Surgical treatment of goiter in residents of the Kiev district]

The article characterizes the mortality rates of nodular and mixed euthyroid goiter in the Ukraine Republic and discusses the results of surgical treatment of 681 patients with various forms of goiter. In view of the double increase of the number of cases of thyroid carcinoma in the last 4 years, the authors suggest resecting the thyroid gland more extensively than in the previously conducted economical resections. Radioimmunological study of the thyroid hormones and thyrotropin in dynamics showed activation of hypophyseal +thyrotropic function after the operation. The authors, therefore, recommend using thyroidin without fail. Postoperative recurrences-1.5%, stable hypothyroidism-1.8%.     

The effect of the new Soviet antihistamine and antiserotonin preparation bikarfen on the central nervous system

The effect of an antiallergic (antihistaminic and antiserotonin) drug bicarphen on the functional state of the central nervous system (CNS) was studied. In experiments on animals bicarphen in contrast to dimedrol (diphenhydramine) exerted predominantly the activating effect on CNS (decreased the hypnotic action of barbamyl, enhanced the summation capacity of CNS and the activity of mice in the escape behavioral test, increased the bioelectrical activity of the brain and the activating effect of antidepressants on the EEG).     

Synthesis and study the pharmacological activity of derivatives of 5-dimethylaminopyrano[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones

A simple method of synthesizing derivatives of 5-dimethylaminopyrano[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones is proposed which involves obttaining 4-chloro- or 4-oxo-3-formylquinolines using compounds having an active methylene group. The pharmacological activity of the synthesized compounds is studied.     

Primary culture of prostatic adenocarcinoma: a model for studies of stromal-epithelial interactions

Primary culture of prostatic adenocarcinoma is obtained from surgical material after radical prostatectomy. Typing of the obtained culture with antibodies to vimentin and cytokeratins has shown that the proportion of basic cell components--stromal and epithelial--in vitro correlates with such in the initial tumor tissue. In cultivation in different media active migration and proliferation of all cell types in the presence of embryonal serum and suppression of the stromal component in the medium where the serum was replaced for bovine hypophysis extract were observed. A comparative immunohistochemical analysis registered a release into culture of alpha SMA-positive myofibroblasts and active expression of TGF beta-1 in the medium containing serum. Design of dynamic mixed cell systems may serve a convenient model for investigation of stromal-epithelial interactions and their changes in cancer progression.     

High life expectancy in multiple myeloma

The authors describe the main clinicolaboratory finding of 9 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who survived 10 and more years. The number of the "long-lived" survivors among 256 patients with MM seen from 1966 to 1980 amounted to 3.5%. The main characteristics of the disease of the "long-lived" survivors were correlated to those of 247 MM patients who survived for less than 10 years. In principle, no differences were revealed between the compared groups in term of the size of the initial tumor mass, red blood, and the degree of osteolysis. It was established that the 10-year and higher survival was observed in relatively young people without signs of renal insufficiency, who responded well to the cytostatic treatment. In 8 out of the 9 survivors, a long-term remission was attained by combining sarcolysine and prednisolone. The median survival rate for the entire group amounted to 25 months, that for the "long-lived" survivors to 133 months. In the authors' opinion, an unusually high survival rate among MM patients cannot be only attributed to successful cytostatic therapy. Among the 247 MM patients, 60% responded to the treatment fairly well. However, only 3.5% of the patients survived over 10 years. The prognosis of MM is likely to be determined by some individual features of the tumor and by the patients' antitumor defence mechanisms.