[Possible side effects of drugs in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidity].

the papers gives data on the positive effects and adverse reactions of drugs used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its comorbidity, first of all cardiovascular disease. The authors present alternative points of views based on both the data available in the literature and their findings. they propose to modify pharmacotherapy for COPD in the presence of comorbidity in patients of old age groups.

[Problems of Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension in Old Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease].

The article contains consideration of risk factors of pulmonary hypertension (PH), clinical states associated with PH, and effect of age on susceptibility to PH in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We have analyzed the prevalence of PH associated with COPD, its importance in the structure of diseases in patients of older age groups. Frequency of PH in old patients is associated with prevalence of concomitant diseases. Addition of LH to polymorbid complex of old age worsens quality of life and increases mortality. We also present in this article data on the use of modern drugs for the treatment of LH in COPD patients aged 60 years and older.

Regional specifics of microbial landscape in outpatients with lower respiratory tract infections.

BACKGROUND: The last years have witnessed progressive growth of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) both in hospital-acquired and community-acquired respiratory infections. Regional guidelines (2006) presented standard approaches to pharmacotherapy and provided an important contribution to improvement of antimicrobial therapy at healthcare facilities of both the City of Stavropol and the Stavropol Region. At the same time, recent years have witnessed substantial changes in sensitivity to antimicrobials; besides, newer antibiotics have become available now. This substantiates the need for update of the regional guidelines [1]. OBJECTIVE: To determine the issues related to standardization of antibiotic therapy of lower respiratory tract (LRT) infections at an outpatient setting; to assess regional changes (2007-2012) in the spectrum of pathogens causing LRT diseases in patients of the regional healthcare facilities in view of their age and the diagnosis as compared with the years of 2003-2006. METHODS: In 2007-2012, we examined sputum microbiology of patients with LRT infections at the bacteriological laboratory of the Centre for Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy (Stavropol, Russia), following the methodology guidelines [2]. The comparison was carried out with the results of the microbiological examination of 7051 sputum samples (held in 2003-2006). Statistical analysis was carried out using arithmetic means, standard errors, and Student's t test involving a software package STATISTICA 6.0. RESULTS: In the outpatient practice, half of the patients with LRT infections were identified to have Str. Pneumoniae. The sputum of every fifth examined patient allowed isolating Enterobacteriaceae family members such as Klebsiella spp. (Klebsiella pneumoniae in most cases), Serratiaspp., E. coli, and Enterobacter spp. It is essential to note that almost a quarter of the patients were found to have M. pneumoniae. C. Pneumonia was detected quite often as well (19%). Str. pneumoniae, M. pneumoniae, and C. pneumoniae were found in virtually 80% of all the cases of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. H. influenzae and M. pneumoniae were 2-3 times more often isolated from the sputum of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic non-obstructive bronchitis.Along with an increase in the patients' age, regardless of the diagnosis, the proportion of pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae and various members of the Enterobacteriaceae family went up, while the share of mycoplasmas went down. However, even in patients over 60 years of age M. pneumoniae accounted for a significant share in the overall spectrum of pathogens, which indicates the need for microbiological monitoring, especially as far as COPD is concerned.In contrast to the previous years, only 35% of the patients (previously 60%) underwent bacteriological examination (p<0.05) while receiving antibiotic therapy. Significant prevalence of mycoplasmas in the structure of the isolated microorganisms was found in patients who had been previously treated with ß-lactam antibiotics.Associations of pathogens were detected in 14% of cases, which is half the rate found 2-3 years ago. The associations were found to reveal more frequent presence of H. influenzae in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic non-obstructive bronchitis, and Enterobacteriaceae - in patients with COPD and pneumonia. The recent years have shown that, combined with other microorganisms, there can be detected pneumococci (p<0.05), H. influenzae, as well M. pneumoniae, while there have been fewer cases of enterococci and enterobacteria; as for non-filterable bacteria, they have been never detected again (p<0.05).Strains of H. influenzae maintained high sensitivity to aminopenicillins, including the protected ones. The antibiotic resistance possessed by Str. pneumoniae to aminopenicillins doubled (12.4% strains vs. 6.4% 3 years ago, p<0.05). The resistance to Co-trimoxazole and Ofloxacin was 27.9% and to macrolides it was 17.9%. Various representatives of the Enterobacteriaceae family maintained high sensitivity to aminopenicillins, second and third generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones.Of the 20 M. pneumoniae strains that were tested, 8 (40%) displayed resistance to one or more antimicrobials. The highest numbers of cases with resistance were detected to Ciprofloxacin (25%) and Erythromycin (20%). 10% strains of mycoplasma showed resistance to Doxycycline and Ofloxacin, while only 5% of mycoplasmas were identified as having non-sensitivity to Clarithromycin and Azithromycin. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the research carried out in the recent years in comparison with the data of the previous years, call for reviewing of the standard approaches to the choice of antimicrobial agents in respiratory tract infections. In order to improve the standard of care, the choice of medicines should be based on a number of factors, namely the age, the severity of the respective pathological condition, previous antimicrobial use, and the level of care.

