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Biomedical subjects

A Conforti

Publications and source records attributed to A Conforti.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Antimicrobial drug utilisation in hospitals in Italy and other European countries.

Antibiotic prescribing patterns in hospitals are analysed in this review of three drug utilisation studies conducted in six European countries, with special emphasis to the third-generation cephalosporins. A great variability in the use of antimicrobial drugs is evident, both between countries and between hospitals in the same country. This variability is found also between patients with the same infectious disease. The possible reasons for these differences are discussed and a strategy to modify the hospital drugs prescribing is suggested.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1993

Acute anti-inflammatory activity and gastrointestinal tolerability of diclofenac and nitrofenac.

Diclofenac and its derivative nitrofenac were compared to test their anti-inflammatory efficacy and gastrointestinal toxicity in rats. A similar good anti-inflammatory activity of the two drugs was observed in carrageenan oedema and a marked gastrointestinal toxicity was induced by diclofenac, while nitrofenac failed to produce gastric damage even with very high doses (50 and 100 mg/kg). The lack of the gastric ulcers in rats treated with nitrofenac could be due to the absorption of the drug as an inactive inhibitor of PG synthesis and/or to the fact that probably nitric oxide is released in the intestine and plays an important protective role in maintaining the tissue integrity.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Antibiotic prescribing patterns in Italian hospital inpatients with pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and urinary tract infections.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to describe the antibiotic prescribing patterns in hospital inpatients with pneumonia (PN), exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and urinary tract infections (UTIs). A second objective was to verify if some selected variables (i.e., risk factors, patient age, size of hospitals) were affecting the therapeutic choice. DESIGN: Survey was performed on 1609 patients. The data were collected by physicians using a special form, covering a six-month period. SETTING: Twenty-six medical wards and 8 geriatric wards in 24 acute-care hospitals in the Veneto Region in Northern Italy. PATIENTS: A consecutive sample of PN, COPD, and UTI patients treated with antibiotics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The following information was collected: patient and hospital demographics, risk factors, diagnoses, and antibiotic regimens. RESULTS: Sixty-three antimicrobial agents used, with 2115 administrations, 1227 of which were single-drug therapy. The most frequently used drugs were third-generation cephalosporins (24.6 percent), fluoroquinolones (15.4 percent), aminopenicillins (15.0 percent), and ureidopenicillins (9.7 percent). There is great variability of therapeutic regimens in the various hospitals for the same disease. However, this variability is not explained by the different types of hospitals or by the patients' characteristics (e.g., age, risk factors). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics probably is excessive. Moreover, the treatment seems to be based more on the opinion of the treating physician and the local habits rather than objective criteria. These factors may have negative repercussions not only in economic terms, but also in terms of alteration of the bacterial ecology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Desferrioxamine potentiated SOD antiinflammatory activity in rat adjuvant arthritis: role of iron and bacterial toxins.

In this paper we studied the modulating inflammatory activity of iron in the adjuvant arthritis, taking indomethacin as a standard antiinflammatory drug and a superoxide dismutase derivative (MPEG-SOD) as a scavenger of free radicals. Moreover, we evaluated the changes in potential intestinal pathogens requiring iron for growth, in order to study the role of bacteria in the altered gastrointestinal functions observed during arthritis. We observed a 50% arthritis inhibition on the 14th day with MPEG-SOD plus desferrioxamine, a significant decrease in serum iron in arthritic rats compared to controls, and a significant Cl. perfringens increase on the 28th day in the presence of MPEG-SOD. Our data demonstrate that hypoferremia, in arthritis, is a protective mechanism overall in the early phase and could protect the intestinal tract by inhibiting the development of potential pathogens.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Anti-inflammatory activity of monomethoxypolyethylene glycol superoxide dismutase on adjuvant arthritis in rats.

In previous studies we observed an enhanced anti-inflammatory activity of MPEG-SOD derivatives in acute inflammation in rat. To assess the activity in chronic inflammation we tested the compound with longer half-life (MPEG-SOD 18) in complete adjuvant arthritis in rat. According to the prophylactic schedule of treatment (i.m. administration at alternative days of 10 mg/kg from day 3 to day 21), the MPEG-SOD derivative reduced arthritic lesions in a significant way (P less than 0.01 at 14th, 21st, 28th day). Indomethacin, administered i.m. daily at the dose of 1.5 mg/kg according to the same schedule, significantly inhibited adjuvant arthritis each time it was considered (% of inhibition are 66.5% at 14th day, 58.3% at 21st day and 50.8% at 28th day). Native SOD and inactivated enzyme, administered from day 3 to day 21 did not show any anti-inflammatory properties. According to the therapeutic schedule of treatment (from day 14 to day 28), neither MPEG-SOD nor native SOD showed antiarthritic activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

PEG superoxide dismutase derivatives: anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan pelurisy in rats.

Two derivatives of superoxide dismutase (SOD) with monomethoxypolyethyleneglycol, having different molecular weights (46,000 and 121,000 D) and different plasma half-lives are tested in carrageenan pleurisy in rats after single i.v. injection. The compounds were prepared following an original method where the polymer is activated by trichlorophenylchloroformate to give a phenylcarbonate which is reactive towards the protein amino groups. The anti-inflammatory activity of derivatives results correlated to their kinetics, lasting longer for the derivative with the longest half-life (SOD-PEG 18). SOD activity, in plasma of rats treated with SOD-PEG 18, is still present 24 hour after carrageenan, in agreement with the prolonged anti-inflammatory activity. Moreover SOD-PEG 18 diffuses well in pleural exudate, as it is evidentiated from the increase with time of exudate/plasma concentration ratio.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Copper and zinc status during acute inflammation: studies on blood, liver and kidneys metal levels in normal and inflamed rats.

