[Analysis of the mutagenic activity of aqueous and buffer extracts from oil-polluted soil samples].

The Ames test on Salmonella typhimurium TA 100 and TA 98 strains were used to study the mutagenic activity of aqueous (pH 7.4) and buffer (pH 4.5) extracts from soil samples containing different oil levels (from 16 to 3526 mg per kg soil), which had been taken from different areas of a town, and buffer extracts from model soil samples added by crude West-Siberian oil (160-15625 mg/kg). The extracts from all soil samples showed no mutagenic activity. The buffer soil sample extract containing oil in the amount of 12290 mg/kg and oil and coal combustion products had a mutagenic effect with metabolic activation on the TA 98 strain. It is suggested that the mutagenic effect of this sample is associated with oil and coal combustion products.

[Hygienic evaluation of the effect of petroleum hydrocarbons on the soils of megapolises].

The paper gives the results of studying the quantity of petroleum hydrocarbons in the Moscow soil, as well as the latter's hygienic evaluation by the changes in acidity (pH) and redox potential and by the sanitary state (the levels of Escherichia coli and viable helminthic eggs). The study has ascertained that the petroleum-polluted soils show changes in medium pH and redox conditions that determine the biological activity of the substances and the trend in their disintegration processes and revealed a relationship of thy sanitary state of Moscow soils to their level of petroleum hydrocarbons.

[Oil pollution of a number of Moscow residential and recreational areas].

The soils of residential areas were studied in different Moscow districts differing in the level of a man-caused load. Oil pollution was estimated by the soil content of oil hydrocarbons. A correlation was established between the levels of hydrocarbons and the sanitary ill-being of the city's soils.

[The environmental-and-hygienic risk of industrial waste and consumption].

How to safely handle production and consumption residues is a relatively recent problem. According to the data of the United Nations Organization, 25 to 33% of the diseases notified in the world are directly related to the poor human environment. In Russia and foreign countries, there has been no list of chemicals so far. By taking into account the general spread of human vital activity-induced production and consumption residues, the substantial scale of formation and a great variety of the latter's in their composition, types, and the pattern of their possible deleterious action, it is important to consider the problem of handling the residues, by assessing the risk of their hazard.

[Topical problems of society's waste handling].

The fact that the volume of waste steadily grows, makes its handling one of the most topical scientific, technical, and socioeconomic problems in the world. The article covers important ecological and hygienic problems of waste handling and the effects of waste of human health.

[Parameters of platelet serotonin system in patients with schizophrenia treated with olanzapine: a search for the serotonergic predictors of therapeutic efficacy].

Fifty-nine patients, 21 women and 38 men, with ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia (F20.0), attack-like type, were treated with olanzapine during 28 weeks (8-weeks of acute and 20-weeks of maintenance therapy). Evaluation of clinical symptoms measured by the Positive and Negative Syndromes scale (PANSS) revealed that female patients responded better to therapy as compared to male ones, with PANSS total, PANSS negative and PANSS general psychopathological scores being significantly reduced (p < 0.006) in females after 1 week of the treatment and in males--after 2 weeks. In the female group, a reduction of PANSS total score by 50% in the acute stage of treatment qualified as a very good response was observed in 7 (33%) patients and in the male group--in 1 (2.7%). The between-groups difference was highly significant (p = 0.002). When examined for a rate of 3H-serotonin uptake into platelets, density of sites of 3H-imipramine binding on the whole platelets, platelet serotonin level and levels of high- also low-molecular weight forms of platelet immunoreactive serotonin transporter protein, a significant decrease of the platelet serotonin level, comparing to controls, was detected in the female group before treatment. During the treatment, this parameter gradually increased up to control level. Other parameters did not change significantly for 28-weeks of therapy and did not differ from the control values. There were positive correlations between the levels of platelet serotonin before treatment and subsequent reduction of the PANSS total and positive subscale scores in the female group. In responders with a very good treatment-related response, the serotonin level in the platelets before treatment was higher compared to the values in resistant patients: 5.4 +/- 2.5 and 2.7 +/- 1.3 nmol/10(9) cells, respectively. Relative risk (RR) of unfavorable treatment outcome in patients with initially reduced levels of platelet serotonin was approximately twice lower (RR = 1.83; Cl 95% 1.1-34.9) than that in patients with normal or elevated levels of platelet serotonin. The results suggest that selection of patients with initial higher level of platelet serotonin before olanzapine treatment can reduce the risk of non-responding to therapy by 36%.

