[The epizootology and epidemiology of echinococcosis and paecilomycosis].

Fungi of the genus Paecilomyces, a causative agent of the fungal disease paecilomycosis, have been found in the blood of productive animals (sheep, cattle, pigs, goats) that are carriers of Echinococcus larvocysts. In the Republic of Uzbekistan, the echinococcosis affection of sheep, cattle, pigs, and goats continues to remain high. Domestic fowls (chickens, turkeys, and gooses) have been established to be blood carriers of Paecilomyces fungi, which is also true for wild birds, such as my-lady's-belts, quails, chukars, and crows. The degree of fungal affection has been also established for birds.

[Study of the pathogenesis of paecilomycosis-complicated echinococcosis].

Experiments were carried out on 35 lambs infected with echinococcus eggs taken from canine donors, 5 lambs with echinococcosis, 5 lambs with echinococcosis + paecilomycosis, 5 lambs with coenurosis, 5 with cysticercosis ovis, 5 with alveococcosis, 5 with paecilomycosis, inoculated by the material taken from patients; and 5 healthy lambs formed a control group. Cystic hydatidosis was found to induce substantial cardiovascular changes.

[Procedure for Latrodectus reproduction in the laboratory setting and the preparation of the first Russian matrix from its venom to manufacture homeopathic remedies with antiparasitic activity].

The investigation was undertaken to study the biology and ecology of Latrodectus, the possibilities of its importation to Russia from other countries, to breed Latrodectus in the laboratory setting, and to design the first homeopathic matrix of Latrodectus to manufacture homeopathic remedies. The authors were the first to devise a method for Latrodectus breeding in the laboratory setting of Moscow and its vicinities. The Latrodectus bred in the laboratory is suitable to manufacture drugs and in captivity they do not lose its biological activity. The authors were the first to prepare a homeopathic Latrodectus matrix for homeopathic medicines, by using the new Russian extragent petroleum. Chromatography mass spectrometry was used to identify more than a hundred chemical compounds in the Russian petroleum. The biological activity of the petroleum Latrodectus matrix for the manufacture of homeopathic remedies was highly competitive with that of the traditional Latrodectus venom matrix made using ethyl alcohol. The homeopathic Latrodectus matrix made using glycerol lost its biological activity because of glycerol. The biological activity of homeopathic matrixes made from Latrodectus inhabiting the USA, Uzbekistan, and the south of Russia and from that bred in the laboratory was studied. The homeopathic matrix made from the Latrodectus living in the Samarkand Region, Republic of Uzbekistan, has the highest biological activity.

[The agent Latrodectus and canine paecilomycotic eclampsia as a laboratory model in the survey of treatment for mycoses and parasitic diseases].

The extragent used to prepare a Latrodectus mactans hydrocarbon extract is a multicomponent system composed of alkanes, alkenes, and arenes. More than 100 compounds were identified in the hydrocarbon extract (petroleum). The petroleum matrix of Latrodectus mactans was first obtained to manufacture homeopathic remedies. The authors could prepare the first Russian homeopathic medicine from Latrodectus mactans, which proved to be effective in treating canine eclampsia. Canine experiments provide a rationale for the authors' choice as the only homeopathic remedy among thousand known drugs to treat female eclampsia. It is Latrodectus mactans that is in the list of homeopathic medicines permitted for use in accordance with Order No. 335 (Supplement 2) of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Russia, issued on November 29, 1995. It is manufactured from Latrodectus mactans living in the USA.

[Development of a new hydrocarbon extract from the medicinal raw material of Circassian walnut (Juglans regia) and study of its antiparasitic activity].

