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The paper focuses on the development of drug delivery systems based on hydrogels of dextran phosphate (DP) for local cancer therapy. The hydrogels were characterized by physicochemical properties including functional group content, morphology, gel fraction, pH-responsive swelling. The desirable pH-sensitive drug release behavior of these hydrogels was demonstrated by a drug release test with Prospidine-loaded hydrogels (DP-Pr hydrogels) at different pH values. In vitro degradation of the DP-Pr hydrogels was determined under simulated physiological conditions. The cytotoxicity of the blank DP hydrogels and DP-Pr hydrogels with different Pr concentrations was evaluated with HeLa and HЕр-2 cells. Investigations of antitumor efficiency in vivo showed that administration of DP-Pr hydrogels in comparison with an aqueous solution of Pr results in the increase of antitumor activity, prolongation of therapeutic action and growth of a number of animals cured. Therefore, such pH-responsive DP hydrogels could be promising candidates as drug delivery carriers.

AIMS The clinical significance of the measurement of urine sodium concentration (UNa+ ) in response to loop diuretic administration in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) is still unsettled. We studied the association of serial measurements of spot UNa+ during the first 48 h of AHF treatment with the indices of decongestion, renal function, and prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS We enrolled 111 AHF patients, all of whom received intravenous furosemide on admission. The mean spot UNa+ significantly increased in the 6 h sample (P

NSO/1 (P3?63Ay 8Ut) and SP20 myeloma cells were inoculated to BALB/c OlaHsd mice. NSO/1 cells allowed adequate stage-by-stage monitoring of tumor development. The adequacy of this model was confirmed in experiments with conventional cytostatics: prospidium and cytarabine caused necrosis of tumor cells and reduced animal mortality.

Antineoplastic effect of hydrogel dextran phosphate, hydrogel prospidin, and prospidin in an injectable preparation has been assessed using Seidel ascites hepatoma as a model. Injectable and hydrogel prospidin in doses from 250, 500 to 1000 mg/kg and hydrogel phosphate dextran in doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg were administered to rats intraperitoneally in a single dose in a volume of 1 or 2 ml per each 100 g of animal body weight. The study has shown that irrespective of rats with Seidel ascites hepatoma and significantly increase in the dosage of prospidin preparations and hydrogel dextran phosphate results in a longer average life expectancy of rats Compared with its injectable variant, hydrogel prospidin appears to produce more than twice as high antineoplastic effect, and is found to provide prolonged therapeutic effects, as well as cure of animals in more than 60 % of cases.

Purpose The current study was to follow the dynamics of the above medication within a year. Methods Prospidium directly effects DNA, Ribonucleic acid (RNA), has an anti-inflammatory, anti-modulator, anti-proliferative effects. This medication blocks messenger RNA and damages the synthesis vascular endothelial growth factor. In Kirov Ophthalmology Hospital, patients with wet form of age related macular degeneration were treated with Prospidium. The dose was 30 mg in peribulbar injections every week. 98 patients, 106 eyes were studied. The course of treatment included 5 injections. The age range was 44-82 years. The evaluation included: check-up of visual acuteness, examination of the eye fundus, photography of the eye fundus, fluorescent angiography of the retina, OCT. Results 3 months later, stability of vision was noted in 56.2%. Visual functions improved in 21.6%. Worsening of visual functions was seen in 12.0%. Repeated decrease of visual acuteness after a one time infusion of Prospidium was noted in 56% of cases on an average 68 days. This fact explains the necessity of the next in-time course of injections. Conclusion Treatment for the wet form of age related macular degeneration with Prospidium is effective.

Objective To determine the frequency and clinical importance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in student athletes. Design Prospective observational cohort study. Setting A major university in the southeastern United States. Participants Student athletes participating in the men's football and women's lacrosse programs (N = 126). Main Exposure Monthly assessment of S aureus nasal colonization. Main Outcome Measures Trends in S aureus colonization over time and the occurrence of skin and soft tissue infections. Results Methicillin-resistant S aureus nasal colonization varied significantly through the athletic season (4%-23%), peaking during times of highest athletic activity. This increase in colonization was not associated with the development of an outbreak of skin and soft tissue infections, and no single MRSA clone emerged as a dominant isolate. Conclusions During the athletic season, there is a considerable burden of MRSA colonization in student athletes; however, colonization alone appears to be insufficient to trigger an outbreak of staphylococcal infections. A combination of distinct molecular characteristics in the organism and specific host factors may govern the development of staphylococcal disease.

