[Use of ceramic endoprostheses in reconstructive surgery of the lower jaw in children]. / Ispol'zovanie keramicheskikh éndoprotezov v rekonstruktivnoi khirurgii nizhneicheliusti u detei.

The work analyses the possibility to use individually prepared ceramic endoprostheses in 6 children with a congenital or acquired pathology of the mandible. The operative methods with the application of ceramic endoprostheses are described which are characterized by less traumatic action and higher accuracy of correcting the defect or deformity of the mandible as compared with using biological plastic materials. This method of treatment can be recommended at the intermediate stages of the restorative reconstruction treatment of the mandible pathology in children.

[Biological properties of glutamin-(asparagin-)ase from Pseudomonas boreopolis 526]. / Biologicheskie svoistva glutamin(asparagin)azy iz Pseudomonas boreopolis 526.

Glutamine(asparagine)ase from Ps. boreopolis 526 has an antineoplastic effect on lymphoid leukemia P-388. The enzyme half-life in the mouse serum is 8.5 hours. Glutamine(asparagine)ase has no cross-antigenicity with L-asparaginase from E. coli (Bayer, FRG). Specific antibodies against L-asparaginase (Bayer, FRG) do not influence the activity of glutamine(asparagine)ase.

[Comparative evaluation of the clinical effectiveness of 3 preparations of E. coli L-asparaginase]. / Sravnitel'naia otsenka klinicheskoi éffektivnosti trekh preparatov L-asparaginazy iz E. coli.

Preparations of L-asparaginase made in the USSR, FRG and Japan were studied comparatively in 277 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphosarcomas. It was shown that the clinical characteristics of the preparation made in the USSR and the preparation (crasnitin) made in the FRG were identical. By the antileukemic action the preparation made in the USSR was superior to the preparation (leunase) made in Japan in the treatment of adult patients with such hemoblastosis forms. The effect of the three drugs in the treatment of children was analogous. The nature of the side effects of the three drugs was the same. However, their level was different. The allergenic effect of leunase on the patients was the most pronounced. L-Asparaginase made in the USSR and crasnitin are recommended for wide use in clinical practice.

[Use of preparation VM 26 (epipodophyllotoxin) for treating lymphomas in children and adults]. / Primenenie preparata VM-26 (épipodofillotoksi n) dlia lecheniia limfom u detei i vzroslykh.

A coordinated clinical trial (phase II) of preparation VM-26 supplied by Sandos (Switzerland) was carried out at 5 clinics in a total of 61 patients with lymphoma. Two regimens of VM-26 administration were employed: (1) 5-day courses of 30 mg/m2 iv with 7-14 day intervals, or (2) two injections of 50 mg/m2 a week, within 4-6 weeks, depending on drug tolerance Out of 15 children with Hodgkin's disease, 50% of cases showed complete or partial remission. Out of 27 adults with Hodgkin's disease, response was registered in 69.9 and a pronounced effect--in 1 26.1%. Out of 14 patients with lymphosarcomas, response was observed in 78.5 and a pronounced effect--in 57.2%. Toxic effect was not the cause of treatment suspension in most cases.

[L-asparaginase study results (phase II of the clinical trials)]. / Rezul'taty izucheniia L-asparaginazy (II faza klinicheskikh ispytanii).

Phase II clinical trials of L-asparaginase of leunase manufactured by "Kyowa" (Japan) was performed in cooperation by 5 institutions of the USSR on 49 patients with various forms of hemoblastosis, including 15 patients aged 1 to 15 and 34 patients aged 16 to 75. The drug was used in a daily dose of 200 IU per 1 kg body weight administered as intravenous drips daily for 2--3 weeks. The daily dose was divided into 2 doses administered at an interval of 12 hours. The efficiency of the treatment did not depend on the patients' sex. Significant efficiency of leunase was observed in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (85.7 per cent). The use of the drug in treatment of adults with systemic malignant blood affections was less effective. Some effects recorded in patients with generalized forms of hematosarcoma were transient. The following side effects were noted: nausea, vomiting in 8 children and 13 adults, allergic reactions in the form of pruritus and rashes in 8 adults, impairment of liver and pancreatic functions in 2 children and 1 adult. Acute pancreatonecrosis was recorded in one child. The effect on the peripheral blood was insignificant. Leunase has probably no advantages as compared to other L-asparaginase preparations.

[Biological properties of an asparaginase-glutaminase preparation from Pseudomonas fluorescens in cell cultures]. / Izuchenie biologicheskikh svoistv preparata asparaginazy-gliutaminazy iz Pseudomonas fluorescens v kletochnykh kul'turakh.

