Amizon in the treatment of nervous system involvement in herpes zoster

The authors submit results of treatment of patients having suffered from postherpetic pain syndrome (herpetic ganglionitis of the cervical, thoracic, lumbosacral localization, postherpetic intercostal neuralgia, ganglionitis of the trigeminal nerve). In viral diseases, amizone has marked analgetic, antiinflammatory, and immunomodulating effects. The drug is well tolerated by patients, is not associated with side effects under prescribed doses (0.25-0.75 as one dose on a three- or four-times daily schedule during the course of treatment lasting three or four weeks). The drug preparation in question is less effective in the treatment of chronic recurring post-therapeutic intercostal neuralgias, radiculalgia.     

The effect of inhibitors of DNA topoisomerase II on the radiosensitivity, repair and conformational changes in the chromatin in mammalian cells

1. The pharmacological properties of four synthetic analogues of the wasp neurotoxin, Vespulakinin 1, were studied using a cascade of mammalian smooth muscle preparations and the synaptic transmission from the cockroach cercal nerves to a giant interneuron. 2. All analogues have an extremely slow bradykinin-like effect on the smooth muscles. The carbohydrate-free and the two mono-glycosylated analogues are about equally active with bradykinin. 3. The double glycosylated derivative is about 5 times more potent than bradykinin. 4. All analogues have two different effects on synaptic transmission in the insect CNS--at first a direct and reversible block of excitatory nicotinic transmission with a concurrent activation of the inhibitory GABA-ergic system and, secondly, a delayed irreversible block of the transmission, comparable to the block described earlier for bradykinin and Thr6-bradykinin. 5. For the synaptic transmission in the insect CNS the double glycosylated kinin is about 5 times more potent than bradykinin.     

A study of the biological properties of cholera phages and strains of El-Tor vibrions isolated from the external environment in Donetsk

Choleric phages were identified in 2 out of 44 samples of Donetsk sewage. Biological properties of phages were characterized.     

Synthesis of phosphoceramide azidothymidine and phosphoceramide didehydrodeoxythymidine

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL), not just survival, is central to outcomes analysis in musculoskeletal oncology. However, little information exists about the patients' definition of what constitutes QOL. METHODS: Self-administered outcomes questionnaires were given to 201 surgically treated patients with lower extremity tumors. Of these patients, 192 (137 with malignant tumors, 55 with benign tumors) provided a written definition of QOL. Their responses were independently collated and matched with clinical information. RESULTS: For most patients (153, or 80%) the definition of QOL encompassed several attributes. A consistent combination of four major attributes was used in the QOL definition by 44 (32%) of the malignant cases and 19 (35%) of the benign cases. Differences in responses between men and women were idiosyncratic and more common in the benign group. Good family relations and good health were equally important to men and women. Responses varied by patient age. Older patients valued self-sufficiency and freedom from pain, whereas younger patients emphasized happiness, trust in God or church, achieving goals and being successful, and love. Those whose surgery was less extensive cited good family relations, the ability to function physically and emotionally, and having a good job or work. CONCLUSION: The variation in patients' perspectives and definitions of quality of life must be taken into account when assessing QOL in musculoskeletal oncology patients. Patients often emphasize concerns that are not adequately addressed by current outcomes-measures in orthopedics and general oncology.     

The relationship between the immunological efficacy of a dried meningococcal group-A polysaccharide vaccine and the molecular parameters of the group-A polysaccharide

This work deals with the problem of relationship between the molecular parameters of group A meningococcal polysaccharide and its immunological effectiveness for laboratory animals and humans. The depolymerization of group A polysaccharide contained in the vaccine leads to a decrease in its capacity of inducing the production of hemagglutinating (19S and 7S) and bactericidal IgA antibodies in humans, as well as inducing an increase in the number of cells producing IgA antibodies in the spleen of immunized mice and the appearance of circulating IgA antibodies in their sera. As shown in this investigation, fully developed immune response to group A meningococcal vaccine may be achieved in humans only if the content of group A high-molecular polysaccharide in the vaccine is not less than 70%. Mice have been recommended as an experimental model for the prognostication of the effectiveness of meningococcal polysaccharide vaccines and for their control in the process of manufacture instead of currently used titration of bacteriolysins in the sera of immunized humans.     

