Genetic factors predisposing to a chronic course of virus hepatitis and liver fibrosis

The IL4 C(?590)T, IL4RA Ile50Val, and TNF G(?308)A polymorphisms were tested for association with the chronic development of virus hepatitis, the extent of which was inferred from the liver fibrosis stage. The frequency of allele A of the TNF G(?208)A polymorphism in patients with mild fibrosis was higher (24.5%) than in patients with moderate or severe fibrosis (13.4%) or cirrhosis (8.7%). The frequency of heterozygous genotype CT of the IL4 C(?590)T polymorphism significantly differed between cirrhosis (68.2%) and moderate or severe fibrosis (39.1%).     

Manifestations of Peripheral Autonomic Insufficiency in Patients Suffering from Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Neuropathies

We tried to characterize the frequency and significance of manifestations of peripheral autonomic insufficiency (PAI) in clinical cases of acute inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies (AIDN). Forty patients with the above diagnosis (21 men and 19 women, 16 to 72 years old) were examined. To detect symptoms attributable to PAI, we used Birkmayer–Vein tables; these data were compared with the results of electroneuromyographic (ENMG) examinations. In 38 and 2 cases, clinical manifestations of AIDN corresponded to the Guillain–Barre and Miller–Fisher syndromes, respectively. According to ENMG data, changes in the peripheral nerves and neuromuscular junctions corresponded to axonopathy, myelinopathy, and a mixed damage (myelinoaxonopathy) in 18 (45%), 14 (35%), and 8 (20%) patients, respectively. The following disturbances in the sphere of autonomic control were observed: orthostatic hypotension, in 28 cases (70%); tachycardia in the resting state, in 24 cases (60%); hypertension in the reclining position, in 16 cases (40%); hypohydrosis of the skin on the limbs, in 18 cases (45%); dyspepsia, in 8 cases (20%), and enuresis, in 3 cases (7.5%). Manifestations of PAI began to be observed in the earliest stage of the disease and were preserved within the period of recovery of the motor functions; they were more intensive in the cases of a severe clinical course of polyneuropathies. The severity of autonomic disorders strictly correlated with the level of axonal degeneration (characterized according to the ENMG data). The treatment used (i.v. injections of immunoglobulin, plasmapheresis, use of vasoactive and neurometabolic drugs) not only improved the state of the motor sphere but also decreased the intensity of PAI symptoms. Thus, in the cases of AIDN not only thick myelinated fibers of the peripheral nerves but also a significant proportion of thin fibers responsible for the control of automatic functions are subjected to damage. PAI is rather frequently observed in patients suffering from AIDN, and the level of its manifestation reflects the severity of the disease and intensity of damage to the peripheral nerves.     

Persistence of Mycoplasma arthritidis in the body of mice of different strains

Mice belonging to 3 strains were shown to differ greatly in their sensitivity to M. arthritidis. This organism persisted for a year in (C57BL/6 X A/Sn)F1 mice, for 6 weeks in BALB/c mice and for 1-3 weeks in C57BL/6 mice. The sensitivity of mice to M. arthritidis infection and the persistence of the infective agent in the organs of the animals were found to depend on the state of their cell-mediated immunity.     

Vibrational and electronic circular dichroism study of bile pigments: Complexes of bilirubin and biliverdin with metals

Complexation of bilirubin (BR) and biliverdin (BV) with biogenic and toxic metals (Mn, Cu, Cd, Co, Fe, Ni, Zn, and Ag) has been studied by means of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). Poly-l-lysine and β-cyclodextrin in water were chosen as matrices capable of recognizing the single stereoconformer of the pigments with defined M-helicity. Such systems allow structural changes caused by complexation of pigments with metals in aqueous solution at pH 10-11 to be followed using chiroptical methods, which are intrinsically sensitive to spatial structure. These and other spectroscopic techniques have revealed that BV and BR form monomeric complexes with Cd, Cu, and Zn and dimeric complexes with Mn. The stabilities of the complexes with Fe, Ni, Co, and Ag are remarkably lower. The sign of the ECD and VCD patterns of the complexed BV does not change for the chelates of any of the studied metals other than Zn, this exception being interpreted in terms of manifestation of the opposite helicity of BV in its chelate with Zn. In the case of BR, the observed inversion of ECD signal after complexation, together with the analysis of VCD spectra, reveals that a flattening of the molecule takes place, i.e., an increase in the angle between the pyrrinone chromophores without an inversion of helicity. This chiral stereoselectivity, which is very specific in the case of the Zn chelates, is discussed in connection with the specific inhibition of Zn-required enzymes by bile pigments.     

New data on mollusks from the Miocene (Tarkhanian-Chokrakian) of northern Sinop Province,Turkey

An insufficiently known bivalve and gastropod assemblage from the Early-Middle Miocene (Tarkhanian-Chokrakian) of northern Sinop Province (Turkey), is analyzed. Environments of the assemblage are reconstructed for the Chokrakian as subtidal, with prevailing lime and sandy bottom and good aeration, and partially well vegetated. Impoverishment of the mollusk biocoenose in this part of the marine basin (only 18 bivalve and 22 gastropod species recorded) compared to other areas, including the closest regions, Bulgaria on the west and Georgia on the east, is emphasized. The relatively low diversity of the fauna is probably connected not only with insufficient collecting, but with special hydrological conditions. A special aspect of the fauna is highlighted by the presence of the bivalve Circomphalus foliaceolamellosus subplicatus (Orb.), which is rare in the Chokrakian.     

Effects of acyclic analogs of atrial natriuretic factor on proliferative processes of the epithelial tissue in white rats]

The effect of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) synthetic linear truncated analogues AP-H-6-OH and AP-FOR-6-OH on corneal, skin, duodenum and colon epithelium proliferation has been studied on male rats. The epithelium mitotic activity and DNA synthesis were evaluated 4 and 24 h after intraperitoneal injection of 10 or 100 micrograms/kg peptides. In a dose of 10 micrograms/kg both ANF synthetic analogues inhibited proliferation processes in corneal epithelium, but activated the DNA synthesis in duodenum and colon epithelium. AP-FOR-6-OH (10 micrograms/kg) decreased the mitotic activity of skin epithelium and increased the silver grain density over the cell nuclei at the same time. 100 micrograms/kg ANF analogues stimulated cell mitogenesis in all organs studied. According to the data obtained ANF linear truncated analogues influence on epithelium proliferation is similar to effector of previously studied cyclic atriopeptin AP II.     

Hypophyseal-adrenocortical system reaction to the prolonged action of low doses of selenomethionine-75Se that form during internal contamination

A method of radiometry in vivo was applied to study the regularities attending distribution of the absorbed dose and its formation in the course of one year after the administration of 0.033 muCu/g of selenomethionine-75Se to rats, as well as the functional condition of the adaptive hypophysis-adrenal glands system by the determination of plasma corticosterone. A high tropicity of this preparation to the endocrine system organs was demonstrated. Intensification of the functional activity of the adaptive system was indicated by an increase of the blood plasma corticosterone concentration following the administration of a, radioactive preparation and its statistically significant increase (in comparison with control) 3, 6, and 10 months from the beginning of the experiment. The action of acute stress (histamine and formalin) 10 months after the administration of selenomethionine-75Se caused no sharp elevation of the plasma corticosterone concentration characteristic of control rats, this indicating an extreme strain of the hypophysis-adrenal gland system and its incapacity to respond to additional loads. It is supposed that analysis of functional condition of the adaptive system could serve as the key in the assessment of the biological effect of low radiation doses.