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In experiments on the intracerebral inoculation of herpes virus, type I, into 38 CBA mice the phagocytic activity of peritoneal exudate, cells, spontaneous migration of leukocytes and their response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), the activity of key enzymes of gluconeogenesis, lipid peroxidation in liver tissue, as well as the level of glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in the blood, were determined simultaneously with the histological study of the brain and the main internal organs of the animals, receiving thymalin treatment and not receiving it. As demonstrated in these experiments, the development of experimental infection was accompanied by the inhibition of the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages and response of leukocytes to PHA, as well as metabolic shifts in liver tissue. Treatment with thymalin produced a combined immunomodulating and metabolic effect.

Generalized herpetic infection (GI) with a predominant involvement of the brain, eye, liver and spleen, in which cell rhexis and hyperchromatosis and large necrotic foci were observed, has been experimentally reproduced in newborn rabbits. Administration of herpes simplex virus at the dose of 5LD50 resulted in the suppression of immune reactions and animal death 4-5 days later. Dose of 2LD50 resulted in the immune response in the lymphoid organs, but the signs of the disease disappeared 5 days after the injection of the virus. The hypothesis on the existence of several clinico-morphological variants of GI is postulated.

Blood of 56 guinea pigs with experimental Q rickettsiosis was studied cytochemically (lysosomal cationic test) to measure the level of cationic proteins in neutrophil granulocytes. Development of Q rickettsiosis resulted in a decrease in the killing ability of neutrophils, depending on infection dose introduced. However, by day 7 of the disease, the level of cationic proteins in blood neutrophil granulocytes returned to the initial range. Similar situation was noted after subcutaneous injection of Coxiella burnetti corpuscular antigen. Subcutaneous infection with the living culture stimulus induced the wave-like decrease of the cationic proteins content. Infection of pre-immunized animals led to smaller decrease in the cationic proteins levels and to their more rapid recovery. Aspects of antimicrobial activity of neutrophil granulocyte cationic proteins in experimental Q rickettsiosis is discussed.

The review shows that neutrophil granulocytes play a key role in the host defence against infection diseases. An important role belongs to the antibacterial cation proteins. Their study allows to create new methods of rapid diagnosis of the host resistance. The use of one of such tests (lysosome-cationic one) showed its high efficiency in the assessment of the disease gravity and the prognosis of complications.

Impulse hydrodynamic influences (IHDI) resulted in an increase of accumulation of acridine organ, degranulation of neutrophils, decrease in adenylate cyclase and Na+, K+, Mg2(+)-dependent ATPase activities in the white blood cells of man and rat in vitro and in vivo. It was found that the cell's response to one-fold IHDI was more pronounced than to 5-fold IHDI. It was suggested that in certain conditions IHDI could lead to a decrease in reactivity of white blood cells.

Data on cytochemical analysis of cation proteins in human and animal neutrophil granulocytes are discussed. Deficiency of cation proteins in blood neutrophils was detected at the step of mammals early postnatal development; reaction of the proteins to stress-effects in considered. Cytochemical evaluation of cation proteins in neutrophilic granulocytes may serve as one of criteria of the unspecific resistance state.

It was shown, for the first time, that polypeptide of rabbit's neutrophils, defensin (D) has the ability to accelerate the reparation process (RP). D was infused intramuscular to rats (125 micrograms/kg) 2 days before the operation, then the skin on the back was dissected through all layers (the length of the wound was constant-10 mm). The rate of the RP was estimated by the changes of the wound length on 2, 5, 7, 13-15 days after the operation. The injection of D or physiological solution was continued during 2 weeks. It was shown, that beginning from the fifth postoperative day the RP in the experimental rats developed faster, than in control rats. In the experimental group the full reparation appeared earlier, than in the control group (on 21-22 and 24-26 days correspondingly. Qualitative (with trypan blue) and semi-quantitative (with colloid coal) methods have shown, that D augmented the permeability of blood vessels. It was proposed, that the RP acceleration was induced by D augmentation of the blood vessels permeability.

Transitory age-associated deficiency of the granulocyte cationic proteins as a cause of a phagocytosis disturbance, loss of the phagocyte cell ability to kill phagocytosed bacteria is established. Quantitative indexes of myeloperoxidase content, elastase and catepsin G in the neutrophil granulocytes of newborns and laboratory animals are determined. Hypothesis is developed on the transitory age-associated immunodeficiencies of the neutrophil granulocyte system as one of the endogenic risk factors in the development of infectious diseases during early postnatal period.

