Clinical, Morphological Justification and First Experience in the Use of Radiofrequency as Well as Microwave Ablation Treatment Methods of Liver Echinococcosis

Background

The current study considers a new direction of surgical treatment of liver echinococcosis - the use of minimally invasive treatment methods of parasitic cysts.

Methods

After clinical and morphological substantiation of the very possibility of carrying out such procedures, 9 microwave ablations (MWA) and 3 radiofrequency ablations (RFA) of cysts were performed in patients with liver echinococcosis from 2017 to 2021 in the surgical clinic of Botkin Hospital, Moscow, Russia. A comparative analysis of treatment results of patients with echinococcal liver cysts (12 patients who underwent "percutaneous puncture, aspiration, injection and reaspiration" (PAIR) procedure and 12 patients - MWA and RFA) was carried out.

Results

The number of complications according to Clavien-Dindo classification was as follows: 8 after PAIR procedure, 3 after RFA and 3 after MWA. The median hospital length of stay (LOS) after PAIR procedure was 6.46 days versus 4.7 and 4 in the groups of patients who underwent RF and MW ablation, respectively. The frequency of relapses within the first year after PAIR procedure was 25%. The patients who underwent ablation procedures had no relapses of liver echinococcosis during observation.

Conclusion

The presented clinical and morphological substantiation and the experience of using various types of ablation techniques on echinococcal cysts, as well as a comparative analysis with a commonly used PAIR treatment method, demonstrated the safety of RFA and MWA for the patient and efficacy in relation to the hydatid process.

Ecological data in Darwin Core: the case of earthworm surveys

Background

This sampling-event dataset provides primary data about species diversity, age structure, abundance (in terms of biomass and density) and seasonal activity of earthworms (Lumbricidae). The study was carried out in old-growth broad-leaved and young forests of two protected areas ("Kaluzhskiye Zaseki" Nature Reserve and Ugra National Park) of Kaluga Oblast (Russia).

New information

The published dataset provides new data about earthworm communities in European Russia. We propose a new schema according to Darwin Core for the standardisation of the soil invertebrates survey data.

The extremely high diversity of Collembola in relict forests of Primorskii Krai of Russia

Background

The diversity of soil animals of relict forest ecosystems in East Asia continues to be insufficiently studied and almost not represented in international databases, including GBIF. This article is based on 7550 records of 175 species which were collected in Ussuriiskii, Sikhote-Alinskii and Kedrovaya Pad’ natural reserves of Russian Far East in 2016–2017. A multi-scale sampling design allowed us to estimate population densities and local species richness of Collembola at areas of different sizes. The work continues the digitization of the collections of the Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPSU) and their publication through GBIF.org, which began in 2019. This article is based on original data including 2377 specimens of springtails from eight forests and 648 soil cores.

New information

Within the framework of modern taxonomy, this work represents the first publication of lists of Collembola species of forests of Primorsky Krai. The work focused on the relict protected cedar-deciduous forests. Nine species new to science were described and data on the fauna of the region were significantly revised. Considerable contribution was made to the biogeography of Collembola of East Asia. The design of the sampling allowed us to draw conclusions about the species saturation of springtails at various spatial scales within the habitat: from a few square cm to 100 sq. m. Number of species reached record high values reflecting the benchmark state of Collembola communities of undisturbed old temperate forest ecosystems.

Current vegetation data from the Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biosphere Reserve

BACKGROUND

Here we present the sampling event dataset that contributes to the knowledge of current vegetation of the Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biosphere Reserve (part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves), Moscow Region, Russia. The Reserve is situated on the terraces of the Oka River in the zone of mixed coniferous forests.

NEW INFORMATION

The dataset provides 269 relevés (9174 associated occurrences) of renewed vegetation collected in 2019-2020. It is aimed at sampling vegetation data from the Reserve area with particular interest to sites with invasive species and sites with recent deadfall in the spruce stands caused by the bark beetle-typographer. The dataset contains representative information on plant communities in localities with assigned GPS coordinates, sampled using the standard relevé method with the Braun-Blanquet cover-abundance scale. During this study, we found two vascular plant species included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation, 25 species from the Red Data Book of Moscow Region, as well as 19 alien vascular plant species for the Reserve. These data contribute to our knowledge of species composition and structure of a renewed vegetation of the Reserve, protected and alien species distribution.

