[PERCUTANEOUS CYSTOLITHOTRIPSY: THE FIRST CLINICAL EXPERIENCE].

This paper reviews results of examination and treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and infravesical obstruction in 16 patients observed in Department of Urology of Zhukovsky CCH in 2013-2014. Most operated patients required particularly careful approach to the surgery planning due to advanced age and multiple comorbidities. Treatment of all patients was carried out in a single therapeutic session performed in two stages. Percutaneous cystolithotripsy was performed on the first stage and subsequently transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) was carried out. It was found, that combination of minimally invasive percutaneous approach and TURP is the most sparing way to restore lower urinary tract urodynamics and eliminate bladder stones in all operated patients. With appropriate patient selection and a clear definition of indications, proposed treatment combination is a promising and effective strategy in management of patient with urolithiasis with infravesical obstruction and BPH.

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) on the basis of Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) seed oil.

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) are new drug systems composed of physiological lipid materials. The possibility of including different types of lipids into the NLC structure revealed the wide prospects for using biologically active natural oils for the development of the cutaneous preparations. In this study the formulation parameters of NLC on the basis of Siberian pine seed oil were evaluated including concentration of lipids, types of surfactants and storage conditions (4 degrees C, 20 degrees C, 40 degrees C). Size distribution and storage stability of formulations produced by hot high pressure homogenisation were investigated by laser diffractometry and photon correlation spectroscopy. The NLC were characterised by their melting behaviour using differential scanning calorimetry. The obtained data indicated the high physical stability of the developed NLC formulations.

[Diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy of pneumonia caused by continuous mechanical ventilation after cardiosurgery].

The paper gives an update on the incidence and etiological structure of mechanical ventilation (MV)-associated pneumonias. The specific features of their pathogenesis are considered; clinical and laboratory diagnostic methods are reviewed. It is shown that it is necessary to make a microbiological monitoring. An algorithm is proposed to choose the tactics of antimicrobial treatment for MV-associated pneumonia; recommendations for the rational choice of antibiotics are given.

[The activation processes of the immune system during low intensity exercise without relaxation].

The activation processes of T-, B- and NK-cells were studied during 8-week low intensity strength training without relaxation. After the long-term training, no changes occurred in the peripheral blood contents of the main subpopulations of immunocompetent cells (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+ and CD16+/CD56+ lymphocytes) and serum levels of immunoglobulin A, M, and G. At the same time, training was accompanied by positive activation of the immunocompetent cells which was evident from increased percentage of CD3+, CD19+ and /CD56+ cells expressing CD69 after activation (PHA, PW and II.2, respectively). The final period of the training course was also associated with a decrease in the level of lymphocyte apoptosis and increase of proliferative responses of lymphocytes.

Age-dependent accumulation of advanced glycation endproducts is accelerated in combined hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, a process attenuated by L-arginine.

In this study we have investigated the occurrence of "classical" Amadori rearrangement products of AGE-proteins in the vascular mesenteric bed and in the lens of Golden Syrian hamsters (12 weeks old) rendered simultaneous hyperlipidemics-diabetics (HD), or hyperlipidemics (H) for 24 weeks. For the next 4 weeks the hamsters in HD and H groups received by gavage a solution of 3 mM L-arginine, with the intent to look for the potential effects of L-arginine on the fluorescence of tissular AGE-proteins. Age-matched normal hamsters were used as controls (C). The AGE-products of proteins, and the AGE-collagen isolated from the mesenteric bed were quantitated by fluorescence spectroscopy at ex: 370 nm/em: 440 nm. The results showed that: (i) compared to the fluorescence levels of AGE-proteins detected at C goup, in HD group the fluorescence of AGE-proteins was found 2.78 and 7.41 fold increased in the vascular mesenteric bed and lens, respectively; (ii) in H group the fluorescence of AGE-proteins was 2.36 fold augumented in the vascular mesenteric bed, and 5.43 fold in the lens (versus the C goup); (iii) the aging occurring during the 24 weeks of the experiment induced a small increase in AGE-proteins fluorescence in both mesentery (1.76 fold) and lens (3.83 fold), compared to the levels measured in C group at the inception of the study (12 weeks old hamsters); (iv) the fluorescence of AGE-proteins in the vascular mesenteric bed and in the lens of hamsters in HD and H groups correlated with the increase in circulating plasma glucose and cholesterol concentrations throughout the experiment; (v) L-arginine dietary supplementation in HD and H groups, diminished the AGE-collagen fluorescence in the mesentery to ∼ 35% and ∼ 17%, respectively; in the lens the fluorescence of AGE-proteins was reduced to 65-70% of the levels found in HD and H groups (at 24 weeks). This study showed for the first time that simultaneous hyperlipidemia-hyperglycemia induced an enhanced accumulation of fluorescent AGE-proteins in the mesentery and lens (comparatively to the effect of hyperlipidemia and of chronological aging monitored during the experiment), and that in vivo L-arginine administration decreased the fluorescence of tissular AGE-proteins (AGE-collagen included). The latter observation may bring another area of potential intervention in the adjunct efforts to find out inhibitors of AGE formation, and thus to reduce the increased levels of AGE-proteins accumulated in tissues when diabetes is additionally complicated with atherosclerosis.

Calf cardiac valvular endothelial cells in culture: production of glycosaminoglycans, prostacyclin and fibronectin.

To study the roles played by cardiac valvular endothelium in normal and pathologic conditions, we have established and characterized a system of bovine valvular endothelial cells (VEC) in culture. Viable VEC from calf atrioventricular valves were obtained by a non-enzymatic procedure using 3 mM ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as dissociating agent. The cells grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with non-essential amino acids, vitamins and 20% fetal calf serum, developed as monolayers of closely apposed polygonal cells which were subcultured for up to seven passages. VEC maintained in culture the general ultrastructure displayed in vivo, expressed von Willebrand factor, presented angiotensin converting enzyme activity and synthesized a rich extracellular matrix. VEC preserved the cell surface anionic sites (detected with cationized ferritin, pI 8.4) and cationic sites (visualized with haemeundecapeptide pI 4.85), and took up, especially by adsorptive endocytosis, albumin-gold conjugate. The cells were coupled by functional communicating (gap) junctions, as demonstrated by microinjection of 6-carboxyfluorescein. VEC in culture produced fibronectin, prostacyclin, hyaluronic acid and heparin-like glycosaminoglycans (identified by electrophoresis, enzyme digestion, and deaminative cleavage of molecules). These properties render cultured VEC a suitable model for investigating their functions and involvement in normal and pathologic heart valves.

[Natural distribution of uranium in skeletal bones and bone tissue fractions]. / Estestvennoe raspredelenie urana po kostiam skeleta i fraktsiiam kostnoi tkani.

It was shown that uranium is deposited in the mineral and the organic matrix of bones, and approximately 50% of uranium is bound with the latter. In the bone mineral, uranium is deposited not on the surface of hydroxyl apatite crystals but distributed uniformly within them.