Survival of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Different Methods of Nebulization.

We compared survival of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells after compressor, ultrasound, and mesh nebulization of the cell suspension over 10 min. Viability of stromal cells was best preserved after compressor nebulization (72%). Cell survival after ultrasonic nebulization was significantly lower (20%). After mesh nebulization, no live cells were found. Thus, compressor nebulization is the most preferable method of the production of cell aerosol for their delivery to the lower respiratory tract.

[Respiratory and hemodynamic disorders in the participants in the cleanup of the aftermath of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station]. / Respiratornye i gemodinamicheskie narusheniia u lits, uchastvovavshikhsia v likvidatsii posledstvii avarii na Chernobyl'skoi AES.

After examination of cardiorespiratory function in 10 males exposed to Chernobyl accident unfavorable factors at the age of 31-45 years suffering from chronic obstructive bronchitis (7 cases) and mixed bronchial asthma (3 cases) it was established that the patients had ventilation disorders of mixed genesis (moderate obstructive and respiratory affections), frequently occurring decreased specific diffusion (DLCO/Va) in normal total diffusion capacity of the lungs, inefficient gas exchange, midly declined left ventricular pump capacity and contractility. In the above patients a relationship was found between parameters of central hemodynamics assessed at echo-CG and severity of ventilation impairment and respiratory insufficiency.

[Respiratory organ pathology in the participants in the cleanup of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station]. / Patologiia organov dykhaniia u lits, uchastvovavshikh v likvidatsii avarii na Chernobyl'skoo AES.

The authors performed this investigation to ascertain the role of radioactive dust inhalation in the onset of respiratory diseases and determination of clinicomorphological features of such pathology. The authors have found that work in conditions of massive dust exposure, stay in the dust zone for a month and longer in 1986-1987 were the decisive risk factors of respiratory impairment. The examination covered 28 patients who had acute symptoms of inhalation damage to respiratory system when performing their job in the contaminated zone. Later on they developed chronic progressive respiratory affection having the following clinicomorphological characteristics: 1) persistent cough with hard to expectorate sputum, addition of respiratory insufficiency, sluggish recurrent infection and inflammation, deterioration of working capacity and quality of life, 2) isolated decline of specific diffuse capacity of the lungs in combination with obstructive ventilation, 3) marked disturbances of cellular immunity (reduced fraction of T-helpers and increased fraction of T-suppressors), 4) x-ray picture of diffuse pneumosclerosis and hyperairiness of the lung tissue, 5) endoscopic evidence of inflammation and atrophy of the bronchial tree mucosa, 6) numerous alveolar macrophages with foreign inclusions in the lavage fluid, such markers of Chernobyl dust inhalation as Sr, Zr, I, Cs, Ce, Np, Pu, Am, Cm registered in alveolar macrophages at roentgenospectral and roentgenofluorescent microtests, 7) defective functional activity of alveolar macrophages (free radical activation). Long-term persistence of the Chernobyl dust in the lung tissue results in essential functional and morphological changes in cell composition of the alveolar area, lung tissue undergoes structural alterations contributing to specific respiratory diseases with typical clinicomorphological characteristics.

[The results of the combined programmed treatment of those who cleaned up the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station who suffer from respiratory organ diseases]. / Rezul'taty kompleksnogo progammnogo lecheniia likvidatorov avarii na Chernobyl'skoi AES, stradaiushchikh zabolevaniiami organov dykhaniia.

Examination of respiratory system in subjects exposed to long-term inhalation of radioactive dust when engaged in repair works after the Chernobyl accident have revealed specific pathology of the respiratory organs caused by long-term persistence of radioactive dust in the lung tissue. A special regimen of combined treatment has been developed which included: bronchoalveolar lavage, antioxidants, broncholytics, mucolytics, extracorporeal procedures, physical rehabilitation. 1-year monitoring of subjects on this treatment versus untreated controls proved the above regimen beneficial as the patients exhibited less intensive clinical symptoms, less frequent exacerbations of infectious and inflammatory processes, higher quality of life. Some of the patients resumed work. Contrary to controls, the patients had no signs of progression. Therapeutic bronchoalveolar lavage led to elimination of a large percent of the radioactive dust which was present in the alveolar macrophages, thus ruling out the key factor of respiratory affections.

The morphological properties of the blood thrombocytes in bronchial asthma patients before and after thrombocytapheresis. / Morfologicheskie svoistva trombotsitov krovi u bol'nykh bronkhial'noi astmoi do i posle trombotsitafereza.

Morphological characteristics of platelets were assessed electron microscopically in 15 patients with atopic and aspirin bronchial asthma (BA) before and after thrombocytapheresis (TA). All the patients had a definite shift of platelet subpopulations to greater percentage of spherical forms as well as defects in cell ultrastructure. This makes evident platelet activation in patients with BA aggravation. TA entails a positive trend to normalization of platelet subpopulations and cytoskeleton. The ability to normalize platelet morphofunctional status determines its clinical effectiveness in bronchial asthma.

[Methylprednisolone pulse therapy combined with plasmapheresis in the treatment of bronchial asthma patients]. / Pul's-terapiia metilprednizolonom v sochetanii s plazmaferezom v lechenii bol'nykh bronkhial'noi astmoi.

16 patients with bronchial asthma received pulse methylprednisolone and underwent plasmapheresis versus 6 controls on pulse-therapy alone. In the study group the response was universal, remission lasted 6-8 months. Clinical stabilization in the controls was much shorter. The above combination reduced depressive effect of methylprednisolone on production of glucocorticosteroid receptors of peripheral blood lymphocytes and endogenic hydrocortisone, IgE and circulating immune complexes.

