The authors describe a case of hepatic hemangioma in a newborn, treated by successful surgical resection. Neonatal hepatic hemangioma is able to produce congestive heart failure with high output, thrombocitopenia, spontaneous rupture with peritoneal hemorrhage and sudden death. The major symptoms are a palpable anterior abdominal mass, tachicardia, and congestive heart failure unrespansive to medical treatments; sometimes there are cutaneus hemangiomas. When diagnosis is made, surgical resection is necessary in the solitar hemangioma; for diffuse or multinodular hemangiomatosis radiotherapy, corticosteroids and hepaticartery ligation have been employed with some good results.

Hemangioma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of tripeptide-copper complexes on the process of skin wound healing and on cultured fibroblasts.

The effects of Gly-His-Lys-Cu and of three synthetic analogues (I, II and III) on wound healing of the guinea-pig dorsal skin, as well as on cultured fibroblasts, were examined. Gly-His-Lys-Cu and peptide I-Cu were tested in vivo. Hydroxyproline, proteins, DNA and semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase, with a high affinity for benzylamine, were measured, and the histology of the wounds was observed after staining with hematoxylin/eosin. Another set of wounds was treated in parallel with equivalent amounts of copper acetate. Gly-His-Lys-Cu and the analogues caused a decrease of the activity of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase, with a high affinity for benzylamine, 4-8 days after surgery, followed by an increase on day 11 that was higher than in the control group. No significant difference was found between the two peptides. A slower reorganization of the skin and a delayed activation of fibroblasts are the main effects observed with these peptides-Cu complexes. Preliminary studies on cultured fibroblasts were monitored to see whether these peptides had a direct effect on fibroblasts. The products studied at a concentration of 10(-7) M, decreased cell reproduction and increased collagen expression.

Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing)↗