Ukrain: a novel antitumor drug.

A review of the recent literature on the new anticancer drug Ukrain is provided herein. We review Ukrain, a thiophosphate derivative of alkaloids from Chelidonium majus L., its capacity to exert selective cytotoxic and cytostatic effects on tumor cells, simultaneously acting as an immune response modifier, its good tolerance and lack of side effects even after long-term application, perspectives of the application of this drug in oncology.

[Olifen action on mutagenesis in human lymphocytes]. / Vliianie olifena na mutagenez v limfotsitakh cheloveka.

Antihypoxic drug olifen has been studied for effect in 72-hour PHA-stimulated cultures of blood lymphocytes in 15 healthy donors and 35 patients with diseases accompanied by enhanced mutagenesis in lymphocytes (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, hypophyseal adenoma, neoplasms, chronic intoxications). Olifen has no mutagenic effect on mutagenesis in lymphocytes in a wide dose range. In diseases with intensive mutagenesis in lymphocytes olifen exhibits antimutagenic effect without lymphopoiesis.

[The mononuclear phagocytes and antiviral resistance in pneumonia]. / Sostoianie mononuklearnykh fagotsitov i protivovirusnoi rezistentnosti pri pnevmonii.

As many as 159 patients with pneumonia (all men aged 18-39) were examined. Functional activity of monocytes was studied in an integral test with nitroblue tetrazolium as was nonspecific cellular antiviral resistance by the level of viral damage to the monocytes and lymphocytes. The progression of pneumonia was found to be accompanied by a decrease in the number of phagocytizing mononuclears and the activity of phagocytosis. Nonspecific cellular antiviral resistance is significantly impaired. The proportion of monocytes and lymphocytes containing viral inclusions increases several-fold. The treatment of patients is accompanied by positive dynamics of indicators of functional status of monocytes and nonspecific cellular antiviral resistance. By the time of discharge from hospital the impaired functions of immunocompetent cells fail to completely restore.

[Monocyte functional activity and nonspecific antiviral cellular resistance in adaptation to the conditions of eastern Siberia]. / Funktsional'naia aktivnost' monotsitov i nespetsificheskaia protivovirusnaia kletochnaia rezistentnost' pri adaptatsii k usloviiam Vostochnoi Sibiri.

Monocyte functional activity and antiviral cellular resistance were studied in the newcomers to the Baikal region from the European Russia. A total of 105 patients with acute respiratory diseases and 30 normal subjects were examined. 46 healthy residents of St. Petersburg made up the reference group. The process of adaptation was found to be associated with changes in the functional activity of the immunocompetent cells. The authors came to a conclusion on the principal role of viral injury of the monocytes in the development of acute bronchitis or pneumonia.

[The functional activity of mononuclear phagocytes and nonspecific antiviral cellular resistance in acute bronchitis and pneumonia]. / Funktsional'naia aktivnost' mononuklearnykh fagotsitov i nespetsificheskaia protivovirusnaia kletochnaia rezistentnost' pri ostrom bronkhite i pnevmonii.

Functional activity of mononuclear phagocytes and antiviral cellular resistance have been examined in 75 patients with acute bronchitis, 159 pneumonia patients and 46 healthy males as shown by intracellular viremia in monocytes and lymphocytes. Progression of acute bronchitis and pneumonia conformed to inhibition of phagocytosis in mononuclear phagocytes, growing percentage of virus-affected monocytes and lymphocytes.

[Monocyte functional activity and nonspecific antiviral cellular resistance in a group at high risk for developing acute pneumonia]. / Funktsional'naia aktivnost' monotsitov i nespetsificheskaia protivovirusnaia kletochnaia rezistentnost' v gruppe povyshennogo riska razvitiia ostroi pnevmonii.

Overall 132 patients at greater risk for pneumonia were examined for functional activity of monocytes and antiviral cellular resistance according to the status of intracellular viremia in monocytes and lymphocytes. The control group included 46 healthy men. Proneness to pneumonia was discovered to be related to abnormal function of mononuclear phagocytes and a decrease of antiviral cellular resistance. The conclusion is made about the necessity of the control over functional activity of monocytes, viremia in immunocompetent cells and advisability of carrying out immunomodulatory and antiviral therapy.

[Antiviral cellular resistance in acute sepsis]. / Protivovirusnaia kletochnaia rezistentnost' pri ostrom sepsise.

The antiviral cellular resistance was studied in 22 patients with acute sepsis of different etiology. The acute sepsis was found to develop as a rule against the background of substantially decreased antiviral cellular resistance. So, treatment of this category of patients should include not only antibacterial and antimycotic, but also antiviral methods of therapy.

[Antiviral cellular resistance in acute suppurative-destructive diseases of the lungs]. / Protivovirusnaia kletochnaia rezistentnost' pri ostrykh gnoino-destruktivnykh zabolevaniiakh legkikh.

Antiviral cellular resistance was studied in 32 patients with acute purulent-destructive pulmonary diseases and in 46 normal subjects by determination of monocytes and lymphocytes containing viral inclusions and the coefficient of their viral affection. Parameters of humoral activity and functional monocyte activity were also studied. It has been established that these diseases are attended by the affection of immunocompetent cells which leads to the suppression of their functional activity to reduce anti-infectious cellular defence. Development of an abscess and gangrene in the lung is being investigated taking into consideration not only changes in the quantity of the immunocompetent cells but also the dependence on the degree of their functional activity.

[Effect of interlok, remantadine and biotop on normal monocyte functional activity and in acute viral hepatitis]. / Vliianie interloka, remantadina i biotopa na funktsional'nuiu aktivnost' monotsitov v norme i proi ostrom virusnom gepatite.

The influence of interlok, biotop and remantadine on the functional activity of monocytes was determined with the use of the NBT test permitting the quantitative evaluation of this characteristic. In this study interlok was found to give promising results in the treatment of acute viral hepatitis, due both to its antiviral action and to the stimulation of the functional activity of monocytes. biotop proved to render a sharply pronounced stimulating effect on the functional activity of monocytes, thus enhancing antiviral resistance. Remantadine suppressed the functional activity of monocytes and increased their lesion by the virus, thus creating favorable conditions for virus persistence in monocytes.

[Characteristics of monocyte functional activity in acute viral hepatitis]. / Osobennosti funktsional'noi aktivnosti monotsitov pri ostrom virusnom gepatite.

The functional activity of monocytes in acute viral hepatitis has been studied. As revealed by the NBT test, circulating monocytes are damaged by viruses and/or virus-containing complexes. Proceeding from this fact, the percentage of monocytes containing virus inclusions should be considered as the percentage of monocytes damaged by the virus, and the coefficient of the inclusion of viral particles should be considered as the quantitative characteristic of the viral damage of monocytes. The decrease of the percentage of functionally active monocytes creates suitable conditions for the persistence of the virus in monocytes and for the disease to become chronic.