Forest typological features of herb species abundance distributions of pine forests in the Ural Mountains

The problem of preserving biodiversity in the face of human influence and climate change is one of the most pressing problems of modern ecology. The aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of herb SAD for various mountain pine forest types in the Middle Urals. Studies conducted in various types of pine forests have shown that the SAD method is an effective method for analysing the species structure and biodiversity of forest vegetation. The results presented in the form of graphs are clear, intuitive and easy to interpret. The use of approximations by several functions and comparison with theoretical distributions allows a deeper understanding of the features of forest species diversity

Invasive Molar Pregnancy in a Woman Aged 55 Years: A Case Report

BACKGROUND: Gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTDs) are a group of rare human tumors by abnormal trophoblastic proliferation. GTD is neoplasia that develops from the trophoblastic element of blastocyst. In this case, some specific features of the trophoblast are retained, while the hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) synthesis and invasion potential of the underlying tissues are preserved. CASE REPORT: We reported a 55-year-old patient with invasive (destructive) mole hydatidiform “FIGO I” with invasion in myometrium wall. This diagnostic was suggested by abnormal (dysfunctional) vaginal bleeding, amenorrhea period, and low abdominal pain. Our paraclinical investigation was physical examination, transabdominal, and transvaginal ultrasound and complete blood count. Transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound reveal enlarged uterus volume, with dimensions 18/12/5 cm and with Doppler rich blood supply through myometrium and endometrium. Therapeutic method applied was abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Anatomopathological report revealed a complete invasive mole. After the surgical intervention, the patient was no treated with methotrexate as prophylactic chemotherapy (recommended by oncologists) because the level of β-hCG was very low. CONCLUSION: Examining the tissue after a miscarriage in women at extreme ages should raise a suspicion of mole. Molar pregnancy should be excluded in these cases.

Communities of ground beetles (Carabidae, Coleoptera) in broad-leaved forests of protected and urban areas of the Kaluga Oblast (European Russia)

BACKGROUND

This sampling-event dataset provides primary data about species diversity, population and seasonal activity of ground beetles (Carabidae, Coleoptera). The study was carried out in broad-leaved forests of protected ("Kaluzhskiye Zaseki" Nature Reserve and Ugra National Park) and urban areas (the Kaluga City) of the Kaluga Oblast. Carabids were collected from April to October during 1995-1998 by pitfall traps. In total, 108,000 adult individuals of the Carabidae family were sampled; 105 species from 38 genera were counted.

NEW INFORMATION

This dataset is the first sampling-event dataset about the Carabidae family for the European part of Russia. It provides biodiversity data for new territory (Kaluga Oblast) and contributes to filling gaps in the global biodiversity distribution of the Carabidae family. Part of the data was collected from unique old-growth broad-leaved forests.

Diversity of Collembola under various types of anthropogenic load on ecosystems of European part of Russia

Background

Despite the key role played by soil organisms in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems and provisioning of ecosystem services (Barrios 2007, Bardgett and Putten 2014), available open data on soil biodiversity are incongruously scarce (Eisenhauer 2017, Cameron 2018). This is especially true for Russia, but contrasts long traditions of soil zoological research and large volumes of data that were collected during the second half of the 20^th century for the territory of the former USSR. Last year, 41,928 georeferenced occurrences of soil-dwelling arthropods Collembola were digitised and published through GBIF.org. This work continues these activities. The article combines descriptions of three new sampling-event datasets about the various types of anthropogenic load on the diversity and the abundance of Collembola, small arthropods involved in the destruction of organic residues in the soil:

Collembola of winter wheat fields in the Kaluga Region: conservation treatment versus conventional one (Kuznetsova et al. 2020). The following variants were studied: 1) treatment with organic fertilisers and tillage, without mineral fertilisers and pesticides, 2) the same, but without tillage, only discing; 3) with mineral fertilisers, pesticides and tillage. Special multi-scale sampling design was used. The material was collected on 24-26 July 2019 in Kaluga Region, European part of Russia. Data on 2226 records on 7302 specimens of 32 species in six fields in 486 soil cores are presented.

Collembola of broadleaved forests along gradient of urbanisation in Moscow (Kuznetsova and Ageeva 2020). Sampling plots were placed in oak and lime forests located at different distances from the centre of Moscow. The material was collected in different seasons of 1990–1991. Data on 1737 records on 6873 specimens of 64 species (17 series of sampling, 720 soil cores) are presented.

