[Etiological structure and antibiotic sensitivity of uropathogens in chronic recurrent infection of the lower urinary tract]

While acute infections of the lower urinary tract (UT) have been studied in detail and antibiotic therapy of such infections is well known, etiology and choice of antibacterial treatment in recurrent chronic UT infection are not so clear. In our trial we aimed at elucidation of etiological structure of chronic cystitis recurrences by means of microbiological investigation of urine samples from 72 women on extended spectrum of nutrient media. In all the cases urine was infected with both aerobic and non-clostridial anaerobic bacteria. We determined prevalent pathogens and their antibiotic sensitivity and compared them with standard pathogens and their sensitivity in acute lower UT infection. We came to the conclusion that it is necessary to develop new recommendations on antibiotic treatment of recurrent chronic cystitis in women.

[Bacterial mixed infection in women with chronic recurrent cystitis]

AIM

To study microbial repertoire of urine in healthy women and patients with chronic recurrent cystitis (CRC) including facultative anaerobic (FA) and non-clostridial anaerobic (NCA) bacteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Triple bacteriological study of urine was performed in three groups of women: group I--22 healthy virgin women aged 18- 25 years, group II--24 women aged 18 - 25 years with regular sexual contacts, group III--72 women aged 20 - 60 years with CRC, before antibacterial therapy. Bacteriological method was used to study qualitative and quantitative composition of urine microflora.

RESULTS

In all subjects from groups I and II aerobic-anaerobic associations with predomination of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), corynebacteria, peptococci, and peptostreptococci were isolated from urine. Quantity of isolated NCA bacteria was significantly higher than that of FA. In etiologic structure of CRC, NCA bacteria, enterobacteria, and CNS predominated. Spectrum of NCA bacteria isolated from patients with CRC was wider and level of bacteriuria--higher (p < 0.05) compared to groups I and II. Bacteria were identified in aerobic-anaerobic associations. In 85.7% of cases following NCA were identified in biopsy samples: Propionibacterium sp. (41.8%), Peptococcus sp. (35.7%), Eubacterium sp. (28.6%), Peptostreptococcus sp. (14.3%), and Bacteroides sp. (14.3%). Aerobic-anaerobic associations were observed in 7.1% of samples.

CONCLUSION

Urine of healthy women is not sterile. Aerobic-anaerobic mixed infections were detected in patients with CRC that should take into account during diagnostics and treatment of this disease.

[Microbial biocenoss in chronic purulent otitis media]

The objective of the present work was to study microflora in the middle ear of 100 patients aged from 30 to 70 years presenting with chronic purulent otitis media (CPOM) by microbiological and genetic (PCR) methods. An important role of persistence factors, pathogenicity, and microbial antibiotic resistance in the development of CPOM was demonstrated. The frequency of occurrence of herpes and papilloma viruses was estimated. The most common form of the mixed infection was two-component virobacterial associations (46.2%). Three-component associations of viruses with bacteria (Chlamydiae or Mycoplasmas) formed less frequently (34.6%). In 19.2% of the cases, yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida were identified in these associations.

[Microbial associations defecting in children with chronic pyelonephritis]

AIM

To study rate of detection of bacteria and viruses from different taxonomic groups and their associations in children with pyelonephritis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred seventy-four patients aged 5-10 years divided on two groups were studied: 1st group--240 children with chronic secondary pyelonephritis, 2nd group--children with nephrectomy due to terminal stage of renal obstructive process. Qualitative and quantitative composition of bacterial flora in urine and renal biopsy samples was studied by bacteriological methods as well as presence of viruses (HSVI, HSVII, CMV, EBV, HPV) by means of PCR.

RESULTS

In group 1, 72.2% of children had bacterial mixed infection with associations of coagulase-negative staphylococci, Escherichia, peptococci, and Mycoplasma. Herpesviruses and human papillomaviruses were detected in 50.0% of cases. In group 2, bacterial flora was isolated from preoperative urine in diagnostically-significant titer in 91.2% of cases, whereas in urine obtained from the same patients during operation the microorganisms were detected in 38.2% of cases with predominance of Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma. Bacteriological tests of renal biopsy samples yielded bacteria in 29.5% of cases. Studied viruses were detected in preoperative and intraoperative urine as well as in renal biopsy samples in 52.9%, 44.1%, and 58.8% of cases, respectively. In 32.4% of patients viruses were detected in biopsy samples but not in intraoperative renal pelvis' urine. There was no difference in HPV and CMV detection rate in the nephrectomy group.

