Sustained aftereffect of the amnestic action of scopolamine in rats and its elimination by piracetam

Experiments were carried out on male Wistar rats to assess (1) the effect of chronically administered (for 20 days) scopolamine on their learning capacity and memory 10 days after its last administration and (2) the influence of the nootropic piracetam, given for 10 days after scopolamine and before learning a conditioned passive avoidance response, on cognitive functions of the brain altered as a result of the M-cholinergic receptors being blocked by scopolamine. Scopolamine-dosed rats showed poor reproduction of the conditioned passive avoidance response when tested for this response at 24 h and 30 days after learning it, whereas those treated with piracetam after scopolamine retained the response well both at 24 h and at 30 days. Piracetam also restored the scopolamine-impaired acute extinction of orienting/exploratory activity in the rats. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 4, pp. 372–374, April, 1995 Presented by S. B. Seredenin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Antimutagenic activity of β-carotene

Data are presented on the ability of synthetic β-carotene to reduce the level of cyclophosphane-induced chromosome aberrations in murine bone marrow cells. InSalmonella typhimurium cells β-carotene exhibits antimutagenic activity only against an indirect mutagen (2-acetylaminofluorene). Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 9, pp. 276–278, September, 1995 Presented by Yu. N. Solov'ev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Vertical motor activity is inhibited in mice by lower doses of psychotropic drugs than horizontal activity

This study of 19 psychotropic drugs for their effect on motor activity of mice showed that all types of drugs (tranquilizers, sedatives, neuroleptics, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants) inhibit vertical activity to a greater extent than horizontal activity. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 10, pp. 385–387, October, 1995. Presented by S. N. Golikov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Antiradical activity of ternary copolymers from the diallyl series in mediating the antimutagenic effect

Ternary copolymers of the diallyl series were tested for antiradical activity against the stable radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, and the numbers of active antitradical fragments which are present in their macromolecules and which may participate in the free-radical reactions induced by gamma radiation in living organisms were estimated. A correlation was found between the antiradical activity of ternary copolymers and their ability to protect barley seedling roots from mutagenic effects of gamma radiation. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 9, pp. 265–267, September, 1995 Presented by V. N. Smirnov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Circulating serum interferon andits effect on the activity of human natural killer cells

The interferon content in the plasma of 6 healthy donors and 10 patients with multiple sclerosis and the effect of an 1-h treatment of mononuclear cells with autologous plasma on their natural killer activity are studiedin vitro using³H-uridine-labeled (3 μCi/ml) human erythromyeloleukosis cells K-562. The serum interferon content in healthy donors is 2.3±0.82 IU/ml, whereas that in patients is higher: 5.2±0.8 IU/ml. Autologous plasma does not affect the activity of natural killer cellsin vitro, whereas it increases the cytotoxicity of mononuclear cells obtained from patients with multiple sclerosis by 35–64%. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 12, pp. 619–622, December, 1994 Presented by S. V. Prozorovskii, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Minute rhythms of spike activity in intestinal smooth muscles during transition processes

A more informative method of transforming electromyograms to assess the spike activity of intestinal smooth muscles is proposed. The presence of minute rhythms of spike activity during the transition from the resting phase to regular activity is confirmed. These rhythms are recorded in the proximal part of the small intestine during the irregular phase of fasting periodic activity. It is found that the appearance of minute rhythms of spike activity on days 3–4 of modeled peritonitis may mark the beginning of the transition from pathology to health and indirectly indicate the regression of the pathological process. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 121, N ^o 1, pp. 36–38, January, 1996 Presented by N. A. Agadzhanyan, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Stem hematopoietic cells with inserted foreign gene: Proliferative activity and proliferative potential in the long term after transplantation into irradiated mice

The transfer of the human adenosine deaminase gene to murine stem hematopoietic cells is performed on an irradiated sublayer of a long-term bone marrow culture by the conventional method of retroviral transduction with cytokines and by stimulation of stem cells without cytokines. The efficiency of gene transfer into colony-forming units (CFUs) with the aid of cytokines is 72% and without them it is 50%. In irradiated mice reconstituted with the retrovirus-infected bone marrow cells the donor hematopoietic activity is preserved during a 1-year period. The proliferative activity of CFUs of chimeric cells 6 months after the reconstitution was the same and did not depend on the mode of gene transfer. The spleen repopulation activity is lowered in all the groups of chimeric mice 6–12 months after reconstitution. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 6, pp. 648–650, June, 1994 Presented by A. I. Vorob'ev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Differential induction of natural suppressor activity of bone marrow cellsin vitro by different types of tumors

The suppressor activity of bone marrow cells not adhering to plastic is shown to appreciably increase after their 48-hour joint preincubation with mastocytoma P-815 supernatant or WEHI-3 myelomonocytic strain and to be unchanged after incubation with dupernatants of K-2 erythroleukemic strain or Ehrlich's ascitic carcinoma. P-815, WEHI-3, and K-2 tumors are shown to produce factors characterized by colony-stimulating activity. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 8, pp. 184–187, August, 1995 Presented by N. V. Vasil'ev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Inhibition of contractile activity of cultured rat cardiomyocytes in response to reduced oxygenation

Hypoxia completely abolishes the spontaneous contractile activity of cardiomyocytes. Once the original oxygenation is restored, the cells regain their functional activity, which exceeds the control level (particularly after a 2-h hypoxia). It can be assumed that the rapid restoration of cardiomyocyte functional activity is due to the preservation of a sufficiently high oxygen content and to the compensatory activation of glycolysis. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 2, p. 215–217, February, 1995 Presented by I. P. Ashmarin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Proliferative activity of tumor cells as a prognostic factor in breast cancer

