Anatoly Sharpenak


Anatoly Ernestovich Sharpenak was a Russian and Soviet biochemistry scientist; Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor. Author of one of the dental caries theories named after him.

Biography

A. E. Sharpenak was born into a family of Baltic Germans settled in Russia. In addition to Anatoly, the family had two daughters: Helen and elder sister of the mother's first marriage. The family was quite wealthy. The children have graduated from a good private schools and then university. They lived in the area of German settlement - German Quarter.
During the Russian Civil War A. E. Sharpenak served as a doctor on a hospital train.
In 1920 A. E. Sharpenak worked under the direction of ) in the newly created Biochemical Institute.
In 1939, A. E. Sharpenak organized a biochemical department at the Moscow Stomatological Institute . He was the chair of this department until 1969.
While heading the department at the Moscow Stomatological Institute, he also held positions:
A. E. Sharpenak died in January 1969 of complications from influenza. He was buried at the Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery in Moscow.
Sharpenak's sister, Helen Ernestovna Abarbanel, Professor, Basman Hospital radiologist. was buried in the Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery in Moscow.
His wife, Emilya Danilovna Tsapenko. was a surgical nurse. She was buried in the cemetery of the Gagarin Air Force Academy in Monino.
His daughter, Tamara Anatolievna Tsapenko. (13 January 1922 – 12 April 1987, was an X-ray technician. She was buried in the cemetery of the Gagarin Air Force Academy in Monino.

Scientific activities

One of the first works of the Biochemical Institute, under the leadership of A.N. Bach in 1920, was the creation of a new method for determination of enzyme levels. Lack of accurate microscopic method, which only can work with minimal amounts of blood at the time made it impossible to systematically explore the work of enzymes in normal and pathological condition of the body. A method which was created and later has received the name of the Bach-Zubkova, allowed to work with one cubic millimeter of blood. At the request of the Institute ten special calorimeters were built, which are provided to hospitals for systematic studies. According to Professor Yaroslav S. Przheborovsky :
While working at the Institute of Nutrition, A.E. Sharpenak, who studied protein metabolism, has contributed to the study of some indispensable amino acids and their optimum balance. Sharpenak's long-term studies of protein metabolism have received worldwide recognition.
A.E. Sharpenak pointed out that the diet should take into account not only the total protein content, but also the content of individual amino acids. Effect of protein quality of the diet on the body depends not only on the absolute content of individual amino acids in the diet, but also on the balance between them.
Sharpenak A.E. authored more than 150 scientific papers, including university textbooks on organic and biological chemistry. Professor A.E. Sharpenaka supervised 11 Ph.D. theses.
As the creator of an important research area, Sharpenak AE rightly recognized as a great scientist who made a great contribution to Russian science of dentistry.

Sharpenak’s theory of dental caries

As head of the Department of Biochemistry at Moscow Stomatological Institute, Professor A.E. Sharpenak tackled one of the major problems of dentistry, namely, the etiology and pathogenesis of dental caries.
Throughout the 1940s, under his leadership a large amount of experimental work was carried out on the etiology of dental caries.
In 1949, after numerous experiments, Professor A.E. Sharpenak proposed the theory of dental caries due to lack of income in the organs and tissues protein, B vitamins and an excess of carbohydrates.
The novelty, the validity and relevance of research findings of A.E. Sharpenak received scientific recognition and entered into the history of Russian dentistry under the name of the author - the theory of dental caries of A.E. Sherpenak.

Publications

Some works of A.E. Sharpenak.