Effect of verapamil on development of the pain syndrome in rats after sciatic nerve division

Laboratory of Pathophysiology of Pain and Laboratory of General Pathology of the Microcirculation, Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathological Physiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 114, No. 9, pp. 229–231, September, 1992.     

Effect of lamotrigin on the development of neurogenic pain syndrome in rats

Analgesic activity of a new anticonvulsive agent lamotrigin was studied on the model of neurogenic pain syndrome produced in rats by penicillin applied to the dorsal surface of the spinal cord and by dissection of the sciatic nerve. Lamotrigin was shown to have a profound analgesic activity. It can be used as an efficient prophylactic agent for prevention of chronic pain syndromes by suppression of the generators of pathologically enhanced excitation in the nociceptive structures which are the pathophysiological basis of the chronic pain syndromes. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 125, No. 5, pp. 517–521, January, 1998.     

Pathological forms of brain electrical activity and localization of its sources in patients with trigeminal neuralgia

No significant differences from the typical electroencephalogram were observed in patients with trigeminal neuropathy. In patients with typical trigeminal neuralgia, the electroencephalogram variations were detected both in the changes of dominant activity and in the appearance of individual pathological phenomena. The three-dimensional localization of pathological activity generators points to the involvement of the median nonspecific brainstem structures into pathological process evoked by trigeminal neuralgia. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 9, pp. 275–279, September, 1997     

Intratracheal administration of liposomal clodronate accelerates alveolar macrophage reconstitution following fetal liver transplantation

To facilitate study of alveolar macrophages in vivo, we developed a method to rapidly and efficiently replace resident alveolar macrophages with macrophages of a different (donor) genotype. Chimeric mice were generated by lethal irradiation followed by fetal liver transplantation (FLT) using green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic reporter mice as donors. Kinetics of peripheral blood monocyte (PBM) and alveolar macrophage reconstitution was determined 4 and 10 weeks post-FLT by quantifying the percentage of GFP+ cells. To enhance the recruitment of donor monocytes into the lung after FLT, mice were treated with intratracheal administration of liposomal clodronate to deplete host alveolar macrophages at 6 weeks post-FLT. PBM reconstitution occurred by 4 weeks after FLT (85.7+/-1.6% of CD11b+/Gr-1+ monocytes were GFP+), and minimal alveolar macrophage repopulation was observed (9.5% GFP+). By 10 weeks following FLT, 48% of alveolar macrophages were GFP+ by immunostaining of macrophages on lung tissue sections, and 55.1 +/- 1.6% of lung lavage macrophages were GFP+ by fluorescein-activated cell sorter analysis. Clodronate treatment resulted in a significant increase in GFP+ alveolar macrophages 10 weeks after FLT. By immunostaining, 90% of macrophages were GFP+ on lung tissue sections and 87.5 +/- 1.1% GFP+ in lung lavage (compared with GFP-transgenic controls). The ability of newly recruited alveolar macrophages to clear Pseudomonas aeruginosa and activate nuclear factor-kappaB in response to Eschericia coli lipopolysaccharide demonstrated normal macrophage function. Optimizing this methodology provides an important tool for the study of specific genes and their contribution to alveolar macrophage function in vivo.     

Epileptiform activity in the somatosensory cortex of rats with trigeminal neuralgia

Laboratory of Pathophysiology of Pain, Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathological Physiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 114, No. 8, pp. 126–128, August, 1992.     

Sutures in abdominal surgery: biomechanical study and clinical application

The aim of this study is to improve treatment results and SSI prevention by differential usage of the contemporary suture materials and choice of proper suturing technique. To simulate suturing process and compared two suturing techniques, two FE models were developed. Finite-element analysis (FEA) was based on experimental data of contemporary commercial sutures and soft tissue properties. We applied obtained results for abdominal wall closure in rats and compared non-absorbable suture (capron) with absorbable suture (PDS Plus) for chosen technique. Cross-sections were examined by lighting electron microscope. Afterwards, the results of patients’ treatment are also presented. It was shown that running sew was more appropriate for aponeurosis suturing compared to interrupted sew. The optimal parameters of suturing techniques were computed. Single-row running sew by PDS Plus was proved to hold wound edges for 90 days with less inflammatory response compared to other suture in the result of histological analysis. Application of contemporary synthetic absorbable suture materials with antibacterial coating for laparotomic wounds closure and anastomosis decreases local inflammatory reaction and provides the successful tissue regeneration. Application of advanced SSI prophylactics algorithm was shown to decrease risk of post-operative suppurative complications from 14.2 to 1.6 %.