Effect of glucosidorum Tripterygii tororum on interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 on human peripheral mononuclear cells of healthy subjects

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of glucosidorum Tripterygii tororum (GTT). METHODS: Using different techniques of cell culture, the function of GTT in comparing with that of hydrocortison (HC) on interleukin (IL)-6 and -8 production by peripheral mononuclear cells of healthy Subjects was investigated. RESULTS: (1) Both of GTT and HC inhibited IL-6, IL-8 production, the effect of GTT being stronger when the dosage was higher than 1 microgram/ml; (2) In the isolated cells culture, the effect of GTT was similar to that of HC, but in the whole blood culture, the effect of GTT was much weaker than that of HC. CONCLUSIONS: (1) GTT inhibited interleukin production in a dose-dependent manner; (2) The sensitivity of interleukin to drugs was different in different culture conditions; (3) The anti-inflammatory effect of GTT was related to the interleukin inhibition, but the mechanism might be different from that of HC.     

Venous lesions in Beh?et''s disease

This study examined 117 patients with mild cervical atypia or atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance; it was found that 25% had histologically proven CIN lesions by colposcopically-directed punch biopsy or cone biopsy. 18% were found to have at least CIN 2 lesions and there was 1 case of invasive cancer. These data strongly support the recommendation of early colposcopic referral in patients with mild cervical atypia.     

An evaluation of the prognostic significance of antigen CD95(Fas/APO-1) expression on the cells of patients with a myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myeloleukemia

AIM: The expression of CD95(Fas/APO-1) antigen was studied on bone marrow cells of 19 MDS patients, peripheral blood blast cells of 15 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, blast cells and granulocytes of 68 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)--24 in chronic, 9 in accelerated phase and 35 in blastic crisis (BC)--by indirect surface immunofluorescence assay using flow cytometry (FACScan, Becton Dickinson, USA). RESULTS: CD95(Fas/APO-1) antigen was revealed on bone marrow cells of 8 out of 19 (36.8%) MDS patients; the percentage of antigen-positive cells was 38.1 +/- 19.2%; on 45.5 +/- 22.8% of cells in 6(45%) of 15 AML patients. Fas/APO-1 antigen was totally absent in CML chronic stage; its expression was found in 34% (12 of 35) of our patients with CML BC on peripheral blood blasts and in 56% (5 of 9) on peripheral blast cells of CML patients in acceleration phase. CONCLUSION: The data on overall survival of CD95-positive MDS patients suggest that the presence of Fas antigen is a favorable prognostic sign for patients with MDS. The patients from CD95-negative group represent a risk group both for survival and AML transformation. In CML BC group the survival does not depend upon Fas-antigen expression.     

Effects of nimodipine on acute cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury of rats

AIM: To study the effect of nimodipine (Nim) on ischemic cerebral damage. METHODS: The four-vessel occlusion method was performed on rats. Monoamines were measured by fluorospectrophotometry. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal injection of Nim 0.75 and 1.5 mg.kg-1 quickened the recovery of EEG changes to 19 +/- 3 and 17 +/- 4 min (P < 0.01), respectively. Nim reduced the decreases of monoamines (NE, DA, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA) contents after 30-min cerebral ischemia and 1-h reperfusion. CONCLUSION: Nim protects the brain from ischemic damage.     

Frequency distribution of HLA antigens and haplotypes in newly arrived inhabitants of Magadan

Peculiarities of the frequency distribution of antigens and haplotypes of A, B, and Cw subloci of the HLA system in 924 Slavic inhabitants of Magadan are described. Significant differences in gene and haplotype frequencies between inhabitants of Magadan and those of Moscow, Odessa, Poles'e, Latvia, and England were revealed, which could not be attributed solely to the specificity of migration processes. On the basis of an analysis of gamete associations of the A and B subloci, an attempt was made to explain the specificity of the frequency distribution of HLA system alleles and haplotypes in the investigated sample from an ecological point of view.