[Microflora of palatine tonsils in chronic tonsillitis].

The objective of the present work was to develop the standardized approaches to pharmacotherapy of chronic tonsillitis based on the data of regional specificity of the tonsillar microflora. The methods of investigations included the study of throat swabs obtained from 668 patients presenting with various forms of chronic tonsillitis (CT). Half of these patients were shown to be infected with Streptococcus pyogenes and 24.5% with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The presence of concomitant pathology of the respiratory and digestive tracts in the patients with CT increases the probability of identification of enterobacteria, enteroccocci, and staphylococci in combination with streptococci and mycoplasmas. It is concluded that the choice of antibacterial therapy should be based on the results of analysis of the aggravated medical history and bacteriological diagnostics including the isolation of all putative pathogens and examination of their susceptinility to antibacterial agents.

[Adrenalectomy changes diazepam performance in male and female rats under multiparametric test conditions].

It is established that adrenalectomy decreases the "sedative" and "anti-anxiety" effects and reduces the "anxiogenic" effect of diazepam in male rats under multiparametric test conditions. At the same time, the "sedative" and "activating" effects of this tranquilizer do not appear in adrenalectomized female rats and the "anti-anxiety" effect is only observed in the evening. The "anxiogenic" effect of diazepam in females is not observed for a drug dose of 0.5 mg/kg and is only manifested at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg.

[Stress effect on haloperidol-induced catalepsy and its circadian rhythm in intact and ovariectomized female rats].

Stressing reduces the intensity of haloperidol-induced catalepsy in intact female rats and increases it in ovariectomized animals. Ovarioectomy reduces the severity of haloperidol catalepsy. Circadian rhythm acrophase of the cataleptogenic haloperidol activity in female rats after ovariectomy and stress exhibits significant displacement.

Emission characteristics of H- ion source with inverse gas magnetron geometry.

The work is dedicated to the experimental investigation of the intense volume-plasma H(-) ion source. Preliminary experimental researches of two parameters of the upgraded source--emission density of H(-) ions and gas flow--are represented below. In plasma volume of noncesium H(-) ion source, the conditions for obtaining of increased density of H(-) ions in the field of adjoining to the emission aperture were realized. The advancing of electrode system of the emission chamber of a source has allowed receiving the value of an emission density of H(-) ions equal to 600 mA/cm(2).

[Sexual distinctions of the diazepam activity in rats in the conflict situation].

Diazepam caused less pronounced shifts in the conflict situation test in female rats as compared to males. The drug produced more pronounced anticonflict action on male rats in the evening. In female rats, a doze of 0.5 mg/kg of the anxiolytic drug produced a clear anticonflict action, mostly in the evening; however, even this effect was approximately only about half of that observed in males in the same period of time.

[Chronobiological distinctions in swimming behaviour of intact and ovariectomised rats females].

