[Role of staphylococcus aureus hemolytic toxin-alpha in pathogenesis of infectious endocarditis: studies in vitro]. / Rol' alpha-gemoliziruiushchego toksina staphylococcus aureus v patogeneze infektsionnogo éndokardita (issledovanie in vitro).

AIM: To study effects of alpha-toxin (AT) Staphylococcus aureus on human platelets and endothelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Concentrations of intracellular calcium in human platelets and endothelial cells were estimated by fluorescence, phosphoinositide metabolism in the endothelial cells was studied using 3H-myoinositole. RESULTS: AT induced a dose-dependent increase of intracellular calcium in blood and vascular cells, stimulates dose-dependent formation of inositol phosphates in endothelial cells. CONCLUSION: AT action on the platelets and endothelial cells results in a significant receptor-independent rise in concentration of intracellular calcium, activation of phosphoinositide metabolism, death of cells. These data support the hypothesis that the platelet and endothelial cell damage is mostly due to the passive Ca2+ influxvia pores formed by AT in cellular membrane.

[The functional characteristics of the thrombocytes in patients with hypertension and "silent" myocardial ischemia]. / Funktsional'nye kharakteristiki trombotsitov u bol'nykh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu i s "nemoi" ishemiei miokarda.

Functional platelet characteristics were studied in hypertensive subjects having episodes of silent myocardial ischemia. A total of 36 patients with essential hypertension (EH) stage II (WHO criteria, 1979) underwent echocardiography and 24-h ECG monitoring. Platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate was assessed by laser aggregation analyzer. It is demonstrated that platelet aggregation in EH patients with silent ischemia was increased 5-fold as compared to healthy subjects and 2-fold versus EH patients without ischemia. No significant differences existed between the two groups by such parameters as systolic or diastolic pressure and left ventricular myocardial mass. An involvement of elevated platelet aggregation can be suggested in the genesis of coronary insufficiency in EH associated with episodes of silent myocardial ischemia.

[A method for determining individual nifedipine sensitivity in treating hypertension patients]. / Metod opredeleniia individual'noi chuvstvitel'nosti k nifedipinu pri lechenii bol'nykh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu.

Nifedipine antihypertensive effect was evaluated in 20 patients with essential hypertension. It was found to depend on pretreatment values of ADP-induced platelet aggregation response. The latter was studied with a new method of laser measurements of the aggregate radius sizes.

[Silent myocardial ischemia in patients with essential hypertension]. / "Nemaia" ishemiia u bol'nykh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu.

Holter monitoring was performed in 61 patients with essential hypertension. Painless, silent ST segment depression was found in 34 patients. Exercise myocardial scintigraphy indicated the occurrence of transient perfusion defects without abnormal clearance (Group 1) and those with abnormal clearance (Group 2). The patients from Group 1 showed more severe myocardial hypertrophy, higher platelet aggregation, coronary atherosclerosis was detected in 1 case. The patients from Group 2 exhibited less myocardial hypertrophy, lower platelet aggregation. Coronary atherosclerosis was revealed in 4 cases. The patients from the two groups had elevated plasma norepinephrine levels at the onset of silent myocardial ischemia.

[High-frequency jet ventilation of the lungs]. / Struiinaia moduliruiushchaia vysokochastotnaia iskusstvennaia ventiliatsiia legkikh.

A study of high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) has been conducted on the lung model IS-800. Considerable changes in the tidal volume (TV) have been observed during HFJV with frequency of respiration (f) 60 and 100 min-1, which ensures non-monotonous respiration. Constant fluctuations of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), maximum tracheal inspiratory pressure (Pmax.tr.) and amplitude respiration (Amp. R) were in the linear dependence on TV changes. f increase led to a considerable decrease in TV fluctuations and AMP.R values due to PEEP increase and Pmax.tr. reduction.

[The use of microcomputers for calculating the indices of the hemodynamics, pump and contractile function of the left heart]. / Primenenie mikrokal'kuliatorov dlia rascheta pokazatelei gemodinamiki, nasosnoi i sokratitel'noi funktsii levogo serdtsa.

