The experience of diagnosis and treatment of 108 patients, suffering malignant metastatic exudative pleuritis, is presented. Different variants of pleuropulmonary biopsy, performed under local anesthesia and narcosis, are suggested. Special attention is dedicated to various methods of pleurodesis, performed as a variant of palliative treatment and prophylaxis of exudation. Comparative characteristics on efficacy of various methods of pleurodesis and the others are adduced. Simple methods, using chemopreparations, must be preferred while choosing the pleurodesis method. All the patients are alive.

New polymethylene derivatives of nucleic bases with a beta-diketo function in the omega-position were obtained by alkylation of uracil, thymine, cytosine, hypoxanthine, adenine, and N(2)-isobutyryl guanine with 2-omega-chloroal-kanoyl)cyclohexanones. The physical and chemical characteristics of the compounds synthesized and their effect on the K562 and HCT116 tumor cell lines were studied.

125 patients with hepatic neoplasms were observed during 1998-2008 years. Trisectionectomy was carried out to 84 patients with colorectal metastatic affection of liver, which amounted 67.2% of all cases. Hepatocellular carcinoma was the second most frequent malignancy to be observed--23 patients (18.4%). 6 patients (4.8%) with cholangiocellular carcinoma went further. 12 patients (9.6%) with non-colorectal metastatic tumors of liver were united into one group. In postoperative period adjuvant chemotherapy was carried out to 60 patients with colorectal metastatic affection of liver. In all patients with hepatic tumors undergoing trisectionectomy postoperative lethality amounted 6.4% (n=8), in patients with colorectal metastatic affection of liver--5.95% (n=5), in patients with primary hepatic tumors--3.45% (n=1), in patients with non-colorectal metastatic affection of liver--16.66% (n=2). Lethality was caused by acute hepatic failure in all observations. Postoperative complications were observed in 44.05% of patients with colorectal cancer and in 44.83% of patients with primary hepatic tumors. Hepatic failure was the most frequent complication. In case of colorectal metastatic affection three-year probability of survival amounted 30.94+/-6.6% in patients undergoing trisectionectomy, five-year--10.4+/-8%. Median 16 months. On conditions that adjuvant chemotherapy was carried out, three-year survival probability increased to 40.53+/-8.1%, five-year--to 10.4+/-8%. Median 17 months. One-year survival probability in patients with primary hepatic tumors undergoing trisectionectomy amounted 92.46+/-5.1%, three-year - 59.44+/-12.3%, five-year--44.58+/-15.8%. Median 42 months. Low level of postoperative lethality, allowable level of postoperative complications and good indices of survival probability in long-term period allow considering that trisectionectomy as a surgical technique is absolutely appropriate.

The influence of the untitumor drugs, cyclophosphamide (CPA) and nitrosomethylurea (NMM) on the activity of lysosomal cysteine proteases cathepsin B and L in the tumor tissue was studied. Regression or reduction in the rate of growth of LS and RLS (drug sensitive and resistant sarcomas, respectively) during injection of CPA or NMM was accompanied by the increase in the activity of cysteine proteases cathepsin B and L in the tumor tissue. The increase of cathepsin B and L activity in the tumor tissue was correlated with the therapeutic effect of the used drugs. Data obtained suggest that cathepsin B and L activity in the tumor tissue have a prognostic significance for the effectiveness of antitumor therapy.

A new mouse ASF-LL model of adult T-lymphoma/leukemia (ATLL) in humans was characterized by cytological, histopathological, and flow cytometry analyses. Encouraging similarities of morphological, pathological, and clinical signs were found. These included characteristic flower appearance of leukemic cells, lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly, multiple growths in the skin, urogenital tissues, lungs and pituitary gland, CD4+CD25+ phenotype of the majority of tumor cells that were selectin-L positive, a rapid clinical course, and poor response to standard chemotherapy. Plant peptides obtained from the traditional Russian herbal medicine have gradually gained considerable attention as a new source of anticancer drugs. We have tested antitumor activity of a peptide extract PE-PM obtained from a mixture of Chelidonium majus L., Inula helenium L., Equisetum arvense L. and Inonotus obliquus in new mouse T-lymphoma/leukemia model ASF-LL. Distinct antitumor activity of two local injections of the peptide extract PE-PM was detected by tumor growth inhibition and survival improvement of 33% of recipients bearing intraperitoneal form of ASF-LL.

