Significance of determination of medium weight molecules in urine in normal pregnancy, in complicated pregnancy and in newborns with hypoxia

Women with normal gestation and with gestosis and diabetes and newborns exposed to chronic intrauterine hypoxia were examined in order to elucidate the diagnostic value of measuring the content of low- and medium-weight molecules (MWM) in the urine in some obstetrical and gynecological abnormalities. Urinary content of MWM was increased at late terms of pregnancy (25-40 weeks). In first-degree nephropathy and type I diabetes without vascular complications the content of MWM in the urine did not change. A drop of MWM level was observed in second-third-degree nephropathy and proteinuria, which can be attributed to impaired function of the kidneys. In healthy newborns no differences in MWM content were detected during the first day of life, but in newborns exposed to chronic intrauterine hypoxia MWM level was increased. Hence, measurement of MWM level in the urine can have prognostic significance in diseases involving gestosis and fetal hypoxia.     

Effect of aflatoxin B1 on DNA enzymatic methylation and secondary structures of the rat liver

Methylation and secondary structure of DNA in rat liver versus time of aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) treatment were studied. A 50% drop in 5-methylcytosine level in liver DNA as compared with control was observed long before tumor development. Also, certain changes in DNA secondary structure were seen. The DNA changes were more pronounced in the F1 progeny of rats inoculated with AfB1 at the terminal stage of gestation.     

Results of the aortic valve prosthesis with a follow-up period of over 3 years]

The results of the aortic valve prosthetics in 71 patients discharged from the A.N. Bakulev institute of Cardio-Vascular Surgery of the AMS of the USSR as far back as three and more years ago are analyzed. All these patients had been given implanted a Soviet-made ball-type prosthesis, model AK4-02. In 5 patients some additional operative interventions were performed. No indirect action anticoagulants were used. Nine patients (12.7 per cent) died late after the operation. Good, persistent results were achieved in 48 cases (67.6 per cent) with follow-up period ranging from 3 to 9 years. Major causes responsible for a reduced effect of surgery were thromboembolic complications, paravalvular fistulas and also uncorrected or inadequately corrected concomitant failures of other valves. Ways of increasing the effective prosthetics of the aortic valve with the ball-type prosthesis are discussed.     

Effectiveness of long-term treatment of patients with hypertension

Dispensary care was provided to 122 patients with essential hypertension. During a 3-year follow-up period BP decrease in regularly treated patients (44) was accompanied by the restoration of hemodynamic cardiac function and regression of myocardial hypertrophy and ischemia. BP stabilization, transformation of the blood circulation of hemodynamic type, an increased degree of myocardial hypertrophy and ischemia were noted in irregularly treated patients.     

Reception of progesterone and its biological action in the uterus of neonatally androgenized rats

The relationship of the level of uterine progesterone receptors and plasma concentration of female sex steroids with the biological effect of progesterone (its effect on collagen content and the number of uterine endometrial glands) was studied in neonatally androgenized female rats aged 90-120 days. In these animals the level of progesterone receptors in the uterine cytosol fraction was raised, in the nuclear fraction it was lowered. Plasma concentration values of estradiol and progesterone in such animals did not differ from those of intact female rats. The ability of estradiol to induce the synthesis of uterine progesterone receptors was less noticeable in androgen sterile animals. The sensitivity of the uterus to progesterone in such animals was lowered either. Progesterone doses causing a significant decrease in the concentration of progesterone receptors in cytosol and in uterine tissue collagen content, proved to be ineffective for androgen sterile female rats. Disturbance of progesterone reception and a related decrease in the sensitivity of the uterus of androgen sterile animals to this hormone can be probably determined by an irreversible androgen effect on the target cell genome in the early neonatal period, not depending on the peculiarities of hormonal regulation in adult rats.     

Responses to the spindles of "fast" and "slow" muscles to mechanical stimulation in the presence of hypokinesia]

The activity of muscle spindles was investigated in fast (extensor digitorum longus) and "slow" (soleus) muscles of the cat hind limb 2-5 weeks after immobilization. The spontaneous activity of spindles in both muscles remained unchanged. The background activity, the frequency of dynamic and static phases of stretching in primary as well as in secondary endings was much higher in immobilized muscle than in control. This increase in spindle activity was more pronounced in the "slow" muscle.