[Heterogeneity of Bacillus anthracis strains in terms of their adhesive capacity]. / Neodnorodnost' shtammov Bacillus anthracis po sposobnosti k adgezii.

The homogeneity of colonies of two B. anthracis vaccine strains in R- and RS- forms (100 colonies of each strain) in terms of their adhesive capacity was studied. B. anthracis strain 228/8 showed more heterogeneous composition than B. anthracis strain 71/12, moderately and highly adhesive colonies prevailing in both forms and nonadhesive colonies being absent. The prevalence of highly adhesive clones was established in the RS- form of B. anthracis strain 72/12 in comparison with R- form. By the average value of the adhesion index the RS- form colonies of this strain were classified as highly adhesive, while the colonies in the R- form were characterized as moderately adhesive.

[The effect of the in-vitro interaction of antibacterial preparations on Brucella melitensis]. / Effekt vzaimodeistviia in vitro antibakterial'nykh preparatov v otnoshenii Brucella melitensis.

The character of drug interaction in 18 various combinations of sisomicin, amikacin, gentamicin, cefotaxime, doxycycline, trimethoprim and nitroxaline was studied by the chess board method with respect to 25 strains of Brucella melitensis. The synergistic effect with respect to the majority of the cultures was observed with the use of the combinations of gentamicin, amikacin or sisomicin with doxycycline. The combinations of the aminoglycosides with cefotaxime and sisomicin or gentamicin with rifampicin had a summation effect on the majority of the cultures. With the use of the combinations of cefotaxime with nitroxaline or trimethoprim and rifampicin with nitroxaline the effect on the majority of the cultures was indifferent. The effect was mainly antagonistic with the use of the combinations of amikacin with rifampicin, gentamicin with trimethoprim and cefotaxime with doxycycline. The effect of the combinations of gentamicin with nitroxaline and cefotaxime with rifampicin was different with respect to different strains of B. melitensis. It was indifferent, antagonistic or summation depending on the strain.

[Sensitivity of Brucella melitensis to various antibiotics, drug preparations and their combinations]. / Chuvstvitel'nost' Brucella melitensis k nekotorym antibiotikam, khimiopreparatam i ikh sochetaniiam.

In vitro activity of 13 antibiotics and drug preparations as well as some of their combinations was studied with respect to Brucella melitensis. It was shown that the strains of B. melitensis were sensitive to sisomicin, amikacin, gentamicin, cefotaxime, rifaprim +, nitroxoline and trimethoprim. Variations in the doxycycline sensitivity depending on the strain were observed. The strains of B. melitensis were resistant to cephalexin, phosphomycin, chinoxydine, dioxydine and oxolinic acid. Combinations of sisomicin and trimethoprim at a ratio of 1:10 and sisomicin and nitroxoline at a ratio of 1:2 had a summation effect.

[The prostaglandin and cyclic nucleotide levels in the organs of mice with experimental anthrax intoxication]. / Uroven' prostaglandinov i tsiklicheskikh nukleotidov v organakh myshei pri éksperimental'noi sibireiazvennoi intoksikatsii.

In this work the influence of Bacillus anthracis toxin, introduced intraperitoneally in a dose of LD100, on the content of prostaglandins E and F2 alpha, 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha, thromboxane, cAMP and cGMP in the lungs, heart, liver and spleen of BALB/c mice in the time course of experimental intoxication has been studied. The concentration and proportion of prostaglandins and cyclic nucleotides have been shown to undergo-sharp changes in all organs under study in the process of intoxication. The level and proportion of prostaglandins in the lungs ensures the development of vaso- and bronchodilatation processes even at early stages of the action of the toxin. B. anthracis toxin sharply increases the content of cGMP in the organs under study and cAMP in the liver. The activating effect on the adenylate cyclase system of tissue cells is not linked with the action of the edematous factor of the toxin. The role of cyclic nucleotides and prostaglandins in the development of pulmonary edema in intoxication with B. anthracis toxin is discussed.

[Methodological characteristics of the use of the immunofluorescence method for the rapid determination of the sensitivity of the anthrax microbe to antibiotics]. / Metodicheskie osobennosti ispol'zovaniia immunofliuorestsentnogo metoda dlia ékspressnogo opredeleniia chuvstvitel'nosti sibireiazvennogo mikroba k antibiotikam.

An immunofluorescent method for rapid assay of antibiotic sensitivity of Bacillus anthracis was tested with the use of virulent strains. It was shown that the immunofluorescent method was applicable for assay of antibiotic sensitivity of Bacillus anthracis immediately upon inoculation of the native matter: soil samples and other materials. Comparison of the results obtained with the method of serial dilutions and the immunofluorescent method showed that the levels of the Bacillus anthracis sensitivity to rifampicin, benzylpenicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin and gentamicin coincided. The immunofluorescent method provided the results on antibiotic sensitivity of Bacillus anthracis 6-8 hours after initiation of the rapid assay, the inoculum size being at least 10(6) spores/ml. Isolation of the causative agent pure cultures was not required. Under laboratory conditions the assay required consideration of the characteristic features of the causative agent and fixation of smear replicates in a mixture of 96 degrees ethyl alcohol and 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide for 30 min. After the assay the panels should be disinfected by immersing for 16-18 hours into 6 per cent hydrogen peroxide supplemented with 0.5 per cent of a detergent.

[Comparative evaluation of methods for determining the sensitivity of the anthrax microbe to antibiotics]. / Sravnitel'naia otsenka nekotorykh metodov opredeleniia chuvstvitel'nosti sibireiazvennogo mikroba k antibiotikam.

Comparison of the results of determination of antibiotic sensitivity of the cultures of the anthrax causative agent with the methods of serial dilutions and paper disks revealed coincidence of their antibiotic sensitivity levels. The Unimicon-s and AGV media can be used for determination of antibiotic sensitivity of the anthrax causative agent by the above methods.

[Antibiotic sensitivity of strains of the plague microbe isolated from foci in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia]. / Chuvstvitel'nost' k antibiotikam shtammov chumnogo mikroba, vydelennogo iz ochagov Kavkaza i Zakavkaz'ia.

Antibiotic sensitivity of 91 strains of the plague microbe isolated in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Daghestan, Georgia, Kabardino-Balkaria and the Stavropol region in 1977-1979 from the rodents and their ectoparasites was studied with the method of serial dilutions in the Hottinger agar. The following antibiotics were tested: streptomycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, methicillin, gentamicin, levomycetin, monomycin, lincomycin, ristomycin, rifampicin, kanamycin, doxycyclin and polymyxin M. All of the strains irrespective of their nature were resistant to methicillin, erythromycin, lincomycin, ristomycin and polymyxin M. The sensitivity levels of the strains to other antibiotics were different. The studies showed that with respect to the effect on the plague microbe streptomycin may be replaced by tetracycline, gentamicin, kanamycin or monomycin. The blood levels of these antibiotics in humans treated with their average therapeutic doses were several times higher than the minimum inhibitor concentration determined in the experiments.