Morphofunctional changes in guinea pig ovaries in experimental chronic herpesvirus infection.

The ovaries of adult guinea pigs infected with herpesvirus-2 were examined by light microscopy under conditions of latent infection and relapse of infectious process. Morphofunctional changes in the ovarian follicles at all stages of folliculogenesis and in ovarian stroma were caused by the negative effects of type 2 herpes simplex virus.

[Biochemical mechanisms of realization of antiviral and interferon-inducing activity of amixine and its analogs]. / Biokhimicheskie mekhanizmy realizatsii protivovirusnoi i interferonindutsiruiushchei aktivnosti amiksina i ego analogov.

Antiviral and interferon inducing activity of the amixine and its some derivatives, as well as their influence on the proteolytic enzymes activity, monooxygenase activity of the microsomal fraction, level of the lipids peroxidation were studied. Lack of correlation between antiviral and interferon inducing activity in the investigated series of compounds was found. Vice versa, the good correlation between interferon inducing activity and the elastase-like activities inhibition ability of the compounds was observed. It allows to state the assumption, that only one ability of compounds to induce of an interferon doesn't suffice for obtaining of high titres of interferon, and while their rather high antiproteolitic activity is necessary. It's shown, that except for one compound the influence of amixine and its derivatives on the red-ox enzymes activity well correlates with their ability to the interferon-inducing. All presented above allows to attribute amixine and its derivatives to polymodal antiviral agents.

[A comparative analysis of the polypeptides of the the Sindbis and Karelian fever viruses]. / Sravnitel'nyi analiz polipeptidov virusov Sindbis i karel'skoi likhoradki.

In pulse-chase experiments with Karelian fever virus-infected cells, proteins were found with molecular weights of 130, 98, 78, and 62 kD of which the first, second and fourth were classified as polypeptide precursors of the structural proteins of virion. The molecular weights of proteins E1, E2 and C of 52, 47 and 34 kD, respectively, as well as isoelectric points of isolated glycoproteins (pI E1 = 6.3, pI E2 = 8.4) were similar in KFV (strain Leiv-9298) and Sindbis virus (strain AR339). The antigenic similarity of the strains under study in neutralization test with hyperimmune sera, the identity of physicochemical characteristics of the structural proteins of KFV and prototype Sindbis virus strain suggest a close relationship of the Leiv-9298 strain to the Afro-European variants of Sindbis virus.

[Antiviral activity of ribamidyl in experimental infections with California encephalitis group viruses]. / Protivovirusnaia aktivnost' ribamidila pri éksperimental'nykh infektsiiakh virusami kompleksa kaliforniiskogo éntsefalita.

A preparation of ribamydil, an analogue of natural nucleosides, synthesized at the Latvian SSR Institute of Organic Chemistry showed a sufficiently high activity against bunyaviruses of California encephalitis complex both in vitro and in vivo. Various modifications of the enzyme immunoassay may be used for control of the effectiveness of treatment with this drug. Some advantages of the subcutaneous route over the intramuscular one were found. Ribamydil may be useful for treatment of infections of California encephalitis complex.

[Antiviral and immunostimulating effect of maleic anhydride copolymers in experimental neuroviral infections]. / Protivovirusnyi i immunostimuliruiushchii éffekt sopolimerov maleinovogo angidrida pri éksperimental'nykh neirovirusnykh infektsiiakh.

The virus-inhibiting and immunostimulating activity of Soviet preparations, maleic anhydride copolymers, was demonstrated in alpha-, flavi-, and bunyavirus infections. Positive results were obtained in subcutaneous and intraperitoneal inoculations of the preparations used in prophylactic and therapeutic-prophylactic schedules. Stimulation of vaccination immunity was observed after combined use of copolymers and the vaccine against Eastern equine encephalomyelitis.

[Isolation of the Tahyña bunyavirus in the Arctic]. / Izoliatsiia bun'iavirusa Tiaginia v Zapoliar'e.

Tahyna virus (Bunyaviridae, Bunyavirus, the California encephalitis complex) was isolated from Aedes communis complex mosquitoes collected at the border of the north-taiga landscape zone (in latitude 68 degrees North and longitude 33 degrees East) at the Kolsky peninsula (the Murmansk region). The LEIV-9843 Mur strain was isolated from 2.4 thousand mosquitoes collected there (altogether 3.8 thousand mosquitoes had been collected in the Murmansk region). This is the first isolation in the USSR of a California complex virus in the Arctic and the northernmost site of Tahyna virus isolation in the world. 18% of the human population residing near the site of the virus isolation had virus-neutralizing antibody to Tahyna virus.

[Isolation of the causative agent of Karelian fever from Aedes sp. mosquitoes]. / Izoliatsiia vozbuditelia Karel'skoi likhoradki ot komarov Aedes sp.

