[Diagnostic characteristics of adenosine deaminase test in Byelorussian patients with tuberculous pleurisy].

The results of studying the diagnostic value of changes in the pleural fluid and serum activities of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and its isozymes are analyzed in Byelorussian patients with tuberculous pleurisy. There is an increased serum and pleural fluid ADA activity in the patients with tuberculous pleurisy caused mainly by a rise in ADA2 activity. The test determining the activity of ADA, and ADA2 in particular, has shown high sensitivity and specificity as compared with the results obtained in other countries. The diagnostic efficacy of determination of these indices in the serum is also high, but it is lower than that in the pleural fluid.

[Adenosine deaminase in the blood cells and serum of patients with tuberculous pleurisy].

The common complication of pulmonary tuberculosis is pleurisy that requires not only special treatments, but also gives rise to difficulties in the differential diagnosis of tuberculosis. The investigation has studied the possibility of determining the activity of adenosine deaminase (ADA) as a marker of pleural effusion of tuberculous etiology. The patients with tuberculous pleurisy have been found to have higher lymphocytic and red blood ADA, and ADA, activities and a significantly increased serum ADA2 activity. Thus, the changes in the activity of ADA and its isozymes have been shown to be specific to pleurisy of tuberculous etiology and to be of diagnostic value.

[Determination of NO2-/ NO3- in exhaled breath condensate. Zinc-catalyzed nitrate reduction].

Analysis of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a new prospective method for monitoring of inflammation and oxidative stress in lungs. The most extensively studied exhaled biomarker is nitric oxide (NO). It has very short life span and is converted into nitrites (NO2-) and nitrates (NO3-). In this study the level of NO2- and total level of NO2-/NO3- have been measured in EBC of smokers and non-smokers. Prior determination of NO2-/NO3- the nitrates were reduced to nitrites with zinc, and total level of NO2- was detected by Griess reaction. The mean concentrations of NO2 in EBC of non-smokers and smokers were 2.9 +/- 0.22 Mmol/ vs. 8.5 +/- 1.2 Mmol/l (mean +/- SD, p < 0.001). The level of total nitrites NO2-/NO3- was also higher in smokers (5.65 +/- 0.68 vs. 14.6 +/- 1.43; p < 0.001). Variability index was 8%. Recovery of NO3- from standard solutions was 93.4 +/- 9.6%, and 91.6 +/- 8.9% from EBC. We recommend zinc reduction as good and simple method for NO3- determination in EBC.

[Alveolar macrophage section of cytokines and levels of phospholipids in the bronchoalveolar washing in pulmonary sarcoidosis and tuberculosis]. / Sekretsiia tsitokinov al'veoliarnymi makrofagami i soderzhanie fosfolipidov v bronkhoal'veoliarnom smyve pri sarkoidoze i tuberkuleze legkikh.

Sixty seven patients with sarcoidosis and 12 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were examined. A control group comprised 9 apparently healthy individuals. The alveolar macrophages (AM) isolated from the bronchoalveolar washing (BAW) of patients with both sarcoidosis and tuberculosis secreted elevated amounts of IL-6 (by 11 and 5.6 times, respectively) as compared to the controls. However, patients with no BAW lymphocytosis there were no great differences in the level of IL-6 production between sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. In this connection, it is not advisable to determine the production of AM cytokines for differential diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. There were significant differences in the BAW concentrations of phospholipids in sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. Tests for total lipid phosphorus and cumulative phosphatidylcholine were found to be of the highest sensitivity and may be used for differential diagnosis. In questionable cases if the level of total lipid phosphorus is greater than 21.36 (M P/L (M + 26, there will be 98.3% probability for no tuberculosis in such a patient.

[The morphofunctional changes in the alveolar epithelium, macrophages and pulmonary surfactant of rats with bleomycin-induced fibrosis]. / Morfofunktsional'nye izmeneniia al'veoliarnogo épiteliia, makrofagov i surfaktanta legkikh u krys pri fibroze, indutsirovannom bleomitsinom.

Interstitial fibrosis was modelled in 100 male rats by means of a single intratracheal administration of bleomycin (0,5 U/100 g of body mass). The stimulation and activation of secretory activity of large (granular) epitheliocytes (alveolocytes of the 2nd type) and alveolar macrophages with maximum alterations were found 3 weeks later, when in the lungs there were numerous foci of interstitial fibrosis. Biochemically, these phenomena were followed by increasing the amount of phospholipids in surfactant (mainly at the expense of phosphatidylcholine) and in membranes of macrophages, which points to interrelation of metabolic processes in the cells, morphologically detected activation of synthesis of surfactant in alveolocytes of the 2nd type and its utilization by alveolar macrophages at the height of the development of bleomycin-induced pneumofibrosis. A supposition has been put forward of a participation of surfactant in the formation of fibrosis.

[Effects of pulmonary surfactant on the activity of interleukin-1 secreted by macrophages in normal state and in pulmonary fibrosis]. / Vliianie surfaktanta legkikh na aktivnost' interleikina-1, sekretiruemogo makrofagami v norme i pri pnevmofibrose.

