[On the problem of hysterocatonia in the clinical space of schizophrenia and schizophrenic spectrum disorders]. / K probleme isterokatatonii v klinicheskom prostranstve shizofrenii i rasstroistv shizofrenicheskogo spektra.

OBJECTIVE: To determinate the premorbid personality dimensions in patients with hysterocatatonia; to study the psychopathological characteristics, making it possible to distinguish the manifestations of hysterical catatonia among other hysterical and catatonic phenomena; to establish the prognostic value of the hysterocatatonia, occurring in the structure of schizophrenia and schizophrenic spectrum disorders (SSD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 25 patients with a verified diagnosis of schizophrenia and SSD (according to ICD-10) with a predominance of «mild¼ catatonic phenomena in the clinical picture of the disease (manifestations of hyperkinesia, pseudoepileptic paroxysms, isolated parakinesis, psychomotor agitation, accompanied by local muscle spasm and/or an increase in general muscle tone, etc.). RESULTS: The overall severity of catatonic disorders corresponded to 22.7±8.3 BFCRS scale points. The phenomenon of abulic deficiency prevailed in the structure of negative disorders (SANS avolition-apathy - 3.7±0.6; SANS anhedonia-asociality - 2.8±0.7). The increase in the subscales of delusional (2.1±0.2) and hallucinatory phenomena (mild signs of somatic passivity according to K. Schneider), accompanied by a feeling of uncontrollability and «alienation¼ of motor symptoms, was observed according to the SAPS scale. The correlation between the BFCRS scores and the hallucinations (0.765) and delusions (0.653) subscales of the SAPS scale has been found. The hysterocatatonia phenomenon is an independent psychopathological construct, forming in the space of schizophrenia and SSD and revealing a tropism to the pathocharacterological structure of conversion hysteria. The key characteristic, that distinguishes the manifestations of hysterocatonia - is the formation mechanism of movement disorders, based on the phenomenon of mental automatism by G.G. Clérambault. CONCLUSION: The inclusion of hysterocatatonical symptoms into the clinical picture of schizophrenia and SSD serves as the predictor of adverse course of the disease as long as the condition is accompanied by the "layering" of catatonic-hypochondrical and catatonic-delusional symptoms, and the previously low-progressive course of the disease starts being aggravated by the development of repeated attacks with exacerbation of psychomotor symptoms.

Antihyperlipidemic effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet.

Aronia melanocrpa fruit juice (AMFJ) used in our experiment was very rich in phenolic substances (709.3 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 ml juice). Anthocyanins (106.8 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents/100 ml juice) were the main flavonoid group. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of AMFJ on plasma lipids and lipoprotein profile, and histopathology of liver and aorta in rats with dietary-induced hyperlipidemia. AMFJ was administered by gavage for 30 days at doses of 5, 10 and 20 ml/kg body weight to rats fed a standard diet (SD) or a 4% cholesterol-containing diet (4% ChD). The 4% ChD caused a significant elevation of plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG). AMFJ did not significantly influence plasma lipids in rats fed the SD and significantly hindered the elevation of plasma TC, LDL-C and TG in rats fed the 4% ChD. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were not significantly influenced either by the 4% ChD or by AMFJ. Neither the cholesterol feeding, nor AMFJ treatment induced any histopathological changes in rat liver and aorta. In conclusion, AMFJ showed an antihyperlipidemic effect in rats with hyperlipidemia and could be valuable in reducing this factor of cardiovascular risk.

Effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice on indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage and oxidative stress in rats.

Aronia melanocarpa fruits are rich in phenolic substances-mainly flavonoids from the anthocyanin subclass. The anthocyanins are water-soluble plant pigments with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective and other activities. We studied the effect of A. melanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) on indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage in rats and its possible relation to the oxidative status. AMFJ (5, 10 and 20 ml kg(-1)) was applied orally as a pretreatment 1 h before the subcutaneous administration of indomethacin (30 mg kg(-1)). Gastric ulcer formation was estimated morphometrically and histopathologically 4h after the indomethacin administration. Malondialdehyde (MDA) in rat plasma and gastric mucosa and also reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in gastric mucosa were determined and used as biochemical markers of the oxidative status. AMFJ-pretreatment diminished the number and area of indomethacin-induced gastric lesions. Histopathological examination of rat stomachs demonstrated that AMFJ induced an increase in gastric mucus production and a reduction of the depth and severity of indomethacin-induced mucosal lesions. AMFJ dose-dependently reduced the elevated indomethacin plasma and gastric MDA levels and at the doses of 10 and 20 ml kg(-1) they were not significantly different from the control values. Neither indomethacin-treatment, nor AMFJ-pretreatment had a significant influence on GSH and GSSG gastric mucosal levels. These results demonstrated that indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage was accompanied by the development of oxidative stress, evidenced by the accumulation of MDA. AMFJ-pretreatment decreased the gastric lesions caused by indomethacin. It could be suggested that this effect of AMFJ was probably due to the increased mucus production and interference with oxidative stress development as evidenced by the decreased plasma and gastric mucosal MDA.

Hepatoprotective effect of the natural fruit juice from Aronia melanocarpa on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver damage in rats.

The fruits of Aronia melanocarpa are rich in anthocyanins--plant pigments with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. We studied the effect of the natural fruit juice from A. melanocarpa (NFJAM) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver damage in rats. Histopathological changes such as necrosis, fatty change, ballooning degeneration and inflammatory infiltration of lymphocytes around the central veins occurred in rats following acute exposure to CCl4 (0.2 ml kg(-1), 2 days). The administration of CCl4 increased plasma aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) activities, induced lipid peroxidation (as measured by malondialdehyde (MDA) content in rat liver and plasma) and caused a depletion of liver reduced glutathione (GSH). NFJAM (5, 10 and 20 ml kg(-1), 4 days) dose-dependently reduced the necrotic changes in rat liver and inhibited the increase of plasma AST and ALT activities, induced by CCl4 (0.2ml kg(-1), 3rd and 4th days). NFJAM also prevented the CCl4-induced elevation of MDA formation and depletion of GSH content in rat liver.

[Association of generalized sarcoidosis and diffuse toxic goiter]. / Sochetanie generalizovannogo sarkoidoza i diffuznogo toksicheskogo zoba.

The paper reports 2 cases of thyroid sarcoidosis associated with diffuse toxic goiter. This association is of a special interest because of suggested common mechanisms underlying etiopathogenesis of these two diseases attributed to immune disorders. Thyroid surgery and subsequent morphological examination in sarcoidosis patients require a purposeful search for epithelioid-cell granules in the thyroid tissue for diagnosis of thyroid sarcoidosis.