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Biomedical subjects

A Ferrari

Publications and source records attributed to A Ferrari.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Gastrointestinal endoscopy and HBV infection: no evidence for a causal relationship. A prospective controlled study.

The importance of the different endoscopic procedures in the transmission of hepatitis B was investigated prospectively by following up for 6 months all HBV-negative patients endoscoped from April to October 1981. A group of patients admitted in the same period to our unit constituted the control group. Controls were obtained after 1, 3, and 6 months from endoscopy. Infection rate was 1% for the control group and 0.45% for the endoscopy group. The difference is not statistically significant. These results strongly support the view, already present on an uncontrolled basis in the literature, that transmission of hepatitis B is not associated with gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde↗
PubMed1984

Cutaneous horn.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Female↗
PubMed1984

Impairment of cardiopulmonary baroreflexes in Dahl salt-sensitive rats fed low salt.

Abnormalities in neural circulatory control contribute to salt-induced hypertension in Dahl sensitive (DS) rats. This study tested the hypothesis that there is impairment in cardiopulmonary baroreflex function in prehypertensive DS rats. The study was performed in DS and Dahl resistant (DR) rats fed low-salt diet. Arterial baroreceptors were denervated. Sympathetic activity was recorded from the splanchnic nerve during stimulation of cardiopulmonary baroreceptors with volume expansion (iv dextran). Resting mean arterial pressure averaged 93 +/- 6 (SE) in DS vs. 98 +/- 5 mmHg in DR rats. Resting left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was 13.5 +/- 1.0 in/DS vs. 11.4 +/- 0.9 mmHg in DR rats. Volume expansion with the same amount of dextran caused greater increases in LVEDP in DS (+13 +/- 1 mmHg) than DR (+10 +/- 1 mmHg) but less inhibition of sympathetic activity (-40 +/- 4 vs. -50 +/- 2%) in DS compared with DR rats, respectively. Cardiopulmonary baroreflex gain calculated as percent inhibition of sympathetic activity divided by increases in LVEDP was -3.2 +/- 0.2 in DS vs. -4.9 +/- 0.6%/mmHg in DR rats. Reflex responses to dextran were abolished by vagotomy. Volume expansion also induced increases in mean arterial pressure. These were/greater in DS than DR rats (+43 +/- 4 vs. +28 +/- 5 mmHg, respectively) before vagotomy but were similar in the two groups after vagotomy. The distensibility (delta volume/delta pressure) of the left atrium was similar in DS and DR rats. We conclude that prehypertensive DS rats have impairment of the cardiopulmonary baroreflex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Effects of blood-pressure measurement by the doctor on patient's blood pressure and heart rate.

Changes in blood pressure in 10 or 15 min periods during which a doctor repeatedly measured blood pressure by the cuff method were monitored by a continuous intra-arterial recorder. In almost all the 48 normotensive and hypertensive subjects tested the doctor's arrival at the bedside induced immediate rises in systolic and diastolic blood pressures peaking within 1 to 4 min (mean 26.7 +/- 2.3 mm Hg and 14.9 +/- 1.6 mm Hg above pre-visit values). There were large differences between individuals in the peak response (range, 4--75 mm Hg systolic and 1--36 mm Hg diastolic) unrelated to age, sex, baseline blood pressure, or blood-pressure variability. There was concomitant tachycardia (average peak response 15.9 +/- 1.5 beats/min, range 4--45 beats/min) which was only slightly correlated with the blood-pressure rise. After the peak response blood pressure declined and at the end of the visit was only slightly above the pre-visit level. A second visit by the same doctor did not change the average size of the early pressor response or the slope of its subsequent decline.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Detection of 14C-carmoisine metabolites by high performance liquid chromatography.

14C-Carmoisine, a sulphonated azodye, 200 mg/kg b.w. (25 muCi), was administered to rats by gavage. Separation of radioactive compounds in faeces and urine of these animals was carried out by HPLC with a UV and a radioactivity detector. In addition to unmodified carmoisine, five radioactive compounds were present. The main peak showed both the retention time and the UV spectrum of naphtionic acid. Metabolic patterns similar to those observed "in vivo" were found by incubation of 14C-carmoisine under anaerobic conditions with a bacterial suspension isolated from human faeces and from the intestinal contents of rats. This procedure permits the preparation of amounts of unknown metabolites suitable for their identification.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Junctional pattern in the squamous metaplasia of the female trigone. A freeze-fracture study.

