Model of Osteomyelitis in Rats.

We developed a rat model of chronic osteomyelitis of the femur caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The clinical, histomorphological, and laboratory signs were compared in rats with osteomyelitis (infected) and control animals receiving saline. On day 21 after infection, clinical, histomorphological, and laboratory signs of chronic osteomyelitis were found in experimental rats.

A Technique for In Vitro Studying of the Permeability of the Spinal Cord Dura Mater.

We propose an in vitro method for studying permeability of spinal cord dura mater for components of autological serum using an original device. Sixty native samples of the spinal cord dura mater obtained from 12 mongrel dogs were used for testing of the device. The coefficient of permeability variation (V) for blood serum substances did not exceed 5% in most cases excluding lactate (V=8.03%). Analysis of spinal cord dura mater permeability in vitro for various substances using the developed device provides reproducible results with acceptable variability (5-10%).

[THE DYNAMICS OF ENERGY SUBSTRATE CHANGES IN MICE MUSCLES AND LIVER AFTER SKELETAL INJURY THROUGH LIMB GRAVITATION UNLOADING].

The authors studied the content of creatine phosphate, creatine and glycogen in skeletal muscles and that of glycogen in the liver of mice from three experimental groups. The animals of Group 1 (n = 18) underwent leg bone fracture modeling; those of Group 2 (n = 18) - modeling of limb gravitation unloading by their weight-bearing deprivation; the animals of Group 3 (n = 18) after modeling a leg bone fracture underwent weight-bearing deprivation in the model of gravitation unloading. As for Comparison Group, the same parameters studied in the intact animals at the age of two (n = 14) and three (n = 12) months. The authors found the decrease in the total content [creatine phosphate+creatine] and glycogen level in skeletal muscles of Group 1 and 2 mice in the process of the experiment, that was not observed in Group 3 mice. They concluded that the special features of the changes in the studied substrates of Group 3 mice were the consequence of the compensation of the increased energy due to injury by hypofunction of the muscle as a result of its gravitation unloading.

[Lipid peroxidation in the rat liver following skeletal injury].

We assessed the concentrations of the products of lipid peroxidation (conjugated dienes--CD, malone dialdegide--MDA), the activity of catalase and the total lipids in the rat liver following tibial fractures. The experiment was carried out using sixty adult male Wistar rats. In group 1 (n = 30), tibial fractures were modeled and fixed with the apparatus of external fixation. In control group 2 (n = 30), the external apparatus was applied to the tibias but the fractures were not modeled. In group 1 animals, the absolute concentrations of CD and MDA were statistically reduced at each time-point studied. The concentration of CD in group 2 was significantly lower on day 3 while the level of MDA up to day 14 of the experiment than in the intact rats. The level of total lipids on days 3 and 7 was decreased in group 1 while in group 2 it was lower than the intact values on days 3 through 14. The catalase activity in group 1 was statistically elevated from day 7 of the experiment as compared to the intact rats. No significant changes in the activity of catalase were found in group 2 at all time-points of the experiment.

[The laboratory evaluation of pathogenic factors under retarded consolidation of fractures of bones of lower extremities].

The study was carried out to comparatively analyze metabolic profile and content of growth factors in blood serum of patients with retarded consolidation of fractures of bones of lower extremities. The evaluation was applied to concentration of metabolites, growth factors and enzyme activity of blood serum in 13 patients with retarded consolidation of fractures of thigh and shank bones (main group). The comparative group included 14 patients with solid fractures of thigh and shank bones. The analysis established that as compared to patients with solid fractures of bones, in patients with retarded consolidation of fractures blood serum contained reliably higher concentration of triglycerides, products of glycolysis, epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factors TGF-α and TGF-ß2. The content of vitamin E and insullin-like growth factor (IGF-1) was decreased The given markers can be labeled as potential markers of diagnostic and prognosis of development of retarded consolidation of fractures.

[Evaluation of injection signs in drug-users in forensic medical practice].

The study was designed to obtain the morphological picture of post-injection lesions in drug-addicts. The most frequent localization of the signs of non-medical injections was established. Special attention was given to concrete signs having special informative value for the evaluation of the prescription of post-injection lesions. The possibility of using these data for the confirmation of non-medical origin of such lesions was assessed. It is concluded that the results of the study may be useful for the substantiation of diagnosis of acute and chronic narcotic intoxication and for the post-mortem examination in the course forensic medical investigation.

[Forensic medical identification of the immediate causes of death from acute radiation injury].

The objective of the present study was to perform retrospective thanatological analysis of reports on acute radiation disease in liquidators of the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It is shown that hemorrhagic syndrome was the main cause of death among the liquidators exposed to ionizing radiation.

[Forensic evaluation of the time since rib fractures].

Visual, stereomicroscopic and histological analysis of 216 fractures of ribs extracted from 83 dead bodies was carried out during forensic examination in cases of blunt trauma of chest in 58 male and 25 female. It was revealed that modifications of rib fragments, determined with fractometrical method in the zone of contact (trasses, rubbings, polishings) can be used for forensic diagnostic of prescription of ribs fractures. There were revealed characteristic properties of sphacelous, inflammatory and regenerative processes in the zone of ribs fractures which consist in the fact that hemolysis of red blood cells, leucocyte and macrophagal reaction, sphacelous modifications of tissues, formation of granulation tissue are developing faster and proliferation of fibroblasts becomes later than in impairments of other localizations and types. The complex use offractometrical and histological methods increase accuracy and objectiveness offorensic diagnostic of prescription of mechanical trauma of chest.