[Experimental study of the effect of glucosamine hydrochloride on metabolic and repair processes in connective tissue structures]. / Eksperimental'noe izuchenie vliianiia gliukozamina gidrokhlorida na metabolicheskie i reparativnye protsessy v soedinitel'notkannykh strukturakh.

The effects of glucosamine hydrochloride on the metabolic and repair processes were studied on a model of post-traumatic osteoarthrosis in the articular cartilage and on a model of post-traumatic keratitis in the cornea. The administration of glucosamine hydrochloride stimulated repair and favored inhibition of dystrophic post-traumatic processes in the connective-tissue structures. It is suggested that a probable mechanism of the drug action consists in stimulation of the synthesis of glucosaminoglycanes and collagen.

[The structure of the cartilage of the zygapophyseal articulations of the human spine in the stages of postnatal ontogeny]. / Stroenie khriashcha dugootrostchatykh sustavov pozvonochnika cheloveka na étapakh postnatal'nogo ontogeneza.

The structure of articulationes zygapophysiales joints cartilage of vertebral column lumbar region was studied in three age groups of 20-29, 30-39 and 40-49 years. The articular cartilage studied was similar in its structural organization and the character of age changes with those in large synovial joints, however it was distinctly peculiar in the development of involutive changes. Both cells and matrix components of articulationes zygapophysiales joints cartilage display changes already in 20-29 years group. There are significant differences in the degree of destructive and dystrophic changes manifestations in articular facets within one joint. These changes were found to prevail in articular cartilage of superior articular process of the vertebral body inferior to the joint.

[Neurohormonal regulation of the development and regenerative processes of bone and cartilage tissues]. / Neirogormonal'naia reguliatsiia razvitiia i vosstanovitel'nykh protsessov kostnoi i khriashchevoi tkanei.

Neurohumoral regulation of cartilaginous and osseous tissues was investigated in different stages of ontogenesis. It has been shown that these tissues are targets practically for all hormones produced by the body. The reciprocal reaction of osseous and cartilaginous tissues to different concentrations of hormones was estimated. It has been also demonstrated that the action of hormones in these tissues manifests itself in accordance with the general regularities and that their effects are strictly specific for the test target tissues. An opinion is advanced about the breach of the endocrine situation in the body as a risk factor of the development of dystrophic processes in cartilages.

[Changes in the spinal cord and the characteristics of the regenerative processes in experimental shortening of the spine]. / Izmeneniia v spinnom mozge i osobennosti generativnykh protsessov pri vypolnenii ukorocheniia pozvonochnika v éksperimente.

In the experiment with 22 dogs the authors have studied the effect of the spine shortening on the undamaged and damaged spinal cord. Observation period ranged from 1 week to 6 months. Partial resection of the vertebral body without spine shortening, practically, have not affected the spinal cord of an animal. Spine shortening without the spine cord transection is accompanied by the spinal cord crumpling and partial damaging. Combination of this operation with submembrane transection of the spinal cord permits to avoid an obvious scar formation but results in considerable cyst-formation that prevents regenerative process in the spinal cord. Further studies should be conducted in terms of the cyst-formation process prevention.

[Age-related changes in the intercellular substance of human hyalin and collagen-fiber cartilage tissue]. / Vozrastnye izmeneniia mezhkletochnogo veshchestva gialinovoi i kollagenovoloknistoi khriashchevoi tkani cheloveka.

