The hepatotropic properties of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents

The hepatotropic effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as indomethacin, voltaren, piroxicam, phenylbutazon, mefenamic acid was studied. It was found that according to their level of the pharmacological protection of the liver against tetrachlormethan these agents may be arranged in the following sequence: mefenamic acid, phenylbutazon, voltaren, piroxicam. The hepatoprotective effect of NSAID correlates with the antioxidant properties and fails to correlate with the antioxidant ones. The hepatotoxic effect of NSAID was determined by their ability to suppress synthesis of prostaglandins.     

Clinico-roentgenological and physiological evaluation of the spine in patients with juvenile kyphosis

203 patients with juvenile kyphosis, aged 11-16 years, have been subjected to the complex examination, including ++clinico-roentgenologic and physiologic methods. Along with the cardinal signs, common for juvenile kyphosis diagnosis and characteristic of the dystrophic process (wedge distortion, osteoporosis of vertebra bodies and fragmentation of their apophyses, dedifferentiation of the bone structure, height reduction and pathologic restructuring of intervertebral disks following the pattern of fibrosis, presence of discal hernia), the signs of bone ++ dysplasia of spine and skeleton in general should be singled out of the roentgenologic characteristic of disease which determine the variants of pathologic process course and treatment tactics. The presence of dysontogenesis signs in patients with juvenile kyphosis is suggested.     

The synaptic responses of the neurons in the medulla oblongata to stimulation of the stepping stria of the spinal cord in the cat

Synaptic responses of bulbar neurons to stimulation of stepping points in the dorsolateral funiculus were recorded in decerebrate cats. 40% of neurons were excited from both ipsi- and contralateral stepping points, the rest of them were excited only from one of those points. Part of the neurons was activated from stepping points at both C2 and Th12 spinal cord levels. Latencies of the synaptic responses to stimulation of the stepping point at the cervical level were from 2 to 18 ms. These results suggest that bulbar neurons as well as propriospinal ones contribute to initiation of locomotion.     

Probability of an association between HLA- and DR-antigens in nuclear families of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus]

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is known to associate with various antigens and alleles of the HLA-system: DR3, DR4, and DQ-determinants. However penetration of the HLA-genes, predisposing to disease, is low, suggesting a possible role of additional genes outside the HLA-system in IDDM development. Among such genes there can be a group of heavy chain Ig genes (the Gm-system). The frequency of antigens of the Gm-system C1m(1) and C1m(2) and antigens of loci A, B, C and DR of the HLA-system was investigated in 92 Russians divided into 3 groups: 1 - IDDM patients from nuclear families (n = 35); 2 - their relatives of the 1st degree of kinship (n = 34); 3 - a random sampling (n = 23). The results obtained by A. A. Lopatenok and O. S. Budyakov (1973) were used as control data. No significant difference (p greater than 0.05) was found while comparing the frequency of Gm-phenotypes in IDDM patients from nuclear families with DR 4/X and in IDDM patients from nuclear families with another DR-phenotype, nor any significant difference was noted while comparing the frequency of Gm-phenotypes in IDDM patients from nuclear families and in patients from a random sampling with the HLA-phenotype DR 4/X. Thus the relationship of the Gm-system with IDDM through interrelationship with the HLA-DR-genes was undetectable. A conclusion was made that factors of the Gm-system played no significant role in predisposition to IDDM and could not be used as its genetic markers.     

Detection and characterization of gastric carcinoma associated with epstein-barr herpes virus

The present investigation was carried out to estimate the incidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated cases among gastric carcinoma (GC) patients in Russia. Carcinoma specimens from 184 patients with GC treated at the Cancer Research Center were investigated by EBV encoded RNA-1 (EBER-1) in situ hybridization. Seventeen (9.24%) cases showed uniform EBER-1 expression restricted to the carcinoma cells. Hybridized signals were not detected in the non-neoplastic gastric epithelium. EBV involvement was significantly more frequent among males, especially in the tumors belonging to less differentiated types (moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinomas and poorly differentiated solid adenocarcinomas) and located in the upper stomach (cardia and middle part). Most EBV-positive GCs were characterized by great lymphoid compartment involvement. The findings of the distribution of EBV-positive. GCs by sex, site, and histology are similar to those in Japan; however, the detection rate of EBV-positive cases in Russia is higher than that in Japan (6.7%) and lower than that in the USA (16%).     

Different modulation by histamine of IL-4 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release according to the phenotype of human Th0, Th1 and Th2 clones

Histamine, an important inflammatory mediator in allergic diseases and asthma, has been reported to have modulator effects on T cells, suggesting that the bronchial microenvironment may regulate the function of resident T cells. We examined the effect of histamine on the release of the Th2-associated cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 and the Th1-associated cytokine IFN-γ by 30 CD4⁺ T cell clones from peripheral blood or bronchial biopsy of one atopic subject. Based on the IL-4/IFN-γ ratio, the clones were ascribed to the Th2 (ratio >1), Th0 (ratio 0.1 and 1) or Th1 (ratio <0.1) phenotype. Histamine inhibited IFN-γ production by Th1-like cells (P<0.02, Kruskall–Wallis), especially from bronchial biopsy, but had no effect on IL-4 release. Regarding Th0 clones, histamine inhibited IL-4 production (P<0.02) in a dose-dependent manner and slightly inhibited IFN-γ production, but had no effect on Th2-like cells. Histamine had a heterogeneous and insignificant effect on IL-5 production. The H₂-receptor antagonist ranitidine completely reversed the inhibition of IL-4 and IFN-γ production, whereas the agonist dimaprit mimicked this effect. In contrast, H₁- and H₃-receptor agonists and antagonists had no significant effect. These data demonstrate that histamine has different effects on IL-4 and IFN-γ release by T helper cells according to their phenotype via H₂-receptors. This study extends the immunomodulatory effects of histamine which may contribute to the perpetuation of airway inflammation in asthma.     

Malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas forming from the germinal-center cells of the lymphoid follicles in baboons from a high-risk stock

Histological, cytochemical and ultrastructural investigation of immunologically typed B-cell non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas (NHL) of primates (model system on baboons) revealed 15 cases of malignant lymphomas originating from germinal centre cells of lymph nodes follicles. By the tumour cell type centroblastic (CB), centroblastic/centrocytic (CB/CC) and centrocytic (CB), malignant lymphomas were distinguished (according to Kiel classification). In case of CB NHL, tumours, as a rule, are of nodular type. Tumours, in which centrocytic infiltration predominates, are characterized by diffuse type of growth in lymphoid and nonlymphoid organs. Generalized process affects mainly lymph nodes and to considerably lower degree involves spleen and nonlymphoid parenchymatous organs.