[Spread of hepatitis virus as a threat to national security]. / Rasprostranenie virusnykh gepatitov kak ugrosza natsional'noi bezopasnosti.

Information on viral hepatitis A, B and C morbidity in Russia is presented. A distinct trend to decreased viral hepatitis B and C morbidity in 2001-2002 in comparison with the 1990-ies is noted. Nevertheless, there is still unfavorable prognosis regarding high hepatitis B morbidity among the population of reproductive age, as well as among adolescents, which increases the risk for children at an early age. In addition, a new specific feature of hepatitis A spread is observed: morbidity in this infection is shifted to older age groups. The role of vaccinal prophylaxis in the decrease of hepatitis A and B morbidity, virus safety of blood and its components, the quality of the diagnostics of chronic hepatitis, especially hepatitis C, are discussed. The complex of measures for the prophylaxis of viral hepatitis is proposed.

[The realization of the concept of Harm Reduction in Russia]. / Realizatsiia kontseptsii "Snizhenie vreda" v Rossii.

By the present moment cases of HIV infection among injecting narcotic users (INU) have been registered in more than 100 countries. To prevent HIV infection, the program "Harm Reduction" has been developed in Britain; the program states that the prevention of HIV infection must be considered more important than the prevention of the use of narcotic drugs, as this infection is a growing danger for both drug users and public health in general. Breaking drug dependence must not be the only aim of services working with drug addicts, because this will exclude persons decisively disposed to the mode of life including the prolonged use of drugs from the sphere of their activity. Active INU having no contacts with organizations which must give them treatment and assistance find themselves in dangerous situations more often than INU maintaining contacts with such organizations. Penetration into such hidden group and its education must be the primary task. Propaganda plays a decisive role in this process, as the only way to penetrate into such group is to develop work in its territory, so that drug addicts, supplied with the necessary means could change their behavior in the desired direction. In the Russian Federation work on the project "Harm Reduction" has been carried out in 50 regions. This work has contributed to conducting teaching seminars, working out teaching programs, as well as to augmenting the interest among specialists of different professions to the problem of decreasing the spread of HIV infection. The importance of information distributed by the narcological service and the probability that very responsible persons take correct decisions on the basis of their understanding the situation have increased. The rating of public organization has risen.

[The role of public organizations in the prevention of HIV infection in Russia]. / Rol' obshchestvennykh organizatsii v profilaktike VICh-infektsii v Rossii.

The problem of the role of public organizations in the prevention of the spread of HIV infection in Russia is discussed. The correctly chosen strategy of cooperation between governmental structures and non-governmental public associations corresponds to the modern principles of state policy of enhancing the interest of the population in the problems of public health. Relationships built on the principles of mutual respect and partnership in the common work on the prevention of the spread of HIV infection in Russia must increase its effectiveness.

[Use of metabolic and pathogenetic criteria in group standardization of organically active chlortriazine dyes]. / Ob ispol'zovanii metabolicheskikh i patogeneticheskikh kriteriev dlia gruppovogo normirovaniia krasitelei organicheskikh aktivnykh khlortriazinovykh.

The article presents research data related to the biotransformation, intoxication mechanisms and pathogenic properties of chlortriazine dye-stuffs. All the dye-stuffs studies were characterized by similar intoxication properties and pathogenesis, and were related to the 3rd class of hazardous substances. The MAC for the organic chlortriazine dye-stuffs constituted 2 mg/m3.

[Plasma beta-endorphin and stress hormones in stress and adaptation]. / Beta-éndorfin i stress-gormony plazmy krovi pri sostoianiiakh napriazheniia i adaptatsii.

The experiments on white rats have shown that the induction of 4 hour stress produces an acute increase in beta-endorphin level, as well as characteristic changes in ACTH, cortisol, insulin, thyroxin and triiodothyronine concentrations. Different types of adaptation (training with short stress periods or injection of rhodiola rosea extract) promote a moderate increase in the amount of serum immunoreactive beta-endorphin, preventing its subsequent stress-induced elevation. Adaptation is characterized by a decrease or total prevention of hormonal changes peculiar to stress. The role of opioid neuropeptides in enhancing stress tolerance and the effect of adaptation factors are discussed.

[Effect of a Rhodiola extract on the tumor process in an experiment]. / Vliianie ékstrakta rodioly na opukholevyi protsess v éksperimente.

Antitumor and antimetastatic effects of an official extract of Rhodiola rosea were established in experiments on inbred and noninbred mice and rats with transplantable NK/Ly tumor, Ehrlich's adenocarcinoma, melanoma B16 and Lewis lung carcinoma. Application of the said preparation to sarcolysin-treated animals was followed by an increase in survival.