A programme is presented for the calculation of parameters reflecting pump and contractile functions of the left ventricular myocardium on Soviet-made microcomputer B3-34. The programme makes it possible to intensify studies 2.5-3-fold, assess hemodynamics many times at different stages of the investigation, obtain results and promptly give practical recommendations, which is of utmost importance in intensive care and resuscitation.

[ADP-induced thrombocyte aggregation in hypertension patients with different degrees of left ventricular hypertrophy]. / Indutsirovannaia ADF-agregatsiia trombotsitov u bol'nykh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu s razlichnoi stepen'iu gipertrofii miokarda levogo zheludochka.

Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation was studied in 59 patients suffering from essential hypertension, stages I and II (WHO, 1979) with different degree of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by a new optical method. Using a laser aggregation analyzer the mean aggregate radius was measured in relative units. The left ventricular myocardial mass was estimated by echocardiography. Using laser aggregatograms the significant differences in aggregation responses were revealed with 0.5 microM ADP. In a group of patients without LVH, the aggregation response to 0.5 microM ADP did not differ from that in a group of healthy volunteers. With the growth of LVH from moderate to severe the response increased in succession. The same differences which were not, however, significant were observed with higher ADP concentrations. It was also found that the new method of laser aggregometry is more sensitive than the classic Born method.

[Functional activity of the hypophysis and gonads in women with hypertension]. / Funktsional'naia aktivnost' gipofiza i gonad u zhenshchin, stradaiushchikh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu.

An attempt is made to demonstrate a relationship between changes in arterial blood pressure and sex steroids, gonadotrophins and mineralocorticoids in 30- to 55-year-old females with essential hypertension, employed in textile industry in Cheboksary. Climacteric and menopausal patterns of sex steroid and gonadotrophin secretion are discussed. A definite relationship between essential hypertension, elevated estradiol and testosterone and lowered gonadotrophins is demonstrated. It is suggested that climacteric and menopausal blood pressure disorders may be related to changes in gonadal and adrenal activity.

[Calcium metabolism in arterial hypertension. II. Changes in thrombocyte sensitivity to verapamil]. / Obmen kal'tsiia pri arterial'noi gipertonii. Soobshchenie II. Izmeneniia chuvstvitel'nosti trombotsitov k verapamilu.

Verapamil produced dose-dependent inhibition of ADP- and TAF-induced increase in thrombocyte calcium concentration in hypertensive patients. Sensitivity to verapamil tested by EC50-half-maximal inhibition of responses to hormones can be weakened in vitro by adrenalin and strengthened by papaverin. Thrombocytes of hypertensive patients were individually sensitive to combination of papaverin and verapamil. The cellular sensitivity to verapamil disappeared when clonidine was substituted for verapamil and was restored when papaverin was added to verapamil.

[Calcium metabolism in arterial hypertension. I. Myocardial hypertrophy and hormone-dependent increase in Ca2+ levels in the thrombocytes of patients with arterial hypertension]. / Obmen kal'tsiia pri arterial'noi gipertonii. Soobshchenie I. Gipertrofiia miokarda i gormonzavisimoe uvelichenie kontsentratsii Ca2+ v trombotsitakh bol'nykh arterial'noi gipertoniei.

Clonidine-treated patients with essential hypertension demonstrated reliable positive correlations between echocardiographically determined signs of myocardial hypertrophy (thickness of left ventricular posterior wall and interventricular septum, left ventricular myocardial mass) and hormone-dependent increase in thrombocyte calcium concentration induced by ADP and TAF. Antihypertensive therapy was more effective in patients with relatively weak cellular effect of Ca-increasing hormone response having no signs of myocardial hypertrophy.

[Effect of plasmapheresis on plasma hormone levels in patients with hereditary hypercholesterolemia]. / Vliianie plazmafereza na soderzhanie gormonov v plazme krovi bol'nykh s nasledstvennoi giperkholesterinemiei.

It is shown that plasmapheresis in the volume of 30-46 ml/kg using 2997 cellular separator (IBM) does not significantly reduce testosterone, estradiol, aldosterone, parathyroid hormone and calcitonin concentrations. The initially high level of insulin and C-peptide was reduced, angiotensin-I concentration lowered and somatotropic hormone concentration doubled. It is suggested that plasmapheresis stimulates lipolytic and anabolic processes in the organism.