CONCLUSION

Bacterial-viral mixed infection is encountered in children with obstructive pyelonephritis and this should be taken into account during diagnostics and treatment of this condition.

Residual dipolar couplings and molecular dynamic calculations as a source for refinement of protein spatial structures

The precision of techniques and factors affecting the interpretation of residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) in analysis of spatial structures of partially aligned proteins are discussed. Experimental RDC values were obtained for pairs of 1H-15N nuclei of the protein barstar partially aligned in a liquid crystalline matrix of bicelles composed of dimiristoylphosphatidylcholine and dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine. The observed couplings agree well with the spatial structures of barstar determined earlier by X-ray and NMR methods. However, the differences between the experimental and calculated RDCs that were calculated on the basis of the known spatial structures of barstar, exceed the experimental errors three- to fourfold. These discrepancies can be explained by differences in the protein structures in solution and in crystal, a limited precision of the X-ray analysis, and the intramolecular mobility of the protein molecule. A comparison of the results of modeling of the molecular dynamics of barstar in solution, crystal structures, and the experimental RDCs showed that the methods of molecular dynamics provide for a reasonable description of the character and amplitudes of internal motions and they should be considered for the correct determination of protein spatial structures from NMR spectroscopic data.

[Comparative analysis of the sensitivity of enterobacteria to bile]

The analysis of the sensitivity of 195 enterobacterial cultures to bile revealed that their level of resistance decreased in the following row: Shigella > Salmonella > Klebsiella > Escherichia > Providencia. As shown on a sample of 136 E. coli isolates the level of resistance of these bacteria to bile depended on their isolation source: in E. coli isolated from bile in cholecystitis, from urine in pyelonephritis and from feces in intestinal dysbacteriosis resistance was 1.1-1.3 times higher than in E. coli isolated from the water of open reservoirs, from the feces of healthy persons and from extraintestinal foci of purulent inflammation. The level of sensitivity to bile is regarded as a property making it possible for enterobacteria to colonize biliary tracts and the proximal sections of the digestive tract.

[Dynamics of the genetic demographic structure of the Kursk province population: migration processes]

Marriage records from parish books of the second half of the 19th century and marriage records of 1967-1970 and 1993-1995 obtained from registry offices were used to analyze the dynamics of genetically significant parameters of migration and marriage structure with respect to spouses' birthplaces in populations of different hierarchical levels in the Kursk oblast. It was found that, among the persons contracting marriage (both males and females), the proportions of those who were born in the same population and those who were born in any population of the Kursk oblast decreased by about one third and one fifth, respectively, for the 130-year period. In rural and small urban populations, the coefficients of marriage migration in the 19th century were an order of magnitude lower than in the 20th century. The immigration to urban populations was maximum in the late 1960s (m = 0.745 in small towns and m = 0.680 in Kursk), and that to rural populations, in the 1990s (m = 0.344). In both urban and rural populations, the mean distance between the spouses' birthplaces has increased by several times for the period studied. The endogamy level has decreased approximately twofold: from 0.797 to 0.380 in Kursk, from 0.897 to 0.419 in small towns, and from 0.958 to 0.440 in rural districts. The marriage assortativeness with respect to birthplace was maximum in the late 19th century (K = 0.393-0.491) and minimum in the 1960s (K = 0.155-0.246). The increase in genetic diversity of the urban population of the Kursk oblast due to migration has been slowing down since the late 20th century, whereas the outbreeding level is still increasing in rural populations.

