[Orthotopic transplant of the liver 15 years later. Experimental study].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Andreoni.
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We have measured the total cortisol concentration (TC) and the apparent free cortisol concentration (AFCC) in plasma samples of 17 patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) at different stages of the disease, in basal conditions and after suppression test. We measured free cortisol values directly by a RIA method in dialyzed plasma samples after an equilibrium dialysis system. We have found significantly elevated TC and AFCC values in basal conditions and after suppression test only in the group of patients in the severe stage of the disease. In addition, a significant (p less than 0.05) correlation existed between percent loss of ideal body weight TC and AFCC values after suppression test. Our results suggest that the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis may be grossly impaired only in the severe stage of AN.
Hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD) photochemotherapy was performed on 13 primary spontaneous tumors in dog and cat. The animals received an optimized drug dose of 5 mg/kg body wt i.v. 48 h before the first treatment with laser light at 631 nm. An evaluation of the clinical results is presented and discussed. Complete disappearance of the primary tumors was obtained in all cases with one or more light irradiations. Five cases presented recurrences that were cured with a further treatment. In 4 cases treated after surgical exeresis of the primary tumors, this therapy resulted in complete cure.
beta 2-Adrenoceptor characteristics of human mononuclear leukocytes were assayed in hypertensive patients before and after treatment with 100 mg/day atenolol. While no changes have been observed in receptor affinity, a statistically significant increase (36%) has been demonstrated in receptor density following treatment. Blood pressure and heart rate were also measured in order to test the efficacy of the administered drug. All these parameters showed a fall in the post-treatment values. It is concluded that at therapeutic concentration, beta 2-adrenoceptors undergo up-regulation by atenolol in spite of its cardioselectivity. Such a regulation, which may represent a fundamental step in the mechanism leading to withdrawal syndrome, may, therefore, be suggested being quite widespread.
The cytocidal activity of light-activated hematoporphyrin derivative (Hpd) in experimental and human tumors is under investigation in many laboratories. This activity is based upon preferential incorporation of Hpd in malignant tissues and its photosensibilization by red light. Treatment of mice bearing MS-2 fibrosarcoma and B16 melanoma, a metastastic tumor, with Hpd and laser light, externally or delivered through a quartz fiber optic imbedded directly into the tumor, significantly prolonged the median survival time. This therapy was compared with surgical excision of primary tumors, and preliminary results on metastatic neoplasm suggest that the photoradiation therapy is more effective than surgery.
Laser irradiation of tissues treated in vivo with the hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) is known to result in a cytocidal effect, reportedly more pronounced in the tumor than in the surrounding normal tissues. In order to ascertain if this phenomenon had a clear cellular basis, it has been now reproduced in vitro in a model system consisting of normal and transformed cell lines. Epithelial rat thyroid cells were infected and transformed with a RNA oncogenic virus. Both the original (normal) and the viral-transformed (tumorigenic) cells were incubated with HPD and exposed to two types of laser irradiation: 631 nm, continuous wave; and 337.1 nm, pulsed. Under the conditions tested, the percentage survival of the transformed cells was found to be lower (up to approximately 3 times) than that of the normal cells. The cytocidal effect was greater using the pulsed than using the continuous-wave irradiation. The difference between normal and tumor cells was more evident at 30 micrograms than at 50 micrograms of HPD per ml. The HPD not followed by laser irradiation had no effect on the cell growth rate. The findings of a significant difference in the sensitivity to photoactivated HPD between normal and tumor cells under strictly controlled and highly comparable conditions opens new possibilities to the study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the phototherapy of tumors. Furthermore, studies in vitro on the active components of the photosensitizer and on their selectivity towards the tumor cells, explained at a cellular level, will lead to better approaches to photochemotherapy in vivo.
To evaluate the action of lysine acetylsalicylate in controlling post-operative pain a controlled double blind clinical trial was carried out in thirty patients subjected to surgical procedures on the upper gastrointestinal tract. The results or the trial support analgesic properties of the drug in the postoperative period and the absence of relevant untoward effects. The low toxicity and the absence of the side effects typical to narcotic analgesics suggest to study the analgesic effects of ASL with higher dosage schedules or different administrations in order to increase the analgesic potency of the drug in the post-operative period.
The antihypertensive activity and tolerability of oxprenolol 80 mg plus chlorthalidone 10 mg in fixed combination were evaluated in 15 hypertensive patients aged more than 60 years (group 1) and, comparatively, in 11 hypertensive patients aged below 60 years (group 2), all with a lying B.P. value greater than 160/100 mmHg at the end of a two weeks placebo wash-out. Lying and standing systolic and diastolic B.P. decreased (P less than 0.001) (lying position: group 1, from 181.0/103.0 to 159.6/87.5 mmHg; group 2, from 173.6/105.4 to 143.3/86.1 mmHg); decrements in group 1 were minor than those in group 2. A diastolic blood pressure normalization was achieved in 12/15 patients of group 1 and in 10/11 of group 2. Side-effects were rare and of mild severity. Results obtained show that the fixed combination oxprenolol 80 mg plus chlorthalidone 10 mg can be safely administered also in the elderly hypertensive patients, without risk of cardiovascular complications, allowing satisfactory blood pressure control, with a simple dosage schedule, thus improving patient compliance to the therapy.
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