The concentrations of copper and zinc in plasma, blood cells, liver and kidneys were determined in a study performed on normal female rats, and in female rats with carrageenan induced pleurisy. In the normal rat, the total amount of both metals increases, from 51 to 79 days of age, in all the compartments examined. This increase was mostly, and in some case exclusively, dependent upon the growth of the animal, although high individual and day to day variations in both copper and zinc values were observed in all the compartments studied. In the blood of inflamed rats a statistically significant increase in copper was measured during the crucial hours of the experiment (i.e. from 6 to 72 h); over 90% of the increase found was attributable to variations in plasma copper concentration values. In the liver of inflamed rats a statistically significant increase in zinc was measured at 6, 22 and 48 h after the carrageenan injection. The induction of the acute non-infective inflammatory process did not cause quantitative changes of both copper and zinc in all the other compartments considered in the present study. These results seem to suggest that, during acute inflammation, the organism increases its requirement for copper and zinc, and that this demand is fulfilled by enhanced intestinal absorption and/or decreased intestinal excretion of both metals.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Ultrastructural and biological observations on neoplastic growth control obtained by contact inhibition.

Friend erythroleukaemia and HeLa cells grown in suspension were artificially kept in close contact by centrifugation in capillary tubes for short periods. This treatment induced evident inhibition of the growth rate in both cell lines and a parallel decrease of labeled nucleotide incorporation. Electron microscopy showed extensive close contact of the plasma membranes in Friend erythroleukaemia cells, and the appearance of junctional complexes between HeLa cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The response of ventral horn neurons to ricin. An experimental abiotrophy model.

The morphological alterations of anterior horn neurons of the spinal cord of rabbits produced by the administration of ricin conveyed via retrograde axonal flow are described. The differences with the primary response after axonal transection and the similarity with degenerative abiotrophic systemic lesions are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Copper and inflammation--a possible rationale for the pharmacological manipulation of inflammatory disorders.

Acute and chronic inflammations are characterized, among other features, by changes in the metabolism of copper and by a widespread responsiveness to the therapy with copper-containing molecules. The exact map of inflammation-induced copper movements as well as the role played by the metal in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders are, however, far from being clear, and this is especially true in the case of chronic processes. Nevertheless the present knowledge suggests that the "copper approach' may provide a new way for coping with the problem of anti-inflammatory/anti-arthritic therapies. The administration of exogenous copper, and the in vivo manipulation of the endogenous metal levels are proposed as two possible therapeutic strategies, not necessarily mutually exclusive. For a better understanding of the value of such an approach, further research work is needed, especially to attain a more detailed know-how on the involved chemical forms, distribution and functions of copper in both normal as well as inflamed organisms.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1985

Parathormone, calcitonin, and vitamin D metabolites during normal fracture healing in geriatric patients.

In order to study the role of calcium-regulating hormones during callus formation in elderly patients, serum levels of parathormone (PTH), calcitonin (CT), 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25-OH-D], 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [24,25(OH)2D], and calcium (Ca) were determined in 41 patients with fractures of long bones, primarily hip fractures. The parameters were measured on admission and after eight weeks. There were almost no changes in hormone serum levels during bone repair, except for a decrease in serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D from 25.3 +/- 2.3 pg/ml on admission to 21.0 +/- 2.0 pg/ml eight weeks later (p less than .001). Patients with fractures compared to normal elderly humans have lower serum levels of PTH (0.99 +/- 0.06 ng/ml versus 1.88 +/- 0.34 ng/ml; p less than .001), 25-OH-D (10.7 +/- 1.0 ng/ml versus 17.1 +/- 1.8 ng/ml; p less than .001), and Ca (9.1 +/- 0.1 mg% versus 9.7 +/- 0.1 mg%; p less than .001) and higher serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D (25.3 +/- 2.3 pg/ml versus 17.1 +/- 2.3 pg/ml; p less than .001). Female patients have lower serum levels of 24,25(OH)2D compared to males (1.65 +/- 0.15 ng/ml versus 2.06 +/- 0.29 ng/ml; p less than .05). A similar trend was noted in serum CT levels during callus formation (0.12 +/- 0.02 ng/ml versus 0.16 +/- 0.02 ng/ml; p less than .05). Patients with subcapital fractures of the femur have significantly lower serum levels of all vitamin D metabolites on admission, compared with patients suffering from extracapsular fractures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Copper metabolism in the acute inflammatory process and its possible significance for a novel approach to the therapy of inflammation.

The concentration and the total content of copper were evaluated in plasma, blood cells, liver and kidney of normal rats and in rats inflamed by intrapleural injection of carrageenan. The experimental disease was followed from zero time up to 10 days after the irritant injection. A statistically significant increase of copper concentration in both plasma and blood cells compartments was measured between zero and 72 h, followed by a prompt return to normal copper levels. On the contrary, copper concentration and total copper content of the liver did not vary throughout the experiment, whereas in the kidney both parameters were found slightly higher than normal 6, 8 and 10 days after the injection of the irritant. These observations are briefly discussed, and proposed as a valuable background to outline new strategies for anti-inflammatory therapy.

Animals↗