[Viral-bacterial-fungal associations in chronic tonsillitis in children]

The microflora of palatal tonsils was studied in 84 children with chronic tonsillitis in comparison with that in the control group of 38 healthy children. In most of the sick children viral-bacterial and less frequently viral-bacterial-fungal associations were detected with the prevalence of reo- and adenoviruses, Epstein-Barr viruses, coagulase negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as peptostreptococci. Adhesive activity and persistence factors among the main bacterial pathogens were shown to be widely prevalent. The depth of the lesion of tonsillar tissue by the infective agents of bacterial and fungal nature, as well as their persistence potential, depended on the taxonomic position of these microorganisms.

[Classification of organisms and structuralism in biology]

Structuralism in biology is the oldest trend oriented to the search for natural "laws of forms" comparable with laws of growth of crystal, was revived at the end of 20th century on the basis of structuralist thought in socio-humanitarian sciences. The development of principal ideas of the linguistic structuralism in some aspects is similar to that of biological systematics, especially concerning the relationships between "system" and "evolution". However, apart from this general similarity, biological structuralism is strongly focused on familiar problems of the origin of diversity in nature. In their striving for the renovation of existing views, biological structuralists oppose the neo-darwinism emphasizing the existence of "law of forms", that are independent on heredity and genetic "determinism". The trend to develop so-called "rational taxonomy" is also characteristic of biological structuralism but this attempt failed being connected neither with Darwin's historicism nor with Plato's typology.

[The immuno-microbiological characteristics of the small intestine and the translocation of the enteral microflora in acute intestinal obstruction]

The complex examination of 72 patients with acute ileus (AI) of nontumor nature with different severity of endotoxicosis was carried out. The study revealed that AI was accompanied by deep suppression of the immunosecretory and motor evacuatory function of the small intestine, as well as by its pronounced bacterial contamination, mainly due to the significant quantitative prevalence of Gram-negative microflora. The combination of these factors played the key role in the increase of the permeability of the enteric barrier for symbiotic microflora and its massive translocation from the intestinal tract to the internal organs of the body (peritoneal exudate, portal bed), which directly correlated with the severity of endotoxicosis in AI patients. The deficiency of the barrier function of the liver was accompanied by the penetration of infective agents into the general blood stream, thus causing the development of endotoxic shock in AI patients. The analysis of the results thus obtained made it possible to determine the main ways for the elimination of intestinogenic intoxication in AI; they should be aimed at the bacterial decontamination of the small intestine, the restoration of its motor evacuatory and protective barrier functions, the liquidation of portal and systemic bacteremia, the correction of the functional deficiency of the liver.

[Portal and systemic bacteremia as a manifestation of the functional failure of the enteral barrier in acute intestinal obstruction]

A complex investigation of 72 patients, with acute bowel obstruction (ABO) having clinico-laboratory signs and symptoms of endotoxicosis (ET), was carried out. It was proven that ABO was accompanied by profound decrease of the immuno-secretory function of the small bowel and its extensive bacterial contamination as a result of significant increase in the concentration of gram-negative symbiotic microflora, which leads to increased permeability of bowel barrier. Consequently there is massive translocation of the internal medium of the organism by enteral microflora and most of all in the portal zone and in the presence of inadequate hepatic barrier function--the systemic blood supply which corresponds to the clinical picture of endotoxic shock.

[Secondary structure of binase in solution by 1H NMR]

Nearly all resonances were assigned in the two-dimensional 1H NMR spectra of binase, guanylospecific ribonuclease from Bacillus intermedius containing 109 amino acid residues. The exchange rates of amide protons with the solvent deuterium were measured in 2H2O at pH 6.7 and 30 degrees C. Coupling constants 3J of H-NC alpha-H, NOE contacts, solvent exchange rates of amide protons, and indices of C alpha H chemical shifts were measured, and the binase secondary structure was deduced from these data. It involves three alpha-helices in the N-terminal part (the 6-16, 26-31, and 41-45 segments) and a beta-sheet formed by five antiparallel beta-strands (51-55, 71-75, 86-90, 95-99, and 104-108 segments). The binase secondary structure was compared with that of its closest homologue, barnase from B. amyloliquefaciens.

