[Use of thin-layer chromatography for detection of 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the urine].

A simple method of thin-layer chromatography for detection of 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in biological material (urine) can be used in chemicotoxicological laboratories and chemical departments of forensic-medical expert examination without special facilities.

Activity of adenosine deaminase in the sleep regulatory areas of the rat CNS.

There are data to support the notion that adenosine (ADO), a neuromodulator in the CNS, is an important regulator of sleep homeostasis. It has been demonstrated that ADO agonists and antagonists strongly impact upon sleep. In addition, the level of adenosine varies across the sleep/wake cycle and increases following sleep deprivation. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is a key enzyme involved in the metabolism of ADO. We questioned, therefore, whether there are differences in adenosine deaminase activity in brain regions relevant to sleep regulation. We found that ADA exhibits a characteristic spatial pattern of activity in the rat CNS with the lowest activity in the parietal cortex and highest in the region of the tuberomammillary nucleus (15.0+/-4.8 and 63.4+/-28.0 nmoles/mg protein/15 min, mean+/-S.D., respectively). There were significant differences among the brain regions by one-way ANOVA (F=31.33, df=6, 123, P=0.0001). The regional differences in ADA activity correlate with variations in the level of its mRNA. This suggests that spatial differences in ADA activity are the result of changes in the expression of the ADA gene. We postulate that adenosine deaminase plays an important role in the mechanism that controls regional concentration of adenosine in the brain and thus, it is a part of the sleep-wake regulatory mechanism.

[Incidence, etiology and diagnostic errors of pneumonia in general hospitals]. / Chastota vstrechaemosti, étiologiia i oshibki v diagnostike pnevmonii v statsionarakh obshchego profilia.

327 and 736 protocols of postmortem examinations from Moscow hospitals N 31 and 57, respectively, were evaluated statistically. The quality of clinical diagnosis of pneumonia was examined. Pneumonia caused death in 26.3 and 21.1% of cases in Moscow hospitals 31 and 57, respectively. Besides subjective reasons which were the main cause of diagnostic mistakes, there were such factors as poor condition of patients, atypical pneumonia course, alcoholism.

[Functional morphology of the placental bed of the uterus]. / Funktsional'naia morfologiia platsentarnogo lozha matki.

The review deals with the literature and authors' data on the structure and function of main components of the uterus placenta bed under normal course of pregnancy. The attention is focused on the most important process, namely, the invasion of non-villous or interstitial cytotrophoblast into the walls of spiral arteries of the endo- and myometrium, their gestational restructuration which ensures sequential increase of the uterus-placenta circulation and, consequently, optimal foetal development. This information is necessary for the understanding of the pathological processes in the zone of uterus-placenta contact.