Collembola in clear cutting areas of Arkhangelsk Region: spatial and temporal series of the data (Kuznetsova and Klyueva 2020). Sampling plots were in birch forests of different ages with spruce underbrush and in old spruce forest. The study was carried out in July of 1970–1971 and 1984 in Arkhangelsk Region, European part of Russia. In 1970, cores were taken at sites where the forest was restored 15, 30 and 80 years after clear cuttings, as well as in a 180-year-old spruce forest. In 1984, sampling was repeated in two plots. Data on 1468 records on 18788 specimens of 47 species (seven series of sampling, 720 soil cores) are presented.

New information

These datasets contribute to filling gaps in the global biodiversity distribution of the Collembola. All datasets present new information about effects of agricultural treatments, urbanisation and clear cutting on springtail diversity and abundance in ecosystems of the European part of Russia.

Chronicles of nature calendar, a long-term and large-scale multitaxon database on phenology

We present an extensive, large-scale, long-term and multitaxon database on phenological and climatic variation, involving 506,186 observation dates acquired in 471 localities in Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. The data cover the period 1890-2018, with 96% of the data being from 1960 onwards. The database is rich in plants, birds and climatic events, but also includes insects, amphibians, reptiles and fungi. The database includes multiple events per species, such as the onset days of leaf unfolding and leaf fall for plants, and the days for first spring and last autumn occurrences for birds. The data were acquired using standardized methods by permanent staff of national parks and nature reserves (87% of the data) and members of a phenological observation network (13% of the data). The database is valuable for exploring how species respond in their phenology to climate change. Large-scale analyses of spatial variation in phenological response can help to better predict the consequences of species and community responses to climate change.

Morphological and anatomical features of narrow-leaved lavender plants with prolonged conservation under in vitro genebank

Optimization of plants long-term conservation under in vitro conditions and identification of their structural and functional features during preservation is the basis for the creation of a genebank of cultured and wild plant species in vitro. The aim of our work was to study morphological and anatomical features of plants in lavender cultivar ‘Sineva’ after two years of in vitro storage at low positive temperatures. The plant material was evaluated after 24 months of conservation. A significant decrease in the linear parameters of leaves in the preserved plants was noted. Leaf shape altered from narrowly linear to oblong. With prolonged storage, the thickness of the leaf blade slightly increased. The integumentary tissues were thinner, compared with the plants cultured under standard in vitro conditions, the cuticle was not clear. The number of stomata decreased. The number of small vascular bundles decreased. The obtained data demonstrate viability of in vitro preserved explants, despite significant differences in structure, preservation of chlorophyll-containing tissues, a decrease in transpiration, and an increase of trichomes number. The stability of the vegetative organs functioning was revealed.

BioDATA - Biodiversity Data for Internationalisation in Higher Education

BioDATA is an international project on developing skills in biodiversity data management and data publishing. Between 2018 and 2021, undergraduate and postgraduate students from Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, have an opportunity to take part in the intensive courses to become certified professionals in biodiversity data management. They will gain practical skills and obtain appropriate knowledge on: international data standards (Darwin Core); data cleaning software, data publishing software such as the Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT), and preparation of data papers. Working with databases, creating datasets, managing data for statistical analyses and publishing research papers are essential for the everyday tasks of a modern biologist. At the same time, these skills are rarely taught in higher education. Most of the contemporary professionals in biodiversity have to gain these skills independently, through colleagues, or through supervision. In addition, all the participants familiarize themselves with one of the important international research data infrastructures such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The project is coordinated by the University of Oslo (Norway) and supported by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The project is funded by the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (DIKU).

