[Qualitative characteristics of Soviet kits for the radioimmunological determination of cortisol and progesterone in human blood serum]. / Kharakteristika kachestva otechestvennykh naborov dlia radioimmunologicheskogo opredeleniia kortizola i progesterona v syvorotke krovi cheloveka.

Radioimmunoassays and kits of reagents based on them CORT-I-3H,STERON-K-125I, STERON-P-3H and STERON-P-125I intended for medical microanalysis, were studied. Their development and serial production were undertaken in the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, AS BSSR. The data obtained characterized the quality of the radioimmunoassays under study, long-term stability and reliability of the kits of reagents. A high specificity of antisera and correlation between the results of measurements and a degree of native blood serum dilution as well as the accuracy of the results obtained and sensitivity of the assays as a whole were demonstrated. The above properties of the radioimmunoassays made it possible to develop serial kits of reagents for determination of cortisol and progesterone concentration in the human blood serum, employed effectively in medical diagnosis of endocrine and other diseases. A long-term control over the reproducibility of parameters of calibration charts and the results of determination of the level of cortisol and progesterone in the pool blood serum of women showed a high reliability of the kits of reagents of different production lots within the time of their application observing instructions for use.

[Enkephalin and cyclic nucleotide content in the brain structures of rats at different stages of the formation and development of alcoholic dependence]. / Soderzhanie énkefalinov i tsiklicheskikh nukleotidov v strukturakh mozga krys v razlichnye stadii formirovaniia i razvitiia alkogol'noi zavisimosti.

Rats with increased alcohol motivation have been found to have a rise in enkephalin levels in limbic cortex and a decrease in met-enkephalin levels in the brain basal ganglia. Reduction of met-enkephalin to leu-enkephalin ratio in basal ganglia, limbic cortex and hypothalamus may serve as an index of increased inclination to ethanol in these animals. Alcohol dependence is characterized by reduced cAMP content in the majority of brain structures studied, sharply decreased met-enkephalin levels in limbic cortex and hypothalamus, and diminished cAMP and cGMP content in hypothalamus. In the third stage of experimental alcoholism the partial normalization of met-enkephalin and cAMP levels is observed in brain structures, with cGMP content increased in hypothalamus and considerably reduced in basal ganglia.

[Cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate in the liver of rats with experimental rheumatoid arthritis]. / Tsiklicheskii 3',5'-adenozinmonofosfat v pecheni krys s éksperimental'nym revmatoidnym artritom.

Content of cAMP was distinctly decreased in rat liver tissue within the first days of development of experimental rheumatoid arthritis (adjuvant arthritis). Within 6 days the content of cAMP was slightly increased in liver tissue of the arthritic rats but it was lowered 2-fold as compared with controls. The content of cAMP was quite unaltered during subsequent course of the impairment (within 25 days). In blood plasma of patients with rheumatoid arthritis the content of cAMP was decreased more than 2-fold as compared with its concentration in blood of donors. Possible importance of cAMP deficiency in pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis is discussed.