Efficacy of moxifloxacin (Avelox) in prophylaxis of infection in patients with profound neutropenia]

Comparative efficacy of moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin as prophylactics of infection in cancer patients with severe neutropenia after the chemotherapy was studied. The study included 40 patients with malignant lymphomas and solid tumore who received 52 courses of the aggressive chemotherapy. Twenty four patients (30 courses) received oral moxifloxacin in a dose of 400 mg once a day from the first day of the neutrophil count decrease below 1.0 x 10(9)/l until its recovery to > 1.0 x 10(9)/l or when the signs of infection appeared. In the control group 16 patients (22 courses) received oral ciprofloxacin in a dose of 500 mg twice a day. The patients in both the groups were compatible by the diagnosis, age and neutropenia duration. The median of the days of the febrile neutropenia duration in the patients prophylactically treated with moxifloxacin was statistically lower (2.1 vs 3.6 in the control group, p < 0.05). The incidence of febrile neutropenia in the moxifloxacin group was significantly lower than that in the control group (73 and 100% respectively, p = 0.01). The incidence of bacteriologically confirmed infection in the moxifloxacin group was also lower (6% vs 27.2%, p = 0.04). Therefore, moxifloxacin proved to be a more efficient agent vs ciprofloxacin (standard prophylactic) in prevention of febrile neutropenia and neutropenic infection in cancer patients, which is likely due to its higher activity against grampositive organisms.     

Comparative study of the brain of developed and underdeveloped neonatal rodents of the Muridae family

Morphological studies have been made of the neocortical and archicortical structures in the spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus, the only maturely born species from the family Muridae. The data obtained reveal highly developed hippocampus as compared to the neocortex in this mouse, in contrast to relationships found in other mice and rats.     

Structural features of the brains of rats selected for their thresholds of neuromuscular excitability

As a result of selection of rats possessing a high threshold of neuro-muscular exitability in comparison with rats possessing a low threshold of neuro-muscular exitability, certain changes take place in the structures that are connected with the learning process: the visual cortex is wider, volumes of the pyramidal cells in the fields CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampus are increased, density of the glial elements in the fornix is essentially increased and that of neurons in the septal nucleus is decreased.     

Kinetics of reversible inhibition of cholinesterases by quaternary diaminoalkyl esters of aromatic dicarboxylic acids]

Reversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from bovine erythrocytes and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) from horse blood serum by quaternary diaminoalkyl esters of suberic (D-6), p-phenylenediacetic (PK-139), p-phenylenedipropionic (PK-154 and PK-155), p-phenylenediacrylic (PK-150 and PK-151) and phthalic (PK-105) acids, was studied under the following incubation conditions: pH 7.5, 25 degrees C, 0.1 M KCl. The inhibition kinetics were of a mixed competitive-incompetitive type, the incompetitive component alpha'-having higher values for AChE (0.26-0.60) than for BuChE (0.10-0.20). Diester PK-150 selectively inhibited BuChE (Ki=3.0-10(-6) M); its Ki value for AChE was 4.0-10(-4) M. The other diesters had a stronger inhibitory effect on AChE than on BuChE. High values of alpha' observed during AChE inhibition cannot be interpreted in terms of interaction of those bisquaternary compounds with the anionic site of the acetylated active centre and are probably due to their sorbtion at the peripheral anionic sites. Incompetitive inhibition constants (K'i=Ki/alpha') of BuChE by the diesters PK-139, PK-154 and PK-150 were found to be values of the same order as substrate inhibition constants determined in the course of BuChE hydrolysis of these diesters. Incompetitive inhibition found for the esters studied and substrate inhibition during hydrolysis of these compounds are presumably due to the same mechanism.     

Atherosclerosis in rabbits induced by prolonged electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus]

The influence of prolonged electrical stimulation of rabbit hypothalamus on blood lipids and the development of atherosclerosis were studied. The negative emotional state observed during the electrical stimulation was accompanied by blood hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis development in 1/3 noncastrated and 2/3 castrated animals.     

Effect of vasopressin on the ATP-ase activity of microsomal fractions of rabbit heart and liver]

It was shown that intravenous injection of vasopressin in a dose of 5 pressor units per 1 kg of body weight led to changes in the ATP-ase activity of the heart and liver microsomes in one hour. These changes coursed in a different direction, i.e. ATP-ase activity of the heart microsomes increased, and ATP-ase activity of the liver microsomes decreased.