The presence of radiotoxic 210Po and 210Pb in Ukrainian wild medicinal plants and the assessment of related dose and cancer risk.

Herbal plants are considered natural pharmaceuticals but also accumulate chemical elements and compounds at high levels. 210Po and 210Pb are highly radiotoxic and may cause carcinogenesis due to ionizing radiation. Thirteen of the most popular wild-growing herbaceous plant species, mostly included in the European Pharmacopoeia, were collected across Ukraine. 210Po and 210Pb were determined in the medicinal plants, and their radiotoxicity and cancer risk were calculated. The results of 210Po activities measured in herbal raw material ranged from 2.28 Bq kg-1 dw (where dw is dry weight) in herb of common horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) collected near Lviv to 37.7 Bq kg-1 dw in leaves of common birch (Betula pendula Roth.) from Rava Ruska. The activity concentrations of 210Pb varied from 0.44 Bq kg-1 dw in leaves of common birch from Starokostyantyniv to 28.4 Bq kg-1 dw in leaves of common birch from Mizhhirya. There were statistically significant differences between 210Po and 210Pb content in flowers, leaves, and aerial portions. The studies indicated that the estimated annual effective radiation dose from Ukrainian herbs consumption was low, ranging 5.00-82.6 µSv from 210Po and 0.56-35.8 µSv from 210Pb, while the cancer morbidity and mortality risk ranged from 10-4 to 10-6. The presented data indicated no radiological risk related to using herbal plant materials.

[Correction of several parameters of homeostasis in patients with ischemic heart disease by different methods of extracorporeal treatment of blood]. / Korrektsiia nekotorykh pokazatelei gomeostaza u bol'nykh ishemicheskoi bolezn'iu serdtsa pri razlichnykh metodakh ékstrakorporal'noi obrabotki krovi.

Plasmapheresis, ultraviolet exposure of the blood, combination of these two methods, and plasmapheresis with removal of the upper layer of cells (partial cytapheresis) were added to routine treatment of 204 coronary patients. The above methods brought about good results, their efficacy being determined by the degree of myocardial involvement. A clear-cut effect of plasmapheresis on DIC, typical of such patients, is worthy of note.

[Oxygen regimen during various intensive care methods in severe exotoxic shock]. / Kislorodnyi rezhim organizma pri razlichnykh metodakh reanimatsii tiazhelogo ékzotoksicheskogo shoka.

Oxygen regimen of the organism was experimentally studied at the stages of oxygen entry, transport, and consumption in severe exotoxigenic shock caused by poisoning with methemoglobin-forming toxin during correction of this state by different intensive care methods. Analysis of the time course of the basic values of oxygen regimen demonstrated a high efficacy of assisted circulation with extracorporeal oxygenation of the blood and hyperbaric oxygenation in a complex of intensive care methods in such patients.

[Complex program of detoxication measures in terminal peritonitis using ozone and hydropressive technologies]. / Kompleksnaia programma detoksikatsionnykh meropriiatii pri terminal'nom peritonite s ispol'zovaniem ozona i gidropressivnykh tekhnologii.

Different methods of ozone therapy and hydropressive technologies were used in the treatment of acute diffuse peritonitis, including hydropressive sanitation of the abdominal cavity, intestinal ozone therapy, etc. These methods brought about many good effects, improving the outcomes for this patient population in general.

[Assisted blood circulation, efferent detoxication and hyperbaric oxygenation in the treatment of exotoxic shock]. / Vspomogatel'noe krovoobrashchenie, éfferentnaia detoksikatsiia i giperbaricheskaia oksigenatsiia pri lechenii ékzotoksicheskogo shoka.

Experimental and clinical data on the employment of assisted circulation with extracorporeal oxygenation of the blood, exchange replacement of the blood in high volumes, hemoperfusion, and hyperbaric therapy in the treatment of exotoxic shock caused by methemoglobin-forming and corrosive poisons demonstrate a high efficacy of assisted circulation in the normalization of central hemodynamics (which permits exchange replacement of the blood and hemoperfusion), of the hepatorenal function, hemostasis, and other parameters of the internal media in humans and animals. The method is recommended for wide use at large reanimation and toxicological centers.

[A new site-specific endonuclease and methylase from a thermophilic strain of Bacillus species KT6]. / Novye sait-spetsificheskie éndonukleaza i metilaza iz termofil'nogo shtamma Bacillus species KT6.

The site-specific endonuclease R.BspKT6I and the cognate site-specific methylase M.BspKT6I have been isolated from the thermophilic strain of Bacillus species KT6 using gel-filtration on Sephadex G100 followed by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose and hydroxyapatite. Endonuclease BspKT6I is an isomer but not an isoschizomer of Sau3AI and MboI. It recognized on the DNA molecule the GAT decreases C sequence and cleaves it; however, unlike Sau3AI and MboI it produces 3'-protruding dinucleotides. The site cleavage is inhibited by dam-methylation. The sticky ends resulting from the BspKT6I cleavage are identical and complementary to the ends formed after the PvuI cleavage. The isolated from the B. species KT6 methylase protects the DNA from subsequent cleavage by BspKT6I. Adenine is a methylated base.

[A new site-specific endonuclease BspKT51]. / Novaia sait-spetsificheskaia éndonukleaza BspKT51.

The new site-specific endonuclease BspKT5I free from interfering impurities has been isolated from thermophilic soil bacteria Bacillus species KT5 by successive chromatography on blue agarose, hydroxyapatite and heparin-Sepharose. BspKT5I on double-stranded DNA recognizes the sequence 5'-CTGAAG16N decreases 3'-GACTTC14N increases and cleaves the DNA at the recognition site as indicated by the arrows to form dinucleotide 3'-protruding termini. The isolated endonuclease is an isoschisomer of Eco57I. However, unlike Eco57I, it is not stimulated by S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and can therefore be related to subclass IIs but not to IV, as Eco57I. In addition, endonuclease BspKT5I, unlike Eco57I, has no methylase activity.

[Site-specific endonuclease BstM6I from Bacillus stearothermophilus M6]. / Sait-spetsificheskaia éndonukleaza BSTM6I iz Bacillus stearothermophilus M6.

A site-specific endonuclease activity was found in extract of Bacillus stearothermophilus M6 isolated from molasses. The functionally pure enzyme designated as BstM6I was obtained by consecutive chromatographies on blue sepharose, hydroxyapatite, and heparin-sepharose. The endonuclease recognizes the nucleotide sequence CC decreases WGG in double-stranded DNA and cleaves it as indicated by the arrow to give one-nucleotide 5'-protruding ends. Consequently, the site-specific endonuclease BstM6I is an isoshizomer of BstNI.

[The effect of the type of agar on the growth of the fungus Blakeslea trispora]. / Vliianie vida agara na rost griba Blakeslea trispora.

The relationship between the type of agar used to prepare solid nutrient media and the growth of Bl. trispora strains (+)8A and (-)8A was under study. Bl. trispora culture virtually failed to grow in the media prepared with powder agar, GOST 16280-70: it died after 2-month storage with 2 reinoculations. Bl. trispora grew fairly well in culture media with white frozen lamellar agar (GOST 16280-70) or with white frozen microbiologic agar, GOST 17206-71; the characteristic features of the culture were preserved after 10 monthly reinoculations.