Biodegradable film compositions based on natural biopolymer gelatin with immobilized colchicine were prepared and their efficiency in prevention of the adhesion process in the pericardium was evaluated on rabbit model of postoperative pericarditis. The use of gelatin-based biodegradable film compositions significantly reduced the intensity of adhesion formation in the pericardial cavity, while immobilization of anti-inflammatory drug colchicine amplified their anti-adhesion activity.

Background. Atrial fibrillation (AF) develops in the early postoperative period in each third patient undergoing coronary bypass surgery (CBPS). Multifactorial pathogenesis ofpostoperative AF is unclear. The concept ofpostoperative inflammation as a potential basic mechanism of this condition has been implied in many studies. Pre- and postoperative treatment with antiinflammatory statins proved beneficial as a means for reducing the frequency of AF. Materials and methods. The meta-analysis is based on the results of 15 clinical studies carried out in the last 15 years. They included 9369 patients of whom 5598 (59.75%) used statins and 3771 (49.25%) did not receive them. The following endpoints were evaluated in the early postoperative periods: frequency of AF, overall lethality, frequency of cerebral circulation disorders and myocardial infarction. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were calculated, levels of inflammation markers before and after surgery and duration of hospitalization were determined. Results. Statins decreased the frequency of AF soon after CBPS (OR 0,481 at 95% CI 0,345-0,672; р = 0,000), they did not influence overall lethality (OR 0,837 at 95% CI 0,501-1,399; p = 0,497) and frequency of myocardial infarction (OR 1,001 at 95% CI 0,702-1,426; p = 0,997), but decreased frequency of cerebral circulation disorders (OR 0,067 at 95% CI 0,037- 0,121; p = 0,000). Also, they reduced duration of hospitalization and serum levels of inflammation markers Conclusion. Results of clinical studies available to date leave no doubt that statins produce anti-inflammatory and anti-arrhythmic effects. Meta-analysis of relevant studies confirmed on the whole the positive role of statin therapy prior to CBPS.

internal orifice and tissue annulus diameters, the values of transprosthetic parameters (peak and mean gradients, blood flow velocities) through «CorBeat» were close to physiological values of transvalvular native aortic parameters and had a tendency to be not dependent on the size of prosthesis (p =0,63). In the article for the first time a morphometric database of geometric values of internal orifice area of normal native aortic valves in adults was used taking into account both the gender and the body surface area's of a patient. There was also used the standardized prosthesis size Z-score which represents the number of SDs by which the internal prosthesis area differs from the mean normal native aortic valve area for the patient's body surface area. The article emphasizes the need of the personal selection of the size and the type of prosthesis for any patient as well as the need for new design development of prosthetic heart valves.Key words: mechanical heart valve prostheses, prosthetic stenosis, prosthesis design efficiency, heart valves occluders, full-flow aortic mechanical heart valve prosthesis. ВведениеПри имплантации механического протеза клапана сердца (ПКС) конструктивные элементы протеза -пришивная манжета, стенки корпуса, запирающие эле-менты -занимают часть полезной площади отверстия фиброзного кольца, что приводит к повышению транс-протезных градиентов, скоростей кровотока и изменению структуры течения крови. Названные виды гемодина-мических возмущений характеризуют собой признаки конструктивного стеноза. Они особенно заметны у про-тезов малых диаметров (<23 мм) в сочетании с большой площадью поверхности тела пациента (ППТ >2,0 м 2 ). Конструктивный стеноз присущ всем типам механиче-ских клапанов сердца и наблюдается, прежде всего, в аор-тальной позиции. Выраженность гемодинамических при-знаков стеноза может быть снижена путем оптимизации конструктивного решения ПКС: увеличения площади проходного отверстия (А отв.ПКС , см 2 ) за счет уменьшения толщины стенок корпуса протеза и изменения формы

A method of invasive and non-invasive examination of epicardial motion was tested on domestic pigs (n=15). The invasive study employed a contact kinematic sensor of the epicardial wall motion, which determined the amplitude, velocity, and angular parameters of examined epicardial region. A non-invasive assessment of the epicardial kinematics based on echocardiographic 2D Velocity Vector Imaging and ECG recoding used to determine the heart electrical axis. The 4-chamber views were uses to analyze the longitudinal displacements of lateral wall of the left ventricle at the basal, mid, and apical segments. In addition, the radial displacements were determined in short axis projections at basal and apical segments as well as at the level of papillary muscles. The animals with normal or horizontal heart's electrical axis demonstrated similar displacement of the epicardium along X-axis and in longitudinal direction, while displacement along Y-axis corresponded to that in radial direction. The combined invasive and non-invasive approach in measurement of epicardium motion makes it possible to quantify the kinematic epicardial activity.

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