Recovery of whisking function promoted by manual stimulation of the vibrissal muscles after facial nerve injury requires insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

Recently, we showed that manual stimulation (MS) of denervated vibrissal muscles enhanced functional recovery following facial nerve cut and suture (FFA) by reducing poly-innervation at the neuro-muscular junctions (NMJ). Although the cellular correlates of poly-innervation are established, with terminal Schwann cells (TSC) processes attracting axon sprouts to "bridge" adjacent NMJ, molecular correlates are poorly understood. Since quantitative RT-PCR revealed a rapid increase of IGF-1 mRNA in denervated muscles, we examined the effect of daily MS for 2 months after FFA in IGF-1(+/-) heterozygous mice; controls were wild-type (WT) littermates including intact animals. We quantified vibrissal motor performance and the percentage of NMJ bridged by S100-positive TSC. There were no differences between intact WT and IGF-1(+/-) mice for vibrissal whisking amplitude (48 degrees and 49 degrees ) or the percentage of bridged NMJ (0%). After FFA and handling alone (i.e. no MS) in WT animals, vibrissal whisking amplitude was reduced (60% lower than intact) and the percentage of bridged NMJ increased (42% more than intact). MS improved both the amplitude of vibrissal whisking (not significantly different from intact) and the percentage of bridged NMJ (12% more than intact). After FFA and handling in IGF-1(+/-) mice, the pattern was similar (whisking amplitude 57% lower than intact; proportion of bridged NMJ 42% more than intact). However, MS did not improve outcome (whisking amplitude 47% lower than intact; proportion of bridged NMJ 40% more than intact). We conclude that IGF-I is required to mediate the effects of MS on target muscle reinnervation and recovery of whisking function.

[The electron microscopic pathology of human spermatozoa]. / Elektronno-mikroskopska patologiia na choveshkite spermatozoidi.

About 8% of our patients reveal predominantly single abnormality-state, known like monomorphic teratozoospermy, which concerns round headed spermatozoa, amorphous heads, small heads, tapering heads, decapitated spermatozoa, middlepieces and tail defects. In the light of electron-microscopy study the quality and information exactness increases significantly in comparison to conventional semen analysis. Such kind of study, however is not acquitted in normal fertile men, although the finding some of the above mentioned defects, but with less frequency. The assessment of human semen quality must be complex and coordinately without depreciation of the other methods of semen analysis.

[The prevention and treatment of experimental radiation injuries to the skin by using the Nucliderm-gel preparation]. / Profilaktika i lehcenie éksperimental;'nykh luchevykh povrezhdenii kozhi s pomoshch'iu preparata nukliderm-gel'.

Radiopreventive and radiotherapeutic efficacy of nuclyderm-gel was studied on tails of mice exposed to fractionated gamma-radiation of 90 Gy (15 + 30 + 45 Gy) and 75 Gy (45 + 30 Gy). Daily seven-day treatment with nuclyderm-gel prior to irradiation with increasing doses (15 + 30 + 45 Gy) and the subsequent continuous therapy were shown to delay and reduce skin reactions. Nuclyderm-gel was particularly effective when used therapeutically. The treatment of exposed areas, with the three-fold dose fractionation, was the optimum therapy scheme.

[Heterogeneity of epithelial cells in the human thymus during early ontogeny (an immunohistochemical study)]. / Kheterogennost na epitelnite kletki na timusa u chovek v rannata ontogeneza (imunokhistokhimichno izsledvane).

An immunohistochemical study of thymic epithelial cells at an early stage of prenatal development of man (II-III lunar month of pregnancy) was carried out. Serial cryostatic sections were prepared by a standardized method (Takacs, 1987) with monoclonal antibodies against four types of tonofilament-bound keratinic antigens (BH11, BG3, AG3, T2/30). There were phenotypic-heterogeneity, caused by differences in the expression of keratinic antigens, as well as regional peculiarities in inner thymic distribution of various types of keratin-positive epithelial cells. The obtained results are discussed in connection with the possibility of securing specific epithelial microencirclement of thymic lymphocytes during their proliferation and differentiation at early ontogeny.