Differences in cytokinin control on cellular dynamics of zucchini cotyledons cultivated in two experimental systems

The effect of endogenous cytokinins on the pattern of palisade cell division post-germination does not depend on the conditions of cotyledon development -in planta (attached to seedlings) or in vitro (isolated from dry zucchini seeds and cultured on water). In cotyledons originating from 4-day-old seedlings (experimental system 1), exogenous cytokinin temporarily (in the first 2 day of cultivation) enhanced post-mitotic cell enlargement of palisade cells, mainly due to enhanced water uptake and use of cell storage compounds, all of which lead to cotyledon senescence. Cytokinin is not able to resume the completed palisade cell division on day 5. As a result, the number of cells and the final areas of treated and control cotyledons are quite similar. By contrast, the effects of cytokinin on cotyledons isolated from dry seeds (experimental system 2) are better expressed, promoting an increase in number of palisade cells accompanied by additional cotyledon area enlargement. However, the prolonged post-mitotic cell expansion in control cotyledons compensates for the reduced speed of cell growth and division activity and decreases differences in final cotyledon area between treatments. The results define cell division as the primary target of cytokinin stimulation in cotyledon tissues competent for division, and determine the temporal patterns of palisade cell cycling related to cotyledon age. This knowledge permits a better choice of experimental system to study effects on cell proliferation and cell growth, as well as cell enlargement and senescence-related events using physiologically homogeneous material.

Distant metastasis after radical treatment of breast cancer: risk factors and their prognostic relevance in 378 consecutive patients

PURPOSE

To evaluate the prognostic significance of 16 clinical, pathomorphological and immunohistochemical features for predicting distant metastasis (DM) and 5-year overall survival (OS) in breast cancer (BC) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective study of 378 patients with invasive BC (T1-3N0-3M0), who were operated between 2000 and 2003 at our Institution, was carried out. Almost 80% had undergone modified radical mastectomy (MRM). Tumor size (T), axillary lymph nodes status (N), age, menstrual status, histological type, grade (G), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), in situ component, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR) content, HER-2, Ki-67, p53, bcl-2, cathepsin D and E-cadherin were evaluated. Mean follow- up time was 56 months (range 1-88).

RESULTS

During the follow-up period 66 (17.4%) patients developed DM and 76 (20.1%) patients died. Univariate analysis showed that T (p=0.0001), N (p=0.0001), presence of comedo type in situ component (p=0.0001), LVI (p=0.016), Ki-67 (+) (p=0.007) and cathepsin D (+) (p=0.013) were independent prognostic indicators for increased risk for DM. After multivariate analysis only N (+) status (odds ratio/OR 8.8; 95% confidence interval/ CI 3.5- 21.77; p=0.0001) and presence of comedo type in situ component (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.19-4.74; p=0.015) retained their significant association with DM development. The same 2 factors also influenced 5-year OS: N(+), OR 3.8; 95% CI: 1.36-10.56; p=0.011; and comedo type in situ component, OR 3.3; 95% CI: 1.61-6.56; p=0.001.

CONCLUSION

N (+) status and presence of comedo type in situ component are the most reliable predictors of unfavorable events in BC patients. Our study is among the first ones to find a relationship between the presence of in situ component and risk for DM in patients after MRM. The results also show that comedo type intraductal component, no matter how extensive it is, bears high risk for DM equal to N1 axillary status and patients with presence of such intraductal component should be treated as N(+). The evaluation of optimal number of risk markers is substantial for making an individualized decision regarding adjuvant therapy, especially in N0 group.

Kinetics of wetting and spreading by aqueous surfactant solutions

Interest in wetting dynamics processes has immensely increased during the past 10-15 years. In many industrial and medical applications, some strategies to control drop spreading on solid surfaces are being developed. One possibility is that a surfactant, a surface-active polymer, a polyelectrolyte or their mixture are added to a liquid (usually water). The main idea of the paper is to give an overview on some dynamic wetting and spreading phenomena in the presence of surfactants in the case of smooth or porous substrates, which can be either moderately or highly hydrophobic surfaces based on the literature data and the authors own investigations. Instability problems associated with spreading over dry or pre-wetted hydrophilic surfaces as well as over thin aqueous layers are briefly discussed. Toward a better understanding of the superspreading phenomenon, unusual wetting properties of trisiloxanes on hydrophobic surfaces are also discussed.

Spastin gene mutations in Bulgarian patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is an extremely heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders affecting the longest axons in the central nervous system. The most common genetic form accounting for about 40% of the autosomal-dominant HSP (ADHSP) cases is spastin gene, SPG4. We performed mutation screening of the spastin gene on 36 unrelated HSP patients from three different ethnic groups (Bulgarian, Turks and Gypsies) and found four new mutations and one already reported. The phenotype-genotype correlations in Bulgarian SPG4 patients showed a great difference in the age at disease onset between patients with missense mutations and those harboring deletions and splice-site mutations. Our study is the first to present corroborative clinical data in favor of the general hypothesis that the clinical course of the disease is related to the type of the spastin mutation. The clinical and genealogical findings in Bulgarian SPG4 patients suggest that a positive family history for inheritance as an autosomal-dominant trait is a strong indication for spastin mutation screening.