[Barrier role of water-purifying construction of water pipe in relation to opportunistic microorganisms]. / Bar'ernaia rol' vodoochistnykh sooruzhenii vodoprovoda v otnoshenii uslovno-patogennykh mikroorganizmov.

The investigations have indicated that in the flood period when the water-purifying means of a water pipe bears the maximum load, the existing water-preparing system cannot fully purify and disinfect drinking water from some opportunistic microbes (Klebsiella, Acinetobacter). The latter were recorded in the pipe water having the MAC of coliform organisms established by the GOST.

Autoimmune component in individuals during immune response to inactivated combined vaccine against Q fever.

Serum samples from 20 individuals immunized with inactivated combined vaccine (ICV) against Q fever and 10 individuals that received placebo were investigated on days 14, 21, 28 and 60 after immunization by isotope specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of antibodies directed to human IgA, IgM and IgG, and their fragments (F(ab')2, Fab, Fc). None of the subjects that received placebo exhibited significant increase of reactivity with any of the used antigens. By contrast, the sera of immunized individuals tended to show increased autoantibody activity with diverse antigens. Forty % of sera of immunized subjects exhibited anti-Fab activity, 20% of the sera recognized IgA, F(ab')2- and Fc-fragments, and 15% of the sera recognized IgG and IgM. Although there was wide variation in antibody levels and in isotypic heterogeneity of autoantibodies induced by immunization, anti-Fab autoantibodies were represented mainly by IgG and IgA isotypes but not IgM isotype. A direct correlation between the anti-Coxiella burnetii (anti-C.b.) antibody level and the anti-Fab IgG activity, and between the anti-C.b. antibody level and the anti-Fab IgA activity was found. In the group of vaccinees reacting strongly to the vaccine against Q fever, this correlation significantly increased for both the anti-Fab IgG and the anti-Fab IgA activities. No correlation was found with the sera in the group of the subjects that received placebo.

[The morphological changes in the body of guinea pigs in response to the administration of different Coxiella burnetii antigens]. / Morfologicheskie izmeneniia v organizme morskikh svinok v otvet na vvedenie razlichnykh antigenov Coxiella burnetii.

In this work the evaluation of macro- and micro-changes in the tissues of guinea pigs to the injection of inactivated antigens of C. burnetii is presented. The injection of these antigens in a dose of 50 micrograms induced only an insignificant reaction at the site of injection; in the brain of the animals, as well as in all examined internal organs, no visible pathological changes were present. During the first two weeks after the injection of the antigens signs of irritation of the reticuloendothelial system and hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue in T- and B-dependent zones were observed in the regional lymph nodes of the experimental animals. These changes became moderate by day 28.

[Characteristics of DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms of C. burnetti strains, isolated from areas of Russia]. / Kharakteristika polimorfizma dlin restriktsionnykh fragmentov DNK shtammov C. burnetii, vydelennykh na territorii Rossii.

The structural heterogeneity in Coxiella burnetii chromosomal DNA isolated in the European part of Russia from people, agricultural animals, and ticks has been studied. It is compared with the one of the European strains Henzerling and M44, the only genetically characterized strains up to date. The digestion of the total DNA by the restriction endonucleases BamHI, PstI, XhoI resulted in obtaining two types of restriction patterns. The ones for Henzerling and M44 differed from the restriction patterns of the Russian strains, while the latter proved to be identical. The obtained data are in proof of genetical homogeneity in the Russian group of strains. The group is different from the genomic group including Henzerling and M44. The fact is in proof of the genetical heterogeneity of the European population of coxiellae.

Biological properties of chloroform/methanol extracts of Coxiella Burnetii.

Biological properties of antigens of whole cells of C. burnetii in phase I (WCI), their residue (CMR) and extract (CME) obtained by extraction of C. burnetti with chloroform/methanol mixture were subjected to a comparative study. It was shown that CME is able to react specifically with sera containing antibodies against WCI. The inoculation of animals with CME, but not with WCI and CMR does not cause changes of humoral and cell immunity to Coxiella and does not strengthen nonspecific antibacterial activity, but it can stimulate the formation of antibodies. Morphological changes of internal organs of mice were most expressed after the CMR inoculation and were practically absent after the CME inoculation.

Ultrastructure of viable and inactivated Coxiella burnetii after inoculation of mice.

