Omsk State Pedagogical University

An analysis of saliva lipid extracts using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was performed in breast cancer, fibroadenomas, and healthy controls. A general decrease in the absorption band intensities of salivary lipids was demonstrated, along with changes in their structure in terms of the ratio of unbranched to branched lipid molecules. Significant factors influencing changes in the salivary lipid profile were found to be HER2 receptor expression and the breast cancer phenotype. The greatest differences from other subtypes were demonstrated for non-luminal breast cancer. Overall, changes in lipid metabolism in breast cancer, especially in the most aggressive subtypes, require further study, as they involve numerous potential therapeutic targets that could improve disease treatment, and therefore overall patient survival and quality of life.

Using a field experiment in mesocosms during the growing season, we evaluated the effect of endogeic invasive earthworms: Eisenia tracta, Aporrectodea caliginosa, and the native E. nordenskioldi pallida, individually and when cohabiting, on the organic matter content in Calcic Chernozem soils. We established that the distribution of soil organic matter within the humus horizon depends on the earthworm species and their interactions. The highest content was observed in the variants containing the native species.

The introduction of invasive earthworm species affects the nutrient cycle in the soil. Therefore, the effect of the native earthworm Eisenia nordenskioldi pallida, the invasive Aporrectodea caliginosa, and their combined presence on the availability of the water-soluble cations NH_4^ + , K+, Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ was studied. To achieve this, a field mesocosm experiment was conducted, and the cation content was measured by capillary electrophoresis. The experiment revealed that the invasive species only relatively weakly altered cation availability within a single growing season. The impact of A. caliginosa invasion depended on whether the soil was already inhabited by the native species or not. The effect of E. n. pallida on cation availability was studied for the first time.

Background: The metabolic profile of cancer includes changes in energy metabolism and biosynthetic (plastic) metabolism, and redox balance of tumor cells. This study aimed to identify clinically significant salivary metabolic features associated with breast cancer phenotypes. Methods: This study included 660 patients with breast cancer (age 54.6 ± 12.7 years) and 127 healthy volunteers (49.3 ± 14.2 years). Saliva samples were collected from all participants, strictly before the initiation of treatment, and the biochemical composition of saliva was determined, including indicators of antioxidant system activity, lipid profile, cytokines, and free amino acids. Results: Salivary metabolic features correlated with the breast cancer phenotype. In particular, for luminal A breast cancer, which has the most favorable prognosis, the presence of an active inflammatory process in saliva (C-reactive protein +136.6%, p < 0.0001; IL-1β +317.7%, p = 0.0004) and a pronounced immune anti-inflammatory response (INF-γ +79.1%, p = 0.0004) were shown. In contrast, for triple-negative breast cancer, a low anti-inflammatory response (INF-γ –4.1%) and active cell proliferation (glutamine +45.0%, p = 0.0342) were shown, which correlated with the disease severity, low immunogenicity, and the least favorable prognosis for this subtype of breast cancer. Conclusions: Overall, salivary composition reflects systemic metabolic changes in breast cancer, which makes it possible to construct a metabolic portrait of breast cancer across distinct phenotypes.

We investigated the impact of various factors on the size and mass of eleven earthworm taxa, abundant in southern part of West Siberia. Earthworms were collected during in 2022 and 2023 in the West Siberian Plain, Gorny Altai, and Rudny Altai (Kazakhstan). We analyzed 1053 individuals from 256 samples at 24 test sites. To account for the impact of physical-geographical factors on body size, sampling sites were established in mountain, lowland, and intrazonal landscapes, across various natural zones and habitats. To account for edaphic factors, layered measurements of soil density, pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, moisture, and organic matter were performed in all soil samples. Variance analysis showed that body mass is influenced by gut cleansing and fixation type. Smaller taxa demonstrate more pronounced mass decrease after gut cleansing. Worms stretched when fixed in formalin and contracted in alcohol. The coefficients of length and width change after fixation significantly depended on earthworm species and the total length, except for width change during alcohol fixation. European invasive species were observed to be 1.1–3.3 times shorter in southern Western Siberia compared to Belarus. The key physico-geographical factors influencing earthworm size and mass were “habitat depth,” “habitat type,” “natural zone,” and “landscape.” The key edaphic factors influencing earthworm size and mass were “soil organic matter” and “soil temperature.”