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Biomedical subjects

A Fini

Publications and source records attributed to A Fini.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Use of TPA in hepatology of infectious nature. Initial observations.

The tissue polypeptide antigen, TPA, is a tumour-associated antigen which is synthesized during the S phase of cellular division and released later by the tissues when rapid growth takes place. For this reason, the TPA is considered to be a specific phase tumour-associated antigen. Since Björklund detected the antigen in 1957 much less has been written about research into the presence of the TPA in high concentration in the blood of subjects with tumours in different sites. The TPA can, however, be measured in moderate quantities in healthy individuals and in those with hepatic pathology (hepatitis and cirrhosis) and pathology of a viral nature. In hepatic parenchymal pathology, repeated measurements of this marker show normalization with the benign course of the disease. The aim of this work is to evaluate if the use of the TPA can be useful in hepatology of an infectious nature as an index of cytoreproduction, a phenomenon which often affects the hepatocytic cytolysis which is found in acute viral hepatitis.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1985

Bile acids with cyclopropane-containing side chain. 2. Synthesis and properties of 3 alpha,7 beta-dihydroxy-22,23-methylene-5 beta-cholan-24-oic acid (2-sulfoethyl)amide.

The preparation of 3 alpha,7 beta-dihydroxy-22,23-methylene-5 beta-cholan-24-oic acid (2-sulfoethyl)amide (5) by the one-step EEDQ-induced conjugation between ursodeoxycholic acid "cyclopropylog" (4) and taurine is described. The presence of a cyclopropyl ring adjacent to the amide bond is shown to make it resistant to degradation by intestinal bacteria. This new cyclopropylog is neither deconjugated at the C-24 amide bond nor 7-dehydroxylated when incubated with human stools in anaerobic conditions.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1985

Combination of tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and carcino embryonic antigen (CEA) in different types of cancer.

Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and carcino embryonic antigen (CEA) were measured in 55 patients with cancer in different locations (21 lung cancer, 133 breast cancer, 9 stomach cancer, 5 colorectal cancer, 7 cancer of unknown origin). TPA gives elevated values in all types of cancer. The statistical analysis shows that TPA is about equally sensitive for all cancer types, while CEA has a particularly high sensitivity for colorectal carcinoma. The TPA values in the group of cancer patients is significantly different from those in a group of healthy controls. TPA gives higher sensitivity than CEA in all tumour locations. By the use of combined determination of TPA and CEA the sensitivity can be further increased, to 64% for the whole patient population and 89% for the gastric tumour patients, even when the cut-off values are chosen so high that no false positives are obtained in either reference group (150 Ul-1 for TPA, 10 ng ml-1 for CEA). A limited correlation exists between the markers in tumour patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Thermodynamic features of bile salt-human serum albumin interaction.

Interaction with human serum albumin is responsible for important aspects of the physiological behaviour of bile salts, although this factor has not been adequately examined. The nature of the binding is investigated here by means of thermodynamic parameters determined by equilibrium dialysis and microcalorimetric measurements. The positive enthalpy and entropy values obtained indicate the presence of a poorly specific hydrophobic bonding.

Bile Acids and Salts↗
PubMed1984

Bile acids with a cyclopropyl-containing side chain. 1. Preparation and properties of 3 alpha, 7 beta-dihydroxy-22,23-methylene-5 beta-cholan-24-oic acid.

3 alpha, 7 beta-Dihydroxy-22, 23-methylene-5 beta-cholan-24-oic acid (5), a side-chain cyclopropyl analogue of ursodeoxycholic acid (1b), has been prepared by the cyclopropanation of 3 alpha, 7 beta-diacetoxy-24-nor-5 beta-chol-22-ene (2) with ethyl diazoacetate , followed by saponification of the resulting cyclopropyl ester (3). The new bile acid presents similar properties to 1b in water. The sodium salt self-aggregates to form micelles at a concentration of 15.5 mM. The cyclopropane ring does not modify the pKa with respect to compound 1b. Cyclopropyl acid 5 is taken up efficiently by rat liver and promptly secreted into bile. It is partially (70%) conjugated with taurine. The bile flow and bile acids and phospholipids secretion are stimulated by 5, while the cholesterol secretion is stimulated by 5 to a lesser extent.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Damage by dichlorvos of human lymphocyte DNA.

