Visnyk of Dnipropetrovsk University. Biology, ecology

99-104

Authors: Y. L. Kulbachko, О. А. Didur, O. Y. Pakhomov, I. М. Loza

Soil contamination by heavy metals, first of all, influences biological and ecological conditions, and it is able to change the conservative soil features, such as humus content, aggregation, acidity and others, leading to partial or total diminishing of soil fertility and decrease in soil economic value. Zoogenic issues of soil protective capacity formation in conditions of heavy metal content rise under technogenesis have been studied. The article discusses the features of earthworm trophic-metabolic activity in the afforested remediated site (Western Donbass, Ukraine) with different options of mixed soil bulk. Western Donbass is the large center of coal mining located in South-Western part of Ukraine. High rates of technical development in this region lead to surface subsidence, rising and outbreak of high-mineralized groundwater, and formation of dump pits of mine wastes. Remediated area is represented by the basement of mine wastes covered by 5 options of artificial mixed soil with different depth of horizons. The following tree species were planted on top of artificial soil: Acer platanoides L., Robinia pseudoacacia L., and Juniperus virginiana L. The main practical tasks were to define on the quantitative basis the buffer capacity of artificial mixed soil and earthworm excreta in relation to copper contamination and to compare its immobilization capacity in conditions of artificial forest plants in the territory of Western Donbass. It was proved that earthworm excreta had a great influence on soil immobilization capacity (particularly, on soil buffering to copper) which increased for excreta in the following range: humus-free loess loam – top humus layer of ordinary chernozem. Immobilization efficiency of copper by earthworm excreta from ordinary chernozem bulk compared with baseline (ordinary chernozem) was significantly higher. It should be noted that trophic-metabolic activity of earthworms plays very important role as a zoogenic factor which restricts movement of excess chemicals, maintains stability and increases resistance to soil contamination, in particular, with copper. Besides, it is possible to accelerate the artificial forest edaphotop naturalization on reclaimed land, and to increase its ecological value

110-114

Authors: V. V. Khobot, R. O. Novitskiy, D. L. Bondarev

The paper analyzes the species’ composition of Gobiidae, their quantitative and qualitative parameters in the coastal zone of the Pridneproovye water bodies. The structural and functional features of organization of coastal Gobies groups in the explored territory have been investigated, as well as characteristics of spatial arrangement of Gobiidae family representatives in water bodies and rivers and their role in the coastal groups of fishes. In the waters of Dnipropetrovsk region there were recorded 8 species of the Gobies family: round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814), big-headed goby N. kessleri (Gunter, 1861), monkey goby N. fluviatilis (Pallas, 1814), goad goby N. gymnotrachelus (Kessler, 1857), toad goby Mesogobius batrachocephalus (Pallas, 1814), tube-nosed goby Proterorhinus marmoratus (Pallas, 1814), starry goby Benthophilus stellatus (Sauvage, 1874), Brauner’s tadpole goby Benthophiloides brauneri (Beling et Iljin, 1927). The gobies are quickly settled in various water bodies. The highest numbers of Gobiidae were registered in Dneprovsky water basin – 113.8 specimens/100 m2. The dominant among the Gobiidae is monkey goby, and subdominant is round goby. The main food competitor of monkey goby are juveniles of commercial fish. In Samara river the index of trophic niche overlap between goby and roach reaches 0.95, between goby and silver bream – 0.91, between goby and crucian carp – 0.88, between goby and rudd – 0.87, between goby and common bream – 0.62. The number and biomass indicators in Samara river have fallen due to trophic competition between new aggressive fish species – pumpkinseed and Gobiidae. In the Ingulets river the total overlap of trophic niches is observed between N. fluviatilis and black-striped pipefish (1.0), almost complete overlap is recorded between monkey goby and pumpkinseed (0.97). It is found that native species of Dnipropetrovsk region (including commercial species) undergo intense trophic pressure on the part of low value, “weed” or alien species

