Center of Surgery and Traumatology ethics committee (protocol No. 3, 10.08.2015). To examine whether the assessment of the level of free circulating mtDNA in acute coronary syndrome can help predicting clinical outcomes, all patients were divided into two groups: group 1, involving those who survived during 30 days after hospitalization, and group 2, involving those who died during this time. A quantitative analysis of the free circulating mtDNA was conducted using the PCR method in situ. The analysis showed that in patients who survived the level of freely circulating mtDNA (36.0 copies/ml) was 164 times lower than in those who died (5900 copies/ml, p = 0.049). It should be mentioned that according to the logistic regression analysis, the probability of death of patients with the increased level of blood plasma mtDNA (more than 4000 copies/ml) is 50%. Thus, the PROTOCOL observational trial proved that the increase in the content of free circulating mtDNA in blood is a predictor of lethal outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Trial registration The observational studies (those in which the assignment of the medical intervention is not at the discretion of the investigator) do not require registration.

This review considers the functions of extracellular actin–cell surface bound, associated with extracellular matrix, or freely circulating. The role of this protein in different pathological...

Changes in the level of blood cell-free circulating mitochondrial DNA were examined during experimental adrenaline-induced myocardial injury in rats. The amount of mitochondrial DNA in the blood was...

This research examined the impacts of acoustic stress in peled (Coregonus peled Gmelin, 1788), a species commonly cultivated in Russia. This study presents a comparative analysis of the macula sacculi and otoliths, as well as primary hematological and secondary telomere stress responses, in control and sound-exposed peled. The authors measured the effects of long-term (up to 18 days) exposure to a 300 Hz tone at mean sound pressure levels of 176–186 dB re 1 μPa (SPL_pk–pk); the frequency and intensity were selected to approximate loud acoustic environments associated with cleaning equipment in aquaculture settings. Acoustic exposure resulted in ultrastructure changes to otoliths, morphological damage to sensory hair cells of the macula sacculi, and a gradual decrease in the number of functionally active mitochondria in the red blood cells but no changes to telomeres. Changes were apparent following at least ten days of acoustic exposure. These data suggest that acoustic exposure found in some aquaculture settings could cause stress responses and auditory damage to peled and, potentially, other commercially important species. Reducing sound levels in fish rearing facilities could contribute to the formation of effective aquaculture practices that mitigate noise-induced stress in fishes.

This work simulates the consequences of HIREC using stone sculpins as model organisms. Sex-dependent effects of long-term noise exposure at mean sound pressure levels of 160–179 dB re 1 μPa (SPL_pk–pk) were measured. We applied a multilevel approach to testing the stress response: a comparative analysis of the macula sacculi and an assessment of hematological and molecular stress responses. Noise exposure resulted in hair cell loss, changes in some cytometric parameters in blood, and an increase in the number of functionally active mitochondria in the red blood cells of males and its decrease in females, demonstrating a mitochondrial allostatic load and depletion of functional reserve. Finally, a statistically significant decrease in the telomerase activity of the auditory epithelium and a shortening of telomere length in the brain as molecular markers of stress were observed after noise exposure only in females. No significant decrease in telomerase activity and shortening of telomere length in nerve target tissues were observed in stressed males. However, we recorded an increase in the telomerase activity in male gonads. This sex-dependent difference in load may be associated with accelerated cellular aging in females and lower stress-related long-term risk in males. In this article, we discuss possible reasons for these noise-induced stress effects.

Algae–bacteria interactions play an important role in water ecosystems. In this work, the BS2-15 algicidal strain was isolated from the bottom sediments of Lake Baikal and identified as Bacillus mycoides on the basis of 16S rDNA sequencing, its described ultrastructure, and biochemical properties. B. mycoides BS2-15 was demonstrated to have a strong algicidal effect against a freshwater diatom culture of Ulnaria acus, inhibiting its growth and increasing frustules fragility. By analyzing the impact of bacterial filtrate onto the cells of U. acus, we demonstrated that perhaps an algicidal compound is produced by bacteria independently in the presence of diatoms in a medium. Using methods of TUNEL and confocal microscopy, we revealed that the bacterial algicidal effect on the diatom cells results in DNA fragmentation, nucleus destruction, and neutral lipid accumulation. This phenomenon highlights the complexity of algae–bacteria interactions and their potential role in regulating water ecosystem microbial populations.