Overdose of cisplatin, a preparation with potentially high nephrotoxicity results in the damage of renal tubules, development of irreversible acute renal insufficiency, and death. Acute cisplatin poisoning requires maintenance and symptomatic treatment; antidotes are unknown. We report a case of successful therapy of acute cisplatin overdose in a 49 year-old patient by hemodialysis with successive inclusion of a column with hemosorbent before the dialyzer in the extracorporeal contour.

Twenty-four patients with thyroid carcinoma receiving thyroxine were examined. The thyroid gland had been extirpated in 20; hemithyreoidectomy (4). Tests with ethinyl estradiol (50 mcg, per os, 6 days) (8), estradiol valerate (2 mg, per os, 12 days) (10), and tamoxifen (40 mg, per os, 14 days) (6) were carried out on the assumption of normal and neoplastic thyroid epithelium sensitivity to estrogen stimulation. Blood thyroglobulin, TSH and estradiol levels were assayed before and after loading. Thyroglobulin concentrations increased in 5 out of 24 patients (ethinyl estradiol--1 out of 8, estradiol valerate--2 out of 10 and tamoxifen--2 out of 6); those of TSH--in 6 out 24 (3 out of 8, 2 out of 10 and 1 out of 6, respectively). Enhanced thyroglobulin correlated with higher levels of TSH in 2 out of 5 and with blood-estradiol--in 4 out of 5. It was suggested that at least, in some patients, the preparations might produce a direct stimulating effect on thyroglobulin biosynthesis in the thyroid tissue remnants. Further research is suggested or on whether tamoxifen exerts pro- or antiestrogenic influence on thyroid epithelium.

To characterize clinical symptoms, course, immediate and long-term treatment results in young patients with hair cell leukemia (HCL).

While studying Guerin's carcinoma development under conditions of different vitamin A provision in the period of tumor growth and before it appearance, it was established, that strengthened saturation of an organism with a tumor by vitamin A hyper doses can both stimulate and inhibit tumor progression. The effect depends on duration of vitamin A administration and on the level of preliminary provision of an organism with this vitamin. The hyper doses administration for 7 days on the normal vitamin A provision background and the normal doses administration to vitamin A-deficient animals which is especially expressed antitumor effect. The continuation of hyper doses administration to 14 days leads to rising of tumor sizes, especially expressed in vitamin A-deficient animals.

The cytotoxic activity of L-asparaginases from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and from Erwinia carotovora were investigated in vitro using several tumor cells lines: Jurkat and Molt-4 (human T-lymphoblastic leukemia), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma), LnCap (human prostate carcinoma), NGUK1 (rat Gasser node neurinoma). E. coli L-asparaginase produced by "Medak" (Germany) was used as a reference. The cell growth inhibition data indicate that Y. pseudotuberculosis L-asparaginase significantly inhibits growth of leukemic and solid tumor cells. These results allow us to conclude that this L-asparaginase can be used for the development of new preparations for the therapy of different types of tumors.

Activity of caspases 3, 9, 6 has been investigated in erythroleukemia K562 cells under conditions of induction or inhibition of erythroid differentiation using cyclophosphane (N'-bis-(beta-chlorethyl)-N'-O-trimethyl ester of diamide of phosphoric acid, antitumour agent of oncologic practice) and two newsynthetic thiazophosphol derivatives--2-t-butylamino-4-thioxo-4-chloromethyl-1,3,4-thiazophosphol-2-in, 2-anilino-4-thioxo-4-chloromethyl-1,3,4-thiazophosphol-2-in as modulators of differentiation. The treatment of K562 cells with cyclophosphane and the t-butylamine thiazophosphol derivative was accompanied by the induction of erythroid differentiation, activation of caspase 3 and caspase 9, followed by subsequent induction of apoptosis. Treatment of cancer cells with the aniline thiazophosphol derivative led to a loss of erythroid differentiation in cells and increased expression of the monocyte lineage associated surface antigen, activation of caspases 3, 9, 6, and induction of apoptosis. In the latter case the level of activity of caspase 3 was lower than in the cells treated in the presence of other compounds. Possible functional redistribution of activity of cell caspases involved in the realization of different directions of differentiation and apoptosis in K562 cells is discussed.

