[Computerized analysis of inverted repeats in Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome]. / Komp'iuternyi analiz invertirovannykh povtorov v genome bakterii tuberkuleza.

Thermodynamic stable inverted repeats, capable of stabilizing nuclease-influenced mRNA, have been determined for M. tuberculosis slowly growing isolates H37Rv and CDC1551 with the completely sequenced genome. The genome of laboratory strain H37Rv may contain 50 pin structures formed by inverted repeats, whose stem varies in length from 11 to 28 nucleotide pairs (n.p.), the loop size being equal to 4-5 nucleotides and free energy deltaG=-15.2 to -56.2 kcal/mol. The genome of strain CDC1551 (clinical isolate) having a high level of virulence contains 47 pins. Each of the two isolates contains 8 long inverted repeats with a length of 48-62 nucleotides and free energy deltaG=-38.9 to -56.2 kcal/mol; of these, 6 pins are completely similar. At the same time in the genome of strain CDC1551, in contrast to that of strain H37Rv, a highly stable pin 58 nucleotides long is localized at 5'-end. The localization of the highly stable pin with deltaG=-53.9 kcal/mol in the area of 5'-end of isolate CDC1551 may lead to a different degree of stabilization of RNA-transcripts in M. tuberculosis CDC1551 in comparison with isolate H37Rv. This may, in its turn, serve as one of the reasons of differences in the virulence of strains. The possibility of the formation of pins with stems of 11 n.p. and longer has been visually cofirmed with the use of atomic power microscopy. The possibility of the participation of the secondary structures formed by pins in the protection of mRNA of slowly growing pathogenic M. tuberculosis from the degrading activity of RNases is discussed.

[The role of immunological mechanisms in the development of the late sequelae of nuclear disasters]. / O roli immunologicheskikh mekhanizmov v razvitii otdalennykh posledstvii iadernykh katastrof.

Effects, both specific and non-specific, were analysed of ionizing radiation in a comparative evaluation of medical sequels of the Chernobyl disaster and of the Semipalatinsk Range nuclear test. A hypothesis is advanced assuming that development of all major bodily morbid conditions is directly related to the dysfunction of certain complex of organs, the thyroid gland in the first place, the thymus gland known to be a central organ of systemic immunogenesis. A breach in the thymus link triggers harmful cascade reactions of neuroimmunoendocrinological regulation, appeared to be responsible for the pathogenesis of practically all pathologies disclosed.

[The possible role of immunogenetic factors in the pathogenesis of HIV infection]. / O vozmozhnoi roli nekotorykh immunogeneticheskikh faktorov v patogeneze VICh-infektsii.

In this review the data on the presence of associations between immunogenetic markers and the development of HIV infection are presented. Special attention is given to spatial relationships of genetic determinants, responsible for the synthesis of the components of the complement system on one hand and the genes controlling resistance to the causative agents of opportunistic infections and malignant growth on the other hand. Suggestion is made on close relationship between the specific features of the course of HIV infection and the genetic control, responsible for the synthesis of complement components, in particular the genes making up the HLA system.

[The use of the fluorescent probe method for the diagnosis of acute coronavirus intestinal infections in people]. / Primenenie metoda fluorestsentnykh zondov dlia diagnostiki koronavirusnykh ostrykh kishechnykh infektsii u liudei.

The scientific investigations conducted first allow using a method of fluorescent probes for the diagnosis of human coronaviral intestinal infection. The method is characterised by sensitivity, specificity, reproductivity and proximity. It is comparable, according to these parameters, with the methods of the third generation and may be recommended for putting into practical work of virological laboratories.

[The clinical picture of internal diseases in the light of immunology]. / Klinika vnutrennikh boleznei v svete immunologii.

Clinical profiles of internal diseases are examined from the immunological standpoint together with the causes for creation by immunology of its own clinical base. It is shown that the approach common in immunology, based on the fundamental notions of the immunity system offers superior efficacy and should be recommended in dealing with internal diseases in a clinical setting.

