Microtubule-based motor proteins assemble and reorganize acentrosomal mitotic and meiotic spindles in animal cells. The functions of motor proteins in acentrosomal plant spindles are unknown. The cellulosic cell wall and relative small size of most plant cells precludes accurate detection of the spatial distribution of motors in mitosis. Large cell size and absence of a cellulosic cell wall in Haemanthus endosperm make these cells ideally suited for studies of the spatial distribution of motor proteins during cell division. Immunolocalization of a kinesin-like calmodulin-binding protein (KCBP) in Haemanthus endosperm revealed its mitotic distribution. KCBP appears first in association with the prophase spindle. Highly concentrated within the cores of individual kinetochore fibers, KCBP decorates microtubules of kinetochore-fibers through metaphase. By mid-anaphase (when a barrel-shaped spindle becomes convergent), the protein redistributes and accumulates at the spindle polar regions. In telophase, KCBP relocates toward the phragmoplast and cell plate. These data suggest a role for KCBP in anaphase spindle microtubule convergence, which assures coherence of kinetochore-fibers within each sister chromosome group. Increasing coherence of kinetochore-fibers prevents splitting within each sister chromosome group and formation of multinucleated cells.

Aim    To study the etiology and the dynamics of prevalence and mortality of CHF; to evaluate the treatment coverage of such patients in a representative sample of the European part of the Russian Federation for a 20-year period. Material and methods    A representative sample of the European part of the Russian Federation followed up for 2002 through 2017 (n=19 276); a representative sample of the population of the Nizhny Novgorod region examined in 1998 (n=1922).Results    During the observation period since 2002, the incidence of major CHF symptoms (tachycardia, edema, shortness of breath, weakness) tended to decrease while the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases has statistically significantly increased. During the period from 1998 through 2017, the prevalence of I-IV functional class (FC) CHF increased from 6.1 % to 8.2 % whereas III-IV FC CHF increased from 1.8 % to 3.1 %. The main causes for the development of CHF remained arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease; the role of myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus as causes for CHF was noted. For the analyzed period, the number of treatment components and the coverage of basic therapy for patients with CHF increased, which probably accounts for a slower increase in the disease prevalence by 2007–2017. The prognosis of patients was unfavorable: in I-II FC CHF, the median survival was 8.4 (95 % CI: 7.8–9.1) years and in III-IV FC CHF, the median survival was 3.8 (95 % CI: 3.4–4.2) years.

Favorable versus detrimental cardiovascular responses to intermittent hypoxia conditioning (IHC) are heavily dependent on experimental or pathological conditions, including the duration, frequency and intensity of the hypoxia exposures. Recently, we demonstrated that a program of moderate, normobaric IHC (FIO2 9.5-10% for 5-10 min/cycle, with intervening 4 min normoxia, 5-8 cycles/day for 20 days) in dogs afforded robust cardioprotection against infarction and arrhythmias induced by coronary artery occlusion-reperfusion, but this protection has not been verified in other species. Accordingly, in this investigation cardio- as well as vasoprotection were examined in male Wistar rats completing the normobaric IHC program or a sham program in which the rats continuously breathed atmospheric air. Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (IR) was imposed by occlusion and reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery in in situ experiments and by subjecting isolated, perfused hearts to global ischemia-reperfusion. Cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial infarct size were quantified in in situ experiments. Endothelial function was evaluated from the relaxation to acetylcholine of norepinephrine-precontracted aortic rings taken from in situ IR experiments, and from the increase in coronary flow produced by acetylcholine in isolated hearts. IHC sharply reduced cardiac arrhythmias during ischemia and decreased infarct size by 43% following IR. Endothelial dysfunction in aorta was marked after IR in sham rats, but not significant in IHC rats. Similar findings were found for the coronary circulations of isolated hearts. These findings support the hypothesis that moderate, normobaric IHC is cardio- and vasoprotective in a rat model of IR.

Aim.To perform a repeated epidemiological study of a representative sample in the European part of the Russian Federation in 2017 and to compare the dynamics of arterial hypertension (AH) prevalence with the effectiveness of blood pressure (BP) control in the population compared to 1998, 2002, and 2007.Materials and methods.A representative sample of the European part of the Russian Federation was created in 2002 and re-examined in 2007 and 2017. In 1998, a pilot project was performed for examining a representative sample for the Nizhniy Novgorod region.Results.During 19 years of follow-up, the AH prevalence increased from 35.5 to 43.3%. Te awareness and treatment coverage reached 76.9 and 79.3%, respectively, in 2017. Achievement of the target BP with a single measurement also increased among patients receiving antihypertensive medication from 14.3 to 34.9%. For the treatment of AH, medium-acting antihypertensive drugs are used, ofen at suboptimal doses.Conclusion.Epidemiological indices of awareness, treatment coverage, and number of effectively managed patients with AH have improved. However, the AH prevalence has increased by 7.8% for 19 years, which indicates inefciency of the primary prevention of this disease.

Background In contrast with the setting of acute myocardial infarction, there are limited data regarding the impact of diabetes mellitus on clinical outcomes in contemporary cohorts of patients with chronic coronary syndromes. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and prognostic impact of diabetes according to geographical regions and ethnicity. Methods and results CLARIFY is an observational registry of patients with chronic coronary syndromes, enrolled across 45 countries in Europe, Asia, America, Middle East, Australia, and Africa in 2009–2010, and followed up yearly for 5 years. Chronic coronary syndromes were defined by ≥1 of the following criteria: prior myocardial infarction, evidence of coronary stenosis >50%, proven symptomatic myocardial ischaemia, or prior revascularization procedure. Among 32 694 patients, 9502 (29%) had diabetes, with a regional prevalence ranging from below 20% in Northern Europe to ∼60% in the Gulf countries. In a multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards model, diabetes was associated with increased risks for the primary outcome (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.28 (95% confidence interval 1.18, 1.39) and for all secondary outcomes (all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and coronary revascularization). Differences on outcomes according to geography and ethnicity were modest. Conclusion In patients with chronic coronary syndromes, diabetes is independently associated with mortality and cardiovascular events, including heart failure, which is not accounted by demographics, prior medical history, left ventricular ejection fraction, or use of secondary prevention medication. This is observed across multiple geographic regions and ethnicities, despite marked disparities in the prevalence of diabetes. ClinicalTrials identifier ISRCTN43070564