Specific L-asparaginase activity and non-specific cytotoxicity of asparaginase-glutaminase preparation from Pseudomonas fluorescens were studied. Two cell lines, i.e. the asparaginase-dependent (Berkitt lymphoma cells) and the asparaginase-independent (the ovary cancer cells) were used as the test-system. Incorporation of 3H-timidine into DNA was used as the criterion of the drug effect on the cells. Krasnitin was used as the reference preparation. The preparation of asparaginase-glutaminase was inferior to krasnitine by its specific antitumour asparaginase activity and superior to it by the general cytotoxicity in the cells of CaOv. With the help of the above test-system it is possible to study the specific asparaginase activity of the drugs containing L-asparaginase. For studying the specific glutaminase properties it is necessary to develop another cell test-system.

[Biological properties of L-asparaginase preparations from E. coli in cell cultures]. / Izuchenie biologicheskikh svoistv preparatov L-asparaginazy iz E. coli v kletochnykh kul'turakh.

Non-specific cytotoxicity and specific antitumor activity of 5 preparations of L-asparaginase from E. coli were studied. Two cell line, i.e. the asparagine-dependent (Berkitt lymphoma cells) and asparagin-independent (human ovary cancer cells) were used as the test-system. Incorporation of 3H-thimidine into DNA was the criterion of the preparation effect on the cells. Preparation I with the specific activity of 60-90 IU per 1 mg of protein obtained at the first stages of purification had high non-specific cytotoxicity. Preparation II obtained after further purification of preparation I, as well as preparation II without any stabilizer with the specific activity of 200 IU/mg were not inferior to the "Bayer" preparation by their biological properties. Addition of L-asparaginase to the preparation as a stabilizer of excessive glycine (preparation IV) increased its non-specific cytotoxicity and interfered with the study of its properties in the cell systems. Mannitol (preparation V) had no effect on the biological activity of L-asparaginase preparation.

[Cellular test system for studying the biological properties of preparations with L-asparaginase activity]. / Kletochnaia test-sistema dlia izucheniia biologiche skikh svoistv preparatov s L-asparaginaznoi aktivnost'iu.

L-Asparaginase sensitivity and asparagin-deficiency of 5 tumor cell populations, i.e. mouse lymphoma L-1210, LI0-1, LTL, Berkitt lymphoma and human ovary cancer, line CaOv were studied. Radiometric estimation of 3H-thimidine incorporation into the cells of DNA served a criterion of cytotoxicity. "Krasnitin" (FDR) was used as L-asparaginase. The cells of leukemia L-1210, lymphosarcoma LIO-1 and line CaOv were asparagine-independent and non-sensitive to L-asparaginase. The cells of mouse lympholeukemia LTL and the cultures of Berkitt human lymphoma proved to be asparagin-dependent and highly sensitive to L-asparaginase. In concentration of 50 IU/ml the drug inhibited incorporation of 3H-thimidine in the cells of LTL and Berkitt lymphoma by 97-98 and 75-80 per cent respectively. Inhibition of 3H-thimidine incorporation in the cells of LTL and Berkitt lymphoma was more pronounced after incubation with the drug for 8 and 24 hours respectively. Two out of the 5 tumor cell populations were chosen as a result of the study. One of these 2 populations, i.e. the cells of Berkitt lymphoma was asparagin-dependent and highly sensitive to L-asparaginase, the other, i.e. the cells of line CaOv was asparagin-independent and resistant to the specific antitumor effect of the enzyme. The use of a system of these two cell lines provided estimation of the ratio of the specific cytostatic (antitumor activity) and non-specific cytostatic properties in the preparations with L-asparaginase activity.

[Physico-chemical properties of deamidase AG from Pseudomonas fluorescens AG possessing antitumor activity]. / Fiziko-khimicheskie svoistva dezamidazy AG iz Pseudomonas fluorescens AG, obladaiushchei protivoopukholevoi sktivnost'iu.

Homogenous deamidase AG from Pseudomonas fluorescens AG was found to be a glycoprotein with molecular weight of about 13,000 daltons. The molecule consists apparently of four similar or identic subunits with molecular weight of about 30,000 daltons. The amino acid composition, N-terminal amino acids, the amount of chymotryptic peptides, containing 14C-carboxymethyl cysteine were studied. The enzyme exhibited distinct antitumoral effect on cells of Burkitt's lymphoma, sensitive to asparaginase, but did not exhibit marked cytotoxic action on cells of human ovarium cancer CaOV line, resistant to asparaginases.