[The characteristics of the biological properties of Listeria strains isolated in Ukraine and Belgium]. / Kharakteristika biologicheskikh svoistv shtammov listerii, izolirovannykh v Ukraine i Bel'gii.

Biological characteristics of 21 strains of bacteria of Listeria genus have been studied in Ukraine and Belgium. Morphological, cultural biochemical properties of cultures have been described. It has been proved that 85.7% produced bacteriocins. Antigenic titration of Listeria has been conducted and sensitivity to Listeria bacteriophage 2 LA and 4 LA has been estimated.

[The antimicrobial activity of a new wound-healing compound ointment]. / Antimikrobnaia aktivnost' novoi kompozitsii ranozazhivliaiushchei mazi.

Drug composition containing polyethyleneoxide PEO-400 and PEO-1500 (8:2), antimicrobe agent-chloramphenical as well as new antiinflammatory mean of plant origin EOL in concentration of 5% has been created. Introduction of EOL to the composition of the drug under elaboration permitted decreasing chloramphenicol concentration 2-4 times as compared to concentrations used in contemporary ointments. This has lowered toxic and allergenic properties of the drug suggested for healing the infected wounds.

[Optimizing conditions of cell culture use for virus indications by means of fluorescent probes]. / Optimizatsiia uslovii ispol'zovaniia kletochnykh kul'tur dlia indikatsii virusov s pomoshch'iu metoda fliuorestsentnykh zondov.

Cell cultures in a suspension on medium 199 with 1 x 10(6) cells per ml are recommended for virus indication by means of fluorescent probe method. When stored at 4 degrees C, the cells are fit for work for 5 days. The proposed conditions for the use of cell cultures are necessary for effective introduction of the fluorescent probe method in practical virological laboratories.

[Microbiological studies of stomatological periodontal films containing a derivative of chlorocinnamic aldehyde]. / Mikrobiologicheskie issledovaniia stomatologicheskikh parodontal'nykh plenok, soderzhashchikh proizvodnoe khlorkorichnogo al'degida.

Stomatological parodontal films removing the effect of negative factors on the parodontal have been studied. Antibacterial effect of the derivative of chlorocinnamic aldehyde, composition ingredients and their different combinations as well as the films as a whole have been studied when creating stomatological parodontal films.

[A model of the structure of the receptor apparatus of HIV target cells (1)]. / Model' struktury retseptornogo apparata kletok-mishenei VICh (soobshchenie 1).

A model is proposed and well based of structure of the receptor apparatus of interacting HIV target cells: Langerhans cells (LC) and helper cells (HC)--designed to explain feasibility of realizing a double activation signal, together with some features of immune pathogenesis of HIV-infection (morphofunctional abnormalities in certain subpopulations of the immune system such as HC, suppressor cells, killer cells, natural killers, lymph cells, macrophages, LC), as well as immunogenetic predisposition to AIDS.

[The structure and immunobiological properties of coronavirus proteins]. / Struktura i immunobiologicheskie svoistva belkov koronavirusov.

The survey includes data concerning structural proteins of coronaviruses obtained for the last ten years. It elucidates such problems as the proteins organization in the virion, heterogeneity of their composition, structure and biological properties, antigenic and immunobiological properties, prospects of creation of specific immunogenic anticoronavirus, prophylactic and diagnostic preparations.

[The effect of dexamethoxin on the integrity of cytoplasmic membrane in gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms]. / Vliianie dekametoksina na tselostnost' tsitoplazmaticheskoi membrany grampolozhitel'nykh i gramotritsatel'nykh mikroorganizmov.

