Oxygen saturation of blood in the anterior ciliary veins in patients with primary glaucoma

Results of the investigation of the oxyhaemoglobin content in the blood of the anterior ciliary veins in 23 patients with primary glaucoma and in 4 patients with senile cataract are presented. An extremely high content of oxyhaemoglobin in the anterior ciliary veins was revealed in all patients irrespective of the level of the intraocular pressure and the stage of the disease.     

Objective assessment of the treatment results in patients with disseminated spinal osteochondrosis

The authors have investigated the possibility of objectivization of the treatment of the patients with osteochondrosis of the spine. 86 patients with spinal osteochondrosis and 149 patients with cervical osteochondrosis have been studied, all of whom were treated with variable vibromagnetic field and kinesitherapy. It has been established that the patients' tissues in the area of the biologically active points acquire diode properties (which normally are the electric current conductors). The conduction above the biologically active points after the treatment is restored.     

The effect of parasympatheticotropic drugs on the phagocytic power of the leukocytes in cancer patients

Summary In 12 cancer patients the phagocytic activity of leukocytes was studied after subcutaneous injection of 1% pilocarpine solution (0.5 ml). In 9 of the 12 patients investigated the phagocytic reaction proved to be perversed, i.e., the leukocytic activity increased greatly in response to pilocarpine administration. The data obtained made it possible to assume that in cancer patients disturbance of the functional atate of leukocytes was evidently provoked by the main pathological process-cancer intoxication causing a specific and maybe sensitizing action on the leukocyte activity. A possibility is also not excluded that in cancer patients the phagocytic activity of leukocytes in response to the administration of parasympathicotropic substance may depend on the extent, form, and stage of cancer process.(Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR A. A. Vishnevskii) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 85–86, March 1963     

Percolation theory and the role of maize starch as a disintegrant for a low water-soluble drug

The objective of the present work is to investigate the presence or absence of a critical concentration of maize starch according to the percolation theory for a truly ternary system with respect to a minimum disintegration time. The results of this study show that the application of percolation theory is not limited to the study of binary systems. In this work it is shown how it can be used to analyze the behavior of binary and ternary systems for caffeine and mefenamic acid formulations containing a starch-based disintegrant. The percolation threshold p(c) can be described by the volumetric ratio of the disintegrant to the drug substance being equal to p(c) = 0.2 (v/v) in in which both components have similar average particle sizes. In addition, the behavior of the disintegration time in the neighborhood of the percolation threshold can be mathematically modeled with the basic equation of the percolation theory yielding a critical exponent q = 0.28 +/- 0.06.     

Hsp90 and its co-chaperone, Sgt1, as autoantigens in dilated cardiomyopathy

Recently, it has been suggested that some heat shock proteins such as Hsp70 and Hsp60 are involved in autoimmune diseases including cardiospecific ones. In this work we focused on the involvement of another well known heat shock protein, Hsp90, and its novel co-chaperone, Sgt1, in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We found that the level of autoantibodies against these two proteins was significantly higher in patients with DCM and ischemic heart disease than in sera of healthy donors. We have also analyzed the expression level and subcellular localization of Hsp90 and Sgt1 in diseased myocardia. Using Western blot we found changes in subcellular localization of Hsp90 in the left ventricle of DCM hearts while the total level of this protein remained unchanged. Regarding the Sgt1 protein, we found an increased level in DCM and no changes in subcellular localization. Taken together, our data suggest that Hsp90 and Sgt1 might be involved in the progression of heart failure and might serve as markers for cardiomyopathies of different origin.     

Surface charge impact in low-magnesium model of seizure in rat hippocampus

Putative mechanisms of induction and maintenance of seizure-like activity (SLA) in the low Mg(2+) model of seizures are: facilitation of NMDA receptors and decreased surface charge screening near voltage-gated channels. We have estimated the role of such screening in the early stages of SLA development at both physiological and room temperatures. External Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) promote a depolarization shift of the sodium channel voltage sensitivity; when examined in hippocampal pyramidal neurons, the effect of Ca(2+) was 1.4 times stronger than of Mg(2+). Removing Mg(2+) from the extracellular solution containing 2 mM Ca(2+) induced recurrent SLA in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal layer in 67% of slices. Reduction of [Ca(2+)](o) to 1 mM resulted in 100% appearance of recurrent SLA or continuous SLA. Both delay before seizure activity and the inter-SLA time were significantly reduced. Characteristics of seizures evoked in low Mg(2+)/1 mM Ca(2+)/3.5 K(+) were similar to those obtained in low Mg(2+)/2 Ca(2+)/5mM K(+), suggesting that reduction of [Ca(2+)](o) to 1 mM is identical to the increase in [K(+)](o) to 5 mM in terms of changes in cellular excitability and seizure threshold. An increase of [Ca(2+)](o) to 3 mM completely abolished SLA generation even in the presence of 5 mM [K(+)](o). A large variation in the ability of [Ca(2+)](o) to stop epileptic discharges in initial stage of SLA was found. Our results indicate that surface charge of the neuronal membrane plays a crucial role in the initiation of low Mg(2+)-induced seizures. Furthermore, our study suggests that Ca(2+) and Mg(2+), through screening of surface charge, have important anti-seizure and antiepileptic properties.     

Synthesis and anticonvulsant properties of new acetamide derivatives of phthalimide, and its saturated cyclohexane and norbornene analogs

The synthesis and anticonvulsant properties of new piperazine or morpholine acetamides derived from 2-(1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)-, 2-(1,3-dioxo-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydroisoindol-2-yl-) and (3,5-dioxo-4-azatricyclo[5.2.1.0(2,6)]dec-8-en-4-yl)-acetic acid were described. Initial anticonvulsant screening was performed using maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ) seizures tests. The neurotoxicity was determined applying the minimal motor impairment rotarod test. The in vivo results revealed that numerous compounds were effective in the MES screen. The most active was 2-{2-[4-(4-fluorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl]-2-oxoethyl}isoindoline-1,3-dione (12) that revealed protection in the electrically induced seizures at a dose of 30 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg 0.5 h and 4 h after i.p. administration in mice respectively. This molecule given orally in rats at a dose of 30 mg/kg was more potent than reference anticonvulsant--phenytoin.     

Neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers treated with cerium dioxide nanoparticles: A case report

Wound healing in diabetes is frequently impaired and its treatment remains a challenge. The ability of topical application of cerium (Ce) dioxide nanoparticles (CNPs) to accelerate wound healing in an animal model provides a rationale to develop this technology for use in humans affected by traumatic injury, diabetes and burns. We first described a case report of successful topical treatment of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers with novel gel containing CNPs. The CNPs has bacteriostatic activity, anti-inflammatory properties and can penetrated into the wound tissue and reduced oxidative damage therefore protect regenerative tissue, suggesting a therapeutic potential for topical treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.