[Administration of monoclonal antibodies to B-lymphocytes (rituximab) in rheumatoid arthritis in Russia].

AIM: To assess efficacy and tolerance to anti-B-cell drug rituximab in therapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by the data of RF register of this drug. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Rituximab was studied in 42 patients with high RA activity. 37 patients received rituximab according to a conventional scheme: 2 intravenous 1000 mg infusions with a 2-week interval. The rest patients received 2 intravenous 500 mg infusions. The response was evaluated by DAS28 index. RESULTS: Rituximab administration resulted in almost complete elimination of B-cells from peripheral blood. This produced a significant positive effect manifesting with reduction in the number of inflamed and painful joints. This trend was evident to observation week 8 reaching maximum to week 24. Clinical response correlated with decline of inflammation as shown by ESR and CRP. According to DAS28 index, good and satisfactory results were registered in 8 weeks in 62% patients, in 16 weeks--in 86%, in 24 weeks--in 100%. Rituximab tolerance was good. CONCLUSION: Effective treatment with rituximab for rheumatoid arthritis opened a new perspective in antirheumatic biological therapy and demonstrated an important role of B-cells in the disease development. This drug is recommended for wide use in the treatment of severe rheumatoid arthritis resistant to prior therapy including TNF-alpha blockers.

[Interleukin-6 in rat pterygopalatine ganglion neurons]. / Interleikin-6 v neironakh krylonebnogo gangliia krysy.

Rat pterygopalatine ganglion was studied by indirect immunofluorescent method to detect and to localize the neurons expressing IL-6. The highest concentration of IL-6-immunopositive cells was found in the cranial part of the ganglion, while ganglion medial surface and caudal part contained single cells demonstrating bright fluorescence; less common groups of immunopositive neurons, organized in chains, were found in the middle part of the ganglion near its lateral border that is in contact with maxillar nerve.

[H3-dopamine and H3-quinuclidinylbenzilate binding by autonomic ganglia tissue in rats of various age]. / Sviazyvanie 3H-dofamina i 3H-khinuklidinilbenzilata tkan'iu vegetativnykh gangliev krys raznogo vozrasta.

Binding of tritiated ligands of muscarinic and dopamine receptors was analysed in rats 1, 7, 14, 28, 60 days and 24-30 months old. The following ganglia were studied: the nodose ganglion, the lumbar ganglia of sympathetic chain, the main pelvic ganglion in male rats and the paracervical ganglion in female rats. The same level was found for binding of each of ligands for all investigated ganglia. Parameters of postnatal dynamics of development M-cholino- and dopamine reception systems prove to be quite similar, but not identical. Both of the systems reach matured level during first 2 postnatal weeks. In comparison with quinuclidinylbenzilate binding failure of dopamine binding in aged rats is to be more pronounced.

[Age-related changes in the amount and intensity of the fluorescence of small, intensely fluorescing cells in the autonomic ganglia of rats]. / Vozrastnye izmeneniia kolichesva i intensivnosti fliuorestsentsii melkikh, intensivno fliuorestsiruiushchikh kletok vegetativnykh gangliev krysy.

The number and intensity of fluorescence of small, intensely fluorescent cells were measured on serial slices of main pelvic (MPG) ganglion and lumbar ganglia of sympathetic trunk (LG), treated by modified Falck method, on days 1, 7, 14, 28, and 26-30 months of age. The content of paraform-induced fluorescence increased with age of two weeks and later in SIF cells of MPG and LG. The number of SIF cells in LG decreased with age, while that of MPG increased. The growth of a number of SIF cells in MPG was detected in large clusters.

[Cytofluorometric analysis of small intensively fluorescent atrial cells at various stages of postnatal ontogenesis]. / Tsitofliuorimetricheskii analiz melkikh, intensivno fliuorestsiruiushchikh kletok predserdii krys naétapakh postnatal'nogo ontogeneza.

The number and fluorescence intensity of small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells in the nerve ganglia of the rat atria were determined after the treatment, using modified Falk's method. The animals were 1, 7, 14, 28 days and 30 months of age. Similar changes were found in the amount of SIF cells and fluorophore content in all the atrial regions. A marked increase in the number of SIF cells and maximum values were determined between the second and fourth week after birth. The first two weeks of age corresponded to the decrease and the forth week to the increase in SIF cells fluorescent intensity. The data of the investigation made it possible to suggest the connection between principal stages of SIF cell pool formation and processes of autonomic ganglia innervation development.

[Fluorescence spectra of the SIF cells in rat neuroganglia]. / Spektry fliuorestsentsii SIF-kletok nervnykh gangliev krys.

