[Effect of biologically active substances of animal and plant origin on prooxidant-antioxidant balance in rats with experimental prostatic hyperplasia]

The effect of biologically active complexes of animal (prostatilen) and plant (permixon) origin on physiological indices of prostate and prooxidant-antioxidant balance in prostate and blood was studied in rats with the hyperprolactinemia-induced prostatic hyperplasia. It was shown that both prostatilen (1 mg of the total peptides per kg) and permixon (100 mg of Serenoa repens extract per kg) prevent increase in the prostate mass and volume, in the content of lipid hydroperoxides, and in the glutathione peroxidase activity in prostate. Prostatilen, in contrast to permixon, normalized the content of lipid hydroperoxides (increased under hyperplazia conditions) and increases glutathione peroxidase activity (reduced under hyperplazia conditions).

[Psychological mechanisms of communication disorders in schizophrenics and their relatives]

The study aimed at searching for mechanisms of communicative impairments in patients with schizophrenia and their relatives. To evaluate a contribution of attention and memory to communication efficacy and to ability for understanding mental states of others, 100 patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective psychosis, 150 their healthy relatives and 145 controls have been studied. The results confirmed a presence of communicative deviations in the patients with schizophrenia and their relatives. In these groups, communication deficit was determined by disturbance of 1 out of 4 communication principles--the principle of information quantity. Attention and memory did not exert any significant influence on communication efficacy in the patients and their relatives. Distinct deterioration of fulfilling the tasks demanding mentalizing ability was found only in the patients. However, no correlation was revealed between this deterioration and communication peculiarities.

[Bioelectrical activity of the brain in parents of schizophrenics]

The peculiarities of brain electric activity in mentally normal parents of schizophrenics (52 subjects) as compared to the control group of mentally normal subjects without family history of manifest psychosis (22 subjects). In both groups, EEG spectral densities and auditory evoked potentials (AEP) characteristics were compared. The parents of schizophrenics appeared to differ from controls by decrease of N1 amplitude and prolongation of N2, P3 which was similar to that observed in patients with schizophrenia. The findings are discussed as evidence of heritability of deviations in cognitive processes.

[Auditory evoked potentials in patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders]

Eighteen patients with schizophrenia and 18 patients with affective disorders (depression) underwent regisTration of auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) recording in oddball paradigm. All the patients were in remission. In both groups of the patients, the N100 ERPs amplitudes to non-target stimuli were significantly smaller and N200 and P300 latencies were longer than in 18 normals. In the patient's group with affective disorders, prolongation of P200 and N100 ERPs latencies to target stimuli has been found. The group of patients with schizophrenia was characterized by P300 amplitude reduction. The results show stimuli processing decrease in patients with affective disorders, while in patients with schizophrenia a cognitive function disturbance was recorded.

[Personality disorders diagnosed psychometrically in relatives of patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders]

By means of MMPI test 287 healthy relatives of 159 patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders were examined. Anomalies of personality were found in 44% of 287 relatives examined, that did not differ significantly from the same index (36% of 179) in the control group of healthy individuals without any family history of mental diseases. A cluster analysis has revealed that anomalies of personality in the patients relatives can be divided into the next types: schizoid (15%), sociopathic (7%), masculine, superrational (5%) and neurotic (16%). In most of schizoid relatives anomalies of personality were reflected by the 2-7-8 profile of personality that differed them from schizoid personalities in control group. On the basis of both the results obtained and literature data it was suggested that together with the schizoid relatives, the relatives with sociopathic features should be included in the schizophrenic risk group, while anomalies of personality of both neurotic and superrational types were the reactions to the stress in families of the patients with schizophrenia.

Effect of transplantation of human fetal tissues on prooxidant-antioxidant equilibrium in the liver and blood rats after partial hepatectomy in rats

We studied the effect of transplantation of fetal liver cells and postnuclear cytoplasmic fraction from human fetal soft tissues on the prooxidant-antioxidant equilibrium in the liver and blood of rats after partial hepatectomy. The preparations increased antioxidant activity and decreased the intensity of lipid peroxidation, which probably contributes to their therapeutic effects.

[Cerebrolysin and magnesium-B6 in the treatment of side effects of psychotropic drugs]

51 patients were observed. Schizophrenia was diagnosed in 31 patients and endogenous depression in 20 cases. All the patients had extrapyramidal and somato-vegetative side effects of neuroleptics and antidepressive drugs, and were resistant to conventional corrective therapy for at least a period of 3 weeks. In addition to current treatment of both basic disease and adverse effects, cerebrolysin was administered (5-10 ml i.v./dr, during 28 days) and magme B6 (20-30 ml per os during 21 days). By the treatment end-point either moderate or marked reduction of extrapyramidal disorders (according to ESRS) was observed in 74.4% of patients treated by cerebrolysin and in 72.2% treated by magne B6; somato-vegetative adverse effects reduced (by SARS) in 85.8% and in 83.8% respectively. Both drugs showed equally high efficacy against hyperkinetic and cardiovascular side effects (symptoms relief was in 59-62% and 65-69%, respectively). Cerebrolysin is more preferable in cases of side vegetative events, dysomnia and dysuria; magne B6 was more effective in correction of akineto-hypertonic and hyperkinetic-hypertonic syndromes as well as in cholinolytic side effects.