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Biomedical subjects

A Bruni

Publications and source records attributed to A Bruni.

135 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Improvement of human corneal endothelium in culture after prolonged hypothermic storage.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether the organ culture method for human cornea preservation may be applied to corneas stored for several days at 4 degrees C. METHODS: The cell density, viability, and morphology of corneal endothelium were examined in 140 human corneas stored at 4 degrees C for the minimal time required for transport to the bank and for the preliminary controls of cornea status (1.6 +/- 1.1 days) and in 46 corneas preserved at 4 degrees C for 6.1 +/- 1.9 days in Optisol-GS. The evaluation was repeated after 19.7 +/- 9.1 days of incubation at 31 degrees C in a culture medium containing 2% newborn calf serum. RESULTS: After the hypothermic storage the corneal endothelium had a mean density of 2475 +/- 159 cells/mm2 without significant difference between the short and the long-term incubation. Several corneas of the two groups showed signs of endothelium degeneration and were positive to trypan blue test. After the incubation at 31 degrees C, the corneas with endothelial degeneration decreased by 52.2% and those positive to trypan blue decreased by 21.7%. Polymorphism (enlarged endothelial cells) increased from 9.6% to 14.5% of the corneas. The remodeling of the endothelium led to a 6.7% decrease in cell density. These results were similar after short-term and long-term storage at 4 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: Organ culture was effective in improving corneal endothelium when the hypothermic storage was prolonged to the upper temporal limit for this procedure (7-10 days). These results may encourage the possibility of an eye bank to allocate the available cornea pool, thus decreasing the risk of discarding precious material.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lysophosphatidylserine-induced activation of mast cells in mice.

Intravenous injection of lysophosphatidylserine (2.5-25 mg/kg) increases the blood histamine level in mice. Lysophosphatidyl-D-serine, alkyl-lysophosphatidylserine and glycerophosphorylserine show little or no activity. As shown by the similar efficacy of the analogue lacking the OH group in the C-2 position of glycerol conversion into phosphatidylserine is not required. The age of mice influences the activity of lysophosphatidylserine. Thus, the increase in blood histamine is greater in adult mice (8-10 weeks) than in young mice (4-6 weeks). In old mice (50-60 weeks) the tolerance to lysophosphatidylserine is reduced. Repeated parenteral administrations induce depletion of histamine stores with concomitant desensitization to lysophosphatidylserine. Well-perfused organs containing connective tissue mast cells (tongue) are more affected. When [3H] histidine is injected into lysophosphatidylserine-treated mice, the highly radioactive histamine detected in the tongue indicates the preservation of histidine decarboxylase activity after degranulation. The data suggest that lysophosphatidylserine specifically activates connective tissue mast cells in mice.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Survey of alcohol and psychoactive drug consumption in a sample of high school students of the 9th and 19th local health units in the Marche Region].

A random sample of high school students of the Health Districts N. 9 and N. 19 of Marche Region, Central Italy, was interviewed about their alcohol and psychoactive medicine consumption. The questionnaire, previously used in other surveys in Italy, was anonymous and collected information on demographic and socio-economic status, smoking and drinking habits, psychoactive medicine consumption attitudes and knowledges on the health hazards of alcohol and psychoactive medicine abuse. A total of 237 males and 352 females in the 9th grade (mean age: 14.7 yrs) and of 131 males and 207 females in the 13th grade (mean age: 18.4 yrs) were enrolled in the survey. We observed higher alcohol consumption in males than in females and in grade-13 than in grade-9 for each beverage. Wine was the most used alcohol beverage: 30.4% of males in grade-9 and 39.7% in grade-13 were used to drink it daily, 13.7% of females in grade-9 and 17.4% in grade-13 were daily drinkers. In the youngest group, 6.8% of males and 0.3% of females drank 4 or more glasses of wine a day, while in grade-13 the percentages of heavy wine drinkers were 7.6% of males and 0.5% of females. On the contrary, beer consumption seemed to be more occasional: 55.7% of males and 33.6% of females in grade-9, and 67.2% of males and 49.4% of males and 36.8% of females in grade-13 were occasionally drinkers. However, the percentages of heavy drinkers of beer were not far from those observed in wine drinkers: 2.9% of males and 0.3% of females in grade-9 and 6.9% of males and 0.5% of females in grade-13 daily drank 4 glasses of beer or more. Spirit consumption reached a particularly high level in grade-13th males. And 22.9% of them were used to have 11 or more drinks per month. Among spirit drinkers, about 35-40% of males drank brandy, whisky, cognac and other strong spirits, while females showed to prefer less alcoholic liquors. According to the amount of pure alcohol consumed, 10.1% of males in grade-9 and 16.9% of males in grade-13 drank 200 or more g/week, while only 1.5% of females admitted such a high consumption. A large part of students in the youngest group drank more than one alcoholic beverage, particularly wine and beer. Among grade-13 students, 47.3% of males and 15.9% of females daily or occasionally drank wine, beer and spirits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Adrenalectomy abolishes phosphatidylserine inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor release.

The treatment with phosphatidylserine (PS) has recently been shown to inhibit in vivo the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (Monastra and Bruni, 1992, Lymphokine Cytokine Res. 11:39). The aim of the present work was to investigate the mechanism(s) involved in the inhibition by PS. No in vitro inhibition of LPS-induced TNF release was observed when PS was used in vitro with human whole blood cells. The opposite was observed, in vitro PS enhanced TNF release. Previous work has shown that PS induces histamine release by mast cells and it is known that histamine inhibits TNF release. PS treatment of W/WV mice lacking mast cells, which are therefore unable to release histamine, resulted in inhibition of LPS-induced TNF release; thus excluding a major role of histamine in mediating PS inhibition. However, in adrenalectomized mice PS treatment failed to inhibit the LPS-induced TNF release, while the effect of PS was evident in sham-operated mice. PS treatment in adrenalectomized mice was associated with an increase in TNF serum levels when compared to untreated animals. Overall these results suggest that PS inhibition of LPS-induced TNF release is dependent on adrenal hormones, while PS, in the absence of adrenal hormones, seems to have a priming effect on the cells that produce TNF after LPS stimulus.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The lung in AIDS].

The aim of this study was to underline the important role played by respiratory tract pathologies in HIV-infected subjects and to evaluate the incidence of respiratory pathologies in HIV-positive subjects in the province of Cosenza. After examining recently reported data, the authors analyse the patients studied by the Infectious Disease and Pneumology Divisions of the United Hospitals of Cosenza with the collaboration of the Virology Unit over the two-year period 1992-1994. As well as the lower incidence of HIV infection in this area compared to the rest of Italy, the paper highlights the reduced percentage of concomitant respiratory pathologies. The authors attempt to interpret the significance of these results.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Update on HIV infection in the province of Cosenza. HIV infections and respiratory disease].

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of HIV infection and concomitant pathologies, paying special attention to those involving the respiratory tract, in the Province of Cosenza through a retrospective study of patients monitored by the Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Pneumology with the collaboration of the Virology Unit of the United Hospitals of Cosenza. The results obtained show that there is a lower incidence of AIDS and HIV-correlated respiratory pathologies in this area compared to the rest of Italy but, in spite of this, the authors highlight the need in Calabria for those centres and structures that have been planned but never completely realised (Law 135/90; DPR 7/4/94; etc.) which would enable infected subjects to be identified and the necessary measures for prevention, diagnosis and treatment to be implemented.

Adolescent↗