121-132

Authors: L. P. Kharchenko, I. A. Lykova

Histological structure of digestive tracts of 12 species of waders (Aves, Сharadrii) has been studied: Pluvialis squatarola (Linnaeus, 1758), Charadrius hiaticula (Linnaeus, 1758), Recurvirostra avosetta (Linnaeus, 1758), Tringa ochropus (Linnaeus, 1758), T. glareola (Linnaeus, 1758), T. nebularia (Gunnerus, 1767), T. erythropus (Pallas, 1764), Philomachus pugnax (Linnaeus, 1758), Calidris minuta (Leisler, 1812), C. ferruginea (Pontoppidan, 1763), C. alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) and Gallinago gallinago (Linnaeus, 1758). The features of histological structure of all parts of the digestive tract of the waders species under analysis were defined and adaptations in the structure of the digestive system to distant migrations were detected. It is determined that the histological structure of the wall of the esophagus of the studied species of waders is universal, and the relief of mucosa is folded; stratified squamous epithelium of the mucous membrane has an insignificant degree of hornification. A large number of esophagus glands is observed in the lamina propria of the mucosa; these glands secrete mucus which facilitates the movement of food along the esophagus. The muscular coat is well-developed and formed by longitudinal and circular layers of smooth muscle tissue. It is found that characteristics of histological structure of the stomach wall of the waders species under analysis are presupposed by the following functions: 1) glandular stomach wall provides secretion of digestive enzymes through active secretory activity of glands of deep complex; 2) secretion (mucus) of simple tubular glands is excreted to the surface of glandular stomach performing the protective function; 3) the wall of the muscular stomach provides mechanical treatment of food through well-developed muscle layer and solid layer of the cuticle. It is established that the waders’ intestine is shortened, that is compensated by the complication of the relief of intestinal mucosa by plates that form complex mazes and anastomoses, several times increasing the absorbing surface of the intestine. The plates are covered with a single layer of prismatic bordered epithelium which includes Goblet cells, the number of which increases in the caudal direction of intestines. It is found out that the particular feature of the histological structure of the examined wall of the waders’ small intestine is multi-layer location of crypts in the mucosa. A large number of cambial cells with figures of mitosis were noticed in the crypt, which indicated the intensive processes of proliferation of intestinal enterocytes. These features in the structure of the wall of the small intestine are considered as adaptations to distant migrations and are connected with waders’ intense nutrition on migration stops. For the first time Meckel diverticulum has been found in waders and its histological structure has been described. It is established that waders’ Meckel diverticulum is a lymphoid-epithelial organ and it serves as the immune system of waders’ digestive tract. It is stated that the wall of waders’ rectum has wrinkles that contribute to its stretching; mucous membrane has the plate relief, it is lined with a single layer of epithelium bordered with many Goblet cells. It is revealed that different parts of the investigated waders’ cecum have uneven development of histological structures and the presence of lymphoid tissue clusters in the lamina propria mucosa indicates the functional belonging of the cecum to the immune defense system of waders’ digestive tract; the presence of mainly bordered enterocytes in the surface epithelium indicates its osmo-regulatory function

149-154

Authors: D. V. Chernetchenko, M. P. Motsnyj, N. P. Botsva, О. V. Elina

Effective and controlled plants development in artificial conditions today represents an urgent problem. Registration of bioelectrical potentials of the plants is still the best way of evaluation and diagnostics of the physiological functionality state of the biosystem. Very important role is played by an opportunity of continuous and automated control of parameters of vital activity support. This work employs hardware and software system for automated recording of bioelectrical potentials on the basis of USB-device with subsequent processing of signals on PC. We proposed the universal pattern of bioelectrical potentials’ recording which allowed to detect the response of the biological object to photo-stimulation. It can be used for the deeper understanding and investigation of biological mechanisms of electrical potentials’ generation in cells. During the experiments, we change two main parameters: the wavelength and intensity of light. System for bioelectrical potentials’ recording consists of hardware and software parts. Integrated system of recording and biometrical processing was used for analysis of the leaves’ electrical responses to photo stimuli. The dynamics of these potentials was studied, with the quantitative analysis of intensity of light level, where we obtained the minimum and maximum of sensitivity to the light intensity. As a result of modeling, we determined that electrical response of cells to photo-stimulation was based on selective conductivity of cell membrane for Н+ ions. Therefore, we showed the biophysical relation of plant light-induced potentials to the intracellular biophysical mechanisms