The clinical instrumental characteristics of the locomotor involvement in patients who have had Lyme disease

Locomotor system has been studied in 24 patients with a history of Lyme's disease. All of them had arthralgia, 11 had relapsing arthritis, chronic arthritis occurred in 6 examinees. Arthritis presented as recurrent asymmetric mono-oligoarthritis affecting primarily joints of the lower limbs. Periarticular disorders were detected in 12 patients. Serologically, 18 of 24 patients had elevated titers of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in indirect immunofluorescence test. Scintigraphy revealed polyarticular lesions in many cases, ultrasound investigation of the joints confirmed inflammatory nature of the pathological changes. It is inferred that combined methods of examination in diagnosis of Lyme's arthritis (titers to antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, ultrasound investigations, scintigraphy of the joints) provide most complete information.     

The basal concentration and characteristics of the diurnal secretory rate of prolactin in women with primary hypothyroidism]

Basal concentration was measured of prolactin (PRL) as were its diurnal fluctuations in blood depending on the clinical association of primary hypothyrosis (PH) with lactorrhea-amenorrhea, lactorrhea only or lactorrhea associated with disturbances in menstrual and reproductive functions that differ from those in amenorrhea, and without such disturbances. Patients with lactorrhea-amenorrhea syndrome present with continual hyperprolactinemia and no physiological diurnal rythm of PRL secretion. In patients presenting without amenorrhea, and basal hyperprolactinemia, lactorrhea and disordered menses result from transitory "night-time" hyperprolactinemia. PH patients who do not present with lactorrhea and disordered menstrual and reproductive function show physiological diurnal rythm of PRL secretion, with its parameters corresponding to those in healthy women. The development of hyperprolactinemia in PH is not age-related; neither is it associated with severity of hypothyrosis.     

The structure of the variability in operator psychophysiological indices at different levels of body work stress under conditions of prolonged activity]

It is shown in experimental investigations that variability of the task solution time (TST), intersystolic interval (ISI), pulse wave propagation time (PWPT), skin-galvanic reaction (SGR) decrease with an increase of the organism work tension. Specificity of the organism work tension in different analysis epochs (2 min, 30 min, 180 min) reflecting activity of inertia-different groups of regulator mechanisms in formation of dynamics of corresponding parameters is described. It is found that states of the organism in the "work-relax" terms differ most of all in changes of the decaminute variability of psychophysiological parameters (30- and 180-min analysis epochs), whereas information loading intensity differs in changes of a decasecond variability (2-min. epoch). It is shown that variability of TST and SGR of the 2-min analysis epoch and variability of ISI and PWPT of the 2- and 180-min epochs are the largest ones with different levels of the work tension. A significant expressiveness of 90-min-long periodicity of ISI, PWPT and sometimes of TST, SGR which exceeds expressiveness of quicker fluctuations is detected. A decrease of manifestation of naturally generated variability of psychophysiological parameters, including 90-min-long periodicity is connected with a decrease of rehabilitation processes in an organism. Under conditions of long-term (3h) continuous work the best productivity was revealed with a free work regime (in comparison with conditions of time scarcity and monotony), naturally generated variability of TST, including 90-min-long periodicity, being the most expressive.     

Diameter of the mammalian porin channel in open and "closed" states: direct measurement at the single channel level in planar lipid bilayer

Porin isolated from bovine skeletal muscle was reconstitute in planar lipid bilayers under voltage clamp conditions. A set of non-electrolytes were used as molecular probes for determining the pore diameter. The maximal diameter of the open channel was estimated to be 3.02 +/- 0.26 nm. As observed for other porin channels, a large transmembrane potential drove the channel into a "closed" state. The channel transition to the low conductance (closed) state was followed by a decrease in the maximal diameter of the channel to 2.4 +/- 0.08 nm.