The articular cartilage of the hip joint and the intervertebral disks (LIV and LV), obtained from 42 corpses without any signs of pathology in these tissues, have been investigated. Six age groups have been distinguished: 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71 years of age and older. After the topo-optic reactions have been get, double refraction of glycosamineglycans (GAG) and collagen is studied in the structure and orientational regularity is estimated in these macromolecules in the matrix. The peculiarities on distribution of the collagenous fiber fasciculi in the intercellular substance in the hyalin and collagen-fibrillar cartilaginous tissue are demonstrated at the areas and depending on the age. Correlations in qualitative and quantitative changes of the GAG and collagen with age are analysed; this gives certain possibilities to reveal signs of similarity and difference in morphogenesis of hyalin and collagen-fibrillar cartilage tissue. Basing on the comparative analysis performed concerning the GAG and collagen state in the age aspect, as well as taking into account the data of previously performed investigations, the collagenous carcass can be characterized as the most stable component of the intercellular substance of cartilages, possessing a great reserve of strength. Homokinesis of the cartilaginous tissue is performed at the expense of the GAG; this ensures a high ability of the cartilaginous tissue to adaptation. A hypothesis on the GAG role in realization of adaptive rearrangements of the cartilaginous matrix at the macromolecular level is put forward.

[Effect of insulin on cartilage differentiation in vitro]. / Vliianie insulina na differentsirovku khriashcha in vitro.

A consistent chondrogenesis takes place in high-density microcultures derived from bud mesenchymal cells of 4-day-old chicken embryos in a serum-supplemented medium. In serum-free medium DNA level and uronic acid content in the cultures were low, as well as the 35SO4 uptake and release, and only a small mass of cartilage was formed. With the addition of 0.025-10 micrograms/ml insulin to serum-free medium the uronic acid and DNA content in the cultures increased considerably in a dose-dependent way. The intensity of 35SO4 uptake and release exceeded the values measured in serum-containing medium, more cartilage tissue was formed in them also in a dose-dependent manner. With the use of 20-80 micrograms/ml insulin, the increment in DNA content proved to decrease, and with the use of 80 micrograms/ml insulin the uronic acid content and the cartilage mass decreased to a greater extent than in the case of lover doses.

[Principles of polarization-optical analysis in the study of connective tissue]. / Printsipy poliarizatsionno-opticheskogo analiza v izuchenii soedinitel'noi tkani.

Possibilities of polarization-optic methods for studying macromolecular organization of the intercellular matrix of the connective tissue are demonstrated. Topo-optic reactions, being histochemical, make it possible to reveal not only presence of the molecules studied, but also quantitatively determine degree of their orientational regularity in the structural organization of the intercellular matrix. Determination of changes in the orientational regularity of single molecules contributes to revealing morphogenetic peculiarities of the intercellular matrix of the connective tissue, normal and under development of the destructive-distrophic process. Methodological principles of reactions to collagen, glycosaminoglycanes, glycoproteins, elastin and non-collagenous proteins are presented. Their advantages comparing certain known histochemical reactions, as well as their limitations are demonstrated. Certain illustrative material is presented.

[Isolation and low-temperature preservation of liposomes containing rifampicin]. / Poluchenie i nizkotemperaturnoe konservirovanie liposom, soderzhashchikh rifampitsin.

The optimal conditions for preparations of rifampicin-containing liposomes were determined with the methods of mechanical shaking, gas dispersion and and reversible phases. It was found that the percentage of rifampicin incorporation into liposomes depended on the molar ratio of the antibiotic to the lipid (the optimal ratio was 1 : 10), the size and structure of liposomes, the amount of cholesterol added and the lipid membrane charge. Incorporation of rifampicin amounted to 16.1 +/- 2.4, 39.2 +/- 3.2 and 60.5 +/- 2.9 per cent with respect to neutral lecithin multilamellar liposes, liposomes prepared with the gas dispersion method and liposomes prepared with the method of reversible phases, respectively. Cholesterol in a molar ratio to lecithin equal to 2 : 5 or higher and dicetyl phosphate imparting the negative charge to the membrane had an inhibitory effect on the drug uptake by liposomes, while stearyl amine having the positive charge had a stimulating effect. The effect of the cryoprotectors glucose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly-ethylene glycole-400 and glycerol on low-temperature preservation and storage of rifampicin-containing liposomes was studied. It was shown that 10--15 per cent solutions of sucrose and glucose had the highest cryoprotective effect, when the two-stage method of freezing was used. It provided almost 84 per cent preservation of liposomal rifampicin. Electron microscopy showed that after defrosting liposomes no significant changes in the size and structure of lipid membranes were observed.