A Method of Diagnosis of the Functional State of Afferent Pathways of the Spinal Cord by Magnetic Stimulation

The authors suggest a method for quantitative diagnosis of the functional state of the afferent pathways of the spinal cord by magnetic stimulation in the projection of the vertebrae CVI–CVII and LIII–LIV. The induced motor response (IMR) was recorded from the orbicular muscle of the eye. The velocity of propagation of excitation (VPE) along the afferent pathways between the vertebrae CVI–CVII and LIII–LIV was measured as the ratio of the distance between two stimulation points (along the coil center) to the difference between the latent periods of the recorded IMRs. In healthy adults, VPE was 77.93 ± 4.93 m/s, and in healthy children, 7- to 14-years old, it was 77.60 ± 4.12 m/s. In patients with disseminated sclerosis, this index was 40.15 ± 14.81 m/s. The asymmetry value (AV) was 5.31 ± 1.20 m/s. The VPE and AV in patients with disseminated sclerosis differed significantly from those in healthy subjects of same sex and age (p < 0.05).     

Phospholipids of bacteria of Brucella genus

The phospholipid composition of 6 Brucella species (B. melitensis, B. abortus, B. suis, B. ovis. B. canis, B. neotomae) and Australian mouse-derived strains of Brucella N 4, 11, 12 were studied. Comparison of phospholipid composition of Brucella cells with that of serologically related microorganisms revealed that all Brucella biotypes contain phosphatidyl-(N-methyl)ethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine while Y. enterocolitica, Sh. disenteriae, E. coli cells do not contain these two substances. It is concluded that the specific phospholipid pattern of Brucella biotypes may be useful in typing of new Brucella strains.     

The intercentral relations of cortical bioelectrical activity in the human brain after surgical interventions on brain stem formations]

In the process of dynamic study of cortical bioelectrical activity and indices of its intercentral interaction in 52 neurosurgical patients with focal lesion on the brainstem level, the dependence was shown of the CNS reactions to the operative intervention on the character and degree of damage. Variants were described of compensatory neurodynamic reconstructions of electrical processes in observations with transient, stable and irreversible pathological foci of brainstem localization.     

Interaction of cells from murine organs with liposomes of various composition

The distribution of liposomes prepared from total mouse liver lipids and containing (3H)-labelled platelet activation factor in mouse organs was studied. It was shown that the majority of intraperitoneally injected liposomes prepared from total mouse liver lipids were transported to mouse liver and spleen. The interaction of liposomes with spleen cells in vitro revealed that the affinity of liposomes prepared from total spleen macrophage or total spleen lymphocyte lipids for mouse spleen cells was much higher than that of liposomes prepared from a model lipid mixture. The liposome binding to isolated spleen macrophages or lymphocytes was much higher than the liposome uptake by these cells in the total population of mouse spleen cells.     

The relation of tryptophan hydroxylase activity in the brain and the manifestation of catalepsy in mice

Pinch-induced catalepsy and thyptophan hydroxylase (TPH) activity in striatum and midbrain were determined in male mice of 6 inbred strains. Pronounced catalepsy was found in the only mice strain--CBA. TPH activity in midbrain and especially in striatum of CBA mice was higher than in the strains, which did not display catalepsy. The experimental situation, which promotes the development of highly aggressive CBA males, caused a decrease in TPH activity in striatum and these mice did not express genetic predisposition to catalepsy. The results indicate that TPH activity in striatum is involved in the mechanism of catalepsy in mice.