The forced swimming (experimental model of depression) of intact and ovarioectomized rats-females using chronobiological approach was investigated. "The index of depression" of intact rats-females in a stage of proestrus/estrus was a little higher than in diestrus 1/2 in the morning and evening was established. Thus "the index of depression" in evening time was great. "The index of depression" of female in condition of diestrus 1/2 in the evening was lower in comparison with morning hours, and in a phase proestrus/estrus it was higher in the evening. "The index of depression" of ovarioectomized females in comparison with intact rats, both in the morning and in the evening, was higher. Thus the parameter of ovario-ectomized females in the evening was lesser than in the morning. However, in comparison with intact females the change of "the index of depression" in ovario-ectomized females in the evening was lesser than in the morning.

The effects of lesions to the striatum on the function of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal system in adrenalectomized rats.

Experiments on white rats were performed to study the effects of bilateral lesioning of the striatum on activation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal system (HHAS) after unilateral adrenalectomy. These studies showed that increases in the weight of the surviving adrenal gland were smaller in striatectomized rats than in controls. There was a significant decrease in corticosteroid production by the intact gland. These changes were most marked after destruction of the dorsal parts of the nucleus. These data provide evidence for involvement of the striatum in controlling HHAS activity via a feedback mechanism.

Investigations of thermoluminescence dosimetry in the Techa river flood plain: analysis of the new results.

The Techa river region was highly contaminated due to radioactive releases from a nuclear production facility in the period from 1949 to 1956. The inhabitants of the upper Techa river settlements received significant doses of external radiation. The majority of the houses in the upper Techa river villages were demolished after the evacuation of the population in 1956. Only three buildings (red-brick construction) in the former village of Metlino can still be used for thermoluminescence (TL) investigations in an external dose reconstruction study. The radiation source configuration changed in 1956 after an artificial reservoir was created next to Metlinsky pond. Preliminary TL studies showed good properties of the bricks that were sampled from the buildings. This paper presents an analysis of new results of TL investigations obtained on the samples collected from different walls of the buildings. The highest dose values in the range 1-4 Gy were found in bricks collected from the walls of building exposed to the artificial reservoir (Reservoir-10) and values of 1-1.5 Gy were found next to the Metlinsky pond shoreline. The measurements of the radiation source geometry were carried out simultaneously with the dose rates, radionuclide concentration in water and bottom sediments near the wall facing the old river bed. The measurements allow a validation of models used in the current Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS-2000) to estimate external doses of the former inhabitants of the upper Techa riverside. In particular, the results can be applied for a more correct description of the source geometry in the settlement.

[Effect of striatum destruction on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis function in adrenalectomized rats]. / Vliianie povrezhdeniia striatuma ha funktsiiu gipotalamo-gipofizarno-nadpochechnikovoi sistemy u adrenaléktomirovannykh krys.

The influence of the bilateral striatectomy on activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis after unilateral adrenalectomy was investigated. Increasing of the intact adrenal gland's mass in striatectomized rats was less than in the control group. It was combined with decreasing of the production of corticosteroids by intact gland. Such disturbances were more obvious in rats with destruction of the dorsal striatum than the ventral one. These facts suggest the striatum participation, its dorsal zone in particular, in the processes of regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Radioecological impacts of the Techa River contamination.

During the years 1949-1952, the Mayak Production Association (MAYAK), which was processing weapons-grade plutonium, was discharging radioactive wastes into the Techa River. As a result, all components of the river system (water, bottom soils, and flood plains) were exposed to massive radioactive contamination. The protective measures taken in the 1950's resulted in the improvement of the radioecological conditions in the Techa River. After 1952, the radioecological conditions in the area were mostly determined by the long-lived radionuclides 9OSr and 137Cs. This article focuses on the dependencies governing the migration of radionuclides along the vertical and horizontal planes in different components of the river system over a 40-y period. Until the 1990's, a decrease in 90Sr and 137Cs contents was noted in environmental samples and foodstuffs produced in riverside villages. In the subsequent years, the radioecological situation on the Techa stabilized. The sources of the current contamination of the river are represented by the runoffs from by-pass canals and swampy upper reaches.