Ekologiya cheloveka (Human Ecology)

The aim of the study was to identify associations between allelic variants of AGT, AGT2R1 and NOS3 genes with production of endo-thelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) in young residents of the Russian North without a history of cardiovascular diseases. Methods. The sample consisted of 286 young adults (116 females and 170 males) born in the Arkhangelsk region. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the AGT, AGT2R1 and NOS3 genes were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Plasma NO oxide and ET-1 levels were measured. Results. T704C polymorphism in AGT gene was not associated with the studied vasoactive endothelial factors. However, vasoactive factors production in homozygotes with mutant T/T alleles of C521T polymorphism in the same gene is shifted towards vasoconstrictive factors. The level of ET-1 in the group with T/T genotype was higher than in the groups with C/T and C/C genotypes (p = 0.006 and p = 0.04, respectively). Homozygotes with mutant C alleles of AGT2R1 gene had higher concentration of ET-1 as compared to homozygotes with wild-type A alleles (p = 0.012). Young men with 786 C/C of NOS3 gene had higher plasma concentration of ET-1 than individuals with C/T (p = 0.01) and T/T (p = 0.07). ET-1 was higher in the group of girls homozygotes with mutant C alleles, however no statistically significant differences were found. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the risk of imbalance in vasoactive factors in young healthy residents of the Russian North is associated with the increase in ET-1 production level, but not with NO level. The presence of 521 T/T genotype in AGT gene, 1666C/C in AGT2R1 gene and -786C/C in NOS3 gene increases the risk of vasoactive factors imbalance development towards vasoconstriction.

The available evidence on seasonal changes in work capacity and anaerobic metabolism is very heterogeneous. Animal studies contribute to better understanding of adaptive reactions of the body to various influences and can serve as a basis for the development of physiotherapeutic, pharmacological and other methods to increase adaptive capabilities of the human body to hard working conditions and environmental situations. The aim was to study the characteristics of the five-days working capacity dynamics serum lactate concentration in laboratory rats across seasons. Methods. Eighty male Wistar rats (220-250g) comprised the sample. Measurements were taken in the middle of each season. The working capacity of animals until complete fatigue was assessed in a swimming test at the same time of a day. Results. Working capacity in rats in the swimming test had the highest values in the summer (75.4 s) and in the spring (78 s), while it was the lowest in the autumn (47.8 s). The highest concentrations of lactate we, on the contrary, observed in the in the autumn. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the working capacity in rats is the best in the spring and in the summer, worse in the winter and the worst in the autumn. One may speculate that the genetically determined seasonal pattern of metabolic processes in the skeletal muscle of rats may determines seasonality in their working capacity.

Corporate workplace health promotion programs include a broad range of activities supported by the employer and directed at health promotion and disease prevention among the employees resulting in reduction of occupational health risks and forming healthy lifestyles. Corporate health and occupational health are the most common terms related to health in a workplace. Occupational health deals with devising and implementing policy instruments on workers' health, protecting and promoting health at the workplace to ensure long and productive professional career in given occupational conditions. Corporate health is one of the components of the corporative culture, which in addition to reduction of occupational risks and general health protection of the employees supports health promotion, increase in productivity and forming an good image of the employer. A descriptive study summarizing best practices in creating and implementing corporate workplace health promotion programs in the Russian Federation was performed. The effectiveness of these programs in the leading Russian companies is also discussed. This paper was written as a part of the research on state assignment to the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

Aim. In this paper we present anthropometric characteristics of young adults permanently living in three areas with different ecological risks in the Aral Sea region. The main hypothesis is that the exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in early childhood combined with factor associated with Aral Sea disaster (ASD) may have consequences for body composition in adulthood. Methods. A cross-sectional study. Altogether, 33 anthropometric parameters including body mass, length, sizes of extremities, chest, pelvis, and skinfold thickness were measured in 320 volunteers (135 males, 175 females) born in 1990-1995 before implementation of measures for liquidation of the ASD consequences. The participants were divided into three groups by ecological characteristics of the place of residence: 1 - critical, 2 -relatively optimal and 3 - optimal. Numeric data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis tests with Mann-Whitney post-hoc tests with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Categorical data were compared using exact chi-squared tests for binomial distribution. Results. Young men living in critical area had significantly lower values for body mass, arm length, chest circumference, waist circumference, skinfold thickness compared to their counterparts in other groups. Women from the second group had significantly greater average values for all studied characteristics compared with the two other groups. Conclusions. Men from the most ecologically disadvantaged areas had signs of suboptimal bone development. The observed differences in arm length and the size of the major joints in men may by associated with the anti-androgenic effect of OCPs before and during puberty while the opposite pattern revealed in females may be partly explained by estrogenic effect of OCPs. Our findings are in line with the results from the literature on endocrine disruptor chemicals. Environmental monitoring and public health measures are needed to preserve and improve health of the population of the Aral Sea region.