Bone turnover biomarkers, disease activity, and MRI changes of sacroiliac joints in patients with spondyloarthritis.

The lack of valid biomarkers in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) requires searching for additional options to increase sacroiliac joint (SIJ) evaluation effectiveness. We assessed the serum levels of bone turnover markers and their relationships with active and chronic changes in SIJs using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), indices, and laboratory parameters of disease activity in SpA patients. 102 patients with SpA and 15 healthy subjects were included.

[The effect of medicinal herbs on lymphocyte rosette-forming function].

The blood samples from ENT patients with immunodeficiency were used in an in vitro trial of some herbs effect on T-lymphocyte rosette formation. Out of 10% infusions made of Hypericum L., Matricaria chamomilla L.

[The inhibiting effect of phytoadaptogenic preparations from bioginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus and Rhaponticum carthamoides on the development of nervous system tumors in rats induced by N-nitrosoethylurea].

The study was concerned with the inhibitory effect of officinal preparations of phytoadaptogenic drugs such as bioginseng and Eleutherococcus senticosus and Rhaponticum carthamoides root extracts on the carcinogenesis induced by transplacental administration of N-nitrosoethylurea. The phytodrugs were given orally over a year. The administration of the drugs was followed by longer survival of the rats and lower occurrence and/or multiplicity of tumors (mainly those of the central nervous system).

[A method for choosing preparations that reduce the toxicity of cytostatics in experimental chemotherapy of tumors].

A special scale is proposed to evaluate the level of toxicity of drugs during experimental chemotherapy of tumours. The method allows to standardize somehow the choice of the drugs reducing the toxic action of cytostatics and also to compare different drugs to choose the most effective correctors of cytostatic therapy.

[The role of thrombocyte aggregation function in the mechanism of the antimetastatic action of an extract of Baikal skullcap].

The advancement of Pliss' lymphosarcoma in rats was shown to be associated with disorders of platelet-mediated hemostasis presenting with either lowered or increased aggregation activity of platelets. In the latter case, a direct correlation was observed between functional activity of thrombocytes, on the one hand, and degree of tumor advancement and its metastatic activity, on the other. Extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi was shown to produce a normalizing effect on platelet-mediated hemostasis whatever the pattern of alteration which points to the adaptogenic activity of the drug.

[Effects of intravascular laser irradiation of blood on growth and metastasis of lymphosarcoma in rats].

The effect of intravenous blood radiation by low-intensity laser on tumour growth in Wistar rats with Pliss lymphosarcoma has been studied. As a result of single or double blood radiation by laser with wave-length of 510 and 633 nm both the tumour growth inhibition and metastases disappearance have been shown.

[Enhancement of the selectivity of the action of the cytostatics cyclophosphane and 5-fluorouracil by using an extract of the Baikal skullcap in an experiment].

In experiments with murine and rat transplantable tumors, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgii extract treatment was shown to ameliorate cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil-induced myelotoxicity and to decrease tumor cell viability. This was partly attributed to a pronounced antistressor action of the extract and its normalizing effect on some homeostatic parameters.

[The immunomodulator thymalin in the experimental chemotherapy of tumors].

Experiments on inbred and noninbred mice showed thymalin to potentiate the therapeutic effect of cytostatic drugs. Thymalin treatment was followed by inhibition of tumor growth and dissemination, increase in the animal's life span and amelioration of antitumor drug-induced immunodepression.

[Effect of a Rhodiola extract on the tumor process in an experiment].

Antitumor and antimetastatic effects of an official extract of Rhodiola rosea were established in experiments on inbred and noninbred mice and rats with transplantable NK/Ly tumor, Ehrlich's adenocarcinoma, melanoma B16 and Lewis lung carcinoma. Application of the said preparation to sarcolysin-treated animals was followed by an increase in survival.

[Potentiation of the selective antitumoral effect of cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil by its combination with amphotericin B and diacarb].

The paper deals with the results of experiments which were carried out on 10 tumor models and used approximately 1,000 animals (mice and rats of different strains). Such cytostatic drugs as cyclophosphamide (alkylating agent) and 5-fluorouracil (antimetabolite) showed a significantly enhanced antitumor and metastation--preventing effect when used in combination with polyene antibiotic amphotericin B and a diuretic drug--diacarb. This was matched by a pronounced amelioration of toxic side effects and an increase in the animals' lifespan.

[Effect of amphotericin B on the diuretic action of diacarb and various indicators of water-salt metabolism in healthy and tumor-bearing animals].

The experiments with albino rats, Wistar rats and SHK mice showed that the combined use of amphotericin B and diacarb markedly potentiated the effect of the latter: the amount of the urine excreted within 6 h and the renal excretion of sodium ions increased 1.8 and 1.5 times, respectively.

[Effect of amphotericin B and its combination with 5-fluorouracil on the development of transplantable rat lymphosarcoma].

The studies were carried out on rats with subcutaneously transplanted metastizing Pliss lymphosarcoma. The animals were treated with amphotericin B administered intravenously in complex with sodium desoxycholate in doses of 336 and 20 Units/kg for 7 days beginning from 24th hour after the tumor transplantation. The treatment resulted in a statistically reliable inhibition of the tumor metastasizing as compared to the control animals.