The Laboratory of Functional Morphology of Central and Peripheral Nervous System

Head of the Laboratory

Dmitrii E. Korzhevskiy,
доктор медицинских наук, профессор РАН

e-mail: morphol@iemspb.ru

Phone: (812) 234-24-38

Brief history of the laboratory

Academician A.A. Zavarzin, a significant Soviet scientist, a founder of evolutionary histology had organized and had headed the Department of General Morphology of the Institute of Experimental Medicine in 1932.

The Department had been formed from several laboratories, including the Laboratory of Experimental Histology, which headed by Professor N.G. Khlopin and which gave rise to the Laboratory of Functional Morphology of Central and Peripheral Nervous System. The Laboratory was transformed into the Department of Histology in 1945.
S.I. Shchelkunov who was the corresponding member of AMS of the USSR had been the Head of the Department after N.G. Khlopin.

P.G. Svetlov, the corresponding member of AMS of USSR, headed the Department for a sort time in 1956.
Professor V.P. Mikhailov became the Head of the Laboratory of Experimental Histology under the direction of whom, had been working such famous scientists as S.A. Ketlinsky, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, corresponding member of RAS and A.S. Simbirtsev, MD, Professor and corresponding-member of RAS.

The Laboratory of Experimental Histology and the Laboratory of Cytology were united into the again organized Department of Morphology in 1980 (V.A. Otellin, MD, Prof., Corresponding-member of RAMS, Head).

In 2008, the Laboratory was named as ‘The Laboratory of Functional Morphology of Central and Peripheral Nervous System (Professor of RAS D.E. Korzhevskii, Head) and is a part of reorganized by V.A. Nagornev, Prof., Member of RAMS, the Department of General and Particular Morphology.

Main Academic Research

Studying of neurotransmitter systems of the brain using selective immune markers;

Studying of glioarchitectonics of different parts of the brain of experimental animals and human;

Research of small cytological structures (cell contacts, synapses, and intranuclear structures) by using of ultrahigh resolution microscopy;

Research of innervation pattern of peripheral organs using modern immunohistochemical methods;

Research of differentiation of neural cell predecessor and mesenchymal stem cells in the conditions of allotransplantation into peripheral nerve.

Main Scientific Results for the last 5 years

• Morphofunctional changes of neurons are described in details, microgliocytes and astrocytes of rat brain after the short-term focal ischemia.

  1. Morphofunctional changes of neurons, microgliocytes, and astrocytes of rat brain after short-term focal ischemia are described in details.
  2. Structural features and cytochemichal characteristics of ependymocytes in the rat cerebral ventricules at different ontogenetic stages and after ischemic damage.
  3. In the area of the medial habenula, special GFAP–immunopositive ependymocytes with long radial processes were detected for the first time. The hypothesis about the reserve neurogenic zone of the diencephalon formed by these cells is formulated.
  4. Cytochemical features of tanycytes of the third ventricle of the rat brain on different stages of postnatal development were studied. Structural-functional organization of the nucleolus of tanycytes were characterized for the first time.
  5. The presence of amyloid aggregations in the kidney, liver, and myocardium of mdx mice (an experimental model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy) was shown for the first time, their localization, morphology, and biochemical composition were described.
  6. Morphological features and tinctorial properties of amyloidal clusters in the human myocardium and amyloidal plaques in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease patients are studied.
  7. Comprehensive immunohistochemical characteristics is given to the catecholaminergic neurons of the human substantia nigra. Peculiarities of the organization of the intranuclear structures of neurons (nucleolus, Marinesco body, Cajal body) are described.
  8. By using the neural transplantation, we found that embryonic neocortical anlagen developing in an unusual biological niche demonstrated disorder of proliferation, which results in change of cell cycle of the neuroepithelial cells, that correlates with impaired distribution of cadherin-immunoreactive cell contacts and the disorder of interkinetic migration of nuclei of the grafted cells.
  9. Bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) injected into the brain were shown to have fibroblast-like growth during the first week of observation.
  10. After injection of MSC into the injured nerve, they remain viable for a week with some of them being located in the nerve sheaths and differentiated into adipocytes and cells of perineurium.
  11. Using immunohistochemical methods for the detection of peripherin, PGP 9.5 protein, and tyrosine hydroxylase, new approaches have been developed for the selective revealing of nerve apparatus in various internal organs of humans and laboratory animals.

