Antiarrhythmic effect ofRodiola rosea and its possible mechanism

Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 116, N ^o 8, pp. 175–176, August, 1993     

Cardioprotective effects of stimulation of peripheral μ-opiate receptors and the role of opiatergic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of stress-induced heart damage

Immobilization induces stress damage to the heart. DAGO, an agonist of μ-opiate receptors potentiates, while an agonist of peripheral μ-opiate receptors prevents this damage. Naltrexone reduces, while methylnaltrexone, an inhibitor of peripheral μ-opiate receptors, potentiates the stress-induced damage to the heart. Other opiate ligands have no effect on heart damage. It is suggested that the stress-induced damage to the heart is promoted by activation of central μ-opiate receptors and prevented by stimulation of peripheral μ-opiate receptors. Translated fromByulleten'Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 3, pp. 276–278, March, 1997     

Can marital selection explain the differences in health between married and divorced people? From a longitudinal study of a British birth cohort

In view of the rising divorce rates, the impact of divorce on health has an increasing importance in public health. The differentials in health between the married and the divorced may be explained by ‘marital selection’ and ‘marital protection’. Using longitudinal data from a study of the 1958 British birth cohort, factors that select people into divorce were identified from the areas of socio-economic status, health, and attractiveness, which included physical attractiveness, health-related behaviour and temperament. Evidence for both positive and adverse selection is found. The different sets of selection factors for females and males appear to be in line with gender role expectations. The health differentials between married and divorced men were weak and can be explained away by the selection factors. Having controlled for the selection effects, there were still significant associations between divorce and physical and psychological health in women. Though these unexplained differentials cannot be definitely interpreted as the consequences of marital dissolution, this interpretation remains plausible.     

Opiatergic mechanisms of the cardiotropic effect of acute cooling

Changes in myocardial contractility after an acute cold exposure following intracerebroventricular administration of opiate receptor agonists were studied in rat hearts isolated after Langendorff. Cold exposures were carried out individually for each animal in chambers at −10°C for 4 h. Thirty min before being exposed to cold the animals were administered in a brain ventricle 10 μl of μ- or δ-opiate receptor agonists (DAGO or DADLE, respectively). Isolation and perfusion of the hearts were performed directly after the cold exposure was over. The mechanism of reduction of myocardial contractility and coronary flow induced by an acute cold exposure is believed to include stimulation of μ-opiate receptors as one of its main components, and the effect of intracerebral hypertension on hemodynamic parameters is partially mediated through activation of δ-opiate receptors. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 12, pp. 582–584, December, 1994 Presented by R. S. Karpov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Effect of ligands of opiate receptors on morphofunctional state of the sympathoadrenal system and electrical stability of the heart in acute cold exposure

Acute cold exposure (−20°C, 4 h) induces a transient decrease in the ventricular fibrillation threshold without morphological and radionuclide signs of irreversible damage to cardiomyocytes. The agonist of μ-receptors DAGO, which reduces adrenoreactivity of the myocardium, prevents the decrease in the ventricular fibrillation threshold induced by acute cold exposure. Translated fromByulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 2, pp. 154–157, February, 1997     

Spontaneous perforation of the rectosigmoid colon: a report of 2 cases

Spontaneous perforation of rectosigmoid colon is rare but usually results in severe peritonitis, with very high mortality. Two cases of spontaneous rectosigmoid perforations are reported here along with a brief literatures review.     

In vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of the eight steroid saponins from Tribulus terrestris L. with potent activity against fluconazole-resistant fungal pathogens

Antifungal activity of natural products is being studied widely. Saponins are known to be antifungal and antibacterial. We have isolated eight steroid saponins from Tribulus terrestris L. , namely TTS-8, TTS-9, TTS-10, TTS-11, TTS-12, TTS-13, TTS-14 and TTS-15. TTS-12 and TTS-15 were identified as tigogenin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl（1→ 2）-[-β-D-xylopyranosyl（ 1 → 3 ） 3-β- D-glucopyranosyl （ 1 → 4 ）- 1- α-L-rhamnopyranosyl （ 1 → 2 ） 3-β-D-galactopyranoside and tigogenin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranpyranosyl（1→2）-[-β-D-xylopyranosyl（1→ 3）3-β-D-glucopyranosyl（1→4）-β-D-galactopyranoside, respectively. The in vitro antifungal activities of the eight saponins against six fluconazole-resistant yeasts, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida para psilosis , Candida tropicalis , Candida krusei , and Cryptococcus neo f ormans were studied using microbroth dilution assay. The results showed that TTS-12 and TTS-15 were very effective against several pathogenic candidal species and C. neoformans in vitro. It is noteworthy that TTS-12 and TTS-15 were very active against fluconazole-resistant C. albicans （MIC80 = 4.4, 9.4 mg/ml）, C. neoformans （MIC80 =10.7, 18.7 mg/ml） and inherently resistant C. krusei （MIC80 =8.8, 18.4 mg/ml）. So in vivo activity of TTS-12 in a vaginal infection model with fluconazole-resistant C. albicans was studied in particular. Our studies revealed TTS-12 also showed in vivo activities against fluconazole-resistant yeasts. In conclusion, steroid saponins TTS-12 and TTS-15 from Tribulus terrestris L. have significant in vitro antifungal activity against fluconazole-resistant fungi, especially TTS-12 also showed in vivo activity against fluconazole-resistant C. albicans.