Dietary polyamines promote the growth of azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci in rat colon

We have examined whether dietary polyamines influence the formation and initial growth of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in rat colon. Effects of a combination of dietary polyamines at three dose levels (putrescine: 50, 280, 740 nmol/g; spermidine: 10, 261, 763 nmol/g; spermine: 1, 31, 91 nmol/g) in the polyamine-poor AIN-76A diet were studied in animals in two different experimental situations: animals treated with AOM alone and animals treated with AOM + difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a specific inhibitor of endogenous polyamine synthesis. In both experimental situations, dietary polyamines enhanced the growth of ACF, expressed as the number of large ACF (foci with three or more aberrant crypts, ACF > or = 3), whereas the formation of ACF, expressed as the number of ACF, was apparently not altered. In animals treated with AOM alone, maximal growth enhancing effect on ACF was nearly obtained with the median level of dietary polyamine. In rats fed a low polyamine diet, basic AIN-76A, DFMO reduced the growth of AOM-induced ACF by 83%. This inhibitory effect of DFMO was counteracted by dietary polyamines in a dose- dependent manner, and it was abolished at the highest level of polyamines. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that dietary polyamines are able to enhance the growth of AOM-induced ACF. Further, dietary polyamines reversed the DFMO-caused inhibition of ACF growth, probably by compensating for the DFMO-reduced endogenous polyamine synthesis.      

Subreum efficacy and tolerance in patients with early rheumatic arthritis]

AIM: To evaluate effectiveness and tolerance of subreum in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 44 patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Subreum was given as a single drug and in combination with other basic drugs. Tolerance was evaluated in all the examinees, the effect--in 13 patients who finished the 6-month treatment by the articular syndrome, by ACR, DAS and HAQ criteria. RESULTS: By DAS, a good response was achieved in 2 patients (15%), a satisfactory one--in 3 (23%) patients. By ACR criteria, a 20% and 50% improvement was obtained in 3 (23%) and 4 (31%) patients. Side effects were absent in 41 (93%) patients. CONCLUSION: Subreum proved effective and well tolerable in early RA.     

Evasin‐3‐like anti‐chemokine activity in salivary gland extracts of ixodid ticks during blood‐feeding: a new target for tick control

Ticks exploit many evasion mechanisms to circumvent the immune control of their hosts including subversion of the communication language between cells of the immune system provided by chemokines and other cytokines. One subversive molecule secreted in the saliva of Rhipicephalus sanguineus is Evasin‐3, a structurally unique 7 kDa protein that selectively binds the neutrophil chemoattractants, CXCL8 and (with lower affinity) CXCL1. We compared anti‐human CXCL8 and anti‐mouse CXCL1/KC activities in salivary gland extracts prepared from adult Amblyomma variegatum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks during blood‐feeding. Both anti‐CXCL8 activity and anti‐CXCL1 activity were detected in all species and in both adult females and males, with consistently higher activity levels against CXCL8. These results suggest that Evasin‐3‐like activity is common amongst metastriate ixodid tick species, and provide further evidence of the importance to ticks in controlling neutrophils during blood‐feeding. As such, Evasin‐3 offers a new target for anti‐tick vaccine development.     

Soluble receptors of TNF-alpha with molecular mass 55 kDa in rheumatoid arthritis: clinical role

To evaluate clinical implications of the serum level of soluable receptors of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) with molecular mass 55 kDa (rTNF-55R) in rheumatoid arthritis, serum levels of rTNF-55R and rTNF-75R were measured with the use of radioimmunoassay in 76 RA patients, 38 donors and in 25 RA patients, 10 donors, respectively. RESULTS: Elevated serum level of rTNF-55R was recorded in 55.3% RA patients. This level correlated with basic clinical and laboratory parameters of RA, the disease activity, values of DAS indices. It is concluded that a serum level of rTNF-55R adequately reflects clinico-laboratory activity of RA and its measurement can be used for assessment of RA activity and treatment efficiency.     

β地贫CD41-42突变杂合子复合缺失型α地贫双重杂合子的基因检测与血液学分析

目的了解β地中海贫血(地贫)CD41-42(-TCTT)杂合子(β41-42杂合子)复合缺失型α地贫双重杂合子在本地区β41-42杂合子个体中的检出情况及其临床血液学表现.方法分别采用单管多重PCR与反向点杂交法检测缺失型α地贫与β地贫基因,常规进行血细胞分析及其它地贫筛查试验.结果 144例β41-42杂合子有8例同时复合缺失型α地贫杂合子,其中7例(4.9%)携带有α地贫1基因(αα/--SEA),1例(0.69%)携带有缺失型HbH基因(-α3.7/--SEA).7例复合α地贫1患者的MCV均都高于另外136例单纯的β41-42杂合子的MCV平均值(63.53fl); 而对携带有HbH基因的样本进行pH8.6与6.5的血红蛋白电泳时都无法找到HbH区带.结论诊断β41-42杂合子复合α地贫双重杂合子的患者时,如只依赖其临床表现和常规的实验室检查结果作为筛查诊断的指标,容易会出现有病患的α或β地贫基因漏诊的情况.     

Differences in pathogenicity among strains of the same or different avian leukosis virus subgroups.

An efficient induction of wasting disease in chickens by avian leukosis virus (ALV), particularly ALV subgroup C, requires >102 infectious units virus inoculated in mid embryogenesis. The most conspicuous symptoms of the disease were induced by ALV subgroup C; however, significant differences in the occurrence of wasting disease were found among individual members of this subgroup. Almost comparable pathogenicity was exhibited by ALV subgroup D, whereas viruses of subgroups B and A proved to be moderately and almost non-pathogenic, respectively. Using antibodies to cellular antigens, tissue alterations were shown clearly in ALV-C-infected chickens. An essential feature was depletion of lymphocytes in the thymus, bursa and spleen. While the number of dendritic cells in the bursa was increased, their representation in the thymus and spleen was reduced. In the spleen, however, the reduction of dendritic cells concerned only an ellipsoid compartment, which in itself was also markedly reduced. An increased number of macrophages in the thymus and spleen corresponded with the observed general activation of the monocyte-macrophage system. In the spleen, CD4+ T cells were reduced while CD8+ T cells were increased. In agreement with this finding was a failure of chickens to respond to Brucella antigen and an inability of their splenocytes to respond to Concanavalin A, both of which pointed to the damage of immune reactivity. Variation in the pathogenicity among individual ALV strains provides ground for depicting gene sequences playing an important role in ALV acute pathogenicity.     

Current approaches to assessment of rheumatoid arthritis activity

AIM: To compare domestic criteria of RA activity and the disease activity scores (DAS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Russian criteria of RA activity and DAS were used in 99 RA patients. RESULTS: It is shown that RA activity by DAS is higher than when it is assessed by criteria practiced in Russia. CONCLUSION: Further studies are necessary to examine clinical value of DAS criteria.