CYTOTOXIC PROPERTIES OF TRITERPENE SAPONIN TAUROSID SX1 AND ITS EFFECT ON HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AND INFLUENZA VIRUS INFECTION IN MICE.

Triterpene saponin Taurosid Sx1 purified from leaves of the plant Crimean Ivy Hedera taurica Carr. (Araliaceae) was evaluated for its cytotoxic activity against lymphoblastoid cell lines MT-4, Jurkat-tat, U937, and human peripheral blood monocytes. The ability of saponin to influence HIV-1 replication was studied as well.

Antimicrobial Effects of Silver Nanoparticles Stabilized in Solution by Sodium Alginate.

Background/purpose: To investigate the effect of nanosilver particles in solution stabilized in a matrix of sodium alginate on the growth and development of pathogenic bacteria such as , , , , , the antibiotic-resistant strain of , the yeast-like fungus , and the luminescent bacteria Sh1.

Methods: Isolates of pathogenic bacteria obtained from bronchoalveolar and peritoneal lavage samples from Wistar rats with experimental pneumonia and peritonitis were tested for their susceptibility to silver nanoparticles in solution with an alginate stabilizer. The antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles in sodium alginate was studied for (strain CCM885) using the Sabouraud agar method.

Joint Intratracheal Surfactant-Antibacterial Therapy in Experimental Pseudomonas-Induced Pneumonia.

Background: The application of an exogenous pulmonary surfactant as a carrier for intratracheally administered antimicrobials represents a promising therapeutic modality that is still on its way to clinical practice. Owing to its ability to decrease surface tension, exogenous surfactant may enhance delivery of antibiotics into foci of pulmonary infection, thus increasing efficiency and safety of topical antimicrobial therapy in bacterial lung diseases.

Objectives: To assess potential interactions between exogenous surfactant and amikacin in vitro, and to study the effects of their joint intratracheal instillation in rats with acute pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Study of the adjuvant activity of new MDP derivatives and purified saponins and their influence on HIV-1 replication in vitro.

Muramyl dipeptide (MDP), eight new lipophilic MDP derivatives (MDPs) and three purified saponins were evaluated for their ability to induce immune responses in mice immunized with HIV-1 envelope protein rgp160 and for their ability to influence the HIV-1 replication in vitro. Three of nine new synthetic MDP derivatives (beta-butyl-MDP, MTPO-26 and beta-cholesteryl-MDP) and one saponin (Taurosid I) have been shown to induce strong humoral immune responses to HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins rgp160 and rgp120. Three substances (beta-butyl-MDP, MDP-cholyl and beta-G27-MDP) induced high levels of T-cell stimulation to HIV-1 rgp160.