Thermal denaturation of molecular complexes formed by single stranded RNA with tilorone

Many years' experience with complex supervision of the environmental radiation situation, the specific features of the population's physiological and health status after radiation accidents (the Chernobyl, Kyshtym and other accidents). The paper emphasized the necessity of having a knowledge of the specific features of the influence of a radiation factor (and its components) on establishing the radiation dose for the population due to the environmental peculiarities of the radiation background in different regions and abnormal zones of the Earth. The paper provides evidence for the need to apply an environmental and physiological approach to working out the standards of radiation doses for the inhabitants of post-accident polluted areas. To this end, a concept of the regional standard of exposure is proposed for different regions of the Earth with regard to the specific natural radiation background, technogenic and medical "additives" on making diagnostic and therapeutical efforts by using X-rays and radiation therapy. A new concept is offered to develop the life-support systems in the areas exposed to radiation contamination, whose main goal is to minimize radiation exposures with regard of data on each area-specific data on the regional standard of the pre-accident radiation background, technogenic background, medical additives and prediction of future radiation doses. Exposure of the population to radiation is minimized by reasonably operating its components and making special life regimens in the contaminated areas.     

Effectiveness of combined use of verapamil and adenosine triphosphate in experimental animals

A wide application of ATP to abolish reciprocal paroxysmal tachycardia is limited by frequent and adverse effects of the drug. Experiments on 49 rats have revealed that successive intravenous injections of verapamil and ATP have a more pronounced and prolonged action than the drugs alone. It is assumed that decreased pacemaker activity of sinus nodal cells and reduced atrioventricular conduction ("binodal dysfunction") are as a result of drug calcium channel block in the cellular membranes of myocytes. Potentiation of the pharmacological action of the drugs in question may be used in the clinical setting to lower an ATP dose and to reduce the incidence of adverse effects.     

Purification and characterization of P33 protein of Candida utilis homologous to bgl2p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae; comparative analysis of the role of these proteins in molecular organization of the yeast cell walls

P33 protein was isolated from the cell walls of Candida utilis. Homology between P33 and Bgl2p proteins from the cell walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was shown. The important role of these proteins in molecular organization of yeast cell walls was demonstrated using trypsin proteolysis and the "gene disruption" method.     

Single irradiation of the pituitary with a narrow beam of protons having 200 MeV of energy in generalized breast cancer

Eighteen patients with congestive cardiomyopathy were studied by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. Patients with coronary disease on angiography or primary valvular disease were excluded. Six patients showed mild or no mitral regurgitation; in 12 others the degree of mitral regurgitation was moderate or severe. The echocardiographic features in these patients were: (1) a dilated left ventricle (LV), (2) normal LV wall thickness, (3) reduced LV posterior wall motion, and (4) reduced or absent systolic thickening of the interventricular septum (IVS). IVS motion was reduced in 10 patients, and appeared "normal" or increased in another eight, all of whom showed moderate or severe mitral regurgitation on angiography. It is concluded that an apparent normal or increased motion of the IVS with reduced or absent systolic thickening in congestive cardiomyopathy is evidence for coexistence of significant mitral regurgitation. Reduced or absent systolic thickening can distinguish these patients from those with segmental myocardial disease and normal septa or dilated LV's due to volume overload.     

A new member of the MER2 repeat family is detected in the promoter region of the human X11 gene

AIMS: To evaluate the clinical utility of two new tests for serum trypsinogen 2 and trypsin 2-alpha 1 antitrypsin complex (trypsin 2-AAT) in diagnosing and assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) induced by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). PATIENTS: Three hundred and eight consecutive patients undergoing ERCP at Helsinki University Central Hospital in 1994 and 1995. METHODS: Patients were followed prospectively for pancreatitis and clinical outcome. They were tested for serum trypsinogen 2, trypsin 2-AAT, and amylase in samples obtained before and one, six, and 24 hours after ERCP. RESULTS: Pancreatitis developed in 31 patients (10%). Their median serum trypsinogen 2 increased 26-fold to 1401 micrograms/l at six hours after the procedure and trypsin 2-AAT showed an 11-fold increase to 88 micrograms/l at 24 hours. The increase in both markers was stronger in severe than in mild pancreatitis, and in patients without pancreatitis there was no significant increase. Baseline trypsinogen 2 and trypsin 2-AAT concentrations were elevated in 29% and 32% of patients, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of a threefold elevation over the baseline value was therefore analysed. The sensitivity and specificity of these parameters in the diagnosis of post-ERCP pancreatitis was 93% and 91%, respectively, for serum trypsinogen 2 at six hours after the examination, and 93% and 90%, for trypsin 2-AAT at 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Serum trypsinogen 2 and trypsin 2-AAT reflect pancreatic injury after ERCP. High concentrations are associated with severe pancreatic damage. The delayed increase in trypsin 2-AAT compared with trypsinogen 2 appears to reflect the pathophysiology of AP. A greater than threefold increase in trypsinogen 2 six hours after ERCP is an accurate indicator of pancreatitis.     

The contamination of birds with organic pollutants in the Lake Baikal region

Lake Baikal is considered to be the largest reservoir of fresh natural water in the world. Nevertheless industrial enterprises on its banks as well as river effluents contaminate this unique basin. In the present study birds' eggs (15 species) collected in the Baikal region (Selenga river estuary) have been analysed. Quantitative determination of more than 40 individual organic pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, organochlorine compounds) has been carried out using GC-MS as an analytical tool. The results obtained demonstrated a wide range of toxicant concentrations (2-3 orders of magnitude) for various species. Very high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been detected in the eggs of Anas platyrynchos (mallard), Tringa stagnatilis (marsh sandpiper) and Podiceps auritus (slavonian grebe). These particular species also have the highest levels of other toxicants. Taking into account high rate of metabolism of certain of these compounds in birds, it has been proposed that the major route of transfer into higher trophic levels is via water and aquatic invertebrates.     

Increasing threshold of the epileptiform activity in the CA1 field of hippocampal slices of Krushinski?-Molodkina rats as protective adaptation mechanism

The Krushinsky-Molodkina rat CA1 hippocampal slices revealed an increased threshold of the epileptiform activity development, a depressed signal transmission in the presynaptic glutamatergic fibres, no long-term increase in excitability of the CA1 pyramidal neurons characteristic of Wistar rats following Mg2+ removal and K+ increase. These events suggest a protective adaptive mechanism preventing propagation of seizure activity into limbic structures of the rats.