Increasing the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy by correcting immunologic disorders with vitamin A in patients with brucellosis

Experimental studies and clinical trials were performed on possible increase of antibiotic therapy efficacy in brucellosis patients by correction of the immunity disorders with vitamin A. It was experimentally shown that vitamin A increased cellular immunity and accelerated sanation of guinea pigs sensitized with Brucella abortus 19 BA. The clinical trials demonstrated that the use of vitamin A in a dose of 33,000 IU thrice a day for 10 to 12 days during the complex treatment of patients with acute (36 persons) and subacute (57 persons) brucellosis lowered the average period of manifestation of the disease clinical signs and formation of the antibodies, increased the skin allergic sensitivity, the lymphocyte blast cell transformation, the total number and subpopulations of the active T-cells, theophylline-resistant lymphocytes, phagocytic and metabolic activity of neutrophils, showed 1.5- and 2-fold increased in the frequency of the infection transformation into a chronic process in patients with acute or subacute brucellosis, respectively.     

Involvement of Boiling Stable Antioxidant Enzymes in Adaptation of Invasive Alien Plant Lantana to Abiotic Stress under Natural Conditions

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - Lantana camara L. is noxious weed affecting ecosystem and biodiversity worldwide. However, the biochemical basis of invasiveness and adaptation to abiotic...     

Taxonomic Status of Four Rare Alien Fish Species of the Kapchagay Reservoir (Balkhash Basin,Central Asia)

Journal of Ichthyology - Based on the morphological features, four rare alien species in the Kapchagai reservoir were identified: Coregonus peled, Parasalmo mykiss, Megalobrama mantschuricus, and...     

Plasma pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of L-lysine α-oxidase from Trichoderma cf. aureoviride RIFAI VKM F- 4268D in mice

L-lysine α-oxidase (LO) is an L-amino acid oxidase with antitumor, antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies were carried out by measuring LO concentration in plasma and tissue samples by enzyme immunoassay. L-lysine concentration in samples was measured spectrophotometrically using LO. After single i.v. injection of 1.0, 1.5, 3.0 mg/kg the circulating T_1/2 of enzyme in mice varied from 51 to 74 min and the AUC_0–inf values were 6.54 ± 0.46, 8.66 ± 0.59, 9.47 ± 1.45 μg/ml × h, respectively. LO was distributed in tissues and determined within 48 h after administration with maximal accumulation in liver and heart tissues. Mean time to reach the maximum concentration was highest for the liver—9 h, kidney—1 h and 15 min for the tissues of heart, spleen and brain. T_1/2 of LO in tissues ranged from 7.75 ± 0.73 to 26.10 ± 2.60 h. In mice, plasma L-lysine decreased by 79% 15 min after LO administration in dose 1.6 mg/kg. The serum L-lysine levels remained very low from 1 to 9 h (< 25 μM, 17%), indicating an acute lack of L-lysine in animals for at least 9 h. Concentration of L-lysine in serum restored only 24 h after LO administration. The results of LO PK study show that it might be considered as a promising enzyme for further investigation as a potential anticancer agent.

     

Changes in Lipid Peroxidation under Exposure to Electromagnetic Radiation of Nonthermal Intensity in the Prenatal Period

Biophysics - This study focused on the redox homeostasis in the lenses of 20- and 30-day-old chinchilla rabbit kits exposed to a combination of hypoxia and electromagnetic radiation at a nonthermal...     

Design of Tripeptides as a Competitive Inhibitor for HMG-CoA Reductase

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - This study presents a simple approach in design of tripeptides as a competitive inhibitor for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase...     

Influence of Magnetic Field on Brain Activity During Administration of Caffeine

The aim of the present work is to evaluate the effect of caffeine, the world’s most popular psychoactive drug, on the electric activity of the rat’s brain that exposed to extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF), during 15 days. The obtained results showed that administration of caffeine in a group of rats by dose of 10 mg/kg (equivalent to human daily consumption) caused a reduction in the mean power amplitude of electroencephalogram (EEG) trace for almost all frequency bands especially α (8–12 Hz). It was observed that the influence of caffeine was more evident in motor cortex than in visual cortex. While the exposure of another group to ELF-MF of intensity 0.2 mT during the same period caused an enhancement in the mean power amplitude of most EEG frequency bands; this was more observed in the right hemisphere of the brain than that of the left hemisphere. The administration of caffeine while rats were exposed to ELF-MF, led, after 5 days of exposure, to a great increase in the mean power amplitude of α band at all places of recording electrodes. It may be concluded that caffeine administration was more effective in reducing the hazardous of ELF-MF in motor cortex than in visual cortex.     

A taxonomic revision of Tyrini of the Oriental?region. V. Revision of the genus Lasinus Sharp, 1874 (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae)

The genus Lasinus Sharp, 1874 of the Pselaphodes complex of genera (Pselaphitae: Tyrini: Tyrina) is revised. The three so far known species, Lasinus mandarinus Raffray, 1890, Lasinus monticola Sawada, 1961 and Lasinus spinosus Sharp, 1874 are redescribed. Eight new species, Lasinus sinicus sp. n. from China, Lasinus mikado sp. n., Lasinus yamamotoi sp. n., Lasinus inexpectatus sp. n., Lasinus yakushimanus sp. n., Lasinus amamianus sp. n., Lasinus saoriae sp. n., and Lasinus okinawanus sp. n. from Japan, are described. And all species are illustrated. Lectotypes are designated for Lasinus mandarinus and Lasinus spinosus. An identification key to species of the genus Lasinus is provided.