The action of dichlorvos (2,2-dichlorovinyldimethyl phosphate) was studied with a short-term in vitro system which utilizes lymphocytes. The parameters studied were the action exerted by the pesticide on scheduled (semiconservative) and unscheduled (reparative) DNA synthesis measured as tritiated thymidine uptake. The results obtained show that dischlovos affects semiconservative DNA synthesis, damages human lymphocyte DNA inducing low reparative synthesis, and interferes with DNA repair processes after damage exerted by ultraviolet rays.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1980

Effect of pesticides on scheduled and unscheduled DNA synthesis of rat thymocytes and human lymphocytes.

The action of seventeen pesticides (insecticides, fungicides and herbicides) has been studied with short-term in vitro system using rat thymocytes and/or human lymphocytes. The parameters studied were: a)the action of chemicals tested in scalar doses on DNA synthesis of rat thymocytes; b)damage exerted by pesticides on human lymphocyte DNA measured as unscheduled DNA sythesis; c)the interference of chemicals tested with human lymphocyte repair capability after damage exerted on cells by ultraviolet rays. The results obtained suggest that some of tested pesticides don't induce damages to human lymphocyte DNA, some others elicit low DNA repair if compared to the repair following a standard ultraviolet irradiation and some of them (6/17) exert a marked inhibition of cell repair processes after ultraviolet irradiation. Data are discussed on the basis of a possible role played by these substances as carcinogenic agents in the environment.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Retained gastric antrum syndrome diagnosed by [99mTc] pertechnetate scintiphotography in man: hormonal and radioisotopic study of two cases.

Retained-antrum syndrome is a rare condition, occurring in Billroth II gastrectomised patients, in which an ulcer recurs associated with high levels of circulating gastrin. Some gastrin tests are useful to differentiate a retained antrum from a gastrinoma, but a firm diagnosis is sometimes very difficult. We have studied two cases of retained-antrum syndrome both by gastrin tests and by [99mTc] pertechnetate scintiphotography. By this method a prominent area of activity was observed on the anatomic site of the duodenal stump bottom. It appeared after 20 or 30 min and lasted for the 2 hr of observation. After surgical resection, no area of activity was observed at the scintiphotographic followup. No false positive was observed out of the more than 30 subjects studied. Scintiphotography by pertechnetate seems able to demonstrate the presence and the size of retained gastric antrum in B II gastrectomised patients with recurrent ulcer.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of nuclear hydroxy substituents on aqueous solubility and acidic strength of bile acids.

The aqueous solubility and thermodynamic dissociation constants of a representative series of bile acids with varying numbers and configuration of nuclear hydroxyl substituents were determined. The pKa values were calculated by extrapolating pKa' values determined in solutions of aqueous methanol of different mole fractions at 25 degrees C. All bile acids had the same acidic strength in water, indicating that the pattern of hydroxyl nuclear substituents does not affect the acidic strength probably because of the distance between the hydroxyl and ionizing groups. In contrast, aqueous solubility was dependent on the number, position and orientation of the hydroxyl groups. The solubility values ranged from 5 X 10(-8) M (0.05 microM) for 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic acid (lithocholic acid) to 1.67 X 10(-3) M (1,670 microM) for 3 alpha,7 beta,12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic acid (ursocholic acid). The hydroxy groups notably affect solubility by forming hydrogen bonds with water but also by reducing, according to their orientation, hydrophobicity of the steroid nucleus.

Bile Acids and Salts↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mucoadhesive tablets for buccal administration containing sodium nimesulide.

The possibility of improving the flux of nimesulide across the buccal mucosa using the drug in the form of a sodium salt was investigated in our study. The salt form may increase to flux across buccal membrane, starting from a suspension; its lower permeation coefficient is compensated by a higher concentration gradient. The salt was inserted into a mucoadhesive tablet for buccal administration. The tablets were designed to prevent the loss of the drug into the saliva by means of a protective layer and placed on the area not in contact with the mucosa. Ten volunteers were used. The in vitro release from mucoadhesive tablets was examined through a porcine buccal mucosa, using a standard Franz cell, modified for present purposes. The advantages of a higher concentration gradient for the flux, related to a higher solubility of the salt, and to a sufficiently high permeation coefficient of the drug, despite the ionized form, could not be completely exploited, because the composition of the formulation destroys the chemical form of the drug.

Adhesives↗