Main Scientific Results for the last 5 years

  1. Gusel’nikova V.V., Korzhevskiy D.E. NeuN as a neuronal nuclear antigen and neuron differentiation marker // Acta Naturae, 2015, 7(2):42–47.
  2. Korzhevskii D.E., Kirik O., Sukhorukova E. Immunocytochemistry of microglial cells // Neuromethods, 2015, 101:209–224. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2313-7_12.
  3. Nurkhametova D., Kudryavtsev I., Guselnikova V., Serebryakova M., Giniatullina R.R., Wojciechowski S., Tore F., Rizvanov A., Koistinaho J., Malm T., Giniatullin R. Activation of P2X7 Receptors in Peritoneal and Meningeal Mast Cells Detected by Uptake of Organic Dyes: Possible Purinergic Triggers of Neuroinflammation in Meninges // Front Cell Neurosci, 2019, 13:45. DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00045.
  4. Korzhevskii D.E., Gusel’nikova V.V., Kirik O.V., Sukhorukova E.G., Grigorev I.P. The Spatial Organization of the Intranuclear Structures of Human Brain Dopaminergic Neurons // Acta Naturae, 2017, 9, 3(34):85–92.
  5. Koroleva K., Gafurov O., Guselnikova V., Nurkhametova D., Giniatullina R., Sitdikova G., Mattila O.S., Lindsberg P.J., Malm T.M., Giniatullin R. Meningeal Mast Cells Contribute to ATP-Induced Nociceptive Firing in Trigeminal Nerve Terminals: Direct and Indirect Purinergic Mechanisms Triggering Migraine Pain // Front Cell Neurosci, 2019, 10(13):195. DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00195.
  6. Gusel’nikova V., Antimonova O., Fedorova E., Shavlovsky M., Krutikov A., Mikhailova E., Gudkova A., Mikhailov V., Korzhevskii D. Fluorescent characterization of amyloid deposits in the kidneys of MDX mice // European Journal of Histochemistry, 2018, 62:2870. DOI: 10.4081/ejh.2018.2870.
  7. Gusel’nikova V., Nurkhametova D., Kudryavtsev I. et al. Extracellular ATP induces activation and degranulation of meningeal mast cells through P2X7 receptor: a possible mechanism for migraine pain // FEBS OPEN BIO, 2018, 8: 374. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.12453.
  8. Petrova E., Isaeva E., Kolos E., Korzhevskii D. Allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the epineurium and perineurium of the recipient rat // Biological Communications, 2018, 63(2):123–132. DOI: 10.21638/spbu03.2018.205.
  9. Alekseeva O.S., Gusel’nikova V.V., Beznin G.V., Korzhevskii D.E. Prospects for the application of NeuN nuclear protein as a marker of the functional state of nerve cells in vertebrates // Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology, 2015, 51(5): 357-369. DOI: 10.1134/S0022093015050014.
  10. Petrova E.S. Differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells and stimulation of nerve regeneration // Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, 2018, 49(4):193–205. DOI:1134/S0475145018010032.
  11. Kolos E.A., Korzhevskii D.E. Activation of Microglyocytes in the Anterior Horns of Rat Spinal Cord after Administration of Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide // Bull Exp Biol Med, 2017, 163(4): 515-518. DOI: 10.1007/s10517-017-3841-8.
  12. Kolos E.A., Korzhevskii D.A. Heterogeneous choline acetyltransferase staining in cholinergic neurons // Neurochemical Journal, 2016, 10(1):47-52. DOI: 10.1134/S1819712416010104.
  13. Sukhorukova E. G., Kirik O.V., Sufieva D.A., Alekseeva O.S., Korzhevskii D.E. Structural Organization of Astrocytes in the Subgranular Zone of the Rabbit Hippocampal Dentate Fascia // Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology, 2019, 55(2):148–154. DOI: 10.1134/S002209301902008X.
  14. Sufieva D.A., Guselnikova V.V., Korzhevskii D.E. Nucleolin in Neurons of the Human Substantia Nigra // Biochemistry (Moscow), Supplement Series A: Membrane and Cell Biology, 2018, 12(2): 205–208.
