[EXPERIENCE WITH E. COLI LYOPHILIZED BACTERIAL LYSATE OM-89 (URO-VAKSOM®) IN MEN WITH ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIOSPERMIA].

Chronic prostatitis is a significant problem of modern urology because it is the most common urological disease among the male population. We consider a 3 month course of OM-89 (Uro-Vaksom®) the most rational treatment of asymptomatic bacteriospermia caused by not only E. coli, but also by coexisting bacteria. Administration of OM-89 (Uro-Vaksom®) for 3 months to patients with asymptomatic bacteriospermia resulted in greater E. coli eradication in 98% of men and no growth of microorganisms in the ejaculate in 66%. Compared to these results, after a 3-4 week course of fluoroquinolones, E. coli occurred in significant titer in 15.2%, in non-significant--in 5.7% and the absence of microbial growth was noted only in 19% of cases. The course of OM-89 (Uro- Vaksom®), compared with fluoroquinolones, resulted in significantly increased sperm concentration and occurrence of greater number of spontaneous pregnancies. Rate of THB (Take Home Baby) for OM-89 (Uro-Vaksom®) group was 21%, for fluoroquinolones treatment group--7%.

Involvement of Arabidopsis thaliana ribosomal protein S27 in mRNA degradation triggered by genotoxic stress.

A recessive Arabidopsis mutant with elevated sensitivity to DNA damaging treatments was identified in one out of 800 families generated by T-DNA insertion mutagenesis. The T-DNA generated a chromosomal deletion of 1287 bp in the promoter of one of three S27 ribosomal protein genes (ARS27A) preventing its expression. Seedlings of ars27A developed normally under standard growth conditions, suggesting wild-type proficiency of translation. However, growth was strongly inhibited in media supplemented with methyl methane sulfate (MMS) at a concentration not affecting the wild type. This inhibition was accompanied by the formation of tumor-like structures instead of auxiliary roots. Wild-type seedlings treated with increasing concentrations of MMS up to a lethal dose never displayed such a trait, neither was this phenotype observed in ars27A plants in the absence of MMS or under other stress conditions. Thus, the hypersensitivity and tumorous growth are mutant-specific responses to the genotoxic MMS treatment. Another important feature of the mutant is its inability to perform rapid degradation of transcripts after UV treatment, as seen in wild-type plants. Therefore, we propose that the ARS27A protein is dispensable for protein synthesis under standard conditions but is required for the elimination of possibly damaged mRNA after UV irradiation.

A change of ploidy can modify epigenetic silencing.

A silent transgene in Arabidopsis thaliana was reactivated in an outcross but not upon selfing of hemizygous plants. This result could only be explained by assuming a genetic difference between the transgene-free gametes of the wild-type and hemizygous transgenic plants, respectively, and led to the discovery of ploidy differences between the parental plants. To investigate whether a change of ploidy by itself can indeed influence gene expression, we performed crosses of diploid or tetraploid plants with a strain containing a single copy of a transgenic resistance gene in an active state. We observed reduced gene expression of the transgene in triploid compared with diploid hybrids. This led to loss of the resistant phenotype at various stages of seedling development in part of the population. The gene inactivation was reversible. Thus, an increased number of chromosomes can result in a new type of epigenetic gene inactivation, creating differences in gene expression patterns. We discuss the possible impact of this finding for genetic diploidization in the light of widespread, naturally occurring polyploidy and polysomaty in plants.

Virus-viral co-cancerogenesis and the other viral interactions.

The article presents the data obtained by the authors in studies of virus-viral co-cancerogenesis, the interaction between some non-oncogenic viruses and well-known oncogenic viruses, the results of co-cancerogenic effect Marek's disease herpesvirus with the avian leukemia virus and the possibility of phenotype mixing between oncornaviruses belonging to different species in nature.

Increased susceptibility of leukemia-infected chickens to Marek's disease.

Intramuscular (i.m.) injection of RAV-49 into 1--3 day-old chickens infected with Marek's disease herpes virus (MDHV) by contact led to exceedingly high rate of Marek's disease (MD) incidence. According to the data obtained in three experiments 52 out of 108 (48.1%) chickens fell ill in this group. While in the group uninfected with RAV-49 but contactly infected with MDV-Kekava there were only 11 out of 102, (10.7%) incidences. Simultaneous inoculations of RAV-49 and MDV had no effect on MD morbidity. Increased susceptibility of i.m. RAV-49-infected and contactly MDV-infected chickens to MD was abolished by simultaneous inoculation of RAV-49 and herpes virus of turkeys (HVT).