Study objective To review the operative outcomes among different types of laparoscopic total hysterectomy (LH) classified according to the Munro and Parker classification system. Design Prospective observational cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II). Setting 6 major public hospitals in Hong Kong. Patients 143 patients underwent LH in a 6-month period. Interventions Type I to type IV LH according to the Munro and Parker classification system. Measurements and main results We studied 56 type I, 49 type II, 25 type III, and 13 type IV LH. The median operative time was 105 minutes, which was significantly longer in the type IV LH group (160 minutes). The median blood loss was significantly higher in the type I LH group (300 mL). The incidence of urinary tract infection in type I LH was 8.9%, which was significantly higher than other LH groups. The overall operative complication rate was 20.3%, which was highest in the type III hysterectomy group (36%), although the difference did not reach statistical significance among the various types of hysterectomy groups. Conclusion There has been a change from abdominal hysterectomy to LH in the past decades, and it is time for us to explore the best type of LH. Our findings suggest that type I LH is associated with significantly more blood loss and urinary tract infection; whereas type IV LH is associated with significantly longer operating time. However, we still cannot conclude which is the best type of LH until results from a randomized controlled trial will become available.

To compare clinical efficacy of methotrexate monotherapy and methotrexate combination with prospidin in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PA).Sixty three patients (42 females and 21 males) with documented PA, generalized articular syndrome of the second-third degree of activity were divided into two groups. Patients of group 1 (n = 30) received combined therapy (i.v. prospidin 200-300 mg/week + i.m. methotrexate 10 mg/week). Maintenance consisted of prospidin in a dose 100-200 mg/week i.m., methotrexate dose was the same. Patients of group 2 (n = 33) were given methotrexate monotherapy in a dose 10 mg/ week i.m.In the first three months of the study and in maintenance therapy, combined treatment was more effective. By ACR criteria, 50-70% response was achieved after 12 months of treatment in 44 and 27.3% patients of groups 1 and 2, respectively. The number of side effects and drug-related withdrawals was 23.3 and 36.4%, 10 and 15.1% in groups 1 and 2, respectively.Combination of methotrexate with prospidin produced an earlier and more potent positive clinical effect than methotrexate alone in PA patients.

Respiratory papillomatosis was studied clinically and morphologically in 35 children with immunohistochemical detection of human papilloma virus. More frequent detection of viral antigen in the superficial layers of the epithelium in children with frequent recurrences was observed. Correlation between clinical efficiency of prospidine and immunohistochemical findings was noted. Suggestion on the indirect link between viral damage and intranuclear inclusions (although viral antigen in these inclusion was not observed) was made.

Phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages in cases of separate and combined injections of killed bacterial vaccines and prospidin has been studied in the work. As a result of researches conducted, it has been found out that the injection of vaccines together with prospidin makes it possible to reduce an inhibiting effect of prospidin on phagocytic activity of monocyte-macrophagal cells; first of all it concerns their digestive activity. Thus, the immunodepressing effect of antiblastome drugs may be reduced with the help of injection of killed bacterial vaccines which stimulate nonspecific factors of organism protection, including antineoplastic ones.

Primary cutaneous plasmacytoma (PCP) is a rare type of cutaneous B-cell lymphoma arising primarily in the skin and derived from clonally expanded plasma cells with a various degrees of maturation and atypia. The disease is rare with only 30 cases reported so far.Two cases of PCP with long-term follow-up of 17 and 15 years are presented.Both patients were men with nodular lesions on the face. Histologically, the lesions were composed predominantly of variably maturated plasma cells with monotypic expression of immunoglobulin (Ig) lambda chains. Polymerase chain reaction for IgH genes did not reveal clonal rearrangement. Our cases are discussed in the context of previously reported cases of PCP with a long-term follow-up. We also include a review of all cases of PCP with known tumor progression earlier in the course of the disease (local relapse or visceral spread) to determine the clinical course of this primary cutaneous lymphoma.

A study was made of clinical effectiveness and mechanism of action of the inhibitor of the specific 3',5'-cAMP phosphodiesterase papaverine in a therapeutic complex of measures designed to treat RA patients involving an immunodepressive preparation free from any cytopenic effect prospidin as a basic mediator. It has been shown that the papaverine antiarthritic action is associated with its positive effects on the unspecific component of the immune-complex inflammation, viz. processes of lipid peroxidation, activity of the antioxidant system of defence as well as on the vascular tone and microcirculation. All this improves tissue metabolism, and in this way enhances efficiency of RA basic therapy.