[Device for analysis of electrocardiograms]

A new device has been proposed for in-depth analysis of cardiac and vascular performance recording. It determines the values of many quantitative parameters for cardiovascular performance and makes an amplitude analysis of the records. The device is simple and easy-to-use. It promotes interpretation of the records. The application of the device in the laboratories of functional diagnosis will reduce time spent on record analysis and expands the range of quantitative parameters to a great extent, which will enable the proper diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases to be established.

[Intracellular aminopeptidase from Xanthomonas rubrilineans, hydrolyzing alpha-amino acid esters and cefalexin]

The aminopeptidase was isolated from cell-free extracts of Xanthomonas rubrilineans by protein precipitation by isopropyl ester with subsequent purification by affinity chromatography on CABS-Sepharose, bacitracin-Sepharose, gel filtration through Sephadex G-200 and ultrafiltration, the total yield being 32% with 2200-fold purification. The enzyme was homogeneous during SDS-PAAG electrophoresis. Apart from the broad spectrum of the peptidase activity, aminopeptidase possesses a hydrolase activity towards beta-lactam antibiotics and an esterase activity towards L- and D-amino acids. Besides, this enzyme catalyzes the acetyl transfer reaction during cephalexin synthesis from the D-phenylglycine ester and 7-aminodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid. The maximal enzyme activity during L-Ala-pNA and cephalexin hydrolysis is manifested at pH 6.5. The enzyme is stable at pH 4.0-8.0 and is inhibited by o-phenanthroline, p-chloromercuribenzoate, hydrogen acetate and N-bromosuccinimide. The molecular mass of the enzyme is 270-280 kDa. The enzyme is a tetramer; the molecular mass of each of its four subunits is 70 +/- 2 kDa. The isoelectric point for the enzyme is 6.8. The amino acid composition of the enzyme appears as follows: Asp63, Thr33, Ser32, Glu72, Gly55, 1/2Cys3-4, Val45, Ile24, Leu53, Tyr23, Phe24, Lys23, His16, Arg36, Pro60, Met25, Ala55.

[The importance of esophagoscintigraphy for assessing esophageal function in patients with digestive organ diseases]

Dynamic esophagoscintigraphy is a physiological method of diagnosis of esophageal functional disorders but also for detection of gastroesophageal reflux. Esophagoscintigraphy allows to reveal functional disorders of the esophagus and inferior esophageal sphincter not only of diseases of the esophagus but also in different gastroenterological pathology and is also useful in detecting early motor disorders of the esophagus. Quantitative characteristics of the functional state of the esophagus and grade of gastroesophageal reflux permit to evaluate the efficacy and predict results of operative treatment.

[Differentiation of the fungus Acremonium chrysogenum and the synthesis of serine proteinases]

The biosynthesis of serine proteinases by the fungus Acremonium chrysogenum was studied in the process of its growth in media differing in the content of a protein substrate. Morphological differentiation of the submerged fungal culture was shown to be characterised by two reproduction pathways (conidiogenesis and arthrosporogenesis) and by the corresponding synthesis of serine proteinases II and I. The synthesis of serine proteinase I and cephalosporin was found to correlate with the polycyclic culture growth caused by the formation and germination of single spherical arthrospores.

[Enzyme preparations for research on protein hydrolysates and amino acid mixtures not containing peptides]

Some properties and the hydrolysing ability of two novel enzyme preparations, a proteolytic preparation "C" from Acremonium chrysogenum (Cephalosporium acremonium) and a peptidase preparation (the producer from the family Pseudomanadaceae), are described. The preparations can be used for obtaining protein hydrolysates with different ratios of free amino acids and peptides. The protein hydrolysis with the preparation "C" enables one to obtain hydrolysates containing 13-18% of free amino acids. The further treatment of the hydrolysates with the peptidase preparation results either in complete hydrolysis of the remained peptide fractions or in obtainment of solutions containing from 60 to 85% of free amino acids and low-molecular weight peptides.