The genome of the obligately intracellular bacterium Ehrlichia canis reveals themes of complex membrane structure and immune evasion strategies

Ehrlichia canis, a small obligately intracellular, tick-transmitted, gram-negative, alpha-proteobacterium, is the primary etiologic agent of globally distributed canine monocytic ehrlichiosis. Complete genome sequencing revealed that the E. canis genome consists of a single circular chromosome of 1,315,030 bp predicted to encode 925 proteins, 40 stable RNA species, 17 putative pseudogenes, and a substantial proportion of noncoding sequence (27%). Interesting genome features include a large set of proteins with transmembrane helices and/or signal sequences and a unique serine-threonine bias associated with the potential for O glycosylation that was prominent in proteins associated with pathogen-host interactions. Furthermore, two paralogous protein families associated with immune evasion were identified, one of which contains poly(G-C) tracts, suggesting that they may play a role in phase variation and facilitation of persistent infections. Genes associated with pathogen-host interactions were identified, including a small group encoding proteins (n = 12) with tandem repeats and another group encoding proteins with eukaryote-like ankyrin domains (n = 7).

The Rhodobacter capsulatus genome

The genome of Rhodobacter capsulatus has been completely sequenced. It consists of a single chromosome containing 3.5 Mb and a circular plasmid of 134 kb. This effort, started in 1992, began with a fine-structure restriction map of an overlapping set of cosmids that covered the genome. Cosmid sequencing led to a gapped genome that was filled by primer walking on the chromosome and by using lambda clones. Methods had to be developed to handle strong stops in the high GC (68%) inserts. Annotation was done with the ERGO system at Integrated Genomics, as was the reconstruction of the cell's metabolism. It was possible to recognize 3709 orfs of which functional assignments could be made with high confidence to 2392 (65%). Unusual features include the presence of numerous cryptic phage genomes embedded in the chromosome.

The genetic program of hematopoietic stem cells

Blood cell production originates from a rare population of multipotent, self-renewing stem cells. A genome-wide gene expression analysis was performed in order to define regulatory pathways in stem cells as well as their global genetic program. Subtracted complementary DNA libraries from highly purified murine fetal liver stem cells were analyzed with bioinformatic and array hybridization strategies. A large percentage of the several thousand gene products that have been characterized correspond to previously undescribed molecules with properties suggestive of regulatory functions. The complete data, available in a biological process-oriented database, represent the molecular phenotype of the hematopoietic stem cell.

Autoimmune thyroid disorders in juvenile chronic arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus

The appearance of autoimmune thyroiditis in the course of other autoimmune diseases, which do not affect specific organs (systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and others), is more frequent than is usually believed. Nevertheless, it is scarcely studied, especially in children. The purpose of this study was to look for autoimmune lesions of the thyroid gland in children suffering from juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Twenty seven children having JCA and twelve children with SLE, aged 5 to 18 years, were enrolled into study. In all of them the disease was in an active phase. The serum levels of total thyroid hormones (T3, T4) and TSH, thyroid antibodies (TAB and MAB) and antinuclear antibodies (ANAB) were analyzed using respectively fluoroimmunologic, microhemagglutination and indirect immunofluorescention tests. According to our results, autoimmune thyroiditis was found in 12 out of 27 children with JCA (44.4%); 85.2% of them were euthyroid, 11.1% had a compensated hypothyroidism, and 3.7% had Hashi-toxicosis. From a clinical point of view, very interesting was the combination of JCA, autoimmune thyroiditis and pseudoxanthoma elasticum in a 13-year old girl. Positive thyroglobulin antibodies (1:80-1:5120) were found in 17 out of 27 cases of JCA (63%). The microsomal antibodies were elevated (1:100-1:1600) in 7 out of 27 (25.9%); antinuclear antibodies (1:80-1:640) were detected in 15 out of 27 cases of JCA (55.5%). A simultaneous elevation of all three kinds of antibodies was found in 14.8% of children with JCA, and of TAB and MAB--in 18.5%. Thyroid gland disorders were detected also in children suffering from SLE. Thyroglobulin antibodies were positive (1:80-1:5120) in 7 out of 12 cases. Antinuclear antibodies (1:320-1:2560) were detected in 8 out of 12 cases (66.7%). The serum levels of T3, T4 and TSH were in the reference limits in all children with SLE. The present study suggests that involvement of the thyroid gland is not uncommon in autoimmune disease in Autoimmune thyroiditis can occur in association with other autoimmune diseases, affecting some organs or systems, such as the insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, pernicious anaemia, thrombocytopenia, vitiligo, as well as some chromosomal aberrations--Turner's syndrome, Noonan's syndrome and Down's disease [1]. The appearance of autoimmune thyroiditis together with other autoimmune diseases which do not affect specific organs (such as systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome) is the reason to classify them in a common subgroup of the autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes--type IIID [2]. The rheumatic diseases are--more frequently than suspected--associated with autoimmune thyroiditis, but this connection is not well studied. The literature offers very scarce information on the problem, especially for the childhood. The purpose of this study was to look for autoimmune lesions of the thyroid gland in children suffering from juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