Efficiency of pulse-therapy with prospidin (500 mg for 5 days in hospital, 500-1000 mg for a month as maintenance) and methotrexate (30 mg a week i.v. in hospital, 7-10 mg a week as maintenance) was investigated in 93 patients with severe RA. The response to prospidin and methotrexate arose quickly (within 10-14 and 4-5 weeks, respectively) and occurred in 73 and 70% of patients, respectively. Withdrawal of the drug was caused by side effects of methotrexate (19.3%) and resistance to prospidin (23.2%).

The results of treatment of 276 patients with cutaneous melanoma of T1-4N1M0 stage were analyzed. The irradiation therapy conduction did not influence the result of surgical treatment. The trustworthy improvement of three-year survival index of patients after the radical operation conduction was noted under the influence of the endolymphatic cytostatic therapy. The result of preoperative endolymphatic chemotherapy and interferon therapy conduction is quite similar.

To improve the outcomes of surgical or combined treatment of patients with laryngeal cancer stage III-IV in terms of preventing the recurrences and metastases, the authors placed biocompatible polymer material saturated with cytostatic in the operative wound in the end of the surgical intervention. The response assessed in 107 patients with laryngeal cancer treated with prospidin on polymer film (20 cases) versus 87 prospidin-untreated controls was more positive in the test group (5-year survival was higher).

Basing on the results of long-term observational study of 200 patients with laryngeal papillomatosis the authors made a conclusion on cycle pattern of the disease course. Each cycle consists of two periods: active (rapid growth of the tumor) and passive (slow growth of the tumor, recurrences are rare, 1-3 years of remission). A case of a male patient is reported illustrating cycle course of transitional laryngeal papilloma. In the beginning of the third cycle, in active period, his papilloma underwent malignant transformation. Cryotherapy of papilloma is thought ineffective.

Original immunological studies allowed the authors to design a combined treatment of laryngeal papillomatosis (LP) with administration of immunomodulators and cytostatics. Surgery was performed on demand. Thymic hormone preparation (T-activin, thymalin, thymogen) and prospidin served as immunomodulators and cytostatic, respectively. To create lymphotropism, prospidin was delivered by means of electrophoresis following subcutaneous introduction of 8--16 U lidase. Sensitivity of patients to thymalin was tested in vitro by thymalin-induced changes in the number of CD2--DR+ lymphocytes. Adjuvant modalities were age-adjusted dibasol as inductor of interferon genesis and adaptogens (eleutherococcal fluid extract, B and C vitamins). Such treatment was given to 39 children. Remission duration increased 1.6--2.6-fold, 6 of 7 children with primary LP achieved persistent remission. Positive changes in immunological indices occurred in 84% of children. The above treatment outcomes support the efficacy of the method in childhood LP.

A high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) method is described for the quantitative determination of the anticancer drug prospidin in human tissue after its derivatization with diethyldithiocarbamic acid sodium salt (DDTC). It was found that absorption of prospidin and its derivatives on the capillary wall due to the strong positive charge in the drug molecules could be eliminated by increasing the methanol content in the run buffer up to 50% and increasing the pH value up to 11.2. While studying the conditions of the interaction between prospidin and DDTC, a molar excess of the latter of 1:9 and 1.5 h of reaction time were found to be enough for complete derivatization. Sample preparation included homogenization of freshly cut papilloma species and deproteinization by methanol addition. Detection was by ultraviolet (UV) absorption at 254 nm. Due to its speed and high performance in separation. Detection was by ultraviolet (UV) absorption at 254 mm. Due to its speed and high practice.

Using soft-ionization mass spectrometry (252-Cf particle desorption mass spectrometry, PDMS) a minor adduct of anticancer drug prospidine and deoxyguanosine-5-phosphate (pdG) has been found. It has been shown experimentally that PDMS is very useful for study of biological mixtures as well as mechanisms of interactions between drugs and biomolecules.

