[The evaluation of the effectiveness of the application of bischofite-modified yellow clay (an experimental studi)]. / Otsenka éffektivnosti primeneniia zheltoi gliny, modifitsirovannoi bishofitom (éksperimental'noe issledovanie).

BACKGROUND: The topical problems in balneotherapeutics and health resort activities in general are the development of the yellow clay-based preparations enriched in the natural mineral bischofite and the investigation of their therapeutic effects with the purpose of improvement of their curative potential. AIM: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the course of the experimental therapeutic applications of the yellow clay obtained by the open pit mining of its deposits located in the vicinity of Pyatigorsk and modified by the addition of bischofite. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The experiments were carried out with the use of 57 eugamic Wistar male rats with adjuvant arthritis. The yellow clay supplemented with bischofite in various concentrations was applied in 12 procedures each 15 minutes in duration every other or every two days beginning from the 38th day of experimentally-induced arthritis. The animals were allocated to five groups as follows: group 1 included the healthy animals that served as controls (n=5), groups 2-5 were comprised of the animals with adjuvant arthritis. The animals included in group 2 served as the experimental model of adjuvant arthritis (n=8), those comprising group 3 were treated by the applications of yellow clay without additives (n=14), group 4 was composed of the animals with adjuvant arthritis treated by the applications of yellow clay containing 10% of bischofite (n=15), the animals in group 5 having adjuvant arthritis were treated by the applications of yellow clay containing 20% of bischofite (n=15). RESULTS: The study has demonstrated the reduction of the reactively enhanced relative abundance of, activated T-cells, and B-lymphocytes down to the respective control values in the animals with adjuvant arthritis after the course of applications of the yellow clay preparations. Simultaneously, normalization of the immunoregulatory index, IRI, (the T-helpers to cytotoxic T-lymphocytes ratio) was documented. The treatment was associated with the strong dependence of the interleukin (IL-1ß) contents on the cortisol level and the well apparent relationship between the levels of interleukins and IRI. Specifically, the relation between IL-1ß and IRI following the application of non-modified yellow clay was characterized as (r=+0.8, p=0.03) in comparison with the relation between IL 6 and IRI (r=+0.8, p=0.03) after the treatment with yellow clay containing 10% of bischofite or between IL 6 and IRI (r=+0.8, p=0.004) after the application of yellow clay containing 20% of bischofite. CONCLUSION: The results of the study give evidence of the immunomodulatory action of yellow clay modified by the addition of bischofite. They suggest the promising opportunities for the application of these preparations for the management and rehabilitation of the patients presenting with the diseases of the musculoskeletal system in the future.

[The spa and health resort-based treatment of metabolic syndrome with the application of the therapeutic courses of different duration: the evaluation according long-term results]. / Sanatorno-kurortnoe lechenie metabolicheskogo sindroma pri razlichnoi prodolzhitel'nosti lechebnogo tsikla po rezul'tatam otdalennykh nabliudenii.

AIM: The objective of the present study was to estimate the effectiveness of the new therapeutic modalities for the spa and health resort-based treatment of metabolic syndrome based on the results of the long-term follow-up observations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 100 patients presenting with metabolic syndrome were recruited for the participation in the study. All of them underwent a shortened course of mineral water intake in the combination with the use of the herbal medicinal products. RESULTS: The results of the study give evidence of the more favorable changes in the clinical and instrumental characteristics of the patients with metabolic syndrome treated with the use of the proposed approach in comparison the patients treated by the conventional methods. Moreover, the beneficial effects of the proposed approach persisted during a longer period. The basal treatment given to our patients was supplemented by dietary therapy, therapeutic physical exercise, narzan baths, intake of mineral water having a temperature of 35-37 °Ð¡ in conjunction with sulphate mineral water (narzan) cooled to 13-15 °Ð¡, and a phytococktail. CONCLUSION: The results of the long-term observations confirmed the enhanced effectiveness of the spa and health resort-based treatment of metabolic syndrome including the therapeutic courses with the intake of cooled narzan mineral water in the combination with phytococktails. This therapeutic modality increased the duration of the favorable changes of various parameters that characterize metabolic syndrome. Specifically, they persisted during 5-6 months after the application of the standard methods, were still apparent within 6-7 months after the two-week course of the treatment with cold narzan and phytococktails, and during 8-9 months when the duration of the treatment course was extended up to 3 weeks.