The authors developed a technology for preparing a hydrocarbon extract from the medicinal raw material of Circassian walnut (Juglans regia), including its green fruits, green leaves, and fresh roots. To prepare the preparation, they obtained for the first time a new extragent called petroleum Russia that was found to contain more than hundred chemical compounds by chromatography mass spectrometry. The new agent was named irillen. Experiments on albino mice and albino rats established that the new agent was low toxic. The lethal doses of irillen were calculated: LD50 was 16377 +/- 457.5 mg/kg; LD16 = 12986.4 mg/kg; LD84 was 18976.6 mg/kg for albino mice; LD50 was 16998.0 +/- 535.4 mg/kg; LD16 = 12875.3 mg/ kg; LD84 = 18583.4 mg/kg for albino rats. The irillen prepared by the authors should be referred to as a low toxic and practically nontoxic agent (Toxicity Class IV and V). Irillen has a broad spectrum of antiparasitic activity. It is effective in treating toxocariasis in dogs, larval alveolar echinococcosis, ascaridiasis, and eimeriasis in chickens, and siphachiasis.

[Immunorehabilitation in patients with paecilomycosis-complicated echinococcosis and asthma].

Paecilomycosis is a new type of systemic mycosis caused by different species of fungi of the genus Paecilomyces. Paecilomycosis-complicated echinococcosis and asthma run a severe course. A complication of mycosis is accompanied by secondary immunodeficiency. A good result was obtained in the treatment of ill children by using the fungicide diflucan and the immunomodulator polyoxidonium. In the examinees with paecilomycosis-complicated echinococcosis, secondary immunodeficiency was characterized by a statistical significant reduction in the blood levels of the lymphoid cells CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD21+, by phagocytosis, a decrease in its quantitative parameters, and an increase in the counts of immunoglobulins and circulating immunocomplexes. To normalize the immune status in patients with paecilomycosis-complicated echinococcosis, it is expedient to postsurgicallyuse fungicides, such as nizoral, diflucan, orungal, mycosyst, and the immunomodulators polyoxidonium and irillen.

[Amino acid exchange in paeci lomycosis-complicated echinococcosis].

The authors have detected atypical paecilomycosis-associated myocarditis with impaired amino acid exchange and pain syndrome for the first time. At first, pain occurs in the chest and radiates into the axilla, to the left arm to the finger tips, by paralyzing the arm. In some patients, pain manifests itself in both arms with radiation to the belly, by accompanying by fainting. The skin is wet, cold; the pulse is frequent and of poor volume and difficult-to-count. Heart pain spreads into the armpit and down the arm, by making the fingers numb. Attempts to use current analgesics (movalis, sirdalud, nimesil, morphine) in combination with fungicides (diflucan, mycosist, orungal) have failed to yield positive results. The homeopathic drug Latrodectus mactans, prepared from caracurt venom, in combination with the authors' designed diet and other homeopathic agents have relieved pain syndrome and normalized amino acid exchange, which offered possibilities for successful surgical treatment for echinococcosis with later recovery.

Covalent binding antibodies suppress advanced glycation: on the innate tier of adaptive immunity.

Non-enzymatic protein glycation is a source of metabolic stress that contributes to cytotoxicity and tissue damage. Hyperglycemia has been linked to elevation of advanced glycation endproducts, which mediate much of the vascular pathology leading to diabetic complications. Enhanced glycation of immunoglobulins and their accelerated vascular clearance is proposed as a natural mechanism to intercept alternative advanced glycation endproducts, thereby mitigating microvascular disease. We reported that antibodies against the glycoprotein KLH have elevated reactivity for glycopeptides from diabetic serum. These reactions are mediated by covalent binding between antibody light chains and carbonyl groups of glycated peptides. Diabetic animals that were immunized to induce reactive antibodies had attenuated diabetic nephropathy, which correlated with reduced levels of circulating and kidney-bound glycation products. Molecular analysis of antibody glycation revealed the preferential modification of light chains bearing germline-encoded lambda V regions. We previously noted that antibody fragments carrying V regions in the germline configuration are selected from a human Fv library by covalent binding to a reactive organophosphorus ester. These Fv fragments were specifically modified at light chain V region residues, which map to the combining site at the interface between light and heavy chains. These findings suggest that covalent binding is an innate property of antibodies, which may be encoded in the genome for specific physiological purposes. This hypothesis is discussed in context with current knowledge of the natural antibodies that recognize altered self molecules and the catalytic autoantibodies found in autoimmune disease.

Long-term antioxidant supplementation attenuates oxidative stress markers and cognitive deficits in senescent-accelerated OXYS rats.