A study was made of the influence of UV-irradiation (254 nm) of blood in vitro, of the autotransfusion of UV-irradiated blood (AUVIB), and of the mixture of UV-irradiated and intact blood in vitro on the content of bactericidal cation proteins (CP) in blood neutrophil of calves suffered from dyspepsia and broncho-pneumonia. Age differences were noticed in CP contents and their decrease in neutrophils following AUVIB in vivo and administration of the mixture of blood in vitro. The decrease in cell CP contents is presumably due to neutrophil degranulation and CP release into the blood plasma. Since the initial mechanisms of neutrophil degranulation are located on the cell surface, the CP release is supposed to result from a membranotropic effect of UV-irradiated blood on the intact autologous blood. This effect may explain the increase in nonspecific resistance of organism after the AUVIB, being one of the main therapeutic phenomena of the AUVIB-therapy.

The authors consider that quantitative and qualitative characteristics of phagocytosis can be given with the help of lysosomal-cationic test (LCT) at different periods of acute purulent lactation mastitis. LCT gives prognosis of the course of the disease and a reliable estimation of the treatment efficiency.

A method of histochemical identification of cationic proteins, peroxidase, viable and killed bacteria in semithin sections of biopsy samples is suggested. The method is based on dying of araldite-embedded semithin sections with a buffered alcohol solution of fast green (pH 8.15) and on peroxidase identification with O-dianisidine. The method suggested can be used for distinguishing occult forms of infectious gastritis, evaluation of secretory and barrier function of gastric epithelium, selective dying of leucocytes in tissues, revealing of viable and non-viable bacteria in the infective foci.

A method is suggested for a histochemical and immunofluorescent detection of lysosome cation proteins in the histologic paraffin sections of biopsies. The method is based on the staining of histologic sections obtained from the material fixed in glutaraldehyde buffered with an alcohol solution of a fast green (pH 8.1-8.2) and on the detection myeloperoxidase and lactoferrine by means immune serum by Coons's method. 0.25% solution of azur A (B, C) is used for staining the cell nuclei and viable bacteria.

Lysosomal secretion of neutrophilic granulocytes has been studied in normal subjects (healthy males and females aged 20-50), pregnant women and burnt patients. A significant rise in lysosomal secretory activity of neutrophilic granulocytes was recorded in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Low lysosomal secretion can serve an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with a severe burn trauma.

Lactoferrin, a non-heme iron-binding protein was isolated from pig neutrophils. The purification procedure included initial extraction of the protein in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide followed by chromatography on carboxymethyl-cellulose and Sephadex G-100. The thus obtained protein was found to be homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel (PAAG) electrophoresis at acidic values of pH. PAAG electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed a single component with a molecular weight of 75 000-80 000. The resulting protein is capable of binding two atoms of iron molecule. The absorbance spectra for the pig neutrophil lactoferrin are identical to those for cow milk lactoferrin in the visible region and have a maximum at 465 nm. The amino acid composition of pig lactoferrin was determined. Isoelectric focusing of the protein obtained in a PAAG stabilized pH gradient revealed a component with pI of about 6.8. A single precipitin line was observed with rabbit antipig lactoferrin when examined by immunodiffusion. No immunological cross-reactions were observed between pig lactoferrin and bovine lactoferrin.

Clinico-morphological test for the quantitative evaluation of exudative and cell response in the diagnostical inflammatory focus in various forms of human pathology is developed. The values in practically healthy persons are established. The possibilities of the test use for the prognosis of disease and the development of postoperative complications in patients with cold trauma are shown.

A model system has been developed (B. megaterium + granulocyte) imitating the mechanisms of phagocytosis of filamentous forms of bacteria by neutrophilic granulocytes. In the capture of multicellular microbial filaments by one or several granulocytes predominate the mechanisms of cell membrane invagination and formation of exocytic secretory system providing the inhibition of the activity of the phagocytized agent and release of microbicidal factors and enzymes into the extracellular environment. The importance and frequency of occurrence of the observed phenomenon in different pathological forms have not been elucidated.