  15. Petrova E.S., Isaeva E.N., Kolos E.A., Korzhevskii D.E. Vascularization of the Damaged Nerve under the Effect of Experimental Cell Therapy // Bull Exp Biol Med, 2018, 165(1):161-165. DOI: 10.1007/s10517-018-4120-z.
  16. Alekseeva O.S., Grigorev I.P., Korzhevskii D.E. Neuroglobin, an oxygen-binding protein in the mammalian nervous system (localization and putative functions) // Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology, 2017, 53(4):249–258. DOI:10.1134/S0022093017040019 .
  17. Sufieva D.A., Kirik O.V., Korzhevskii D E. Astrocyte Markers in the Tanycytes of the Third Brain Ventricle in Postnatal Development and Aging in Rats // Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, 2019, 50(3): 146–153. DOI: 10.1134/S1062360419030068.
  18. Kolos E.A., Korzhevskii D.E. Glutamine Synthetase-Containing Cells of the Dorsal Root Ganglion at Different Stages of Rat Ontogeny // Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, 2018, 49(3): 179–183 DOI: 10.7868/S0475145018030060.
  19. Korzhevskii D.E., Grigor’ev I.P., Sukhorukova E.G., Gusel’nikova V.V. Immunohistochemical characteristics of neurons in the Substantia Nigra of the human brain // Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology, 2019, 49(1): 109-114.
  20. Fedorova E.A., Sufieva D.A., Grigorev I.P., Korzhevskii D.E. Mast Cells of the Human Pineal Gland // Advances in Gerontology, 2019, 9(1): 62–66. DOI: 10.1134/S2079057019010053.
  21. Gusel’nikova V.V., Antimonova O.I.,Fedorova E.A. Fluorene derivative disodium salt as a new fluorescent dye for Identification of amyloid deposits in myocardium of mdx mice // Cell and Tissue Biology, 2018, 12(3):213–216. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990519X18030057.
  22. Kirik O.V., Grigorev I.P., Alekseeva O.S., Korzhevskii D.E. Three-dimensional organization of the cytoplasmic neuroglobin-immunopositive structures in the rat medulla oblongata neurons// Biochemistry (Moscow) Supplement Series A Membrane and Cell Biology, 2016, 10(4):333-337. DOI: 10.1134/S1990747816030065
  23. Sufieva D.A., Kirik O.V., Korzhevskii D.E. Nucleolin and Nucleoli in Ependymocytes and Tanycytes of the Third Ventricle of the Rat Brain // Cell and Tissue Biology, 2018, 12(2):166–172). DOI: 10.1134/S1990519X18020116.
  24. Chumasov E.I., Petrova E.S., Korzhevskii D.E. Age-related changes in the sympathetic innervation of the pancreas // Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, 2017, 48 (4): 278-286. DOI: 10.1134/S1062360417040038.
  25. Chumasov E.I., Petrova E.S., Korzhevskii D.E. Sctructural and functional features of vascular endothelium of mature rats due to the data of immunohistochemical study // Regional blood circulation and microcirculation, 2019, 18, 2(70):70–77. DOI: 10.24884/1682-6655-2019-18-2-70-77.
  26. Guselnikova V.V., Gudkova A.Ya., Semernin E.N., Grudinina N.A., Krutikov A.N., Shavloskii M.M., Mil’man B.L., Korzhevskii D.E., Mikhailova E.V., Kaminskaya E.V., Mikhailov V.M. Characterization of amyloid deposits found in internal organs of mdx mice // Cell and Tissue Biology, 2017, 11(1):27-34. DOI: 10.1134/S1990519X17010047.
  27. Chumasov E.I., Petrova E.S., Korzhevskii D.E. Structural and functional characteristics of vascular endothelial cells of a newborn rat (immunohistochemical study) // Regional blood circulation and microcirculation. 2018. 17(2):80–85. DOI: 10.24884/1682-6655-2018-17-2-78-83.
    Monographs:
  28. Immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy / Eds. D.E. Korzhevskii. SPb.: Special Lit., 2018. 103 P.
  29. Immunohistochemical examination of the brain/ Eds. D.E.Korzhevskii. SPb.: Special Lit., 2016. 143 P.
  30. Molecular neuromorphology. Neurodegeneration and assessment of the response of nerve cells to damage (monograph) / Eds. D.E. Korzhevskii . SPb.: Special Lit., 2015. 110 P.

Research Assistants of the Laboratory