Etiology of male sterility

Male sterility may be caused by a numerical or structual abnormality of the chromosomes; these disorders can disturb the development and maturation of the male sex cells, excluding therapeutical treatment. 6% of the infertile men have chromosome aberrations. The authors have studied sterility in men with normally developed testicles and secondary sexual characteristics. In the 1st group of patients, there was no evidence of chromosome aberration; histological examinations of the testicles showed all stages of the spermato- and spermiogenesis. In this group, infertility was caused by secretory obturation. In the 2nd group, there was no chromosome aberration but the spermatogenesis was completely stopped. The influence of cytogenic factors is excluded as the choromosomes were normal. In the 3rd group, there were several chromosome abnormalities. However these abnormalities were not having any effect on the spermatogenesis. It is possible that they were congenital. The 4th group consisted of patients with no chromosome abnormality, but their spermatogenesis was interrupted after the division and the spermatocytes did not develop properly. The authors feel that histology is the best method available to understand the etiology of male infertility.     

Radionuclide study in the diagnosis of infectious foci in heart surgery patients

The radionuclide investigation was performed 1-3 and 24 hours after injection of a radiopharm preparation and included the single photon emission computed tomography of the heart and scintigraphy of the whole body. Inflammation foci were found on the scans as hyperfixation foci of autoleukocytes labeled with 99mTc-HMPAO (hexamethylpropilene aminooxime). Four patients had abscesses with 0.8-1.5 cm diameter in projection of the aortal and mitral valves of the heart, and in 10 patients there were foci of inflammation and suppuration of extracardiac localization (in the area of the operation wound, anterior mediastinum, frontal sinuses, transverse colon, parietal pleura). The data obtained convincingly speak of high sensitivity and specificity of radionuclide diagnostic methods with the help of labeled elements of the whole blood in recognizing latent inflammatory and suppurative processes in cardiosurgical patients at the pre- and postoperative periods.     

New nucleoside conjugates with phospholipids: synthesis of anti-HIV activity of rac-1-hexadecyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphonucleosides

New nucleoside-phospholipid conjugates were synthesized based on 1,2-disubstituted glycerides and nucleosides. These contain rac-1-hexadecyl-2-palmitoyl(or 2-methylcarbamoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphate as the phospholipid component and 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxythymidine, 1-(Z-5-hydroxypentene-2-yl)thymine, or 2',3'-isopropylideneuridine as a nucleoside component. The conjugates were synthesized by three different ways: from rac-1-hexadecyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phospodichlorides, -3-phosphatidic acids, or -3-H-phosphonates. When subjected to mild alkaline hydrolysis, conjugates containing a 2-palmitoyl group formed conjugates with the lysophospholipid component that had not yet been described. All the conjugates obtained were amorphous compounds stable at room temperature. Their hemolytic and anti-HIV activities were determined. Some conjugates were found to completely inhibit in vitro HIV-1 reproduction in lower doses than the corresponding nucleosides.     

Gastrointestinal complications after aortocoronary bypass

Under analysis are gastrointestinal complications (hemorrhage, perforation of the duodenum, acute pancreatitis) which were observed in 10 of 177 patients after aortocoronary bypass. Risk factors of these complications, their specific diagnosis, treatment and prophylactics are discussed.     

The Military Medical Academy--the national property of Russia

Article by the Chief of the Academy has been based on its history of 200 years. One of the oldest establishments of medical education has played a great role in the development of the national and world medicine. Among the Academy graduates of highest merit was N. I. Pirogov, a famous surgeon, who marked a new age in the medical science and education and introduced important innovations in the casualty treatment on the battlefield. He was the first to apply ether anaesthesia and plaster bandage and to have women taking care of the wounded on the theater of operations. Academy graduates S. P. Botkin, G. F. Lang and F. I. Komarov had founded their own schools of therapy. E. N. Pavlovski? developed a study on the focus nativeness of infection and parasite disease process. Every year the Academy scientists implement more than 150 research projects for the government, ministries and different agencies, defend up to 75 theses on 30 specialties, conduct more than 20 national and international conferences, symposiums and meetings. For the last 35 years the Academy has been training medical doctors, scientists and healthcare specialists for 35 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.     

Dose-dependent inactivation of extracellular human immunodeficiency virus by miramistin

BACKGROUND: There is a need for an atraumatic, fast, reliable, inexpensive, reversible-on-demand method for female sterilization which is also free from side-effects. The use of an Nd:YAG laser for occlusion of human fallopian tubes in vitro was assessed for achieving these aims. METHODS: An in vitro study was performed on coagulation of fallopian tube tissue using continuous wave Nd:YAG laser. Posthysterectomy human uteri were exposed to laser radiation either directly through an optical fibre or through a sapphire contact probe at the ostia at different laser powers and inter-action times. RESULTS: Laser-induced tissue coagulation plugged the ostia in a clean, controlled and predictable manner. Microscopic examination of the coagulated tissue showed about 50 microns wide blind holes without any continuous channel; thus eliminating the possibility of passage of sperms through such a plug. The depth of coagulation along the lumen of the fallopian tubes increased linearly with the interaction time of the laser beam at a constant power, either by direct irradiation or through a contact probe. The maximum depth of coagulation was found to be about 3 mm in case of direct irradiation at a laser power of about 6.5 W and interaction time of 50 seconds. Beyond these values, charring occurred at the surface of the tissue. CONCLUSION: Nd:YAG laser might be a suitable means for female sterilization. Further studies in experimental and clinical settings would be required to confirm its utility.     

The current potentials and the role of echocardiography in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of infectious endocarditis

The authors have analyzed results of examination of 107 patients with infective endocarditis (IE) of the natural (IENV) and artificial valves (IEAV) of the heart. It was found that the revealed ultrasonic symptoms of IE were specific in 97.7% of patients with IENV and in 100% of patients with IEAV. The sensitivity of transthoracal echocardiography was 89.6% in patients with IENV and 65% in patients with IEAV. The intracardiac morphological alterations were found to coincide with the findings of echocardiography in 78.2% of patients with IENV and in 55%--with IEAV. The authors have elaborated an algorithm of the complex diagnostic examination of patients.