Secondary cellulose acetate hollow nanofiltration fibre

The studies showed that addition of certain amounts of glycerin and PEG to solution causes corresponding changes in structure and allows obtaining hollow fibres with nanofiltration properties. The parameters for spinning a hollow nanofiltration fibre for purification of part of the wastes from production of viscose fibres were developed based on the data obtained.All-Russian Scientific-Research Institute of Polymer Fibres, Mytishchi. Translated from Khimicheskie Volokna, No. 3, pp. 38–43, May–June, 1994.     

The effect of chenotherapy on the reservoir function of the gallbladder in cholelithiasis patients]

The effect of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) on the reservoir function of the gallbladder was studied in 46 patients with cholesterol cholelithiasis. There was a dependence between a clear increase of filling of the gallbladder in patients treated by this method with subsequent sharp reduction of its size and development of dyspepsia and diarrhea. In 14 patients increase of the gallbladder against the background of chemotherapy was not authentic but no dyspeptic phenomena occurred. Thus, decompensation of the reservoir function of the gallbladder in patients with cholelithiasis against the background of chemotherapy are manifested by a significant increase of the gallbladder size with subsequent emptying of bile into the duodenum and development of collagenous diarrhea.     

The diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer metastases

Central hemodynamics was studied by thermodilution in 16 patients with acquired mitral defect during surgery under conditions of hypothermia without perfusion. Cooling and surgical correction were carried out under superficial ether anesthesia with morphine and droperidol. A 28% decrease of the minute circulation volume is observed as early as under general anesthesia and at the very beginning of cooling (10.8% more); this decrease is caused by rarer heart contractions and increase of the total peripheral vascular resistance as a result of body response to cool exposure. An almost 10 degrees C drop of body temperature (to 27.2 +/- 0.2 degrees C) involves a just 13% decrease of the cardiac index in comparison with the value at the beginning of cooling. Injection of droperidol before cooling blocks the increase of the total peripheral resistance in a dose-dependent mode (about 0.13 mg/kg of droperidol is needed for sufficiently complete prevention of the increase of total peripheral resistance), and thus maintains the stroke and cardiac indexes at a sufficiently high level. Morphine (in doses of up to 2.3 mg/kg) did not bring about such an effect.     

Vitamin E modifies neither fructosamine nor HbA1c levels in poorly controlled diabetes

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of vitamin E on total serum protein glycation (fructosamine), hemoglobin glycation (HbA1c), and serum levels of glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, HDL-C, apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty poorly controlled diabetic patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1200 mg/day of vitamin E or identical placebo capsules during a two month period following a double blind cross-over design with a four week wash-out period between regimens. RESULTS: Seven patients were excluded from the study because of reasons not related to the medication. In the remaining 53 patients, the levels of serum glucose, fructosamine, HbA1c, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, Apo A1 and Apo B did not vary significantly with vitamin E as compared with placebo. CONCLUSIONS: No significant effects of vitamin E on any of the parameters evaluated were observed in poorly controlled diabetic patients.     

Regulation and mechanisms of gene amplification

Amplification in rodent cells usually involves bridge-breakage-fusion (BBF) cycles initiated either by end-to-end fusion of sister chromatids, or by chromosome breakage. In contrast, in human cells, resistance to the antimetabolite N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate (PALA) can be mediated by several different mechanisms that lead to overexpression of the target enzyme carbamyl-P synthetase, aspartate transcarbamylase, dihydro-orotase (CAD). Mechanisms involving BBF cycles account for only a minority of CAD amplification events in the human fibrosarcoma cell line HT 1080. Here, formation of a 2p isochromosome and overexpression of CAD by other types of amplification events (and even without amplification) are much more prevalent. Broken DNA is recognized by mammalian cells with intact damage-recognition pathways, as a signal to arrest or to die. Loss of these pathways by, for example, loss of p53 or pRb tumour suppressor function, or by increased expression of ras and myc oncogenes, causes non-permissive rat and human cells to become permissive both for amplification and for other manifestations of DNA damage. In cells that are already permissive, amplification can be stimulated by overexpressing oncogenes such as c-myc or ras, or by damaging DNA in a variety of ways. To supplement genetic analysis of amplification in mammalian cells, an amplification selection has been established in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Selection with LiCl yields cells with amplified sod2 genes in structures related to those observed in mammalian cells. The effect on amplification in S. pombe can now be tested for any mutation in a gene involved in repair of damaged DNA or in normal cellular responses to DNA damage.     

Ceranapril and cerebral blood flow autoregulation

In order to investigate the levels of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mainly benzo[a]pyrene because of its carcinogenicity, 55 samples of smoke flavour and smoked foods were analysed. The samples tested included 11 samples of liquid smoke flavour and 44 samples of smoked foods like bacon, loin, turkey, sausage, ox rib, etc. from different brands. A liquid chromatographic method was developed using a fluorescence detector. Benzo[a]pyrene was found in 73% of the liquid smoke flavour samples analysed. The levels varied from 0.1 to 336.6 micrograms/kg. Three liquid smoke flavour samples showed levels of benzo[a]pyrene above the maximum level recommended by FAO/WHO (10 micrograms/kg). From the total of 44 smoked food samples analysed, benzo(a)pyrene was detected in 23 samples (52%). The levels varied from 0.1 to 5.9 micrograms/kg. Anthracene and fluoranthene, non-carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were found in almost all the samples analysed. Benzo[ghi]perylene, 3,4-benzofluoranthene and 1,2,3,4-dibenzopyrene were not found in any of the 55 samples analysed.