Twenty-seven patients with highly active, refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were treated with the new anti-rheumatic drug prospidine, in view of selecting the optimum pulse regimen and comparing its short-term use with methotrexate (MTX). Prospidine was administered intravenously 500 mg every 3-5 days in the hospital and then monthly. Fifteen patients received MTX (30 mg/week intravenously in hospital and then monthly. Fifteen patients received MTX (30 mg/week intravenously in hospital and then orally 7.5-15 mg/week). The randomisation code was 2:1. We assessed 7 clinical and 4 lab data. The clinical improvement was noticed statistically after 2-4 weeks in 85% prospidine-patients and sustained up to 6 months in 73% (cp. 40% and 57% by the MTX). Only in the prospidine patients were a significant reduction of the mean daily prednisolone dose and the levels of rheumatoid factor and immune complexes observed. Prospidine and MTX had a similar incidence of side effects (39% and 43%), but all drop-outs in prospidine pulse were due to lack of response (26%) and to initial intolerance (4%). Drop-outs in MTX pulse were connected both with drug toxicity (14%) and with lack of response (7%). Alternate prospidine pulse, as highly anti-inflammatory, rapidly acting and well-tolerated regimen, may be used in treating severe forms of RA.

Using 252CF particle desorption mass spectrometry, the interaction between an antitumour drug prospydine (Pro) and deoxyguanosine-5'-monophosphate (pdG) has been studied. The adduct which corresponds to a peak at m/z 524.5 and which occurs as a result of the particular degradation of Pro during its alkylating of pdG has been found.

Effect of endolymphatic lymphotropic polychemotherapy on tumor and regional lymphatic nodi was studied in postoperative material of 30 patients with vulval carcinoma. Significant antiblastomatous effect was obtained, tumor impairment index ranging from 68.9 to 79.2%.

Prospidin and azathioprine were given to 28 and 12 SLE patients, respectively, in a controlled trial which implied subsequent clinical and immunological surveillance for 12 months. The data obtained in the trial provided evidence for true antilupus activity of prospidin in a total dose 3.0-9.8 g. Prospidin brought about improvement with a complete or partial remission of the lupus nephritis in 71%, serious side effects in 21%, lethality in 17.8%, secondary resistance in 10% of the patients treated. The clinical and immunocorrective effects conformed. Compared to azathioprine, prospidin can produce more pronounced and rapid effect, induced more marked immunodepression. It is better tolerated, has no cytopenia effect. The drugs mechanisms of action and criteria of the treatment efficacy are discussed. It is hold valid to use prospidin in long-term maintenance of SLE patients.

In 59 patients with malignant skin melanoma, the effect of regional endolymphatic therapy on pathomorphosis of lymphogenic metastases and long-term results of treatment was studied. The essential morphologic changes at the sites of melanoma and higher indices of patients' survival in the group studied when compared to the control group have been noted.

Anti-cicatricial cytostatic therapy with 5-fluorouracil and prospidin was carried out after antiglaucoma surgery in 78 eyes of 67 patients aged 6 to 42 (2/3 of the patients were aged from 21 to 40). Half (34) of the patients suffered from open-angle (pigmented in 3 cases) and 6 from closed-angle glaucoma, the rest patients presented with common hydrophthalmia, the Frank-Kamenetsky, Sturdge-Weber, Riger's syndromes, etc. The cytostatics were injected subconjunctivally. The results of 67 surgeries were followed up for 6 months to 3 years. Stable normalization of the ophthalmic tone and stabilization of the process were achieved in 60 eyes (89.2%). The authors emphasize that cytostatics may be recommended for children and young subjects after surgery involving fistulization, on condition of thorough biomicroscopic monitoring in the postoperative period, because of a possible disadaptation of the edges of the mucosal incision and corneal diseases.

The ultrastructure of cells from seven human lung cancers and from the colonies formed by these cells in soft agar was investigated. Tumor cells developed to display the morphofunctional potentials of the initial tumors. Cultured cells of squamous-cell carcinomas contained numerous tonofilaments, those of adenocarcinomas developed microvilli on their apical surfaces and intracellular lumens. On the other hand, cells of squamous-cell carcinomas showed features specific of adenoma epithelium, i.e. well developed microvilli and intracellular lumens. Besides, cells of adenocarcinoma often contained large quantities of tonofilaments considered to be characteristic of epidermoid epithelium. The results obtained suggest a possibility of metaplastic transformation of the lung epithelium.

Electrocardiographic signs of changes in the myocardium were detected in 93.2 percent of 74 patients with malignant maxillofacial tumors; this was due to the presence of coronary disease, myocardial dystrophy, essential hypertension, respiratory abnormalities. The development and progress of these shifts much depended on radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy of the tumors. The most frequent findings were deviations in the end section of the ventricular complex, reflecting the metabolic and ischemic changes in the myocardium, associated with a rise in radiation and polychemotherapy dosage. Extracoronarogenic myocardial lesions and coronary disease progression were clinically characterized by augmentation of cardiac insufficiency and various arrhythmias with mild pain syndrome. These specific clinical and electrocardiographic features of myocardial involvement should be borne in mind when choosing and carrying out radio- and polychemoradiotherapy of patients with maxillofacial tumors.

