Nano- and microparticles enter the body through the respiratory airways and the digestive system, or form as biominerals in the gall bladder, salivary glands, urinary bladder, kidney, or diabetic pancreas. Calcium, magnesium, and phosphate ions can precipitate from biological fluids in the presence of mucin as hybrid nanoparticles. Calcium carbonate nanocrystallites also trap mucin and are assembled into hybrid microparticles. Both mucin and calcium carbonate polymorphs (calcite, aragonite, and vaterite) are known to be components of such biominerals as gallstones which provoke inflammatory reactions. Our study was aimed at evaluation of neutrophil activation by hybrid vaterite–mucin microparticles (CCM). Vaterite microparticles (CC) and CCM were prepared under standard conditions. The diameter of CC and CCM was 3.3 ± 0.8 µm and 5.8 ± 0.7 µm, with ƺ-potentials of −1 ± 1 mV and −7 ± 1 mV, respectively. CC microparticles injured less than 2% of erythrocytes in 2 h at 1.5 mg mL−1, and no hemolysis was detected with CCM; this let us exclude direct damage of cellular membranes by microparticles. Activation of neutrophils was analyzed by luminol- and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (Lum-CL and Luc-CL), by cytokine gene expression (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10) and release (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α), and by light microscopy of stained smears. There was a 10-fold and higher increase in the amplitude of Lum-CL and Luc-CL after stimulation of neutrophils with CCM relative to CC. Adsorption of mucin onto prefabricated CC microparticles also contributed to activation of neutrophil CL, unlike mucin adsorption onto yeast cell walls (zymosan); adsorbed mucin partially suppressed zymosan-stimulated production of oxidants by neutrophils. Preliminary treatment of CCM with 0.1–10 mM NaOCl decreased subsequent activation of Lum-CL and Luc-CL of neutrophils depending on the used NaOCl concentration, presumably because of the surface mucin oxidation. Based on the results of ELISA, incubation of neutrophils with CCM downregulated IL-6 production but upregulated that of IL-8. IL-6 and IL-8 gene expression in neutrophils was not affected by CC or CCM according to RT2-PCR data, which means that post-translational regulation was involved. Light microscopy revealed adhesion of CC and CCM microparticles onto the neutrophils; CCM increased neutrophil aggregation with a tendency to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). We came to the conclusion that the main features of neutrophil reaction to mucin–vaterite hybrid microparticles are increased oxidant production, cell aggregation, and NET-like structure formation, but without significant cytokine release (except for IL-8). This effect of mucin is not anion-specific since particles of powdered kidney stone (mainly calcium oxalate) in the present study or calcium phosphate nanowires in our previous report also activated Lum-CL and Luc-CL response of neutrophils after mucin sorption.

Urolithiasis is one of the most common diseases seen by urologists. In 28% of patients with kidney stones, the disease is symptomatic. The benefits of ureteral stone extraction include minimal invasiveness, a shorter postoperative recovery time, and a favourable safety profile. Aim: to compare and evaluate the relationship between the density of the ureter, the density of the calculus, its localization and the value of the creatinine level and predicting the success of ureterolithoextraction. Materials and methods. In total, 125 ureteral lithotripsy procedures were performed (42 in women and 83 in men). Initially, the patients were divided into two groups. In the first group, ureteral stone extraction was performed in 97 patients. The second group included 28 patients with ureteral stent placement, without ureteral lithotripsy. In percentage terms, the increase in mean calculus size in the groups (10%) was less significant than the increase in ureter density under the calculus (65%). Results. There was no relationship between the ureter density under the calculus and the residence time of the calculus in the ureter. However, there is a relationship between the residence time of the calculus and the anatomical narrowing of the ureter, which may affect the success of the procedure. Elevated creatinine levels in the group with initial ureteral stent placement may indicate impaired urine passage from the kidney. Conclusions. Routine measurement of the ureter density under the calculus during MSCT may be an additional parameter in determining the surgical treatment method.

BACKGROUND: The role of intestinal microflora translocation in the development of obstructive pyelonephritis has not been sufficiently studied. The urgency to develop a new model of acute obstructive pyelonephritis is due to the search for characteristics that are able to meet the criteria for reproducibility of microbial translocation from the intestine, the reversibility of the stages of the inflammatory process with further observation in the dynamics of development. AIM: The aim of the given research is to develop a model of acute obstructive pyelonephritis to study the pathogenetic role of bacterial translocation of Escherichia coli (hereinafter E. coli) from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). METHODS: Twenty outbred male rabbits aged 3 months and weighing 3.0 ± 0.5 kg were used for the research. All the animals were randomly divided into two groups: Experimental (n = 10) and control (n = 10). In the experimental group, obstructive pyelonephritis was modeled by ligating the external opening of the urethra and injecting an antibiotic-resistant E. coli strain into the GIT using enteric capsules. In the control group, the strain was administered in the same way, but without forming a model of obstructive pyelonephritis. The animals were withdrawn from the experiment on the 3rd day by air embolism under general anesthesia. In both groups, the sizes of the kidney, pelvis, ureter, and the number of leukocytes in urine were assessed. RESULTS: In the experimental group, there was an increase in the size of the kidney, pelvis, as well as ureter with some pronounced leukocyturia observed, which indicates the development of obstructive pyelonephritis. In the control group, only one animal had leukocyturia. The statistically significant differences were revealed between the groups in all studied parameters. CONCLUSION: The results of this research demonstrated that the proposed model provided an opportunity to study the role of intestinal translocation of microorganisms in the development of acute obstructive pyelonephritis.

Introduction. There are two main routes of urinary tract infection: ascending and hematogenous. In the ascending route, the infectious agent penetrates from the external environment through the external openings of the urinary organs. The role of bacterial translocation in the development of the inflammatory process in the urinary organs is still poorly understood. Materials and methods. We conducted an experiment on rabbits (n=45) and studied the structural changes in the kidneys and ureter depending on the pathogenesis of acute pyelonephritis. The animals were randomly divided into 5 groups: 2 experimental and 3 control. In experimental groups I and II , we modeled obstructive pyelonephritis by ligation of the ureter. In control groups III and IV, an infectious agent was administered similarly to that in the experimental groups, but without creating a model of obstructive pyelonephritis. In control group V, a laparotomy was performed without ligation of the ureter and without injection of bacteria. The morphological study was carried out with optical microscopy. Results. In group I, on day 3, the inflammatory infiltration was detected in 80% of cases and on day 5, in 100%. In group II , on days 3 and 5, the inflammatory process in the ureteral tissue developed in all cases. There were no morphological changes in the kidneys and ureter in groups III and V. In group IV, on days 3 and 5, the frequency of inflammatory infiltration was 80%. Conclusion. The nature of morphological changes in the kidneys and ureter in acute pyelonephritis depends on both the ways of infection and the timing of ureteral obstruction. In enterorenal translocation, the severity of morphological changes occurs later. Keywords: urinary tract obstruction, acute pyelonephritis, intestinal translocation, ascending infection