[An experimental study of the effectiveness of the drug afalaza in chronic aseptic prostatitis].

A pilot study evaluated the efficacy of the drug afalaza (mixture of affinity purified antibodies to PSA and endothelial NO-synthase) compared with the Serenoa repens extract in a model of chronic abacterial prostatitis in Wistar rats caused by suturing of prostate tissue by silk thread. Except for the animals of intact group, rats (n = 13 in each group) underwent intraperitoneal injection of distilled water (10 ml/kg), afalaza (at a doses of 5, 7.5 and 10 ml/kg) or an Serenoa repens extract (50 mg/kg) 1 month after surgery for 45 days. After infusion, the mass, volume, and prostate weighting factor were evaluated, and prostate tissue was examined histologically. 2.5 months after surgery, development of chronic abacterial prostatitis was observed in the control group. Compared with intact group, significant increase in weight, weighting factor, and volume of prostate were detected in control group. Against the background of administration of Serenoa repens extract and afalaza, these parameters were not significantly different from control values. The use of Serenoa repens extract prevented the development of atrophic processes and slowed the development of sclerotic processes. Administration of afalaza at all studied doses prevented the development of sclerotic changes, and a dose of 7.5 ml/kg prevented the development of atrophic processes with the effectiveness matching to Serenoa repens extract. Taking into account the high safety of afalaza, this drug is a promising treatment for chronic prostatitis.

[Preclinical toxicologic study of a Baikal aconite tincture (bayacon)]. / Doklinicheskoe toksikologicheskoe izuchenie nastoiki akonita baikal'skogo (Baiakona).

The safety of bayacon, a new drug based on Baikal aconite intended for the treatment of inflammation-proliferative dermatitis (psoriasis), was studied on a preclinical level. With respect to a single introduction in rats and mice, the drug is classified as a low-toxicity substance. However, a 3-month oral administration of bayacon (0.25, 0.5, and 2.5 mg/kg) in rats showed a number of dose-dependent functional and morphological changes. A dose of 2.5 mg/kg induced weak hyporegenerative anemia, neutrophile leukocytosis, and dystrophic changes in the stomach mucosa, heart, liver, and kidneys. All these symptoms disappeared within two weeks after abolition of the drug. Oral administration of bayacon (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) in rabbits produced no pathological morphofunctional changes in the organs and tissues studied. In rats, bayacon 2.5, 0.5, and 0.25 mg/kg doses of bayacon led to dose-dependent changes in some characteristics of the reproduction system. The drug did not influence the expression of allergic reactions and showed no immunotoxicity and mutagenicity manifestations.

[Preclinical toxicological study of ecorsin]. / Doklinicheskoe toksikologicheskoe izuchenie ékorsina.

A new drug preparation ecorsin based on the dry aspen bark extract was studied for toxicological safety on a preclinical stage. The drug exhibited no toxicity upon a single administration to rats and mice (both male and female). The intragastric administration of ecorsin for 3 months to rats (at a daily dose of 50, 250, and 500 mg/kg) and rabbits (25 and 50 mg/kg) led to neither functional not morphological changes in hemopoietic and lymphoid organs, liver, kidney, heart, digestive system, and CNS. The long-term administration resulted in a partial atrophic modification of convoluted seminiferous tubules in impuberal male rats, while not affecting the testes of aged animals. The administration of ecorsin at 50, 250, and 500 mg/kg led to dose-dependent changes in some characteristics of the reproductive capacity in rats. Ecorsin did not modify the extent of allergic reactions and produced no immunotoxicant and mutagen effects.

[The role of thrombocyte aggregation function in the mechanism of the antimetastatic action of an extract of Baikal skullcap]. / Izuchenie roli agregatsionnoi funktsii trombotsitov v mekhanizme protivometastaticheskogo deistviia ékstrakta shlemnika baikal'skogo.

The advancement of Pliss' lymphosarcoma in rats was shown to be associated with disorders of platelet-mediated hemostasis presenting with either lowered or increased aggregation activity of platelets. In the latter case, a direct correlation was observed between functional activity of thrombocytes, on the one hand, and degree of tumor advancement and its metastatic activity, on the other. Extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi was shown to produce a normalizing effect on platelet-mediated hemostasis whatever the pattern of alteration which points to the adaptogenic activity of the drug. This activity is thought to be responsible for the drug's antitumor and, particularly, metastasis-preventing effect.

[Dilution of the toxic action of 5-fluorouracil on the mucosa of the small intestine in mice using the sap of plantain]. / Oslablenie toksicheskogo deistviia 5-ftoruratsila na slizistuiu obolochku tonkoi kishki myshei sokom podorozhnika.

The study was concerned with an attempt at reducing the acute toxic effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on gut mucosa in mice with Ehrlich ascites tumors. An official preparation of plantain sap was shown to ward off this effect and to contribute to the normalising of certain parameters of epithelial cells. The DNA level of tumor cells showed a more drastic decline after combined treatment with 5-FU and the preparation than after the cytostatic drug alone.