[Clinico-pathogenetic role of the structural and functional disorganization of cell membranes in pneumonia in newborn infants].

Based on a study of the function of the enzymes participating in red blood cell transmembrane transport (K+, Na+ATPase, Mg2(+)-ATPase and Ca2(+)-ATPase) in the newborn with pneumonias it was established that there was a decrease in the activity of the enzymes at the height of the clinical manifestations of disease, especially in septic pneumonias. The changes discovered were in agreement with the disease gravity and the intensity of certain clinical symptoms and depended as well on the initial vegetative tone. The activity of the membrane enzymes also depended on the changes in the physicochemical constants of cellular membranes, namely on red blood cell deformability and the phospholipid ratio. The results of the studies demonstrate that the use of the drugs favouring the improvement of reparative functions of cellular membranes and inhibiting the transmembrane calcium flow is advisable in the newborn as part of multimodality treatment.