The time course of in vitro cellular immune reactions by using cyclophosphane, prospidin , and methotrexate was examined in 39 patients with rheumatoid arthritis to make predictions of the efficacy of its cytostatic therapy. The agents were evaluated for effects on the expression of Ia-like antigens on the peripheral lymphocytes and synovial fluid of the patients. The optimal doses of the agents for this testing had been chosen in the lymphoid cells from MRL31 lpr mice. The active dosage forms of the cytostatics for the experiment were obtained by administering native agents into the retrobulbar plexus of Balb/c mice, followed by blood isolation of active metabolites . The Ia-like antigen pre-expression index which is the ratio of the proportion of Ia-positive lymphocytes in control cultures to that of the cells in the culture after drug addition was used as a marker of the baseline cellular immunity in the patients. The patients having the index more than 1.5 were considered to be sensitive, those with less than 1.5 were insensitive to the drug. Thus, the Ia-like antigen pre-expression index may be used as a predictor in the assessment of the expediency of prospidine use.

The effects of dispirotripiperazine derivatives spirobromin and prospidin on the parameters of the peripheral blood and behavioral reactions in a chronic 12-month experiment were studied. The experiment was performed on noninbred rats of both sexes. The maximal tolerated doses of the drugs were administered by two routes (intragastrically or intraperitoneally). Hemoglobin, erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, reticulocytes, eosinophils were determined in the blood. The behavioral reactions were registered by the methods of the "open field" and the "open area". Under the conditions of the chronic experiment spirobromin and prospidin were shown to exert no significant effect on the parameters of the peripheral blood except a decrease in the amount of erythrocytes. It was noted that spirobromin exerted the most pronounced toxic action on erythrocytes. As to the behavioral reactions, after the administration of prospidin, the neurotoxic action on the rats was found after 12-14 months of observation.

Eight therapeutic variants were worked out for 602 patients with esophageal cancer: 61 patients entered in the control group. The latter received routine radiation therapy. The results of therapy of 496 patients were studied. The most promising method was chemoradiotherapy using multifractionation of a daily dose of irradiation, the 4-year survival rate of 20% being achieved. For combination with radiation therapy the following schemes of chemotherapeutic agents were used bleomycin-methotrexate-prospidine, bleomycin-adriamycin-methotrexate, dactinomycin-methotrexate-prospidine, methotrexate-prospidine. Intensive detoxication therapy with parenteral feeding is recommended to decrease the frequency of complications and to improve therapy tolerance.

During 1979-1987 269 patients with laryngeal cancer stage I-II were included into a cooperative randomized study: 111 patients had T1 and 158 patients, T2 tumor; 13% of patients showed cancer of the vestibular cord and 87% of them of the true vocal cord. 76 patients underwent surgery, 129 patients--radiotherapy, and 64 patients received combined treatment, i.e. radio- and chemotherapy (prospidine). The rate of relapses and regional metastases was 11.8 +/- 3.7% and 2.6 +/- 1.8% after surgery, 21.4 +/- 3.8% and 1.6 +/- 1.1% after radiotherapy, and 23.4 +/- 5.3% and 6.3 +/- 3.0% after combined treatment. In terms of the recurrence-free time surgical intervention showed the highest efficacy. With respect to the 5-year survival, measured in the above patients plus 42 patients operated on because of relapses and regional metastases, surgery of vocal cord cancer was effective in 100% in case of stage I, 97.4% in case of stage II; radiotherapy was effective in 91.7% in case of stage I, 88.8% in case of stage II, and combined treatment was effective in 100% in case of stage I and 70.3% in case of stage II; surgery of vestibular cord cancer stage II was effective in 100%, combined treatment in 88.9%, and radiotherapy in 68.6%. When vocal cord cancer involves the anterior commissure, ventricle, and space, preference should be given to surgery because relapses after radiotherapy were seen in 38-42%. Combined radio- and chemotherapy did not reduce the recurrence rate and therefore cannot be recommended for practical purposes.

Results are reported of the treatment of 82 patients with grade 1 melanoma of the skin of extremities and trunk. Endolymphatic chemotherapy was carried out after surgery. During the first postoperative year metastases to the regional lymph nodes developed in 15.7% of patients while in the control group of 333 patients metastases were found in 38.6%.