[Isoelectric focusing of a preparation of proteolytic enzymes from Streptomyces 771]

The proteolytic enzymes contained in the preparation from Streptomyces 771 have been separated by isoelectric focusing in the sucrose density gradient at pH 3-10. The following enzymes have been identified: three multiple forms of neutral metal proteinase (pI 5.1, 6.37, 7.8) each of which splits DNP-Gly-Gly decreases-Val-ArgOMe; elastase-like metal proteinase active with respect to RBB-elestin with pI 10.68; metal-dependent peptidases: leucin aminopeptidase active with respect to L-RBB-elastin with pI 10.68 metal-dependent peptidases: leucin aminopeptidase active with respect to L-leucin n-nitroanilide and L-leucin beta-naphtylamide with pI 7.65, 7.15, 6.67, 6.45, 5.7, 5.35, 5.22, 4.83; carboxy peptidase with pI 5.95, 6.37; serine metal-dependent subtilisin-like proteinase active with respect to 2-Ala-Ala-LeupNA, 2-Gly-Gly-LeupNA, 2-Ala-LeupNA; two multiple forms of serine trypsin-like proteinase active with respect to BAEE and BApNA with pI 4.35, 4.76; serine chymotrypsin-like proteinase with pI 8.68 active with respect to ATEE.

[Effect of stretching of the cat gastrocnemius muscle on its tetany, postcontraction hyperemia and energy metabolism indices]

Longitudinal stretch of the muscle in the range E = 0.11-0.17 (111-117% of the initial length) is followed by increase in passive strength and in mechanical displays of the 15-sec isometric Blood flow in the muscle vessels decreases at rest in the longitudinal stretching whereas O2 extraction from the blood increases; O2 consumption and ration of arterio-venous differences in the lactate and pyruvate concentration do not change. Additional posttetanic blood supply in the muscle, posttetanic alteration of the O2 consumption in it and the lactate/pyruvate ratio in longitudinal stretch do not differ from the analogous parameters in the initial--length muscle. The data obtained are in accordance with the metabolic theory of the hyperemia mechanisms but can hardly be explained from the standpoint of the histomechanical theory.

[Blood supply and oxygen consumption in the cat m. gastrocnemius during isometric tetanus in partial occlusion of the artery]

O2 consumption in resting m. gastrocnemius decreases in restriction of blood supply due to partial artery occlusion. This occurs in accordance with the degree of blood flow restriction. A dependence of postcontraction hyperemia on the degree of blood flow restriction was found. No hyperemia occurs in a severe restriction. In a less severe restriction the hyperemia occurs and a stronger one than in the control. The post-load increase of O2 consumption in partial artery occlusion occurs both in absence and in presence of the postcontraction hyperemia, but in the latter case the increase of O2 consumption is related to the degree of postcontraction increase of the blood flow.

[Blood supply and oxygen consumption in cat musculus gastrocnemius during isometric tetanus and intra-arterial infusion of norepinephrine]

In anesthetized cats with maximal isometric tetanus induced by the n. ischiadicus stimulation, the initial oxygen consumption depended on the 2--fold reduction of initial blood flow, the anaerobic metabolism index remaining the same, at that. Stimulation of the nerve induces practically the same mechanical activity of the muscle in control and after i. a. administration of noradrenaline, but the working hyperemia with concomitant changes of the metabolism indices becomes weaker than in control. A correlation of muscle blood supply changes with oxygen consumption changes was revealed whereas there was no correlation between changes of these indices and changes of oxygen extraction from the blood. A possibility of effects of the primary increase in blood flow occurring in hyperemia following the mechanical factor action, on the oxygen consumption is discussed as well as effect of willed decrease in blood flow within non-hypoxic range upon the oxidated metabolism.

[Relationship between metabolic and hemodynamic characteristics during isometric tetanus of the cat gastrocnemius muscle]

In anesthetized cats, the increase in duration of the isometric tetanic contraction of the m. gastrocnemius from 7 to 30 sec elicited a 4-fold increase in the muscular mechanical performance. During the postcontraction hyperemia, a 5-6-fold increase in the rate of lactic acid and inorganic phosphates removal into venous blood were opposed to only a 1.5-2-fold increase in the blood supply and oxygen consumption by the muscle. The role of metabolic and metabolic factors in the mechanism of hyperemia in skeletal muscle after strong tetanic contractions is discussed.