C3HA mice were inoculated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with viable Coxiella burnetii (C.b.) (strain Apodemus flavicollis-Luga, phase I) or C.b. antigen (formalin-inactivated C.b.); pieces of spleen, liver, omentum, kidney, and suspension of peritoneal macrophages were examined by electron microscopy at 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 42 days post-infection (p.i.). Two main types of viable C.b. cells--small dense (DC) and bacteria-like (BC)--were found in omentum, spleen, and peritoneal exudate cells beginning from the 1st day p.i. but maximal amount they reached in spleen at day 14. Some parasitophorous vacuoles contained damaged BC or lysing C.b. cells. C.b. corpuscular antigen was found in phagosomes in ultrathin sections of spleen macrophages until 28 days p.i. By 7 days p.i. in omentum 3 types of parasitophorous phagosomes were described which were supposed to be the sites of the antigen utilization. It is assumed that most BC are destroyed in omentum macrophages during the 1st week after i.p. injection of the antigen, and DC can persist in spleen at least for one month.

[The host reaction to the administration of different components of Coxiella burnetii]. / Reaktsiia khoziaina na vvedenie razlichnykh komponentov Coxiella burnetii.

After the intraperitoneal injection of corpuscles of C. burnetii antigen (Ag), phospholipid (PL), and sediment obtained after the extraction of PL from Ag with chloroform-methanol (CM) slight leukocytic reaction developed in the peritoneum on day 1, and on day 2 it could be observed in the liver and in the spleen. Ag induced the most pronounced morphological changes. In the spleen they were manifested by the activation of T- and B-dependent zones of white pulp from day 2 and by the pronounced hyperplasia of reticular cells and macrophages, leading to splenomegaly, by days 7-14. Simultaneously lymphoid-macrophagal granulomas and hepatomegaly developed in the liver. By days 7-14 the foci of necrosis in the liver were caused by the thrombosis of portal veins and were not registered after the injection of PL and CM (and earlier also in experiments with Ag in doses of 0.1-0.3 mg).

[An immunoenzyme method for demonstrating Coxiella burnetii antigens]. / Immunofermentnyi metod indikatsii antigenov Coxiella burnetii.

Materials on the development of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) system for the detection of the antigens of C. burnetii, the causative agent of Q rickettsiosis, are presented. The system is highly specific and effective with respect to both corpuscular antigens of phases 1 and 2 and soluble antigen (lipopolysaccharide). The sensitivity of this method varies within the range 5-100 ng/ml. The effectiveness of EIA as a quantitative (semiquantitative) control test used in the process of the production of Coxiella preparations has been demonstrated.

[Optimization of culinary recipes according to amino acid composition]. / Optimizatsiia kulinarnykh retseptur po aminokislotnomu sostavu.

A computation method is suggested, enabling one to optimize the amino acid composition of protein mixtures proceeding from the real content of amino acids and protein assimilation ratios. The method is based on the adequate use of essential amino acids and an amino acid that limits the biological value of proteins. The difference between the real content of essential amino acids and the portions utilized constitutes a non-utilized part of protein. The optimization may be reduced to the computation of its minimal values. The problem can be solved graphically, by exhaustive search of the products ratios with the use of computer or by optimization methods. According to the method designed there have been found optimal ratios of protein mixtures in animal and vegetable products contained by culinary dishes and products. The biological methods permitted one to determine the biological value and protein effectiveness ratio and to establish that they are closely related with the computed characteristics of the non-utilized part of protein and protein utilization ratio. The correlation ratio was found to amount to 0.76-0.89 (p less than 0.05).

[Immunogenic and immunomodulating properties of phospholipids from Coxiella burnetii]. / Izuchenie immunogennykh i immunomoduliruiushchikh svoistv fosfolipida koksiella berneta.

It is proved that the challenging of the extract isolated from Coxiella (as a result of treatment with the mixture of chloroform and methanol) to animals doesn't provoke the appearance of antibodies to these microorganisms. It also doesn't cause the sensibilization of lymphocytes to Coxiella, but the extract can interact specifically with a serum containing antibodies to Coxiella. It permits to characterise the tested extract of Coxiella as a hapten with properties of adjuvant because it stimulates antibody-appearance.

[Interaction of live and killed Coxiella burnetii with model animal cells at the ultrastructural level]. / Vzaimodeistvie zhivykh i ubitykh koksiella berneta s kletkami model'nogo zhivotnogo na ul'trastrukturnom urovne.

Materials are submitted on electron-microscopic studying of alive and inactivated Coxiella in their interaction with murine cells during 28 days observations. The most variability of Coxiella morphologic types is shown to be found in spleen. The structure of endospora type is described. Several types of phagosomes are revealed and described.