The effects of new antitumor drugs spirobromin and prospidin on acute (carraghenin-induced rat paw edema) and chronic ("pellet granuloma") inflammation in rats were studied. The drugs were found to exert the anti-inflammatory effect on the model of chronic proliferative inflammation but to produce no significant changes in the degree of the acute inflammatory reaction. Spirobromin is superior to prospidin by the power of the anti-inflammatory effect. The electron microscopic studies showed that spirobromin and prospidin decrease the activity of fibroblasts in the focus of chronic inflammation.

Manifest changes in the immunity status are detected in lymphoproliferative diseases of the skin and in Kaposi's sarcoma. Therapy results in elevation of the initially lowered levels of T mu- and T gamma-cells, this being a favorable result. Scintillation of T mu- and T gamma-cells may be used to monitor the efficacy of therapy in such patients.

The initial and final proliferative activity (PA) of heterografts of human lung and breast tumors were assayed in cultures grown under the renal capsule in mice with and without cytotoxic drugs. The PA values in the control group proved similar. Chemotherapy-induced changes in PA did not correlate with those in heterograft growth rate.

Six cases of telangiectatic clinical variant of mastocytosis (TMV) are reported. Patients' age varied from 33 to 62, there were 2 men and 4 women. A number of clinical features of TMV were detected in the course of follow-up: a generalized type of the skin process; abundant maculopapular eruptions colored brownish, sometimes with a cyanotic shade, liable to fuse and form diffuse foci of involvement; development of telangiectasias on the surface of these eruptions; symptoms of elevated blood histamin levels, i.e. regular blood congestion, enhanced itching, tachycardia, gastrointestinal events, etc.; systemic mastocytosis (3 of the 6 patients developed lymphadenopathy and hepatomegaly). The detected features of the condition permit considering TMV as an individual clinical variety of mastocytosis.

The effectiveness of combination chemotherapy with vincristine, prospidin, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide and prednisolone (VPBCP regimen) was studied in 71 patients with morphologically verified locally advanced and inoperable epidermoid lung cancer. A more than 50% regression of tumor was registered in 32.4% with 4.2% showing complete response. Tumor shrank by 25-50% in 15.5% but failed to respond in 29.6%. Toxicity proved low. A direct correlation--the more apparent regression, the longer remission and, correspondingly, longer survival--was established between prognosis and response.

Studies of interferon status, carried out in patients with mycosis fungoides treated by different therapeutic schemes, included simultaneous determination of three major parameters: interferon circulating in the blood and ability for alpha-interferon production by the leukocytes and for gamma-interferon production by the lymphocytes. The ability of mononuclear cells for interferon production was found essentially depressed in the patients during all three stages of the diseases as against that in healthy donors. The results evidence that reaferon therapy restores cellular ability for alpha-interferon production, particularly so if prospidin is included in therapeutic schemes.

The individual response to chemotherapy was investigated in 17 heterotransplants of human lung tumours of different histogenesis by the subcapsule test. It is established that the subcapsule test is of high informativity only when testing the individual resistance of lung tumours, especially adenocarcinomas, to cytostatics.

The effectiveness of combination chemotherapy with platidiam and prospidin was assessed in 58 patients with squamous-cell lung cancer. Complete or partial remissions were achieved in 48.3% of cases. Toxicity was moderate. The addition of gamma-ray teletherapy after chemotherapy in the total focal dose of 60-70 Gy was followed by an increase in the remission rate (88.9%) and mean survival (from 8.5 +/- 1.3 to 16.0 +/- 3.5 months).

The chemotherapeutic effectiveness of intraperitoneal administration of prospidine (50 mg/kg per day during the initial 14 days of study) was evaluated, on a circadian basis, on the N-nitrosomethylurea (NMU)-induced mammary tumors in female rats. Untreated rats showed a progressive increase in the mean tumor area and total tumor area/rat. At the end of treatment the average tumor area and total tumor area/rat in the animals treated at 0800, 1400 and 2000 h were significantly lower than the values in the control group by week 2. By weeks 3 and 4 the mean tumor area and total tumor area in all groups of treated rats were significantly lower than those in the untreated animals. The mean tumor area by weeks 5 and 6 in the animals treated at 0800 h were significantly lower than in the group treated at 0200 h, and the mean value by week 6 in the group treated at 1400 h was significantly lower than those from the groups treated either at 2000 h or 0200 h. The mean total tumor area/rat in rats treated at 1400 h was, by week 6, significantly lower than in animals treated either at 2000 h or 0200 h. A transient reduction in body weight was registered at the end of prospidine treatment.