The proliferative activity of 92 breast carcinomas was studied. Statistically significant correlations between the level of proliferative activity and degree of differentiation of tumor cells and nuclear grade were found. Statistically reliable differences in proliferative activity were revealed in the groups of patients under and over 50 years. These facts show that proliferative activity can be used as an individual factor for predicting the aggressiveness of the neoplastic process in patients with breast cancer. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 8, pp. 215–217, August, 1995     

Synthesis and properties of the immunotoxin CD5-ricin

Synthesis and properties of an immunotoxin produced by conjugating ricin with a novel monoclonal antibody (IgG3 of the ICO-104 class) are described. Cytolytic activity of the synthesized immunotoxin, determined by two independent methods and expressed in LD₅₀, is 0.3–0.6×10⁻⁷ M. Its specificity for target cells containing the CD5 antigen is shown. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 1, pp. 76–79, January, 1995 (Presented by Yu. A. Romanov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences)     

Effect of amiridine and tacrine on the functional degeneration of the isolated neuron

Amiridine and tacrine are found to have a concentration-dependent effect on the spontaneous activity of an isolated neuron from crawfish. Amiridine in a concentration of 1 μM reliably prolongs the lifetime of the neuron, whereas lower concentrations are inactive and a high concentration (10 μM) reduces spontaneous activity. Tacrine is unable to prolong the lifetime of the neuron. It is suggested that, unlike tacrine, the therapeutic effect of amiridine stems from its ability to prolong neuronal functioning. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 121, N ^o 1, pp. 52–54, January, 1996 Presented by Yu. A. Romanov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Impulse activity of neurons of the sensorimotor cortex of rabbits with experimental diabetes mellitus

At least three types of spontaneous impulse activity of neurons are identified: single spikes, short bursts of impulses, and alternating periods of single impulses and bursts. In rabbits with experimental diabetes mellitus a marked shift of the middle-frequency distribution of spontaneously-active neurons to higher frequencies is observed. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 5, pp. 465–467, May, 1994 Presented by K. V. Sudakov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Effect of thymoptin on the behavior of experimental animals

A study is made of the effect of thymoptin, a preparation containing a complex of acid peptides from the thymus, on the behavior of experimental animals. It is found that in a dose of 400 μg/kg the preparation enhances motor activity, raises the body temperature, augments pain sensitivity, stimulates behavior in the open field test, and facilitates learning and memory processes. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 121 N ^o 3, pp. 285–287, March, 1996 Presented by Yu. A. Romanov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Effect of superoxide dismutase on convulsive seizures in rat models of epilepsy

Intravenous injections of superoxide dismutase into rats with amygdaline kindling mitigated spontaneous and electrostimulation-induced epileptic seizures and raised the thresholds of electric current for their elicitation; these seizures of reduced intensity were observed during 3 days following chronic (for 6 days) treatment with this enzyme. In contrast, superoxide dismutase injections had no effect on the convulsions induced by electric shock or corazole. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 7, pp. 20–22, July, 1995 Presented by A. N. Klimov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

A water-soluble form of estradiol with estrogenic and cardiotropic activity

It is demonstrated that a water-soluble form of estradiol (disodium salt of estradiol diphosphate), apart from having an estrogenic influence on the uterus, is effective against severe blood loss and has a cardiotropic actiity. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 1, pp. 51–53, January, 1995 Presented by P. V. Sergeev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Effect of perfluorodecalin on picrotoxin toxicity and some detoxication systems

Preliminary administration (at least 7 days before the experiment) of perfluorodecalin boosts resistance to the toxic action of picrotoxin in rodents. The antidotal activity of diazepam rises under these conditions. Perfluorodecalin induces the activation of monooxygenase, conjugation, and antioxidant detoxication systems; the protein content increases in the blood serum and carboxylesterase activity is enchanged. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 2. pp. 176–178, February, 1995     

Involvement of fibronectin and interacting serum components in the regulation of activity of human natural killer cells

The cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells and the intensity of conjugate formation are studiedin vitro in the natural cytotoxicity reaction against³H-uridine-labeled human erythromyeloleukotic cells K-562 in the presence of fibronectin, γ-globulin, and fibronectin/γ-globulin combination. It is demonstrated that fibronectin does not change natural cytotoxicity, γ-globulin increases the activity of human natural killer cells, and the fibronectin — γ-globulin combination increases both the intensity of conjugate formation and the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 7, pp. 54–59, July, 1994     

Correlation of antiinflammatory and hormonal activity of derivatives of the 8,16-diazasteroid series

Antiinflammatory activity and mechanism of action are studied for seven compounds of the 8,16-diazasteroid series. It is established that the antiinflammatory activity of the compounds is increased on the whole due to the reduced ketofunction in the 12 position of 8,16-diazasteroid as well as for the introduction of methoxy groups in the 2 and 3 position or phenol substitute in the 16 position. The activity of compounds VI and VII also depends on the inflammation model or on the pain reaction and differs significantly from the effectiveness of diclofenac sodium and prednisolone. Unlike the latter, the compounds under study are virtually devoid of hormonal activity. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 2, pp. 168–171, February, 1995 Presented by P. V. Sergeev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Effect ofsalmonella typhi Infection on the mitotic activity of esophageal epithelium in mice infected at different times of the day

After infection in the morning, the mitotic index at first rises and then drops, followed by normalization by the end of the experiment. Infection in the evening is at first attended by a rise of the mitotic index followed by its fall, after which the mitotic index again increases and then normalizes, by the end of the experiment being lower than in the control. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 2, pp. 168–171, February, 1994