[Experimental research on the efficacy of terrilytin in silicosis].

Experimental silicosis was induced by quartz-containing dust administered intratracheally to Wistar male rats. Proteoclastic enzymes terrilytine was found to arrest pulmonary fibrosis, which was proved by inhibited development of silicotic granulomas and their lowered fibrosis. Terrilytine was most effective when inhaled in a dose of 0.

[The role of fibronectin in the development of fibrosis].

The structure, location, and function of fibronectin are reviewed on the basis of the data available in the literature. The contribution of fibronectin to the pathogenesis of granulomatous diseases, including pneumoconioses is shown in the paper. Formation of pulmonary fibrosis++ in pneumoconioses and its involvement of fibronectin are outlined in detail.

[Status of the protease inhibitor system in patients with dust-induced lung diseases].

Investigation of protease inhibitors in the blood of silicosis and dust bronchitis patients revealed disbalance in the silicosis cases which manifested itself in growing elastase activity against normal protease inhibitors content--alpha 1 antitrypsin and alpha 2 macroglobuline. Meanwhile the silicosis cases, as compared with bronchitis, displayed greater biochemical changes, thus indicating inflammatory destructive processes in the lungs.

[Histamine-related reactions in patients with byssinosis].

The purpose of the study was to analyze the mechanism of histamine action in histamine-dependent reactions of neutrophils and lymphocytes in patients with byssinosis and chronic asthmatic bronchitis under cotton and flax dust effect. The appraisal of histamine content in blood serum, receptor/histamine distribution of lymphocyte and neutrophil subpopulations (rosette-forming double and triple reactions), determination of histamine modeling effect on lymphocyte-neutrophil cooperation in the inhibition reaction of leukocyte migration revealed that under cotton dust effect neutrophils and the complement system were involved into the histamine liberation process in byssinosis patients, lymphocytes were most likely not involved into the process. Flax dust-affected histamine reactions were not so distinct: lymphocyte and neutrophil reactivity in byssinosis patients did not exceed the standards.