[The late results of thrombocytapheresis in bronchial asthma patients]. / Otdalennye rezul'taty trombotsitafereza u bol'nykh bronkhial'noi astmoi.

A long-term follow-up (within 18 months) has been conducted of bronchial asthma (BA) patients (a total of 29 cases with atopic, aspirin and mixed BA forms) subjected to thrombocytapheresis. The examination performed in 1-2 month intervals included a berotec test, assessment of platelet aggregation, platelet intracellular calcium metabolism, external respiration function (ERF). The treatment resulted in remission of 4-18 month duration. It was characterized by ERF normalization, high sensitivity to sympathomimetics, platelet status improvement. The best results were achieved in the groups of atopic and aspirin asthma patients. The findings allow recommendation of thrombocytapheresis as a method of choice in combined therapy of BA.

[Use of plateletpheresis in the treatment of bronchial asthma]. / Primenenie trombotsitafereza dlia lecheniia bronkhial'noi astmy.

It was shown that platelets of asthmatic patients notwithstanding the disease form are more sensitive to the stimulating action of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in aggregation response and intracellular Ca2+ influx induction than platelets of healthy donors. Intracellular Ca2+ influx was measured using the fluorescent probe Fura-2. Platelet apheresis was applied attempting to normalize the "hyperactivated" state of asthmatic patients' platelets. Platelet apheresis was performed using the on-line cell separator Fenwal CS-3000 in 27 patients without any considerable side effects. The mean platelet yield was 400-600 X 10(9) cells; the blood platelet count restored immediately after the treatment. Positive clinical effect (complete reduction of asthmatic attacks for at least 2 months, improvement in respiratory function parameters) was observed in 19 out of the 27 patients (70%). The clinical effect correlated well with the normalization of in-vitro platelet response to PAF.

[The thrombocyte function of bronchial asthma patients]. / Issledovanie funktsional'nogo sostoianiia trombotsitov u bol'nykh bronkhial'noi astmoi.

The functional characteristics of platelets were estimated in patients with different asthma forms (atopic, aspirin-sensitive and mixed ones). It was shown that platelets of asthmatics with the atopic and aspirin-sensitive disease forms are more sensitive to the stimulating action of platelet activating factor (PAF) in aggregation response and intracellular Ca2+ influx induction than platelets of patients suffering mostly from the recurrent bronchopulmonary infections with atopic component (so-called "mixed" asthma) and more activated than platelets of healthy donors. Intracellular Ca2+ influx was measured using the fluorescent probe Fura-2 in platelet suspension. Platelet aggregation was measured on aggregometer by two methods (Born's method and correlational photometric method) in platelet-rich plasma. PAF was used as inductor of platelet aggregation and fluorescence response. The antiallergic drugs ketotifen and sodium cromoglycate (intal) caused a 30-40% inhibition of PAF-induced aggregation of asthmatics' and healthy donors' platelets. It may be concluded that platelets of atopic and aspirin asthmatics are more active, their "hyper-reaction" to PAF is expressed by higher aggregability and the lower PAF concentration threshold.

[The treatment of infectious-allergic bronchial asthma by the extracorporeal connection of a donor spleen]. / Lechenie infektsionno-allergicheskoi bronkhial'noi astmy metodom ékstrakorporal'nogo podkliucheniia donorskoi selezenki.

A total of 25 patients suffering from infective allergic bronchial asthma underwent extracorporeal connection of the donor's spleen (ECCDS). Before ECCDS was made the health status was unstable in all the patients, with asphyxia attacks occurring fairly often, namely up to 12 times a day. Nine patients received the maintenance therapy with steroid hormones. After ECCDS 23 persons (92%) manifested complete disappearance of asphyxia attacks or considerable abatement of their severity and rate. In all the steroid-dependent patients, the daily dosage of steroids could be lowered, while in 3 patients, hormonal drugs were afterwards discontinued. Examination of external respiratory function demonstrated the improvement of bronchial patency at the level of large, medium-size and small bronchi. There was a decrease of the concentration of the circulating immune complexes and IgE in the blood plasma. During 2 years of the follow up, 16 patients did not show any disease relapses, whereas the remainder demonstrated less gravity of attacks as compared to the period preceding the use of ECCDS. It is concluded that the use of ECCDS is desirable in the multimodality treatment of infective allergic bronchial asthma.

[Combined treatment with selective beta1 adrenoblockaders and beta2 adrenostimulants in patients with myocardial infarction associated with chronic obstructive lung diseases]. / Kombinirovannaia terapiia selektivnymi beta1-adrenoblokatorami i beta2-adrenostimuliatorami bo'lnykh infarktom miokarda s soputstvuiushchimi khronicheskimi obstruktivnymi zabolevaniiami.

The effect of selective beta 1-adrenoblocker metoprolol, used alone or in combination with selective beta 2-adrenostimulant terbutaline, on hemodynamic and gas exchange parameters was examined in 30 patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and attendant chronic pulmonary obstructive diseases (CPOD). Severe gas exchange and intracardiac hemodynamic disorders, conducive to right-ventricular decompensation, were demonstrated in this category of patients. Selective beta 1-adrenoblockers can be used as part of combined treatment for MI under the monitoring of external respiration parameters in patients with mild bronchial obstruction and moderate hypoxemia, whereas in MI patients with severe respiratory insufficiency and gas exchange disorders, the treatment with beta 1-adrenoblockers can aggravate those. Combined use of metoprolol and brikanil produces a number of favorable ventilatory and hemodynamic effects, conducive to the stabilization of clinical condition in MI patients with attendant CPOD and limits the risk of complications.