Till now the thanatological mechanisms that regulated the proliferation and the clearance of the stem cells (SC) in fast renewal systems of organism--intestinal epithelium remain insufficiently investigated as in haematopoietic system too. The relevance of such researches is supported by an essential role of these mechanisms in pathogenesis of widely widespread inflammatory and hyperproliferative diseases. In particular inhibition/disregulation of elimination for the "undesirable", mutant cells leaving from under immune and own control is one of the reasons for neoplastic cell expansion. In this review were summarized data about some mechanisms determining SC-destruction in animals treated by ionizing radiation or antineoplastic preparations, and also treated by modifiers of SC-radiosensitivity.

NF-kappaB is one of the main transcriptional factors that is responsible for cell survival under stresses. It was shown that various species of mycoplasma and their structural components were able to stimulate NF-kappaB activation as a result of their interaction with specific toll-like receptors on eukaryotic cell surface. Based on these studies, we suggested that activation of NF-kappaB in response to mycoplasmal infection could enhance the resistance of infected cells in response to proapoptotic stimuli. In this study we showed that infection of cells expressing toll-like receptors TLR2/6 with mycoplasma M. arginini leaded to suppression of apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, taxol).

The article deals with a review of clinical studies carried out within the time period from 2003 to 2007. The review contains the data concerning restenoses of sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents, suggesting that the stents with an antiproliferative coating substantially diminished the acuity of the problem regarding restenoses but did not solve the problem completely. The incidence rate of restenoses remains high in patients with diabetes mellitus as well as in those with bifurcation stenoses, acute and chronic occlusions of coronary arteries. Analysing the published data the authors made a conclusion that during angioplasty of acute and chronic occlusions of coronary arteries preference should be given to sirolimus-eluting stents since they are most effective in prevention of restenoses inside stents in such lesions. Analysing the findings of clinical trials of drug-eluting stents showed efficiency and safety of such stents in treatment of in-stent restenoses. Patients with diabetes mellitus are exceptions to this rule, being poor candidates for drug-eluting stents, since the latter proved to exhibit low efficacy in these patients.

Piscarinines A and B were synthesized most actively during the surface cultivation of the fungus Penicillium piscarium in a complex medium (5.5 mg/l). Under conditions of submerged cultivation in a mineral medium, the yield of piscarinines was two times lower. An increase in the inoculum quantity of conidia treated with Tween-80 increased the culture productivity. The biosynthesis of the alkaloid was completely suppressed when mannitol was replaced with glucose or when zinc, iron, or copper ions were added to the culture medium. The metabolites were active against the prostate cancer cell line LNCAP (IC50 were 2.195 and 1.914 microg/ml for piscarinines A and B, respectively).

The system of transformation of heterologous genes under the method of agrobacterial transfer into Acremonium chrysogenum ATCC 11550 wild-type strains, natural producents of beta-lactam antibiotic cephalosporin C, and strains highly producing cephalosporin C 26/8 revealed by the multistage selection on its basis were developed. Vectors for agrobacterial transformation of A. chrysogenum containing expression cassettes of genes encoding resistance to geneticin (G418) and bleomicin (Zeocin) antibiotics under control of Ashbya gossypii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae TEF1 promoters were constructed. A comparable assessment of agrotransformation methods while co-cultivating fungi and agrobacterial cells on filters and in deep culture was conducted. Transformants, selected by resistance to geneticin and bleomicin, were characterized by PCR and Southern blot analyses.