The spectral curves of emission of paraform-induced fluorophores in small, intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells in lumbar ganglia of the sympathetic trunk and in the major pelvic ganglion were compared with the fluorescence spectra of lipofuscin granules in the perikaryons of the neurons of the vagus inferior ganglion. As a rule, the fluorescence spectra of SIF cells correlate with the content in them of catecholamines. The spectral characteristics of fluorophores of so-called "yellow" SIF cells have much in common with the fluorescence spectra of lipofuscin granules. Apparently, in some of cases small cells containing lipofuscin may be identified as "yellow" SIF cells.

[Action of noradrenaline and dopamine on the pacemaker cells of the normal rat sinus node and in pharmacological sympathectomy]. / Deistvie noradrenalina i dofamina na kletki-voditeli ritma sinusnogo uzla serdtsa krys--v norme i v usloviiakh farmakologicheskoi desimpatizatsii.

The authors studied the action of the physiological concentrations of catecholamines on the major parameters of the action potentials of the true pacemakers, using a graphic analysis of their electric activity at the intracellular microelectrode lead. Desympathization was carried out with the help of daily intraperitoneal injections of guanethidine solution for six weeks. Noradrenaline and dopamine have a similar effect on the electrogenesis of the pacemakers by decreasing a relative threshold of auto-stimulation and decreasing the steepness of the potential growth in phase 4 on the curve of the action potential. Pharmacological desympathization leads to the development of hyper-reactivity of the true pacemakers to noradrenaline and dopamine and triggers off changes in the regulation of the electric activity of these cells by catecholamines.

[Cyclic AMP content of autonomic ganglia as affected by catecholamines]. / Soderzhanie tsAMF v gangliiakh vegetativnoi nervnoi sistemy pri vozdeistvii katekholaminov.

The relative content of cAMP was measured in the rat ganglion nodosum, lumbar ganglia of the sympathetic trunk, the main pelvic ganglion and intramural ganglia of the heart. It was observed that the basal level of cAMP in the cardiac ganglia was lower than in other ganglia. The process of stimulation of the cAMP content by noradrenaline was most pronounced in the main pelvic and lumbar ganglia, that by dopamine in the cardiac ganglia. The catecholamines failed to alter the cAMP content in the ganglion nodosum.

[Topography of small, intensely fluorescing cells in rat lumbar sympathetic ganglia]. / Topografiia melkikh, intensivno fliuorestsiruiushchikh (SIF) kletok v poiasnichnykh gangliiakh simpaticheskogo stvola krys.

The localization of small intensely fluorescent (SIF cells on serial cryostat slices and total preparations of the L2 and L4 rat lumbar sympathetic ganglia was studied after treatment by the modified Falck method. In the ganglia, the SIF cells occur both as clusters and singly. The cells are round in shape, frequently forming processes. The clusters of the SIF cells are usually localized beneath the ganglionic capsule in the proximity to the blood vessels. Large sympathetic ganglia contain from 35 to 51 cells, whereas small ganglia 5 to 9 cells. The regions of preferable SIF cells localization in L3 and L4 ganglia were found.

[Cytofluorimetric study of the small, intensely fluorescent cells of the rat atria in pharmacological sympathectomy]. / Tsitofliuorimetricheskoe issledovanie melkikh, intensivno fliuorestsiruiushchikh kletok predserdii krys v usloviiakh farmakologicheskoi desimpatizatsii.

The fluorescence intensity of small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells of rat atria was measured by the modified Falck method in health and chronic guanethidine administration. The normal value of fluorescence of single SIF cells was lower than that of clustered SIF cells. However, similar deviations were observed for both the types of SIF cells under chemical sympathectomy. The mean value of fluorescence decreased during 6-9 weeks of the experiment and increased during the next 3 weeks. The most pronounced reaction was exhibited by SIF cells in the superior vena cava and interatrial septum.

[Cytofluorimetric study of small, intensely fluorescing cells in the atria of rats following a single injection of guanethidine]. / Tsitofliuorimetricheskoe issledovanie melkikh, intensivno fliuorestsiruiushchikh kletok predserdii krys posle odnokratnoi in"ektsii guanetidina.

The fluorescence intensity of small high-fluorescent (SHF) cells of rat auricles was measured after the treatment by the modified Falk method in health and 3,14 and 72 hours after a single injection of guanethidine. No significant changes in the fluorescence intensity were found on analysis of the entire pool of SHF auricular cells and of individual SHF cells, while SHF cells of the clasters of the superior caval vein and interauricular septum manifest counterphasic deviations from the basal line of fluorescence, with these deviations being most remarkable 14 hours after the injection. The changes in the fluorescence intensity of SHF cells, which were seen within the periods of time corresponding with the minimum noradrenaline content in the heart allow the conclusion that SHF cell function is in good agreement with the heart noradrenaline level. The line of changes in the catecholamine content of SHF cells in the areas under consideration is likely to attest to the regional principle of the SHF cell pool organization in auricular tissue.