The junctional pattern of squamous metaplasia in the female trigone was studied by the freeze-fracture technique. Desmosomes were observed in all epithelial layers and varied in complexity from the basal to the superficial layers. Gap junctions were observed in the lower and upper epithelial layers. Tight junctions were detected occasionally in the superficial layer only, which appeared as maculae and did not form zonulae occludens. These data support previous suggestions that the squamous metaplastic epithelium is not waterproof and may interfere with the contraction-expansion mechanism of the bladder.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Plasma catecholamines do not invariably reflect sympathetically induced changes in blood pressure in man.

Plasma concentrations of noradrenaline and adrenaline were measured radioenzymatically in nine subjects during 4 min pressor and depressor responses (intra-arterial measurements) induced by increasing and reducing sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone via carotid baroreceptor deactivation and stimulation (neck chamber technique). During the pressor response (15 +/- 3 mmHg, mean +/- SE) plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline showed various changes in the different subjects and on average were not significantly increased above control. During the depressor response (-9 +/- 2 mmHg) plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline also showed various changes in the subjects and were on average not significantly reduced below control. In contrast the same subjects all showed an increase in noradrenaline and adrenaline (average 76 and 117%) at the fourth minute of a tilting manoeuvre with a return to pretilting values no more than 4 min after resumption of the supine position. These results suggest that the moderate and/or restricted alterations in sympathetic tone produced by manipulating a single baroreflex, though capable of affecting blood pressure, are not reflected by alterations in plasma catecholamines. To modify these humoral indices significantly, the more drastic or more diffuse alterations in sympathetic activity that may be produced by manipulating low as well as high pressure reflexogenic areas are needed.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Modification of the baroreceptor control of atrio-ventricular conduction induced by digitalis in man.

Several studies in animals and in man have suggested that the inhibitory influence of baroreceptors on heart rate and peripheral circulation is enhanced by digitalis. Because the atrio-ventricular node represents a key site for the clinical action of digitalis we studied how baroreceptor control of atrio-ventricular conduction is modified by digitalis at therapeutical doses. In eight subjects heart rate was kept constant by atrial pacing to assess neural influences on atrio-ventricular conduction rate without the modifications caused by simultaneous changes in cardiac cycle length. Arterial baroreceptors were stimulated by increasing or reducing blood pressure (intra-arterial recording), via an iv bolus of phenylephrine or nitroglycerine. The baroreflex sensitivity was assessed in ms . mmHg-1 as the slope of the linear regressions relating the rise or fall in systolic blood pressure to the lengthening or shortening in St- (atrial stimulus artifact) Q interval (ECG recording). The study was performed before and 45 min after iv administration of digitalis (0.8 mg of Lanatoside C). Baroreflex sensitivity during baroreceptor stimulation was 2.9 +/- 1.1 ms . mmHg-1 (mean +/- SE) before digitalis, whereas after digitalis a significantly and markedly greater value of 5.6 +/- 1.5 ms . mmHg-1 was found. Baroreflex sensitivity during baroreceptor deactivation was 0.9 +/- 0.1 ms . mmHg-1 before digitalis, and was not significantly affected by the drug. Thus in man the baroreceptor control of atrio-ventricular conduction is strikingly potentiated by digitalis although this potentiation is only evident in the upper portion of the stimulus-response curve of the reflex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Modification of arterial baroreflexes by captopril in essential hypertension.

Captopril lowers blood pressure without increasing heart rate and plasma norepinephrine, which suggests that this drug may potentiate arterial baroreflexes. In eight subjects with untreated essential hypertension, blood pressure was monitored intraarterially and the effects of baroreceptor stimulation or deactivation were assessed by measuring (1) the slopes of the relations between increase or reduction in systolic pressure (intravenous phenylephrine or nitroglycerin) and the resulting lengthening or shortening in R-R interval, and (2) the increase or decrease in mean arterial pressure induced by increasing and decreasing carotid transmural pressure (neck chamber). The measurements were made before and after a hypotensive oral dose of captopril (50 mg). Before captopril, the slopes of the R-R interval changes with increase and reduction in systolic pressure were 8 and 4 ms/mm Hg, respectively. The slopes of the mean arterial pressure changes with increase and reduction in carotid transmural pressure were 0.51 and 0.40 mm Hg, respectively. After captopril, the responses to baroreceptor stimulation were unaltered but those to baroreceptor deactivation were augmented. The pressor and heart rate responses to hand-grip and cold exposure were unchanged by captopril. Administration of captopril is accompanied by a baroreflex potentiation which involves the lower portion of the stimulus-response curve of the reflex. This phenomenon (which may originate at the afferent baroreceptor fibers or centrally) may avoid a reduction in the tonic baroreflex influence during captopril-induced hypotension, thus contributing to the hemodynamic effects of the drug.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Coloscopic polypectomy in diagnosis and management of cancerous adenomas: an individual and multicentric experience.

