Primary cultures of postnatal human myoblasts are obtained. Their purity is assessed by cytochemical determination of alkaline phosphatase activity and electrophoretic analysis of the expression of muscle proteins in comparison with postnatal human fibroblasts.

The study of metaphase chromosomes in peripheral blood lymphocytes from alcoholics and drug addicts revealed enhanced incidence of chromosomes with premature centromere division. The mean proportion of such metaphases was 14.8% in patients in the abstinent state, which is related to drastic disturbances of physiological homeostasis. The detoxification course decreased this proportion to 6%, which is comparable to the value of 5.1% in the control group. Individual differences were found in the incidence of metaphases with premature centromere division.Key Words: drug addiction; alcoholism; abstinent state; premature centromere division; metaphase chromosomesIn metaphase, two chromatids of each replicated chromosomes are mutually tied in the centromere that attaches the chromosomes to the mitotic spindle microtubules. At the end of metaphase, the centremere divides, and the daughter chromosomes travel to the opposite poles of a cell. This mechanism provides correct chromosome segregation in the series of cell divisions. Sometimes during a metaphase separately located chromatids can be seen, belonging to the same chromosome, while other chromosomes of the cell are composed of two chromatids tied in the central region. This is the phenomenon of premature centromere division (PCD) [5,6], which is 9 also referred to as C-anaphase [4].Enhancement of metaphases with PCD chromosomes is characteristic of the Roberts syndrome and other syndromes related to chromosome abnormalities, predominantly to aneuploidy. The incidence of PCD metaphases increases with aging. There are data Medical Genetics Center. Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow: *State Addictology Research Center, Ministry of Health, Moscow on increased incidence of such metaphases in tumor cells both in vivo and in vitro [8]. In the elnblyonic lymphocytes of women, who were intensively treated during the pregnancy with hormones, the incidence of PCD metaphases is significantly higher than that in the control group [3]. The causes of PCD are unknown. For example, in the Roberts s3mdrolne this phenomenon could be evoked by endogenous genetic mechanisms [7]. In addition, PCD can result from exogenous factors related to alteration of hormonal status of the organism caused by aging or hormonal therapy [3,8].Our aim was to study PCD in metaphase chromosomes in alcoholics and drug addicts, which were in the abstinent state characterized by homeostasis disturbance [2] and stress inevitably related to hormonal imbalance or after the detoxification course. MATERIALS AND METHODSTwenty-eight men aged 17-40 years were enrolled in the study. Sixteen of them were alcoholics and 12

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