Decamethoxin is shown to be able to increase membrane permeability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Micrococcus lysodeikticus, that is confirmed by a loss of compounds with the absorption maximum at 260 nm by cells. Parallel with this the number of viable individuals has fallen and activity of dehydrogenases has been inhibited. The aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activity was not inhibited by decamethoxin and even increased. Decamethoxin lysed the protoplasts of the tested microorganisms. At high decamethoxin concentrations (over 500 micrograms/ml for P. aeruginosa and over 200 mu/ml--for E. coli) the outflow of components from the cells of gram-negative bacteria ceased, that may be associated with the coagulation changes in the cytoplasm. A loss of the low-molecular components by M. lysodeikticus cells and lysis of protoplasts proceeded less intensely than the same processes in the gram-negative microorganisms, that is explained by a less resistance of M. lysodeikticus to decamethoxin and earlier coagulation of the cytoplasm preventing lysis.

[Identification of bis-quaternary ammonium compounds using mild ionization mass spectrometry]. / Identifikatsiia bis-chetvertichnykh ammonievykh soedinenii s pomoshch'iu miagkoionizatsionnoi mass-spektrometrii.

Ethonium, an antimicrobial chemotherapeutic agent, was investigated by mass spectrometry (MS) under various ionization conditions: electron impact, field ionization, field desorption (FD) and fast atom ionization. FDMS was found to be the most suitable procedure for ethonium identification. Relation of the ED mass spectra to the distance between the nitrogen atoms in bis-quaternary ammonium compounds is discussed. It was shown that the most intensive ions with m/z 499, 315 in the FD mass spectra corresponded to the ethonium specific fragmentation and their occurrence in the spectra could serve as a sufficient criterion useful in qualitative and quantitative assay of the drug in the sample.

[The study of complex-formation of DNA with the antimicrobial drug decamethoxine]. / Izuchenie kompleksoobrazovaniia DNK s antimikrobnym preparatom dekametoksinom.

The interaction of effective antibacterial drug decametoxyn with natural DNA was studied by UV-spectroscopy. Decametoxyn shows a specificity to nucleotides: it decreases the cooperativity of melting and the thermal stability of DNA parts enriched by AT pairs. The characteristics of the helix-coil transition on the DNA parts enriched by GC-pairs are invariable. Interaction with AT-pairs results in their partial or complete melting at room temperature, followed by intermolecule aggregation. Interacting with phosphates decametoxyn manifests itself not as a dication but as two single-charged ions.

[Mass-spectrometric analysis of an anti-microbial preparation decamethoxine]. / Mass-spectrometricheskoe issledovanie antimikrobnogo preparata dekametoksina.

I. I. Mechnikov Kharkov Research Institute of Microbiology, Vaccines and Sera, Ministry of Public Health of the Ukrainian SSR. The results of mass spectrometric investigation of decamethoxine++, an antimicrobial chemotherapeutic drug, are presented. It was shown that desorption-field mass spectrometry provided recording decamethoxine++ intensive quasimolecular ions [M.Cl]+ and [M]++ forming under conditions of high electric intensity only from the intact parent molecule. Hence, the presence of the peaks in the desorption field mass spectra made it possible to definitively determine decamethoxine++ in the samples. Therefore, the procedure of desorption-field mass spectrometry proved reliable in identification of bisquaternary ammonium compounds. Ways for thermal decomposition and mass spectrometric fragmentation of the decamethoxine++ molecule under various ionization conditions are also discussed.

[Antimicrobial activity of chlorine-substituted 4-alkyl- and arylphenols]. / Antimikrobnaia aktivnost' nekotorykh khlorzameshchennykh 4-alkil- i arilfenolov.

The results of the study on the antimicrobial activity of 12 chlorine-substituted 4-alkyl- and arylphenols against Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, E. coli, Salmonella typhosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dysenteriae, Proteus, Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis, Candida, Trichophyton gypseum and Microsporum lanosum are presented. It was found that introduction of the alkyl substitute to position 4 of orthochlorphenol increased the activity of the substances against the majority of test microbes. The antimicrobial effect of the substances depended on the length and structure of the alkyl radical. With an increase in the number of the carbon atoms in the alkyl radical from 3 to 7 and in the presence of the cyclic radical C5 - C6 the antimicrobial activity of the substances increased.