Effect of alpha-tocopherol and its derivatives on the viability of cultured malignant cells

The effect of alpha-tocopherol and its derivatives on viability and growth of attached cells culture: human epithelioid carcinoma of cervix HeLa-S3K and human cervical carcinoma cell line C-4-1 according to protein content and level of alkaline phosphatase, as well to unattached cells: human acute leukemia cell cultures CEM-C-1 and CEM-C-7 according to the amount of viable cells in suspension has been studied. It has been shown that alpha-tocopherol acetate and tocopherol maintain the viability of cells, while the derivatives of tocopherol with shorted side chain considerably inhibit growth of researched cultures, alpha-tocopherol with lacking side chain being most active among them.     

Pathologic anatomy of experimental listeriosis

The authors present a survey of the Soviet and foreign literature and findings of their own experimental studies. On the basis of these data the pathologo-anatomic picture of listerosis in laboratory animals (white mice, guinea-pigs and rabbits) is given in dynamics and histogenesis of focal changes in this disease in elucidated. The most typical feature of listerosis in animals is lesions of the kidney where focal changes in the form of granulems could be detected macroscopically at an early period and with great consistency. Several stages in its histogenesis may be discerned: I. focal necroses of hepatic cells associated with their invasion with lister Listeria; 2. appearance of cellular elements around the foci of necroses with subsequent formation of granulemas consisting mainly of leucocytes and lymphoid cells; 3. development of necrobiotic changes in the central areas of granulemas with concomitance of exudative processes; 4. organization of necrotic foci with subsequent scarring.     

Outbreak of influenza in a neonatal intensive care unit

An outbreak of influenza A/Victoria/3/75 (H3N2) involving five infants in a neonatal intensive care unit is described. The clinical signs and symptoms were indistinguishable from those seen in bacterial sepsis. There was no evidence of meningoencephalitis. All infants recovered without any sequelae.     

Bird breeder's hypersensitivity pneumonitis: progress studies of lung function after cessation of exposure to the provoking antigen

Lung function and immunologic studies have been performed in 9 patients with bird breeder's hypersensitivity pneumonitis at the time of diagnosis and at intervals from 8 to 30 months after they ceased exposure to the provoking antigen. All 9 patients had evidence of small airway obstruction at the time of diagnosis. Complete recovery of lung function occurred in 4 patients. The other 5 all had evidence of interstitial damage; 3 of them had progressive increase in the degree of airway obstruction, and one had progressive loss of elastic recoil. The patients were nonsmokers, and these progressive changes could not be explained by occult exposure to antigen because the tests of immunologic sensitivity to relevant avian antigens became negative. Neither the nature or degree of lung function abnormality nor the form of clinical presentation was related to the development of residual damage. The period of exposure to antigen after symptoms developed and the age of the patient appeared to be the most important factors determining recovery of lung function.     

Effect of thrombolytic therapy on pulmonary-capillary blood volume in patients with pulmonary embolism

To compare the effects of heparin thrombolytic agents in pulmonary thromboembolic disease, we randomly assigned 40 patients with pulmonary emboli but without other clinical cardiopulmonary disease either to heparin followed by oral anticoagulants (21 patients) or to urokinse or streptokinase followed by heparin and then by oral anticoagulants (19 patients). The effects on pulmonary-capillary blood volume and diffusing capacity were compared at two weeks and at one year. The pulmonary-capillary blood volume (in milliliters per square meter of body-surface area) was abnormally low (30 +/- 2.4) [+/- S.E.]; normal, 47 +/- 1.5) in the heparin-treated group at two weeks and remained unchanged at one year. In contrast, it was normal (45 +/- 2.5) in the group receiving thrombolytic agents, both at two weeks and at one year (P < 0.001). The pulmonary diffusing capacity was reduced to 69% of the predicted value in the heparin group at two weeks and 72% at one year, whereas it was 85% of the predicted value in the thrombolytic group at two weeks and 93% at one year (P < 0.001). These results indicate that thrombolytic agents allow more complete resolution of thromboemboli than do heparin and anticoagulants and that they improve capillary perfusion and diffusion.