Of 1696 endoscopically removed polyps in the authors' series 62% were adenomas and 31 showed invasive carcinoma. 8 patients were not available for follow-up, and 7 underwent surgical resection with negative findings. There was no evidence of recurrent cancer in the remaining 16 over a 1-6 year span of follow-up, although one unrelated rectal carcinoma and an adenoma were found. By combining the data of 10 Italian Centres, 44 further patients were available, who had had endoscopic polypectomy as the only management of cancerous adenomas, adding no additional example of recurrent carcinoma. It is concluded that endoscopic polypectomy can, providing strict histological criteria are satisfied, provide definitive resection of some cancerous adenomas. A detailed follow-up regime including physical examination, occult blood testing, repeated endoscopy, paired tumour antigen levels and ultrasonography has been used to confirm the absence of recurrence in our series.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1982

A phase I trial of aziridinylbenzoquinone (NSC 192986) in patients with previously treated acute leukemia.

Twenty-two adult patients with relapsed leukemia were given aziridinylbenzoquinone (AZQ) intravenously in a phase I clinical trial. AZQ was administered as a 30-minute infusion daily for 17 days. Courses were repeated when the bone marrow returned to normal cellularity and full recovery from nonhematologic toxicity had occurred. The initial dose of AZQ was 8 mg/m2/d x 7. The highest dose given was 28 mg/m2/d x 7. A maximum of three patients were treated at each dose level and patients received at least two courses at a given dose level before they were eligible to be escalated to the next higher available AZQ dose level. Nonhematologic side effects were mild and included nausea/vomiting (32%), mucositis (18%), and alopecia (0%). Dose-limiting toxicity was bone marrow aplasia at the 28 mg/m2/d x 7 level. No complete or partial responses were observed in this initial study. For phase II adult leukemia studies using this schedule, it is recommended that the AZQ dose should be 24 mg/m2/d.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

Blood pressure response to labetalol in twice and three times daily administration during a 24-hour period.

1 The anti-hypertensive effect of labetalol given twice or three times daily was evaluated in ambulant subjects with essential hypertension by recording blood pressure directly for 24 h before and after 15 d of labetalol administration (daily dose 600-1800 mg). 2 Labetalol reduced 24 h systolic and diastolic blood pressures by about 20%. The reduction was evident throughout the whole 24 h period, although it was less marked during sleep. The hypotensive effect was similar when the drug was given twice or three times daily. 3 The 24 h heart rate was reduced during labetalol treatment. However, this effect was less marked than the hypotensive effect and was not present in all subjects. 4 There was a reduction in the standard deviations of blood pressure and heart rate values. However, in neither case was the coefficient of variation altered, indicating that labetalol did not have any significant effect on the shape of the 24 h blood pressure measurements.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Rapid detection of antibodies to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis by 'macro' and 'micro' ELISA.

Two kinds of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were evaluated in their ability to detect specific antibodies against Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus (IBR-IPV). The tests were called MACROELISA and MICROELISA, according to the kind of the solid support used for antigen insolubilization, polystyrene beads and microtitration plates respectively. Partially purified virus was used to coat both beads and plates; a single dilution of examples was tested and protein A linked to peroxidase was employed as enzyme tracer. Quantitative instrumental results from MACROELISA and qualitative visual results from MICROELISA were compared with serum neutralization titers. The results clearly show that ELISA tests are suitable for IBR serologic detection, being sensitive, specific and accurate over serum neutralization method.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

[Methemoglobinemia; a description of a case of NADH methemoglobulin reductase deficiency].

A case of NADH-methaemoglobin-reductase deficiency in a 64 year old man with marked cyanosis and without evidence of cardiac or pulmonary diseases is reported. The level of methaemoglobin was 36% and reached 25% after treatment with ascorbic acid. Erythrocyte NADH-methaemoglobin-reductase activity was only 5% of normal value. Some erythrocyte biochemical and enzymatic characteristics have been evaluated. A family study has also been carried out. Our patient has been considered homozygous for NADH-methaemoglobin-reductase deficiency.

Cytochrome-B(5) Reductase↗