[The physical development of children living in a settlement with a high nitrate content in the drinking water]

The object of the present study is analysis of the physical development of children, living permanently in the village of Karadzhalovo, community of Parvomay, whose drinking water contains abnormal concentration of nitrates. For the period 1983-1994 the nitrate content in the drinking water of the village varies within the limits of 67.0 to 112.6 mg/dm3. Complex evaluation of the physical development of 162 children aged from 3 to 16 years was carried out on the indices level of development of stature and degree of harmony of the body mass. The data were compared with the norms for physical development of the Bulgarian children. 90.4% of the boys and 86.8% of the girls are with good physical development. With satisfactory development are 8.5% of the boys and 13.2% of the girls. Only 1.1% of the boys are with poor physical development, while among the girls there is no poor physical development. No reliable correlative dependency was established between the nitrate content of the drinking water and the stature and weight of the examined children.

The metabolic pathway collection: an update

The Metabolic Pathway Collection from EMP is an extraction of data from the larger Enzymes and Metabolic Pathways database (EMP). This extraction has been made publicly available in the hope that others will find it useful for a variety of purposes. The original release in October 1995 contained 1814 distinct pathways. The current collection contains 2180. Metabolic reconstructions for the first completely sequenced organisms-Haemophilus influenzae,Mycoplasma genitalium,Saccharomyces cerevisiaeandMethanococcus janaschii-are all included in the current release. All of the pathways in the collections are available as ASCII files in the form generated by the main curator, Evgeni Selkov. In addition, we are offering a more structured encoding of a subset of the collection; our initial release of this subcollection includes all of the pathways inMycoplasma genitalium, and we ultimately intend to offer the entire collection in this form as well.

Determination of anti-AGE antibodies in human serum

The aim of this study was to develop an immunoenzyme method for the determination of anti-AGE antibodies in human serum. Human aortic elastin glycated in vitro (AGE-elastin) was used as an antigen, expressing AGE-epitopes, common to all glycated proteins. Polyclonal serum from guinea-pig against AGE-Hemocyanin was obtained according to Nakayama et al. [(1989) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 162: 740-45] and its specificity was tested via direct and competitive ELISA. Sera of 20 type 1 diabetic patients and 20 healthy subjects were tested using the method described. Seventeen patients had elevated levels of competing factors that may be anti-AGE antibodies, compared with the healthy group. The method could be used for investigation of different clinical groups of type 1 diabetic patients. Such a study would help in understanding the pathogenic role of autoantibodies against advanced glycation end products of proteins for the development of long-term diabetic complications.

