Effect of simulated weightlessness on calcium metabolism and the condition of bone tissue in experimental animals

Male rats of the Wistar strain were for 40 days exposed to hypokinesia and hypodynamia. After exposure bone biochemical, physical, chemical, morphological and strength parameters were investigated. Both simulation studies led to changes in calcium and phosphorus metabolism but the nature of bone changes was different. It is concluded that the efficacy of drugs used as countermeasures in animal simulation experiments should be assessed by both exposures, viz. small size cages and suspension, because they reproduce different mechanisms of potential bone lesions in microgravity. It is also inferred that various countermeasures should be used in combination to yield the best results.     

Autoimmune mechanisms of eye involvement in congenital cataracts in children

A total of 112 children aged 6 months to 8 years with congenital cataracts (69 ones with bilateral and 43 with unilateral forms) and 34 mothers of these children were examined to estimate the activity of local and systemic autoimmune reactions to lenticular crystallines and retinal S antigen, differentiation between and diagnosis of congenital cataract pathogenetic forms. Lacrimal fluid antibodies were measured in 80 eyes with congenital cataracts and 29 ones with strabismus, blood serum antibodies in 72 children with cataracts, 20 without cataracts, 34 mothers of children with cataracts and 20 mothers of children without cataracts by the passive hemagglutination test (micromethod) with stable erythrocytic diagnostic agents. alpha, Bh, Bl, gamma crystallines and summary extracts of the cortical and nuclear layers were tested. The studies have demonstrated the significance of autoimmune reactions to lenticular crystallines in the pathogenesis of congenital cataracts and in involvement of the retina in the immunopathologic process.     

Echographic evaluation of the endometrium after multifollicular ovarian stimulation with gonadotropin

The Authors report 15 pregnancies obtained by multifollicular ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins. They have used only the utero-ovarian echographic monitoring for ovarian response surveillance, for the timing of hCG administration and for a prognostic judgement of the pregnancy outcome.     

Combined gastrectomy with extensive lymph node excision in the surgical treatment of cancer of the stomach

The authors discuss experience in combined gastrectomy in 206 patients with gastric carcinoma. They encountered 72 various postoperative complications which were not fatal. Fourteen patients died, which made up a total postoperative mortality of 6.8%. The most frequent and threatening complication was incompetence of the esophago-intestinal++ anastomosis, which occurred in 17 cases (8.3%) and was the cause of death of 6 patients (42.9%). The incidence of purulent and pleuropulmonary complications was 19.9 and 3.4%, respectively. Extensive lymphadenectomy was performed in combined gastrectomy in 40 cases, which accounted for 42.6% of all combined interventions. The incidence of complication was lowest in this group of patients (15%), and there were only 2 fatal outcomes (5%). The authors believe that total gastrectomy with omentectomy, splenectomy, resection of the lower esophagus, and extensive lymphadenectomy is the method of choice in surgical treatment of gastric carcinoma.     

The effect on the health of the population of the lead exhaust from vehicular traffic]

The study of the effects of motor transport exhausts in the city of Perm on human lead levels has indicated that the employees of the State Motor-Vehicle Inspectorate whose working place is a highway have increased lead concentrations which in the blood are 3 times greater than normal values and which in the urine are 1.3 times higher. The content of lead in the hairs of children residing in vicinity of highways was 2.4 times as high as that in the controls and that in the urine was 1.5 times greater. Lead accumulation in the body caused higher blood levels of reticulocytes and red blood cells by 1.4-2 and 1.5 times, respectively, as compared to the controls. The findings suggest that petrol tetraethylene exerts adverse effects on human health.     

Diagnostic and therapeutic tactics in various forms of acute pancreatitis]

Course of the different forms of acute pancreatitis was studied in 234 patients. The therapeutico-tactical approach was individualized on the basis of considering the form of pancreatitis, its etiology, and four groups of the patients were distinguished. Conservative therapy with the wide use of therapeutic endoscopy permits in the majority of cases to achieve an abortive course of the disease. The developed programme for diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis contributed to decrease in the incidence of purulent-necrotic complications in generalized forms of pancreatitis.