[Modern trends in combined treatment of hemorrhoids: topical form Tribenoside + Lidocaine and phlebotonic Ginkgo biloba + Troxerutin + Heptaminol]

Acute hemorrhoids are the most common reason for referring to coloproctologist in people of working age. In the modern world, food culture and lifestyle are the most prominent factors leading to the risk of hemorrhoids. In the 21st century, it is hard to overestimate an importance of potential employability and active social role regarding socio-economic well-being. This thesis applies to patients suffering from proctological diseases, and those with hemorrhoids prevail among these ones. Minimally invasive treatment and pharmacotherapy defined primary needs of patients, i.e. treatment should be quick, safe and effective. Favorable treatment outcomes are possible only in pathogenetic therapy. In this review, we will define the priorities in effective combined treatment of hemorrhoids.

[Pharmacological modulation of wound healing in glaucoma surgery]

Despite the well-known effectiveness of pharmacological glaucoma therapy, surgical approach remains one of the main treatment options for some forms and stages of the disease. The long-term success of glaucoma surgery depends on the intensity of local wound healing processes at the surgical site. The most common way to influence healing processes in surgical treatment of glaucoma is the use of antimetabolites. However, given the high risk of serious complications associated with their use, the search for new drugs devoid of these disadvantages continues. The aim of this review is to describe the efficacy and safety of both currently used and upcoming pharmacological ways to influence the wound healing process after glaucoma surgery in order to improve the stability of hypotensive effect.

Immunization with Recombinant Pneumolysin Induces the Production of Antibodies and Protects Mice in a Model of Systemic Infection Caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae

Immunogenic and protective activity of recombinant pneumolysin was studied in experiments on male BALB/c mice. The mice were immunized intraperitoneally with recombinant pneumolysin sorbed on Al(OH)₃ (200 μg per mouse). In 2 weeks after immunization, the isotypes of antibodies to recombinant pneumolysin in the serum of immunized mice were determined by ELISA. The animals were infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3. Immunization with recombinant pneumolysin induced the production of anti-pneumolysin antibodies, mainly of IgG1 subisotype. On day 21 after intraperitoneal infection with S. pneumoniae serotype 3 in a dose of 10⁶ microbial cells, the survival rate of animals immunized with recombinant pneumolysin in a dose of 25 μg/mouse was 67% vs. 0% in the control (p<0.001). Recombinant pneumolysin could be considered as a promising protective antigen for inclusion in the serotype-independent vaccine against S. pneumoniae.

Quantum chemical studies of the catalytic mechanism of N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase

Modeling of the catalytic mechanism of penicillin acylase, a member of the N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase superfamily, is for the first time conducted at ab initio quantum chemistry level. The uniqueness of this family of enzymes is that their active site lacks His and Asp (Glu) residues, comprising together with a serine residue the classical catalytic triad. The current investigation confirms that the amino group of the N-terminal serine residue in N-terminal hydrolases is capable of activating its own hydroxyl group. Using the MP2/RHF method with the 6--31+G** basis set, stationary points on the potential energy surface of the considered molecular system were located, corresponding to local minima (complexes of reagents, products, intermediate) and to saddle points (transition states). It turned out that the stage of acyl-serine formation proceeds via two transition states; the first one, which separates reagents from the so-called tetrahedral intermediate, has the highest relative energy (30 kcal/mol). In contrast to recently proposed empiric suggestions, we have found that participation of a bridging water molecule in proton shuttling is not necessary for the catalysis. The quantum chemical calculations showed a crucial role of a specific solvation in decreasing the activation barrier of the reaction by approximately 10 kcal/mol.