Efficiency of preventive use of bemethyl during long-term voyages

A positive effect of bemityl in the 24-hour dose of 0.25-0.5 g on the cellular and humoral factors of nonspecific defence, blood neutrophils intracellular exchange, barrier properties of the skin, working ability of operators and on morbidity has been established. An important property of the drug is long duration of preservation of the pharmacological effect, which prevents the development of disadaptation states following the cessation of its use. The data obtained gives the basis to recommend the actoprotective drug bemityl to increase nonspecific resistance during long-term voyages.     

Surgical tactics in clotted hemothorax in patients with combined chest injuries

Based on the experience with treatment of 26 patients the authors recommend to use mainly conservative treatment with the intrapleural administration of fibrinolytic drugs. The method was used in 20 patients. All of them recovered.     

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in unstable and stable angina pectoris: a comparison of immediate success and complications.

To determine the success rate and the safety of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients with unstable angina pectoris (group 1) versus stable angina (group 2), we studied 299 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angioplasty of 373 consecutive lesions. Of these patients, 149 had unstable angina pectoris and dilation of 188 arteries. The success rate was high and similar in both groups (95 and 93%, respectively). The groups did not differ in regard to the lesion characteristics, vessels and number of sites dilated except for an increase in the presence of thrombus in the unstable angina group (p < 0.03). Although there was a higher incidence of coronary thrombus and more acute myocardial infarction in group 1, the major complication rate did not differ from that of group 2 and was low in both of them (3 and 2%, respectively). No deaths occurred. Six patients (3 in each group) needed urgent coronary artery bypass grafting while 3 additional patients developed acute Q-wave myocardial infarction (all of them in group 1). Thus, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is a safe and successful procedure in patients with unstable angina as well as in patients with stable angina pectoris.     

Effects of rapid volume expansion on the right filling pressures after prosthetic valve surgery.

The effects of rapid intravascular volume expansion were studied in 12 patients, 4 to 14 years after single prosthetic heart valve replacement. The data observed showed a statistically significant mean difference before and after volume expansion of right atrial mean pressure and right ventricular end diastolic and pulmonary capillary pressures. However, right atrial and pulmonary capillary pressures equilibration was not detected. The right atrial pressure form showed abnormal variations during inspiration. Dip and plateau right ventricular diastolic pressure configuration was recorded in 6 patients after expansion, was absent in 2 and questionable in 4. A deep Y descent with an M-shaped right atrial pressure form was recorded in all 12 patients. The explanation for these phenomena is unclear. Thus, in the absence of pressure equilibration and clinical evidence of constriction, the abnormalities recorded during rapid volume expansion should be cautiously interpreted.     

Basis of immunocorrective therapy among patients with chronic osteomyelitis

The application of Dimexid and Dekaris is shown to give better results in the treatment of patients with chronic osteomyelitis.     

Study of the drug release mechanism from tyrphostin AG-1295-loaded nanospheres by in situ and external sink methods.

The present study focused on in vitro release of polylactide-nanoencapsulated tyrphostin AG-1295, a potential agent for local therapy of restenosis. The drug was formulated in matrix-type nanoparticles, termed nanospheres (NS) using the nanoprecipitation method. AG-1295 is a model for low-molecular weight lipophilic compounds, the release behavior of which cannot be adequately characterized by existing methods. An in vitro release technique suitable for optimizing the nanoparticulate formulation release behavior was developed through a novel external sink method and an in situ release method utilizing the environmental sensitivity of the AG-1295 fluorescence spectrum. Similar tendencies were demonstrated by both methods in drug release studied as a function of selected NS preparation variables. The release properties of the drug fractions varying in their binding mode to the carrier particles were studied by the external sink method. The NS surface-adsorbed drug exhibited a significantly higher release rate compared to the drug entrapped in the polymeric matrix. The in situ release of the encapsulated drug was analyzed using the diffusion models of release from a matrix-type sphere. The release was shown to be a composite process, with a burst phase attributed largely to the rapid dissociation of the surface-bound AG-1295. The diffusion-controlled phase exhibited an alteration in kinetic pattern obviously due to the drug distribution between polymeric matrix compartments differing in their permeability. Drug in vitro release investigation may be effectively used to characterize the drug-carrier interaction and internal carrier structure in nanoparticulate formulations, as well as optimize the release behavior in respect to their therapeutic application.     

Long-term effect of HU-211, a novel non-competitive NMDA antagonist, on motor and memory functions after closed head injury in the rat

HU-211 is a synthetic, non-psychotropic cannabinoid which acts as a non-competitive NMDA antagonist and antioxidant. We studied the drug's therapeutic window as well as its long-term effect on cognitive and motor functions in a model of closed head injury (CHI) in the rat. A weight-drop device was used to induce CHI in ether anesthetized male rats. HU-211 (5 mg/kg) was administered i.v. to the experimental groups. For the therapeutic window study, drug was injected at 4 or 6 h after CHI. Edema (water content) and clinical status (neurological severity score, NSS) were evaluated at 24 h. Reduction of edema was slight, whereas improvement of NSS was significant when the drug was administered at 4 or 6 h (P = 0.0023and0.059, respectively). To determine the drug's long-term effect, it was administered 1 h after CHI and additional doses were later given. NSS was evaluated for a period of 30 d. A single dose of HU-211 given 1 h post-CHI improved the clinical outcome during the 30 d period (P < 0.01). Repetitive doses of HU-211 injected during the post traumatic period had similar effects. Cognitive functions were evaluated in the Morris water maze, with rats trained either before or after CHI. CHI resulted in a highly significant impairment of these abilities, whereas HU-211 treatment 1 h after CHI improved performance. Our results indicate that HU-211 is a potent cerebroprotective agent, with a therapeutic window of about 4 h. The beneficial response obtained even after a single dose was long lasting, and ameliorated impairment of both motor and cognitive functions following CHI.     

Synthesis and cytostatic activity of xylofuranosyl analogs of nucleosides

Translated from Khimiko-farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 23, No. 10, pp. 1217–1223, October, 1989.     

Molecular-weight distribution in the activated-monomer polymerization of ethylene oxide. Mechanistic implications

The mechanism of the activated-monomer polymerization of ethylene oxide catalyzed by protic acids was investigated by means of an analysis of the molecular-weight distribution curves from the polymers obtained. The results suggest that polymer ether groups participate in the polymerization by forming hydrogen-bonded complexes and tertiary oxonium cations in the reaction with the activated monomer, both being intermediates of the propagation reactions.