The results of isolation of an Alphavirus strain from Aedes sp. mosquitoes collected in the focus of Karelian fever are presented. According to the results of serological studies, the isolated strain LEIV-9298 Karelia belongs to the antigenic complex Sindbis-Western equine encephalomyelitis. The appurtenance of the isolated agent to the Alphavirus genus has been confirmed by electron microscopic examinations. A rise of antibody titres to LEIV-9298 Karelia virus in paired sera of subjects with a history of Karelian fever allows it to be considered the causative agent of this disease.

[Sakhalin antigenic group (Bunyaviridae family)]. / Antigennaia gruppa Sakhalin (semeistvo Bunyaviridae).

Serological study of viruses belonging to the Sakhalin group showed Paramushir virus isolated in the USSR and Avalon virus isolated in Canada to be identical in all the tests used. The data on the cultural properties of the Sakhalin group viruses, the virions buoyant densities in sucrose gradient, the data on thermal sensitivity and UV inactivation of the viruses, on their morphology and morphogenesis are presented.

[Properties of the RNA of the new Okhotsk orbivirus]. / Izuchenie nekotorykh svoistv RNK novogo orbivirusa Okhotskii.

Electron microscopic examination of Okhotsky virus RNA showed it to have double-stranded fragmented structure. Investigation of the kinetics of virus-specific RNA synthesis in chick embryo fibroblast cell cultures inoculated at a high multiplicity of infection demonstrated that the synthesis of virus-specific RNAs of Okhotsky virus reached maximum by 7 hours postinfection. A decrease in the multiplicity of infection slowed down the kinetics of virus-specific RNAs synthesis. The sedimentation analysis in sucrose density gradient showed the virus-specific RNAs of Okhotsky virus to sediment with a peak in 14.5 S band.

[Kyzylagach virus (family Togaviridae, genus alphaviruses), a new arbovirus isolated from Culex modestus mosquitoes trapped in the Azerbaijani SSR]. / Virus Kyzylagach (semeistvo togaviride, rod al'favirusov)--novyi arboviruses), izolirovannyi iz komarov Culex modestus, otlovlennykh v Azerbaidzhanskoi SSR.

A strain of LEIV 65A virus was isolated in 1969 from Culex modestus mosquitoes collected in the Kyzylagach preserve, the Azerbaijan SSR, in a colony of Ciconiiformes birds. Investigations of the antigenic properties of this virus by the complement fixation and neutralization tests as well as by electron microscopy showed it to belong to alphaviruses of the Togaviridae family. Kyzylagach virus had one-way relations with Sindbis virus. Some biological and biophysical-biochemical properties of the virus were studied.

[Physicochemical properties of the Okhotsky virus]. / Nekotorye fiziko-khimicheskie svoistva virusa Okhotskii.

Purified concentrated Okhotsky virus was prepared. The buoyant densities of its virions were determined in sucrose and cesium chloride gradients and found to be 1.16--1.18 and 1.36 g/cm3, respectively. The experimental evidence indicated the double-stranded nature of Okhotsky virus genome RNA. The study of the above physico-chemical properties confirmed the appurtenance of Okhotsky virus to the genus Orbivirus of the Reoviridae family.

[Chim virus, a new arbovirus isolated from ixodid and argasid ticks collected in the burrows of great gerbils on the territory of the Uzbek SSR]. / Virus Chim--novyi arbovirus, vydelennyi iz iksodovykh i argasovykh kleshchei, sobrannykh v norakh bol'shikh peschanok na territorii Uzbekskoi SSR.

Five strains of hitherto unknown arbovirus designated Chim by the place of primary collection of ticks was isolated from Ixodid and Argasid ticks collected in the Uzbek SSR in burrows of great gerbils. The virus has no antigenic relationships with arboviruses previously isolated from ticks, its size varies from 100 to 220 nm, it contains RNA and has a lipid-containing envelope. Chim virus is pathogenic only for suckling mice by the intracerebral route and exerts cytopathic effect in continuous L, Rh, BHK cell lines.

Sikhote-Alin virus, a new member of the cardiovirus group (Picornaviridae) isolated from Ixodes persulcatus ticks in Primorie Region.

A virus, designated Sikhote-Alin, was isolated in 1970 from Ixodes persulcatus ticks collected from a wild boar in the Primorie region (U.S.S.R.) Sikhote-Alin virus showed no haemagglutinating activity and no antigenic relationships with arboviruses of 12 antigenic groups, 17 ungrouped tick-borne arboviruses, porcine enteroviruses and coxsackie A (types 1-18) viruses. An one-way antigenic relationship was demonstrated by complement fixation with cardioviruses (Mengo and Columbia-SK strains). The virus contains RNA, is resistant to lipid solvents, highly thermostable in the presence of 1 M MgCl2 and its size is over 20 nm but less than 25 nm. All these properties make it possible to consider it as a new member of the cardiovirus group (genus Enterovirus; Picornaviridae).