Oxidative damage of biomolecules increases with age and is postulated to be a major causal factor of various neurodegenerative disorders. Consequently, the concept of neuroprotection by antioxidants has been developed. Recently we have shown that the behaviour of young senescent-accelerated OXYS rats is similar to the behaviour of old Wistar animals. To determine the role of oxidative stress in this phenomenon we investigated age-related changes in protein carbonyls (PrC), lipid peroxides (LP), reduced glutathione (GSH), alpha-tocopherol (TP) and SOD activity in the brain of OXYS and Wistar rats. We also studied the effect of long-term supplementation with bilberry extract (2g/kg of diet) and Vitamin E (140 mg/kg of diet) on oxidative stress markers and on learning in passive avoidance test. In both rat strains LP, PrC and TP increased with age and at 24 months PrC was significantly higher (p<0.0001) in OXYS rats. At 3 months GSH was higher and SOD activity was lower in OXYS rats than in Wistar rats. SOD activity decreased with age in OXYS whereas increased in Wistar rats. Cognitive impairments in OXYS rats were manifested earlier than significant differences in the level of brain oxidative stress markers between two strains. By contrast, differences in antioxidant systems of Wistar and OXYS rats were registered at 3 months. Antioxidants attenuated cognitive deficits in OXYS rats, providing evidence for therapeutic role of antioxidants. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms of neuroprotective effects of antioxidants in vivo and the real impact of oxidative stress on the development of cognitive impairments in OXYS rats still needs to be further investigated.

Increased stress reactivity as a possible factor of early degenerative changes in OXYS rats.

After stress (immobilization in cages) plasma corticosterone level in prematurely aging OXYS rats was higher, while the content of NO metabolites was much lower than in Wistar rats. Stress increased blood pressure in OXYS and Wistar rats, the maximum values were observed in control and stressed OXYS rats. The concentration of reduced glutathione in the brain of OXYS rats was lower than in Wistar rats. After immobilization the concentration of reduced glutathione decreased in animals of both strains. The concentration of oxidized protein increased by 1.5 times only in OXYS rats. SOD activity remained unchanged, but in OXYS rats this parameter was higher than in Wistar rats. It can be hypothesized that high blood pressure, low NO content, high corticosterone concentration, and stress-induced deficiency of the antioxidant system (or combined effects of these factors) contribute to the development of neurodegenerative changes in the brain of OXYS rats.

Comparative analysis of LPO products in brain structures of Wistar and OXYS rats of different age.

We analyzed the content of LPO products in various brain areas of Wistar and OXYS rats characterized by early appearance of changes in the emotional and cognitive spheres typical of aging. Marked differences between brain regions were found in both strains, but were more pronounced in Wistar rats. The content of LPO products in OXYS rats was higher in the midbrain, hippocampus, nuclei accumbens and striatum at the age of 2 months and in the midbrain, hippocampus, and nuclei accumbens at the age of 18 months. At the age of 18 months the content of LPO products was higher than at the age of 2 months in the amygdala and nuclei abbumbens of Wistar rats and in the nuclei accumbens and midbrain of OXYS rats, while in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of both rat strains and in the striatum of OXYS rats the content of LPO products at the age of 18 months was lower than at the age of 2 months. These results indicate that deviations in cognitive and emotional spheres of OXYS rats develop against the background of LPO activation in brain structures critical for training and memory, which indicates their relationship with oxidative stress.

[Separation of a mixture of L-isoleucine and L-leucine]. / Razdelenie smesi L-izoleitsina i L-leitsina.

The conditions of L-leucine and L-isoleucine esterification were investigated. It was found that chromatographically homogeneous L-isoleucine and L-leucine could be isolated from their mixture during its incomplete esterification. As a result, L-leucine transformed into L-leucine and ester chlorohydrate L-isoleucine into L-isoleucine chlorohydrate. By means of further neutralization of the reaction mixture L-isoleucine with a 80-85% yield was obtained, and with the aid of L-leucine ester hydrolysis L-leucine with a 80-85% yield was produced. The content of the major amino acid following its crystallization from the water-ethanol mixture was 99%.