[Electron microscopic study of internalization stages of cellular receptors for insulin and alpha-1-thymosin]. / Elektronnomikroskopsko prouchvane vurkhu etapi ot internalizatsiiata na kletuchin retseptori za insuli i timozin alpha-1.

Initial stages of insulin-receptor interaction in two types of blood cells (erythrocytes and monocytes) as well as of thymosin-receptor interaction in thymic lymphocytes of rat were studied by electron microscope. Hormone-receptor complexes were marked by colloidal gold. There was general similarity at the initial stages of interaction of both peptide hormones and cellular, membrane receptors for them. Some characteristic and regular ultrastructural peculiarities were described in distribution, aggregation and early links of internalization of insulin-binding and thymosin-binding receptor sites, which could be taken into consideration analysing hormone-receptor interaction and of its defects at receptor and postreceptor level.

[The course of skin radiation reactions after treatment with the preparation nucliderm-gel]. / Techenie luchevykh reaktsii kozhi posle obrabotki preparatom nukliderm-gel'.

The process of epithelialization and the antiseptic effect of nucliderm-gel applied locally have been studied on 63 oncologic patients subjected to radiotherapy. In all cases under study, nucliderm-gel promotes skin epithelialization and has a high antiseptic effect as compared with the drugs applied hitherto.

[Effect of adeturon on postradiation macromolecular synthesis in the peripheral blood leukocytes of gamma ray-irradiated rats]. / Vliianie adeturona na postradiatsionnyi sintez makromolekul v leikotsitakh perifericheskoi krovi obluchennykh gamma-luchami krys.

DNA, RNA and protein syntheses were studied in peripheral blood leucocytes of irradiated (1-7 Gy) rats. Adeturon was shown to produce a pronounced protective effect on DNA synthesis progressively inhibited by the doses applied. The protective effect of the agent was not manifest with the slightly increased synthesis of RNA. There was a trend toward normalization of the increased protein synthesis.

[Cleansing and disinfecting the skin of calves in veal production]. / Izmivane i dezinfektsiia na kozhnata pokrivka na teleta pri dobiv ne teleshko meso.

Investigations were carried out at 6 meat producing combines on calves intended for slaughter. The animals originated from farms of different hygiene conditions. The studies aimed at establishing the extent to which the produced meat was contaminated with organisms coming from the skin cover. The total count of bacteria as well as that of coliforms in samples taken from the coat of calves were determined prior to bathing the animals, after that and after disinfection. Following slaughter the bacteria were studied at the site of separating the skin, in the abdominal muscles and in the croup. The skin of the calves for slaughter was found to be strongly contaminated with bacteria. The bathing and the disinfection with a 2 per cent chloramine solution decreased the number of microbes, however, did not fully inactivate bacteria. This contributed to the additional surface contamination of the meat obtained.

[Ultrastructural characteristics of the cortical macrophages in the murine thymus]. / Ultrastrukturni osobenosti na kortikalnite makrofagi v timus na mishka.

The authors examined the fine structure of cortical macrophages in the thymus of mice (Swiss), aged 4 months and killed by decapitation. They described the characteristic ultrastructural peculiarities, which enabled to distinguish macrophages from epithelial reticular cells as well as from the so called dark reticular cells with long cytoplasmic outgrowths in the cortex of the thymic lobule. The observed differences in the cytoplasmic characteristics were connected with the degree of the functional activity of the cortical macrophages.

[Hygienic studies of the manufacture of pasteurized and sterilized canned meat products]. / Khigienni prouchvaniia pri proizvodstvoto na past'orizirani i sterilizirani mesni konservi.

Studied was microbiologically the hygiene condition of premises, equipment, glassware and containers, instruments and tools, raw meat, the hands of workers and work clothing, canned products prior to sterilization, and air along all technologic lines for the production of pasteurized and sterilized canned meat: In case of underestimating the measures of industrial hygiene. In case of permanent and severe control on the measures of industrial hygiene. Determined were the total counts of bacteria--of coliforms, Salmonellae, anaerobes and staphylococci. Results made it clear that the observation of hygiene along all technologic lines of production is an immediate task. Strictly observed hygiene in meat production has given very good results up to 90-100 per cent of the washings prove sterile. Experiments have pointed to the necessity of observing the measures of industrial hygiene that guarantee the high quality of canned meat.