The influence of cycloferon and its combinations with cyclo-phosphamide on the growth of transplantable tumors was studied in rats with lymphosarcoma of Pliss and CBA and NMRI mice bearing Ehrlich's carcinoma and leukemia L1210. While cycloferon alone failed to significantly influence tumor growth, treatment with 100 mg/kg of the drug was followed by longer survival in mice with transplantable Ehrlich tumor. The highest inhibitory effect of combined cycloferon and cyclophosphamide was recorded on day 10 when tumor growth inhibition was as high as 90%. Mitotic activity of tumor was inhibited following multiple treatment with cycloferon, in combination with cyclophosphamide and cyclophosphamide alone. Survival longer than in control was registered only in animals with L1210 receiving cyclophosphamide alone or in combination with cycloferon. Cycloferon administration was shown to inhibit the growth of Pliss lymphosarcoma only within a short period after the start of the study. Combined treatment with cycloferon and cyclophosphamide produced the highest inhibition. The antitumor effect of cycloferon varied depending on tumor pattern, species and line of animals and dose and modality of administration.

Changes in the character and frequency of chromosome associations in metaphase cells of human lymphocyte cultures during colcemid treatment were studied. As the time of colcemid treatment was extended from 0 to 24 h, the number of both cells with chromosome associations and of chromosomes involved in this process was seen to increase. After a 1 h incubation of cells with colcemid the number of nucleolar-organizing chromosome associations increased considerably. In 3 h, non-nucleolar-organizing chromosomes were also involved in associations: among these most often were noticed chromosomes 1, 2 and 3, and less often chromosome 11. Following 24 h of colcemid influence, the number of telomeric associations of chromosomes increased, with most frequent involvement of chromosomes 1, 4, 6 and 16. Results of this investigation allow to propose that the step-by-step involvement of metaphase chromosomes in associations, as the time of colcemid treatment increases, may reflect the remoteness of the respective chromosomes from the nucleolus. Thus, in human blood lymphocytes chromosomes 1, 2, 3 and 11 are very likely localized near the nucleolus, or some regions of these chromosomes may contact with the nucleolus.

Three independent subclones (B2, B3 and C9) of human myelogenous leukemia cell line K562 selected with adriamycin (ADM) were analysed. Cross-resistance of these ADM-resistant cells was examined for a resistance to the number of drugs including colchicine, actinomycin D and ethidium bromide. MDR 1 gene amplification in B3 and C9 subclones was detected using Southern-hybridization with specific probe. Additional genetical material was found in genomes of resistant cells by analysis of G-banded metaphase chromosomes. An extraordinarily long marker chromosome was observed in every C9 metaphase plate. The character of this chromosome G-banding suggests that it may be a derivative of chromosome 5 containing a large homogeneously staining region (HSR) in locus 5q15. Both B2 and B3 subclones expressed double minute chromosomes (DMs) in 5% of cells. In the course of a prolonged cultivation (about 2 years) of C9 cells in the presence of ADM a progressive karyotype destabilization was observed: the frequency of new markers formation in C9 cells increased, cells having additional copies of marker chromosome with HSR appeared, the length of HSR varied, coexistence of HSR and DMs being found in several C9 cells. These karyotypical changes may be regarded as patterns of genome destabilization due to the multidrug resistance of K562/ADM cells.

By RIA dot-blot method two main cell system, system SOS-repair and heat shock system, was showed possibility to receive as well qualitative as quantitative results influence of different induced agents. Was showed quantitative differences in initial levels enzymes of RecA and CroEL in different strains of E. coli, as well of principle possibility to using received antibody, which has high specific to this enzymes, for investigation reactions this systems in the other bacterial species, such as Bac. subtilis.