The article deals with the study of the influence produced by pulmonary surfactant on the activity of interleukin-1 secreted by macrophages which were isolated from the lungs of Wistar male rats 3 weeks after they were given a one-time administration of bleomycin or sodium chloride isotonic solution. Under conditions of prostaglandin synthesis stimulated by lipopolysaccharides and simultaneously inhibited by indomethacin macrophages of the lungs with forming fibrosis secrete an increased amount of interleukin-1. Cultivation of macrophages isolated from fibrosis-affected lungs with surfactant was also accompanied by enhanced activity of this monokine. Interleukin-1 secretion by macrophages of animals with fibrosis was drastically increased in the presence of polymyxin B. Under the same conditions pulmonary surfactant significantly stimulated the activity of monokine which was secreted both by cells of the normal animals and by those obtained from the lungs with fibrosis. Consideration is given to the importance of this phenomenon for the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.

[The regulatory role of pulmonary surfactant in macrophage metabolism]. / Reguliatornaia rol' surfaktanta legkikh v metabolizme makrofagov.

The surfactant was isolated from rat lung tissue and its effect on biosynthesis of DNA, RNA and protein as well as content of cyclic nucleotides and prostaglandins was studied in macrophages. When the surfactant was incubated simultaneously with lung macrophages within 6 hrs, an initial inhibition and subsequent activation of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis were observed. Stimulation of protein synthesis was found to follow the increase in the biosynthesis of DNA and RNA. At the same time, the surfactant induced elevation of cAMP in the macrophages within 1 hr of cultivation, while content of cGMP was decreased within 3 and 6 hrs. Content of prostaglandins E was increased in the cells and concentration of prostaglandin F2 alpha was decreased within 6 hrs. The findings suggest that the surfactant-mediated increase of DNA-induced protein synthesis was cAMP-, cGMP- and prostaglandin-dependent.

[Modulating effect of surfactant on protein biosynthesis in lung macrophages]. / Moduliruiushchee deistvie surfaktanta na biosintez belka v makrofagakhlegkikh.

Effect of lung surfactant on protein biosynthesis in macrophages at their cultivation in vitro has been studied. The surfactant is shown to stimulate protein synthesis in the cells. This phenomenon is probably stipulated by the increase of the transcription activity and formation of 45-pre rRNA, life of RNA. The surfactant is supposed to regulate the function of lung macrophages in norm and under pathology.

[Surfactant-inducted suppressive action on fibroblasts of pulmonary macrophages from rats with fibrosis after intratracheal administration of bleomycin]. / Indutsirovannoe surfaktantom supressornoe deostvie makrofagov legkikh krys, porazhennykh fibrozom posle intratrakheal'nogo vvedeniia bleomitsina, na fibroblasty.

Influence of lung macrophages and their contact with a surfactant on the fibroblast proliferative capacity was studied. It was found that fibroblasts added to the medium after culturing macrophages isolated from the rat lungs 3 weeks after intratracheal bleomycin administration led to a lower incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the fibroblast fraction precipitated with trichloroacetic acid. This phenomenon partially depended on prostaglandin synthesis in both types of cells. Preliminary macrophage incubation with the lung surfactant during 8 hours potentiated the inhibitory effect greatly. The use of indomethacin eliminated the surfactant-induced effects of macrophages on the fibroblasts. The surfactant isolated from the lung at the peak of bleomycin-induced fibroblast formation had a more pronounced suppressive action than that obtained from the control animals. Discussion of the results leads to the concept of the protective role of the lung surfactant in the formation of interstitial pneumofibrosis, which is aimed at lowering the proliferative capacity of fibroblasts and the hyperproduction of collagen.

[Activity of membrane-bound enzymes, indices of metabolism in the cytoplasm and various physico-chemical properties of erythrocytes with increased cholesterol level]. / Aktivnost' membranno-sviazannykh fermentov, pokazateli metabolizma v tsitoplazme i nekotorye fiziko-khimicheskie svoistva éritrotsitov s povyshennym soderzhaniem kholesterina.

Activity of membrane-bound enzymes, passive penetration of ions in dose-dependent loading with cholesterol, effect of cholesterol high concentrations on the metabolic patterns in cytosol, viscosity of cell suspension were studied in erythrocytes. Passive cotransport of H+ and Cl- ions via erythrocyte membrane was increased with augmentation in viscosity of the cell suspension. After loading with cholesterol activity of acetylcholinesterase was increased while ATPase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activities were decreased. The alteration in the enzymatic activity occurred on those sides of the membranes, where these enzymes were localized. Activity of lactate dehydrogenase was decreased in cytoplasm of erythrocytes. The alterations detected may be important in development of ischemic syndrome in hyperlipoproteinemia.

[Changes in ATPase activity and nonesterified fatty acid concentration in heart and liver mitochondria in experimental mitral valve insufficiency]. / Izmenenie aktivnosti ATF-azy i soderzhanie neésterifitsirovannykh zhirnykh kislot v mitokhondriiakh serdtsa i pecheni pri éksperimental'noi nedostatochnosti mitral'nogo klapana.

Total content of unesterified fatty acids and activity of ATPases/latent, stimulated by Mg2+, 2,4-DNP, Mg2+ and 2,4-DNP/were studied in heart and liver mitochondria of rabbits with decompensated mitral valvular disease. The activities of Mg2+, DNP-, Mg2+ and DNP-stimulated ATPases were decreased in heart mitochondria. At the same time, content of unesterified fatty acids was increased. Content of the fatty acids was decreased in liver mitochondria and activity of ATPase was unaltered. Possible mechanisms of the alterations observed are discussed.