Litvinenko R. Immunomodulatory properties of medicinal leech biologically active substances in hirudoinfluence conditions

The thesis is dedicated to immunomodulatory properties characterization of medicinal leech biologically active substances in systems in vivo and in vitro. For the first time it is shown that biologically active substances of medicinal leech exert distinct immunomodulatory effect, which is manifested in the number decrease of effector inflammatory cells, phagocytic activity increase of neutrophils, lymphocytes proliferative activity increase and synthesis decrease of inflammatory cytokines by mononuclear leukocytes. It is received the new data on more expressive immunomodulatory influence of biologically active substances from the salivary glands of medicinal leech (Hirudo verbana) on indicators of immune reactivity in laboratory rats old age (20-24 months) than young sexually mature rats (7-8 months), accompanied by neutrophils relative number decrease with their phagocytic activity increase, and monocytes number increase (p<0.05). Changes in immune reactivity were observed for 14 days after hirudoinfluence. Standard course of hirudoinfluence using 30-35 Hirudo verbana for 3.5-4.0 weeks in volunteers accompanied by the phagocytic activity increase of circulating neutrophils (p<0.05). Changes in subpopulation composition of circulating lymphocytes were manifested in reducing the total number of T-lymphocytes (CD3+), decrease the number of CD4+ cells at the same time with increasing the number of CD8+ lymphocytes (p<0.05). Decreased also the number of CD25+ lymphocytes (p<0.05) and increased the number of circulating natural killer cells (p<0.05).