161-165

Authors: O. M. Kovalchuk

The Bronze Age mound (2.5–2.3 kya BC) is located near the Maryanskoe village (Apostolovskyi district, Dnepropetrovsk region) and was excavated in 1953. The results of determination of the fish remnants, which were found during the excavation, are presented in the paper. Eleven species belonging to 9 genera, 5 families and 5 orders (Acipenseriformes, Cypriniformes, Siluriformes, Esociformes, Perciformes) were identified: russian sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt et Ratzeburg, 1833, stellate sturgeon A. stellatus Pallas, 1771, common ide Idus idus (Linnaeus, 1758), common roach Rutilus rutilus (Linnaeus, 1758), pontic roach R. frisii (Nordmann, 1840), common bream Abramis brama (Linnaeus, 1758), common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758, tench Tinca tinca (Linnaeus, 1758), european catfish Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758, northern pike Esox lucius (Linnaeus, 1758), and zander Sander lucioperca (Linnaeus, 1758). Most of them are quite common in the Dnieper river basin. It was found that carp fishes predominate in the number of species. Most of the bone remnants in the collection belong to zander, catfish and pike, while common roach, pontic roach and common bream are identified by the few bones. This may indicate a different role of these species in the diet of the local population. The ratio of skeletal elements in the collection is the evidence of the fish cutting on the site. Body length and weight was reconstructed for 64 fish specimens. It was found that they were mature and small-sized, except for catfish, pike and perch. Taking into account the characteristics of the funeral rituals of the Yamna culture population, fish bones from the mound near Maryanskoe can be remnants of the parting meal.

169-177

Authors: V. A. Makarchuk, G. А. Ushakova

The study was undertaken to examine the influence of chronic pancreatitis on the distribution of neuronal cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in the pancreas and various brain regions of rats under the conditions of endogenous intoxication. The study was conducted using 36 white nonlinear male rats (6 months old, 190–220 g). To develop the state of chronic pancreatitis, animals were subjected tolaparotomy under general anesthesia and prolonged occlusion of the pancreatic duct. The morphological examination of pancreatic tissue hasbeen performed to confirm the chronic pancreatitis development in animals. Biochemical evaluation of the pancreatic fibrosis has been performed by measuring plasma levels of hyaluronic acid, hydroxyproline and protein-free hydroxyproline. The intensity of free radical oxidation has been assessed by the change in the concentration of TBA-active products in plasma. The level of endotoxemia has been determinedby the content of average weight molecules in plasma. Protein fractions were extracted from the pancreas and various parts of the rat brain and the levels of soluble (sNCAM) and membrane (mNCAM) proteins were studied with the use of the competitive ELISA. Total protein in the obtained fractions was measured by the Bradford assay. Occlusion of the pancreatic duct resultedin significant atrophy of acinar tissue, fibrosis and disfunction of the pancreas along with the decreasing in the antioxidant defense of animals. The present study shows developing of endointoxication in experimentalrats, signified by considerable increase of molecules with average weight in plasma due to the activation of lipid peroxidation. It was established that, as a result of the experimental pancreas dysfunction, significant redistribution of soluble and membrane forms of NCAM took place, more especially in the cerebellum and thalamus of rats; it caused changing of cell-cell adhesion in these brain regions. Multidirectional NCAM distribution in the cerebellum and thalamus gives evidence of neuroplasticity as specific adaptation under conditions of chronic pancreatitis.