Oxidative phosphorylation and lipid peroxidation of the liver mitochondria in rats after acute benzene poisoning

The study revealed that after benzene-induced intoxication (CI50) there occurred low-energetic and energetic phase shifts in rats' liver mitochondria. The content of lipid peroxidation products of the above organellas varied analogously. The time following intoxication being longer, higher were the general level of liver mitochondria energetic activity and the content of lipid peroxidation products. The highest level was recorded on the 3d day after benzen-induced intoxication. On the 16th day complete recovery of liver mitochondria was not recorded.     

Ways of surgical technique optimization and prevention of hip endoprosthesis dislocation following total hip arthroplasty

The article presents experience concerning intraoperative prevention of hip endoprosthesis dislocation, gained in the orthopedic surgical clinic of Moscow Regional Research Clinical Institute. The results of 1208 total articular replacements allowed the development of intraoperative dislocation-preventive measures, taking into account the approach to the hip joint, necessary mobilization of articular ends, the relative position of total endoprosthesis components. The cases of hip endoprosthesis dislocation were analyzed. The offered preventive measure system allowes reduction in total endoprosthesis dislocation rate down to 1.5%.     

Evaluation of stimulus-induced acrosome reaction by two-colour flow cytometric analysis

Acrosome status in human spermatozoa from 20 normozoospermic men was evaluated by flow cytometry following the induction of the acrosome reaction with the ionophore A23187. Dual fluorescence staining of methanol fixed spermatozoa incubated with and without (control) the ionophore A23187 was performed with probes which targeted the outer acrosomal membrane (OAM) (rhodamine-labelled Arachis hypogaea agglutinin) or constituents of the acrosomal vesicle (fluorescein- labelled Pisum sativum agglutinin). Flow cytometry analysis revealed two major subpopulations of cells: acrosome-intact and acrosome-reacted spermatozoa after induction of the acrosome reaction. The intensity of green and red fluorescence in acrosome-reacted spermatozoa was significantly lower than that of the acrosome-intact control spermatozoa (P < 0.0001). The intensity of green fluorescence in the acrosome-intact subpopulation of spermatozoa was significantly higher than that of the control population (P < 0.002). Exposure of spermatozoa to the ionophore A23187 resulted in reliable enhancement of the number of spermatozoa with very high intensity of green and/or red fluorescence compared with the control (P < 0.03). An inverse correlation between the number of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa and spermatozoa with a very high intensity of green and/or red fluorescence was demonstrated (r = -0.631, P < 0.01). This method provides an objective and efficient procedure for quantitative estimation of the acrosomal status of human spermatozoa.      

Transmission of Vertical Vibration to the Human Foot and Ankle

The load absorbing capability of the foot and ankle system (FAS) was characterized by measuring the transmissibility and the phase delay at the medial malleolus and the tibial tuberosity. The FAS of twenty subjects were exposed to sinusoidal vertical excitation (10–50 Hz with 5 Hz increments and peak to peak acceleration of 17.9 m/s²) while sitting as a function of the external mass (0, 2.3, and 4.5 kg) and the foot postures (midstance, plantarflexion, and dorsiflexion). The results showed that the FAS plays important role in vibration transmission of lower leg. Adding extra mass affected a resonant frequency at the medial malleolus: 15–25, 30–35, and 35 Hz for with no additional mass, 2.3, and 4.5 kg, respectively. However, the changed postures of the FAS did not show significant effect on the resonant frequency. The applied mass affected the stiffness increase of the FAS and consequently resulted in the increase of the resonant frequency. This result supports the assertion that the resonant frequency of overweight or obese persons is similar to the major frequency component (25–35 Hz) of the heel strike.     

Neutron- and photon-activation detection limits in breast milk analysis for prospective dose evaluation of the suckling infant

Complex situations related to the environment, as in the regions affected by the Chernobyl accident and regions in which nuclear weapons testing were undertaken, as in Semipalatinsk, could be reflected in the trace element content in mothers' milk. The evaluation of fractional transfer to milk of ingested or inhaled activity and of the corresponding dose coefficients for the infant, following a mothers' radioactive intake, can take advantage from wide-ranging studies of elemental and radionuclide contents in mothers' milk. In this work the possibility to determine elements, such as Ru, Zr, Nb, Te, Ce, Th, U, in milk powder has been investigated. Although results from elemental analyses of breast milk are to be found in the literature, the determination of the identified elements has attracted poor attention since they are not considered essential elements from a biological point of view. Nevertheless, in the case of radioactive releases to the environment, such data could be of interest in evaluation of dose to the breast-fed infant.