[Patterns of formation of island fauna of Rhopalocera (Lepidoptera, Diurna) at the northern forest boundary in the region of Pleistocene continental glaciation (by the example of White Sea islands)].

Patterns of formation of island Rhopalocera fauna at the northern forest boundary in the region of Valdai inland ice were analyzed by the example of White Sea islands. The ecotone effect, typical for northernmost taiga and forest-tundra and introducing the transitional Rhopalocera fauna in near-tundra forest between the boreal and hypoarctic zones, was not observed on the White Sea islands. Island isolation provided for the absence of some Arctic species, entering near-tundra forest from the North, in the island fauna. Island Rhopalocera faunas represent poor variants of the northern taiga fauna lacking some polyzonal and temperate species and having a reduced set of Arctic boreal species.

[Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in patients with diabetes mellitus]. / Postoiannyi ambulatornyi peritoneal'nyi dializ u bol'nykh sakharnym diabetom.

AIM: To analyse the results of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, to specify complications, to evaluate transport characteristics of peritoneal membrane. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The ability of peritoneal membrane to eliminate low-molecular substances (creatinine, urea), electrolytes and to evaluate treatment efficacy by residual renal function (peritoneal equilibration, total urine and creatinine clearance). RESULTS: DM patients on CAPD developed vascular complications typical for DM:gangrene (n = 2), diabetic foot (n = 4), acute disorder of cerebral circulation (n = 3), acute myocardial infarction (n = 3). Diabetics' residual renal function deteriorated faster than in patients with non-diabetic uremia, though transport characteristics of the peritoneum in diabetics and non-diabetics were the same. Peritonitis in diabetics was observed much less frequently than in non-diabetics. CONCLUSION: CAPD is an adequate replacement therapy in patients with uremia of different origin including diabetes. In the course of the treatment DM patients develop complications typical for basic disease but their frequency is unrelated to CAPD.

[Low doses of recombinant erythropoietin in the treatment of renal anemia in patients on chronic hemodialysis and ambulatory peritoneal dialysis]. / Nizkie dozy rekombinantnogo éritropoétina v lechenii pochechnoi anemii u bol'nykh, nakhodiashchikhsia na khronicheskom gemodialize i na ambulatornom peritoneal'nom dialize.

AIM: A comparative study of efficiency and safety of low-dose erythropoietin (EP) in two groups of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF): patients on chronic hemodialysis (CHD) and patients on continuous ambulatory hemodialysis (CAHD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 51 CRF adult patients with renal anemia on hemodialysis entered the trial: 34 CHD and 17 CAHD patients. EP compounds were injected s.c. in a dose 1000-2000 U 2-3 times a week. RESULTS: EP treatment provided a rapid correction of renal anemia in the majority of patients. After 3-month EP therapy a mean increment of Hct (Hct delta) was much greater (p < 0.05) in CAHD than CHD patients (12.2 +/- 6.0 and 9.0 +/- 5.1%, respectively), though EP dose were the same in both the groups. CONCLUSION: Low doses of recombinant human EP injected subcutaneously were effective and safe for correction of anemia in both CHD and CAHD. In CAHD patients EP effectiveness was much higher than in CHD patients.

Molecular and functional aspects of alterations in the kallikrein-kinin system activity in human blood plasma at different stages of peritonitis and chronic renal failure.

We are concerned with the investigation of dynamics of the plasma kallikrein-kinin system, elastase-like activity and some serpins, alpha 1-protease inhibitor, alpha 2-macroglobulin and antithrombin III, in patients suffering from general peritonitis and chronic renal failure. The results indicate that activation of the kallikrein-kinin system, as well as elastase-like activity are elevated and while decreased inhibitory potential becomes more intensive with disease progression. However, sharply decreased levels of kallikrein, prekallikrein and serpins were seen in patients a few days before death. We suggest that exhaustion of these components during the end-stage of general peritonitis and chronic renal failure (in the cases with lethal outcome) may be produced by leukocyte elastase release. Evidence is presented for the destructive action of leukocyte elastase on components of the kallikrein-kinin system.

[Disruption of regulatory possibilities of the plasma kallikrein-kinin system in chronic kidney failure and during hemodialysis]. / Narushenie reguliatornykh vozmozhnostei kallikrein-kininovoi sistemy plazmy krovi pri khonicheskoi pochechnoi nedostatochnosti i vo vremia gemodializa.

Activation of the kallikrein-kinin system was detected in chronic renal failure treated by routine therapy. In blood plasma of the patients with chronic renal failure, kallikrein was activated from 34.2 to 63.2 mU/ml, while activity of prekallikrein was decreased from 382.0 to 117.8 mU/ml; BAEE-esterase and elastase-like activities simultaneously increased from 340 +/- 20 to 464 +/- 43 mU/ml and from 150 +/- 20 to 340 +/- 18 mU/ml, respectively. In the patients on hemodialysis during the interdialysis period, there were reductions of BAEE-esterase and kallikrein activities to 265.8 +/- 18.5 and 25.9 mI/ml, respectively; and the content of prekallikrein remained decreased. During hemodialysis the elastase-like activity was markedly increased up to 501 mU/ml due to leukocyte activation. The findings suggest that during hemodialysis, due to leukocytic elastase, there is a possible occurrence of thromboses as a result of a potential depletion of the kallikrein-kinin system and decreased blood antiproteolytic potential, including antithrombin III.