We studied the sensitivity of human melanoma (Bro strain) xenografts to drugs of the nitrosoalkylurea (NAU) class: nitrosomethylurea (NMM), karmustin (BCNU), nimustin (ACNU), nitrulin, and ADEKO. High antitumor activity of NAM was shown when the drugs were applied not only at the early, but also at the late stages of tumor progression (tumor mass 400 and 1200 mg, respectively). The therapeutic effect of the drugs was estimated with the use of criteria characterizing the kinetics of tumor regression, increased life span, and survival of treated animals. After early administration of the drugs (Day 4 after tumor transplantation), 67% and 50% of animals survive under the influence of nitrulin and ACNU, respectively, while the rate of tumor regression increased in the sequence nitrulin < karmustin < NMM < ACNU. After late administration (11 days after tumor transplantation), NMM was most effective at increasing survival (35% of survived animals by 35 days of observation), while the rate of tumor regression increased in the sequence ADEKO < NMM < karmustin < nitrulin < ACNU.

The results of studies on the chemical structure and physiological activity of phanerogam polysaccharides, accumulated within the last two decades, are reviewed. Three types of polysaccharides are considered: rhamnogalacturonans (pectins and related gums and mucilages, type A), acidic arabinogalactans (mainly plant mucilages, gums, and some hemicelluloses, type B), and neutral glucans and heteroglycans (reserve polysaccharides, type C). Various physiological activities of these plant polysaccharides are discussed, with particular emphasis being placed on their immunomodulatory action. The data available on the relationship between chemical structure and physiological activity of plant polysaccharides are considered. Information on the medicinal use of some plants containing physiologically active polysaccharides is presented.

The influence of the ionic strength and temperature of medium on the changes in the geometry of the double stranded DNA of different nucleotide content upon the formation of complexes with antitumor drugs mitoxantrone and ametantrone was investigated. It is shown that from circular dichroism spectra it is possible to determine the relative intensity of changes in the geometry of DNA double helix upon binding with the drugs investigated. The binding of one ametantrone molecule causes greater changes in the geometry of DNA double helix than the binding of mitoxantrone.

Overall, thirty-five patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia in the advanced stage were examined. Results of the findings obtained show that the first course of chemotherapy does not have significant effect on general lytic activity of complement and opsonic activity of blood serum but inhibits activity of classical and alternative paths of complement. Repeated courses of chemotherapy make for depression of general lytic activity of complement as well as classical and alternative paths of the complement system.

The report deals with the first experience of successful administration of soluble amigluracil, a synthesized pyrimidine derivative of methyluracil, which was inhaled with aerosols to treat acute, chronic radiation-related and bleomycin-induced pulmonitis. No side-effects, including allergy, were observed.

A stage II of the joint clinical study of Dioxadet, an ethylene imine drug, was carried out to evaluate its therapeutic effect in 229 patients and side-effects in 239 patients with malignancies of various sites. Marked therapeutic effect was observed in ascitic malignancies of the ovary and a moderate one--in disseminated breast cancer. The most frequent side-effect was reversible myelodepression, often delayed.

The contribution made by adjuvant hormone therapy in the development of primary multiple endometrial adenocarcinoma (EA) in patients with breast tumors (BT) is not quite clear. The study was based on the data on 5,790 cases of BT treated at our Clinic and 4,447 females screened for hormone-dependent neoplasms. Patients with BT were found to be at high cumulative risk for endometrial carcinogenesis caused by general factors of risk and pathogenesis. The risk was particularly high in BT (stage 1) within 12 months after treatment. There was no correlation between tamoxifen treatment and significant increase in EA frequency. Promotion of tumor proliferation by tamoxifen was identified in endometrial tissue in 62 patients with BT. This may facilitate clinical manifestations of another latent EA in such patients. Dynamic surveillance of the endometrium and ovary should include ultrasonography of pelvic organs and cytologic examination (smears) of the ecto- and endocervix and endometrial aspiration biopsy.

An approach for determination of cytotoxicity of chemical and biological drugs which combine the estimation of quality and quantity of cells after their treatment are proposed by the authors. The visual control of cellular minicultures permits one: 1) to register specific and pathologic alterations of cell morphology, 2) to trace their development in dynamics under the action of individual or complex drugs and 3) to choose the optimum time for the experiment fixation. The special staining of the treated cells and measurement of the optical density of absorbed histological dye permits one to make a conclusion about the changing of the cells quantity. A combined method of double estimation gives the opportunity to detect the artefacts taking place after staining the cells treated by some drugs and extracts of natural origin in high concentrations.