[Formation of probioticotherapy in Russia].

Probioticotherapy and probioticoprophylaxis have been applied widely in Russia and the world of late. The article presents the main medical, strain-related, and biotechnological stages of their development in this country, in comparison with the results of the world practice. The authors substantiate appropriateness of creation of probiotics and which would contain either only growth medium components, able to activate normoflora (to increase colonization ability and stimulate production of biologically active substances) upon entering the organism, or only probiotic strain components and/or biologically active substances produced by biologically active strains in mono- or associative cultivation, or combination of the listed components.

[Immunomodulating action of eubiotics]. / Immunomoduliruiushchee deistvie preparatov-éubiotikov.

The study was undertaken to study the immunomodulating action of 3 bacterial agents: bifidumbacterin, acylact, and biosporine used in various abnormalities accompanied by intestinal dysbacteriosis. Surveys were made of children permanently residing in the radionuclide-contaminated areas of the Bryansk Region, those from northern areas of the Russian Federation, those who suffered from atopic dermatitis; adult patients with severe systemic disease (chronic postinfection polyarthritis); chronic adult patients with spinal injury due to compression fractures of the spinal cord. The immunological parameters in all the above patient groups were shown to differ in the lower absolute or relative counts of most lymphocytic populations. The addition of bacterial drugs into their therapy promoted normalization of the intestinal microflora and led to improvement or complete normalization of immunological parameters. With this, bifidumbacterin and acylact were demonstrated to be potent, but mild immunomodulators as they significantly improved or normalized the status of the baseline suppressed immune system and virtually failed to affect normal immunological parameters. The earlier data obtained with biosporine provide evidence for that this bacterial agent has immunomodulating activity; however, it is necessary to comprehensively study its effects on the immune system in health and in disorders typical of various abnormalities.

[The persistence of Shigella sonnei in epithelial tissue in Serény's model]. / Persistentsiia Shigella sonnei v epitelial'noi tkani na modeli Shereni.

The duration of persistence of S. sonnei in the tissues of a guinea pig eye (Serény's model) has been studied. Bacteriological and histological investigations made with the use of fluorescent antibody techniques have revealed that S. sonnei can be preserved in macrophages (histiocytes) and intercellular space of the eye epithelium for a long time (up to 277 days). The injection of ACTH or Shigella vaccine into the animals may provoke the exacerbation of the infectious process and the release of the infective agent.

[Aeromonads and their sensitivity to antibacterial drugs (review of the foreign literature 1985-1992)]. / Aéromonady i ikh chuvstvitel'nost' k antibakterial'nym preparatam (obzor zarubezhnoi literatury za 1985-1992 gg.).

The review is concerned with the modern studies on the taxonomy of aeromonades and their role in the development of infectious complications of various localization, including intestinal infections. A special attention is paid to antibiotic resistance of aeromonades isolated from pathological materials and the modern notions of the factors of aeromonade pathogenicity.

[Sensitivity of the pathogen of Campylobacter infection to various antibiotics]. / Chuvstvitel'nost' vozbuditelei kampilobakterioza k nekotorym antibiotikam.

Antibiotic sensitivity of 21 Campylobacter strains isolated from humans, monkeys and birds with diarrhea was assayed and the findings are presented. It was shown that all the isolates were highly sensitive to ofloxacin, pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, josamycin, pipemidinic acid and amoxyclav (a combination of amoxycillin and clavulanic acid). The predominating majority of the strains were resistant to rifampicin, amoxycillin and phosphomycin. The majority of the cultures were sensitive to erythromycin and roxithromycin while some of the isolates were resistant to them which could be used as an additional biological characteristic of Campylobacter cultures and considered in choosing agents for antibiotic therapy.