Correlation between the antiarrhythmic activity of acyl derivatives of phenothiazine and their affinity for phospholipid membranes

The interaction of thirteen antiarrhythmic active phenothiazine 10-acylaminopropionil derivatives with artificial phospholipid membranes was studied. Blinding constant (K) of this interaction was determined by means of a fluorescent probe. There was found a valid correlation between K and antiarrhythmic activity (A) for 10 substances; the greater the K--the greater the A. Three substances characterized by the greatest K had, however, a low A. It can be assumed that the interaction of antiarrhythmic drugs with phospholipids of target membranes in vivo is an important element of the molecular mechanism of action. At the same time a very high affinity to lipids can possibly cause a delocalization of the drug in the organism and a decrease of its antiarrhythmic activity.     

Vascular reaction following intramedullary nailing of the tibia in dogs

We have reinvestigated radioiodinated plasminogen as an agent for localizing preformed thrombi. Canine plasminogen was isolated from fresh plasma by the affinity chromatography technique on a lysine-sepharose 4B column and tagged with I-123 or I-131, at less than one iodine atom per molecule of enzyme, by the conventional ICI method. When injected into dogs more than 2 days after thrombus induction, radioiodinated plasminogen produced thrombus-to-blood activity ratios of 7.8 +/- 2.4. Thrombi as old as 6 days can be visualized in 80% of the cases. Both the weight of the thrombus and the thrombus-to-blood ratio are more variable for 1-day-old thrombi; this may be associated with plasminogen release accompanying thrombus retraction. The results suggest that radioiodinated plasminogen has potential as an imaging agent for pre-existing thrombi.     

Study of the sensitivity of different strians of the influenza A2 virus of rimantadine

The sensitivity of different influenza A2 (H3N2) virus strains to rimantadine in ovo was studied. The reference strains of influenza virus A/Hong Kong/1/68, A/England/42/72, A/Scotland/840/74 as well as new epidemic strains isolated in the USSR and Mongolia in 1974-1975 antigenically related to influenza A/Port Chalmers/1/73 virus were found to be sensitive to rimantadine.     

Differential diagnosis of the transplant rejection and herpesvirus-related infections in kidney transplant recipients

An algorythm of differential diagnosis conduction of the transplant rejection reaction and the diseases caused by herpes viruses in recipients after the kidney transplantation was elaborated, basing on the analysis of results of the clinical, laboratory, immunological and serological examination methods.     

Overexpression of human superoxide dismutase inhibits oxidation of low-density lipoprotein by endothelial cells

Oxidation of LDL in the subendothelial space has been proposed to play a key role in atherosclerosis. Endothelial cells produce superoxide anions (O2.-) and oxidize LDL in vitro; however, the role of O2.- in endothelial cell-induced LDL oxidation is unclear. Incubation of human LDL (200 microg/mL) with bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) for 18 hours resulted in a 4-fold increase in LDL oxidation compared with cell-free incubation (22.5+/-1.1 versus 6.3+/-0.2 [mean+/-SEM] nmol malondialdehyde/mg LDL protein, respectively; P<0.05). Under similar conditions, incubation of LDL with porcine aortic endothelial cells resulted in a 5-fold increase in LDL oxidation. Inclusion of exogenous copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD, 100 microg/mL) in the medium reduced BAEC-induced LDL oxidation by 79%. To determine whether the intracellular SOD content can have a similar protective effect, BAECs were infected with adenoviral vectors containing cDNA for human Cu/ZnSOD (AdCu/ZnSOD) or manganese SOD (AdMnSOD). Adenoviral infection increased the content and activity of either Cu/ZnSOD or MnSOD in the cells and reduced cellular O2.- release by two thirds. When cells infected with AdCu/ZnSOD or AdMnSOD were incubated with LDL, formation of malondialdehyde was decreased by 77% and 32%, respectively. Two other indices of LDL oxidation, formation of conjugated dienes and increased LDL electrophoretic mobility, were similarly reduced by SOD transduction. These data suggest that production of O2.- contributes to endothelial cell-induced oxidation of LDL in vitro. Furthermore, adenovirus-mediated transfer of cDNA for human SOD, particularly Cu/ZnSOD, effectively reduces oxidation of LDL by endothelial cells.     

Age trends in the development of aggression, sex typing, and related television habits.

Conducted a 3-yr longitudinal study with 2 large samples of elementary school youngsters overlapping in 1 grade (N?=?672, 607, and 505 for each successive year). It was thus possible to trace developmental trends from Grades 1 to 5 on the following variables: aggression, frequency of TV viewing, extent of violence viewed on TV, judged realism of TV programs, and preference for masculine, feminine, or neutral activities. Data support the theory that there is a sensitive period during which the effect of TV can be especially influential on children's behavior. Further, since the correlation between violence viewing and aggression tends to increase until age 10–21 yrs, a cumulative effect beyond the sensitive period is suggested. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The North Carolina High School Athletic Injury Study: design and methodology

PURPOSE: Organized interscholastic athletics are an integral part of the educational program at almost every school level. With this growing popularity of sports and their inclusion in more public school programs, it becomes increasingly apparent that additional consideration must be given to the injury problem associated with sport. The North Carolina High School Athletic Injury Study (NCHSAIS) was undertaken to identify patterns of injury among male and female athletes in North Carolina high schools participating in any of 12 sports. Specific aims are to measure the incidence, severity and etiology of injuries; to determine the relationship of demographic factors and protective equipment, exposure to play, and school characteristics to injuries; to study the relationship of coaches' training and experience to injury occurrence; and to compare the incidence and severity of injury among female and male athletes in the same or comparable sports. METHODS: A two-stage cluster sample of 100 high schools in North Carolina was selected for this 4-yr prospective study. RESULTS: Participation by the initial sample or a random replacement was achieved for 91 of the 100 schools. Nonresponse occurred at multiple levels of the sample for this study, and the weekly participation form posed the greatest respondent burden. CONCLUSIONS: The NCHSIAS offers a successful methodology for addressing sports injuries. In this paper we describe the design, methodology, and implementation issues that emerge in conducting a large scale epidemiological study in a population of high school athletes.