[Adaptation of the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus Schreber) to conditions of biogeochemical province with abnormally high content of nickel, cobalt and chromium].

Morphophysiological characteristics and peculiarities of adrenal gland of bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) were studied in the area of natural biogeochemical province with abnormally high content of nickel, cobalt and chromium. The control population inhabited area with usual content of these elements. We used 4-factor analysis of variance to estimate the influence of geochemical conditions, phase of population cycle, sex and reproductive state on the morphophysiological characteristics of animals and functional activity of adrenal gland. Animals from area with high concentration of Ni, Co and Cr show an increase in relative mass of adrenal glands, fascicular zone of adrenal cortex, size of cells and their nuclei. All these changes can be considered as an evidence of increased secretion of glucocorticoids. It is shown that phase of population cycle influences fatness of animals, size of nuclei, cells and adrenal cortex. Females in comparison with males are characterized with higher indexes of liver and adrenal gland, as well as morphometric indexes of adrenal cortex. The maturation of animals is accompanied with increase in body mass, fatness and relative mass of adrenal glands, the size of cortex zone, nuclei and cells themselves. It is supposed that the effect of "geochemical factor" results in intensification of glucocorticoid secretion of adrenal costex, thus increasing non-specific resistance of animals inhabiting area with high concentration of heavy metals. Such factors as "phase of population cycle", "sex" and "reproductive state", influence mineralocorticoid activity, glucocorticoid and androgenic functions of adrenal cortex. Some factors show synergetic effect.

[Blood calcium levels in heart defects after surgery with extracorporeal circulation]. / Soderzhanie kal'tsiia v krovi bol'nykh porokami serdtsa posle operatsii s iskusstvennym krovoobrashcheniem

The total content of calcium and protein was studied in 50 patients during the initial 5 days after surgery for their congenital or acquired heart diseases conducted under extracorporeal circulation; in half of them the content of the dialysing fraction of total calcium and plasma albumins were also examined. The study has demonstrated that during the 1st postoperative day the content of the total and dialysing calcium is elevated which is due to the administration of calcium for the neutralization of citrate during blood transfusions. The greatest fluctuations of these values (both decreases and increases) were observed when the heart-lung machine was primed with blood containing 18.2--23mEg Ca++ per 1 1 of citrate blood. Within the early 5 postoperative days no restoration of the impaired calcium balance is observed in these patients, while the blood content of calcium is returning to the preoperative level. The blood content of calcium was studied after repeated injections of various doses of calcium. The most rational method proved to consist in repeated injections of 5ml of 10% CaCl2 solution every 30 min--1 hour which resulted in a moderate elevation of the blood content of the total and dialysing calcium.

[The relationship between the state of the pulmonary circulation and indices of cerebral gas exchange in patients with acquired heart defects]. / Pokazateli gazoobmena mozga u bol'nykh s priobretennymi porokami serdtsa v sviazi s sostoianiem legochnoi gemi

The author studied the state of hemeostasis in normals and in patients with acquired heart insufficiency. By means of bloody methods of triple probe samples of the blood inflow and outflow from the brain, and by biochemical methods they also studied 22 normals and 100 patients with acquired heart insufficiency for interrelations between the gas metabolism indices and acid-base equilibrium of the central pulmonary hemodynamics. As a results it was established that the brain blood flux in patients with acquired heart insufficiency in different degrees of pulmonary hypertension is adequate to the metabolic requirement of the brain in oxygen and corresponds to identical indices in normals. There was no relation between the state of pulmonary circulation and brain circulation.

[Effect of operations with artificial circulation on the protein balance of the body]. / Vliianie operatsii s iskusstvennym krovoobrashcheniem na belkovyi balans organizma

The content of total blood plasma protein and its fractions in absolute quantities was studied in patients with acquired and congenital heart lesions in different terms of the early postoperative period (82 patients) after operative procedures, performed under conditions of artificial blood circulation. The indices were compared in two groups of patients showing different regimens of protein loss replenishment and normalization of the protein metabolism during the operation and after it. There were observed considerable intraoperative losses of protein that remained also during 3-4 days following the operative procedure. Therefore, some recommendations are given as to the substitutive protein therapy.

[Study of total magnesium concentration in the blood of patients after surgery with extracorporeal circulation]. / Izmenenie kontsentratsii obshchego magniia v krovi bol'nykh, perenesshikh operatsiiu s iskusstvennym krovoobrashcheniem

In 30 patients with acquired and 14 with congenital heart diseases operated on under extracorporeal circulation a significant decrease in the blood Mg level was noted, its amount never returning to the preoperative one within the first week. Therapy with Mg salts helped to prevent these disorders and to maintain the plasma and erythrocytes Mg levels within the normal limits throughout the whole period of therapy.