Electron microscopic study of nerve tissue elements of the medullary substance of the canine adrenals

Studies of the influence of contrycal on condition of the enzyme systems of the muscles, liver, kidneys and heart of rats with developing granulation tissue showed contrycal, a protease inhibitor, to have a stimulating effect on the LDH and MDH activity and on their isozyme spectrum. The effect of the inhibitor was expressed in the changes occurring in the state of the enzyme system, both at the site of damage (granulations and the underlying tissue) and in a number of internal organs -- the liver and kidneys.     

Prospects of the use of caudal epidural anesthesia

Caudal epidural anesthesia for interventions on the lower limbs and pelvic organs was used in 525 patients. A specific feature of the method is use of hypoosmolic local anesthetic solution (osmolality 260 mosmol/kg) containing lidocaine, 0.9% sodium chloride, and distilled water. Pathologic studies showed that in adult patients, at least 40 ml anesthetic should be injected into the caudal canal for adequate blocking. During surgery, caudal epidural anesthesia reliably protected from surgical trauma without side effects for respiration and circulation. The duration of analgesic effect was 3 +/- 0.5 h and even longer, if local anesthesia was potentiated with sedative drugs. No complications were observed, failures occurred in 5.2% cases. The method is simple and reliable and is recommended for practice.     

Issues in mental health services for children and adolescents

Existing system of psychiatric care for children and adolescents is in need of basic reorganization. The authors propose: 1) reestablishment of the speciality of children's and adolescent psychiatrist, a specialist in children's and adolescent narcology, a psychiatrist of early child's age and a pediatric medical psychologist; 2) carrying out the reform of child mental care equal in rights with general psychiatry; 3) preservation and widening of both specialized inpatient and outpatient clinics in general system of child's mental care; 4) legislative and public rehabilitation of children's psychiatry, which suffered considerably from antipsychiatric campaign; 5) professionally organized systematic elevation of psychohygienic, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic knowledges of allied medical and other specialists as well as of parents and of all population too; 6) integration and interaction of govermental services concerning mental health of children and adolescent; 7) organization of regional psychoprophylaxic interdisciplinary centers for children and adolescent.     

The effect of the liposomal form of hydrocortisone on the status of cellular and humoral immunity in patients with steroid-dependent bronchial asthma

Skin injury alive produces quick and distinct increase of free histamine and serotonin. A fluorimetric method for detection of these compounds in tissues has been the only one described in the literature up to now but it needed a time consuming extraction and big amount of primary material (about 3 g of skin devoid of subcutaneous fat tissue) as well. The authors succeeded in substituting the method and developed a voltametric detection of histamine and serotonin using the computerized ECO-TRIBO-Polarograph. It enabled to omit the extraction of skin compounds and to decreased the amount of primary tissue to a quarter. The detection of free histamine and serotonin levels is presumed to enable a more accurate determination of the time of injury, particulary in short interval before death; it presents, with a simultaneous of glycophorin, a convenient complementation of immunohistochemical investigation of fibronectin.     

Monoclonal antibodies to the beta-chain of the LFA-1 molecule promote an increase in the cytotoxic index of effector lymphocytes and stimulate their proliferation

The influence of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to LFA-1 molecule beta-chain on the functional activities of immune splenocyte fractions which were eluted from donor, third party and recipient macrophage monolayers was studied. The splenocyte fractions were treated with the mAb and tested for cytotoxicity and proliferation. MAb to LFA-1 molecule beta-chain (without co-stimulation by other antibodies) were found to stimulate the immune response of the splenocyte fractions in both functional tests. The observed effect might be non-specific. The relationship between the stimulation of proliferative and cytotoxic responses of the immune splenocyte fractions and the treatment with mAb of LFA-I molecule beta-chain remains obscure.     

Biosensors in biotechnology and medicine

The work is a review of the state-of-art of research in the field of biological sensors. The enzymatic and immune biosensors are described. Problems concerning application of microorganisms as biosensors have been reported in detail. The use of luminescent bacteria and luciferase sensors is under discussion. The principles of operation of fibrous-optic and semiconducting biosensors are stated.     

The mechanisms of action of ketamine

The review systematizes the latest data on the main mechanisms of realization of some pharmacological properties of ketamine which are particularly valuable in the treatment of many diseases and conditions. The authors present the main aspects of the ketamine effect on the central mechanisms of anesthesia and hemodynamics and give the characteristics of its neuroprotective action. It is shown that these effects are realized also at the cost of the non-competitive blockade of the NMDA receptors in the central nervous system.     

Plasticity of reactions of the sensomotor cortex to sound combined with electrophoretic application of acetylcholine

Reactivity to sound and electrophoretic application of acetylcholine-chloride (ACH) was studied in 170 sensorimotor units of non-anaesthetized rats. Reactivity to sound was found in 60 per cent of the cells, and to ACH, in 83 per cent. Plasticity of the reaction to sound ("conditioned stimulus") was studied in 44 units, when it was presented jointly with ACH ("unconditioned stimulus"). After pairing, the reaction to sound changed in 14 units out of 36 (40%). In the control procedures of pseudoconditioning, reactivity to sound changed in four units out of 15 (27%). Pseudoconditioning and stimuli pairing was successively carried out in seven units: four units manifested plasticity of their reactivity, two of them changed the response to sound both during pseudoconditioning and subsequent pairing of stimuli. It is assumed that the plastic properties of the examined neurones are determined by the integrative activity of the cell micropool with a radius of 70 to 150 mu.