[Clinical pharmacology of the new Soviet anti-inflammatory preparation ortofen]. / Klinicheskaia farmakologiia novogo otechesvennogo protivovospalitel'nogo preparata ortofena.

Comparative pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies on ortophen, a new Soviet antiinflammatory drug, and voltaren (Ciba-Geigy, Switzerland) were carried out in 73 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Pharmacokinetics of both drugs was studied in 19 patients (9 patients were given voltaren, 10--ortophen). Pharmacokinetic difference was statistically indistinguishable. The comparison of the principal routine subjective and objective pharmacodynamic indices revealed no significant difference between ortophen and voltaren action. The new drug was shown to possess a high analgetic and antiinflammatory activity.

[The potentials of a peroral gold preparation (Ridaura) in treating rheumatoid arthritis based on prospective observation data]. / Vozmozhnosti peroral'nogo preparata zolota (ridaury) v lechenii revmatoidnogo artrita po dannym prospektivnogo nabliudeniia.

Ridaura was given to 72 patients with true rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the period of 6 mos to 2 yrs. Patients with I-II degree of activity and II-III x-ray stage of RA prevailed. Extraarticular RA manifestations were detected in 79% of the patients. The efficacy of Ridaura was assessed by its effect on the indices of activity (clinical manifestations of the articular syndrome, ESR, morphological signs of rheumatoid synovitis) and progression (the rates of erosive arthritis development in the hand and foot joints, the time course of the level of the serum rheumatoid factor and RA systemic manifestations). The drug efficacy was assessed with relation to the preceding variant of a RA course by the onset of treatment and after 3, 6, 12 and 18 mos. The results obtained indicated a high clinical efficacy of the drug and the presence of its basal activity which manifested itself in a good clinical effect by a decrease in the rates of x-ray progression, a serum RF level, the expression of morphological signs of synovitis and extraarticular RA manifestations, in particular myocarditis, diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, fever, and Aschoff's nodules. The therapeutic effect of the drug was on an increase in the period over 1 year. The highest efficacy of the drug was noted in RA with persistent activity of I-II degree or with activation up to II degree. Side-effects were revealed in 19% of the patients. Good tolerance of the drug was observed in 63% of the patients with a previous history of intolerance to parenteral gold drugs.

[Use of glipizide and evaluation of its effect on microcirculation in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2]. / Primenenie glipizida i otsenka ego vliianiia na mikrotsirkuliatsiiu u bol'nykh sakharnym diabetom II tipa.

The paper is concerned with the assessment of glipizide action in 32 patients aged 34 to 68 suffering from diabetes mellitus with decompensation of metabolic processes. Good tolerance of the drug, its positive hypoglycemic action enhanced by its combined use with acetylsalicylic acid were noted. No convincing proofs of glipizide influence on microcirculatory indices were obtained. In comparing its hemorheological action with other sulfanilurea drugs of the 2nd generation a similar effect of glipizide with manilin as monotherapy was revealed, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, similar action of glipizide with acetylsalicylic acid and diamicron was noted.

[A new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug pirprofen (rengasil) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis]. / Novyi nesteroidnyi protivovospalitel'nyi preparat pirprofen (rengazil) v terapii revmatoidnogo artrita i osteoartroza.

The results of a double blind clinical study of pirprofen, as compared to piroxicam and placebo in 197 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, as compared to piroxicam in 200 patients with gonarthrosis and/or coxarthrosis, and as compared to naproxen in 165 patients with lumbar spondylosis, are reviewed. In rheumatoid arthritis, pirprofen (1200 mg daily) was significantly superior to placebo, and proved in some respects more active than piroxicam where its daily dose was 20 mg. In patients with osteo-arthrosis affecting major joints and the spine, pirprofen (800 mg daily) showed the same therapeutic effects as piroxicam (20 mg) and naproxen (1000 mg). Owing to its obvious anti-inflammatory effect and good tolerance, pirprofen merits large-scale use in rheumatology.

[Use of high-purity insulins in the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus]. / Primenenie vysokoochishchennykh insulinov dlia lecheniia bol'nykh sakharnym diabetom.

A total of 43 patients aged 16-62 with moderately severe and severe type I diabetes mellitus of 2-27 years duration were observed. The patients were admitted to hospital with decompensation of metabolic processes. In order to achieve compensation monocomponent insulins were administered in an individual dose depending on the levels of glycemia and glucosuria and a scheme of drug administration (2 times continuously, i.v. using the Biostator apparatus). The duration of therapy was 4 months. A hypoglycemic effect in relation to immunological and hemorheological indices was assessed. A hypoglycemic effect was noted in all the patients. A positive effect of high-purity insulins on immunological and hemorheological indices was revealed. These insulins can be used for prevention of diabetic angiopathies.

[Study of pirprofen (rengasil) combined with maintenance doses of corticosteroids in rheumatoid arthritis in a double-blind multicenter trial]. / Izuchenie pirprofena (rengazila) v sochetanii s podderzhivaiushchimi dozami kortikosteroidov pri revmatoidnom artrite v dvoinom slepom mnogotsentrovom ispytanii.

A study of pirprofen (rengasil) combined with small doses of corticosteroids in 93 patients with rheumatoid arthritis during a double blind multicentre testing showed good and satisfactory therapeutic results in 60%. A decrease in morning rigidity, pains in the joints especially at night, the joint index and in the number of inflammed joints was noted. Rengasil tolerance was good, side effects were few. The new nonsteroid antiinflammatory drug rengasil combined with maintenance doses of corticosteroids can be recommended for a prolonged treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

[Changes in the defensive and alimentary behavior of rabbits following multiple hashish administrations to different brain regions]. / Izmeneniia oboronitel'nogo i pishchevogo povedeniia krolikov pod vliianiem mnogokratnykh vvedenii gashisha v razlichnye otdely mozga.

Chronic experiments on rabbits have shown that microinjections of 30, 60 and 90 micrograms of petroleum hashish extract into the ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei and into the central gray matter of the midbrain depresses the negative motivated excitation (fear, pain) induced by electric stimulation of these structures or by electric shock. Injection of hashish into the lateral hypothalamic area facilitates the appearance of the digestive positive motivated excitation. Repeated injections of the preparation during 3--15 days contributed to the development of tolerance to analgesic, behavioral and hypothermic effects of hashish. Discontinuation of the injections (90 micrograms) at the 30th experimental day did not reveal any distinct picture of the withdrawal syndrome. A suggestion is made that the brain structures investigated may participate in the development of pathological motivation to hashish.

[Characteristics of the excitation changes in the visual area of the cerebral cortex under psychostimulant action]. / Osobennosti izmenenii vozbudimosti zritel'noi oblasti kory golovnogo mozga pri deistvii psikhostimuliatorov.

The experiments were carried out on cats with chronically implanted electrodes. It was shown by means of recording the primary responses (PR) of the visual cortex that amphetamine (0,5 mg/kg), sydnocarb (3 mg/kg), and catinon (1 mg/kg) depress the amplitude of the single PR and lessen concurrently the depression of the testing response in the cycle of PR recovery. Cocaine (1 mg/kg) suppresses the amplitude of the single PR and intensifies the depression of the testing PR in the recovery cycle.