[Experimental study of relations of the argasid ticks Alveonasus lahorensis with Coxiella burnetii].

The argasid ticks A. lahorensis can be infected with Coxiella burnetii on feeding on an infected rabbit. The adoptive pathogen reproduces in the ticks and accumulates in them up to 10(10) ID50 g(-1). Coxiella persists in the ticks at this level up to 156 days (the time of observation). The infected ticks transmit Coxiella to guinea pigs while sucking. The ticks show transovarial transmission of Coxilla during metamorphosis. On this basis and with consideration for the fact that A. lahorensis uses a wide host range, it can long starve and retains Coxiella burnetii in the foci of Q fever.

[Cultivation of the clothes lice adapted to feeding on rabbits].

A race of clothes lice adapted to feeding on rabbits is kept at a laboratory longer than 50 years. For this period, more than 850 insect generations undergoing no change in a number of biological tests and morphological indices have been obtained. They have retained a high susceptibility to Provacheck rickettsia infection. All infected lice die, partially with the signs of hemolytic imbibition. Their rickettsial accumulation is as high as 10(5.0) ID50 per insect for albino rats.

[Is there a correlation between the vaginal colonization with group B streptococci and premature deliveries?]. / Ima li zavisimost mezhdu vaginalnata kolonizatsiia sus streptokoki ot grupa B i prezhdevremennite razhdaniia?

The study covered 110 pregnant females during the period from January 1, 2002 till April 30, 2003. Nine females (8.18%) delivered premature newborns. Samples were taken from the posterior vaginal fornix and canalis cervicalis in the 18th and 24th gestational week. The preparations stained after Gram were examined under light microscope. Microbial cultures on blood agar were examined, too. It was established that 18 or 16.36% of all the cases presented with cultures positive for group B streptococci (Str. agalactiae) and Ureaplasma urealythicum. Some other microbial flora representatives such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoea and Trichomonas vaginalis were additionally identified. The independent colonization with Str. agalactiae prior to the 18th gestational week does not relate to the spontaneous abortions and premature deliveries at all. On the other hand, the colonization with Group B streptococci or their symbiosis with other microorganisms after the 23rd-24th gestational week displays a certain correlation with the premature births.

[Association between Mycoplasma genitalium and preterm labor]. / Vruzkata na mycoplasma genitalium s prezhdevremennite rozhdaniia.

M. genitalium was identified by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The samples were obtained from the posterior vaginal fornix between 21-25 gestation weeks and investigated for PH, Gram Stain for bacterial vaginosis; Chlamidia trachomartis; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Trichomonas vaginalis. Of 102 pregnant women, only five had a PCR-positive for M. genitalium. The occurrence of M. genitalium in posterior vaginal fornix at midtrimester is infrequent in pregnant women and unlikely to be a contributing factor for spontaneous preterm birth.

[Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta in the blood plasma of patients with HIV infection]. / Faktor nekroza opukholi-alpha i interleikin-1beta v plazme krovi bol'nykh VICh-infektsiei.

The paper presents examination findings of 67 HIV-infected patients: 32 children aged 2.5 to 16 years and 35 adults aged 21 to 46 years. The proportion of patients with higher alpha-tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 beta increased with progression of the disease, the two parameters being higher in the children than in the adults. A correlation was found between the appearance of cytokines in the plasma and some clinical signs, such as fever, weight loss, anemia, neurological disorders. A parallel study of the patients' immunograms indicated significant correlations between the degree of impairments in the composition of lymphocyte subpopulations and the appearance of plasma cytokines.

Indication of antigens and antibodies using the reaction of compound immune adsorption and reactivation of the phage.

A method of determining antibodies by their adsorption on large-pore or surface immunosorbents with subsequent treatment of the carrier with anti-immunoglobulin serum and antiphage serum isologous to the antibodies and then with the bacteriophage has been presented. The adsorbed virions are split off by means of papain-induced hydrolysis of the antibody complex. The antigens are determined by the reaction of phage fixing inhibition. The method permits to determine small amounts of antibodies to proteins, haptenes and cells with objective calculation of results.

Action of heparin on protein fractions of isolated nuclei and on their DNA content.

Isolated nuclei of rat hepatocytes were incubated with 0.05% sodium heparinate for 2 to 10 min. Alterations in the nuclei were controlled biochemically, determining the amounts of DNA and histones, and by cytophotometric methods determining the amounts of total and nonhistone proteins and DNA. Under the selected experimental conditions 95% of histones are bound already after 5-min incubation with heparin; nonhistone proteins of cell nuclei remain unchanged. The blockade of histones is followed by DNA diffusion into the incubation medium. Experiments with nuclear staining with alcian blue proved the specificity of heparin binding with histones and showed that heparin-histone complex remains in the nuclei, and its histones lose their extractability with 0.25 n HCl.

Feulgen hydrolysis at refrigerator temperature.

In order to search for the better FEULGEN hydrolysis conditions, the 2 kinds of hydrolysis with 5 N HCl - at room temperature and at refrigerator temperature - were comparatively studied on rat liver imprints. 2 reactions were used: with the SCHIFF reagent binding to aldehyde groups and with methylene blue staining phosphate groups of DNA. Cytophotometry was coupled with morphological examination of stained nuclei. It was found that 1. cold hydrolysis has no substantial advantage when revealing DNA with the SCHIFF reagent but 2. it has undoubtful profit to reveal DNA, and in particular its acid-labile fraction, when staining with methylene blue. With the cold hydrolysis-methylene blue technique at least 3 categories of DNA with different acid-lability can be revealed and characterized morphologically in rat liver nuclei.

[Release of DNA from the nuclei of hepatocytes of rats following their treatment with heparin]. / Vykhod DNK iz iader gepatotsitov krys pri obrabotke ikh geparinom.

The influence of heparin on the protein fractions and DNA of the isolated nuclei of hepatocytes was studied by biochemical and cytospectrophotometrical methods on Wistar rats. It was found that 0.05% sodium heparinate solution blocked 95% of the histones, not influencing the non-histone proteins of the cell nucleus. Histone blocking was connected with the DNA release into the incubation medium in the amounts proportional to the incubation period.

[Feulgen reaction conducted on unfixed smears]. / Provedenie reaktsii Fel'gena na nefiksirovannykh mazkakh.

After hydrolysis with 5N HCl at room temperature Feulgen's reaction either with Schiff's reagent or with some basic dyes instead of it can be carried out on the air-dried smears without any chemical fixation. Both reactions give quantitative results.

Evaluation of Feulgen reaction performed on unfixed smears.

Feulgen reaction--both the original one with Schiff reagent and the modified one with toluidine- or methylene blue, pH = 4.0--can be carried out on air-dried smears without fixing. Hydrolysis--5 n HCl at room temperature should be 15 to 20 min for the original and 5 to 10 min--for the modified reaction. Binding of the dyes is stoichiometric in both cases.