[The toxicological characteristics of Gastrofenzin. I. Its acute toxicity (oral, subcutaneous and intravenous)]

The acute toxicity of the antiulcer drug "Gastrofenzin", synthesized in Bulgaria has been studied in oral, subcutaneous and intravenous application in white rats "Wistar" and white mice "ICR". The main toxicometric parameters (LD50, LD16, LD84 and others) have been determined. The clinical picture of intoxication is characterized mainly by symptoms deriving from in the central and vegetative nerve system. According to the parameters of acute oral toxicity (LD50 for male white rats is 665.0 mg.kg-1 and for female--876 mg.kg-1) and to the classification of Hodge & Stemer Gastrofenzin refers to the group of slightly toxic drugs. The LD50 in subcutaneous application is 938.0 mg.kg-1 for the male and 891.0 mg.kg-1 for the female rats. For the intravenous application LD50 is 50,1 mg.kg-1 for the male and 43.6 mg.kg-1 for the female rats. The coefficient of lethal intoxication danger is below 0.1 in the three ways of application which confirms its status according to the upper classification. A significant sex difference in the indicators of acute oral toxicity for the white rats and white mice has not been observed. The white mice of both sexes seem to be more sensitive to the drugs' effects than the white rats.

A new class of antiulcer drugs. I. Antiulcer effect of AN5, a 4-phenyl-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivative, on different experimental models of ulcer in rats

The action of AN5 on experimental models of gastric ulcers induced by water-immersion stress, indomethacin and reserpine, or by pylorus ligation in rats has been studied. AN5 supresses the formation of ulcers in all experimental models. The strongest antiulcer effect is shown in relation to water-immersion stress-induced ulcers. From the broad pharmacological studies of AN5 on this model it can be seen that even a dose of 0.100 mg/kg has a high antiulcer activity. The increase of the dose leads to a regular increase of the antiulcer activity, the highest suppression of the ulcer index being reached at a dose of 1 mg/kg (86.15%). The comparative studies with ranitidine and cimetidine on the same experimental models of gastric ulcers show that AN5 possesses an antiulcer activity many times higher than that of the above-mentioned drugs.

[Synthesis, stereochemistry and anticonvulsant action of 4-phenyltetrahydroisoquinolines]

The racemic and optically active 4'- and 8-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines 2-5 have been synthesized and their effect on the water-immersion stress ulcer in rats has been studied. All compounds prevent the formation of stress ulcer, the strongest effect being exhibited by compound 4 and its dextrarotatory isomer (R1 = Cl, R2 = NHCOOC2H5). The antiulcer activity of 4 is 30 to 50 times higher than that of the H2 receptor antagonists Cimetidin and Ranitidin used for comparison. The absolute configuration of the optically active compounds 2, 3 and 4 has been determined by means of chemical correlation. The antiulcer activity of 4 is characterized by enantioselectivity, S-(+)-4 is three times as active than R-(-)-4.

1,4-Benzodiazepines. VIII - Central depressive activity and spasmolytic action of isoquino-[2,1-d] [1,4] benzodiazepines. Structure-activity relationships

The pharmacological activity of four new groups of isoquino [2,1-d] ((1,4]benzodiazepines, i.e. the 6-oxo-12,13-dimethoxy-5H-7H--9,10-dihydroisoquino [2,1-d] [1,4]benzodiazepinium bromides (I); 5,9,10,14b--tetrahydroisoquino [2,1-d] [1,4]benzodiazepin-7H-6-ones (II); 6-phenyl-12,13--dimethoxy-7,9,10,14b-tetrahydroisoquino [2,1-d] [1,4]benzodiazepines (III) and 6-phenyl-12,13-dimethoxy-7H-9,10-dihydroisoquino [2,1-d] [1,4]benzodiazepinium bromides (IV) was studied. All the compounds studied are biologically active. They show a depressive effect on the central nervous system, which is most pronounced in (II). It was established that the presence of alkyl substituents in the position-7 of the structure (II) as well as the chlorine atom in position-2 resulted in an increase of activity. Most of these compounds possess a mild or strong antinociceptive effect. Some of them exhibited an antireserpine activity as well. The spasmolytic effect of (IV) was strong while the rest of the compounds exerted a very weak spasmolytic effect. All the compounds tested on the autonomous nervous system possess the characteristics of weak sympathomimetics.

Pharmacological study of the activity of a group of piperizine esters and changes in action relative to their chemical structure

A group of original symmetrical and asymmetrical piperazine compounds containing ester function have been synthesized and pharmacologically characterized. All compounds are pharmacologically active. Some relationships between their chemical structure and biological activity are discussed. Analgesic and coronary dilatory and especially spasmolytic effects are marked for all asymmetrical esters. A number of the compounds are interesting for further investigations relative to their possible application in medical practice.