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Biomedical subjects

A Longoni

Publications and source records attributed to A Longoni.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Comparison of plasma and synovial concentrations of synthetic salmon calcitonin after a single intravenous dose.

The plasma and synovial fluid concentrations of synthetic salmon calcitonin in 10 patients with knee joint effusions have been compared after a single i.v. dose of 200 I.U. calcitonin. Plasma and synovial fluid concentrations of calcitonin were measured using a specific RIA before and 30 and 60 min after administration. Calcitonin was not detectable at zero time in plasma or in synovial fluid. Plasma calcitonin concentrations 60 min after administration were significantly lower than at 30 min, while the synovial fluid concentration remained relatively constant. The results show that synthetic salmon calcitonin penetrates into the articular cavity after a single i.v. dose of 200 I.U. and that a steady concentration persists there over 60 min.

Adolescent

Simultaneous in situ hybridization for DNA and RNA reveals the presence of HPV in the majority of cervical cancer cells.

Thirteen cases of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix containing HPV types 16 or 18 DNA sequences, as detected by Southern blot analysis, were investigated by in situ hybridization on routine paraffin sections, using 35S nick-translated DNA probes. Simultaneous in situ hybridization for DNA and RNA showed that in ten out of 13 cases (77%) the percentage of tumor cells containing HPV 16 or 18 varied from 75 to 100%. In one case, harboring both in situ and invasive carcinoma, the same type of HPV DNA was detected in both components. This finding suggests that neoplastic cells retained the viral genome during progression to invasiveness.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell

HPV DNA in intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma of the vulva and penis.

Surgical specimens of 15 patients with early and 12 patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva and the penis were examined for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 6, 11, 16, and 18 DNA by Southern blotting (SB) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. By SB, HPV type 16 DNA was detected in all early carcinomas and 2 of 12 cases of advanced squamous cell carcinoma (ISCC) of the vulva and penis. PCR revealed HPV DNA in four additional cases of vulvar and penile ISCC negative by SB. Three cases contained HPV16 and one HPV18. Two cases of vulvar and penile Buschke-Löwenstein (BL) tumor with malignancy and one case of vulvar verrucous carcinoma were also examined by both techniques. While BL tumors were associated with DNA of HPV6 or 11, no HPV association was found for verrucous carcinoma. Our results confirm that the detection rate of HPV DNA in early vulvar and penile carcinomas is much higher than in invasive carcinomas. In addition, we have shown that in the lower genital tract, 50% of cases of ISCC are HPV16 correlated. The absence of HPV DNA (types 6, 11, 16, and 18) in the remaining 50% of cases of ISCC thus suggests that vulvar and penile ISCC may have more than one pathogenetic pathway.

Base Sequence

Effect of a new cognition enhancer, alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, on scopolamine-induced amnesia and brain acetylcholine.

The present study investigates the effect of the administration of alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha-GPC) on scopolamine-induced amnesia and on brain acetylcholine (ACh) levels and release in rats. The results indicate that alpha-GPC, when administered orally, reverses the amnesia caused by scopolamine in passive avoidance. The peak effect is observed using 600 mg/kg IG, 5 h before training. The effect of the drug is long lasting (up 30 h) in accordance with its pharmacokinetic characteristics. Since, alpha-GPC administered IG is cleaved within the gut mucosal cells to glycerophosphate and free choline, it is tempting to speculate that this drug acts by increasing the ACh precursor pool. This view is supported also by the observation that alpha-GPC partially counteracts the decrease of brain ACh levels elicited by scopolamine administration. The effect is observed in the hippocampus and cortex, but not in the striatum. Moreover, in ex vivo experiments, alpha-GPC is able to increase the amount of ACh released by rat hippocampus slices following potassium stimulation.

Acetylcholine

Effect of L-alpha-glyceryl-phosphorylcholine on amnesia caused by scopolamine.

The present study was carried out to test the effects of L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (L-alpha-GFC) on memory impairment induced by scopolamine in man. Thirty-two healthy young volunteers were randomly allocated to four different groups. They were given a ten day pretreatment with either L-alpha-GFC or placebo, p.o., and on the eleventh day either scopolamine or placebo, i.m. Before and 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 6 h after injection the subjects were given attention and mnemonic tests. The findings of this study indicate that the drug is able to antagonize impairment of attention and memory induced by scopolamine.

Adult

[Right ventricular infarct and atrioventricular blocks].

Right ventricular infarction in inferior left ventricular infarction is very common. We have examined, by means of equilibrium gated radionuclide angiography, the relationship existing between right ventricular infarction and atrioventricular block. Seventy-two patients with inferior wall myocardial infarction were studied. Thirty-nine of them had ventriculographic evidence of right ventricular infarction. Fifteen of them (38%) had a-v block in the acute phase. Only 3 patients without right ventricular involvement (9%) had a-v block. The occurrence of a-v block is usually explained by the fact that the blood supply to the a-v node depends on the right coronary artery. In the patients with right ventricular involvement, the incidence of a-v block is high just because occlusion of the right coronary artery is proximal to the branch to the a-v node. However, the presence of collateral blood supply to the a-v node makes the occurrence of a-v node not so high as expected.

Adult

Topical benzyl alcohol reduces cataract surgery need: two long-term double blind studies.

Substances derived from biotransformation of non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) produced by patients responsive to the biological liquid oxidant activity (BLOA) test, have been shown to have anticataract activity. They are all aromatic alcohols with physico-chemical properties similar to benzyl alcohols (BA); they were very efficacious in preventing in vitro (cyanate, heat) cataracts and in vivo (uveitis, radiation, selenite) cataracts but had no effect on sugar cataracts. The mechanism underlying this effect seems to be mainly antioxidant together with a stabilizing effect on lens membrane integrity and a stimulating effect on Na-K ATPase and membrane sodium pump. The well balanced lipo- and hydro-solubility of these compounds makes them very suitable for topical application to the eye as lipid solubility is the major factor governing transcorneal penetration of drugs. In the two long-term double blind studies on humans described here, comparing BA, placebo and Catalin in the topical treatment of progressive cataract rapid (2-3 weeks treatment) reversal of incipient cataract was obtained accompanied by a marked improvement of vision and by a significantly lower percentage of eyes requiring surgery after 22 months treatment with BA than with placebo and Catalin. In conclusion, further studies on the effect on the eye of BA and similar compounds such as phenyl-ethanol are advisable especially because they are already used as preservatives in eye-drop formulations.

Administration, Topical

Mexiletine action on the specialized tissues of the human heart.

Electrophysiological properties of mexiletine (3 mg/kg i.v.) were studied in fifteen patients with various degrees of abnormalities in the specialized conduction system. Sinus cycle length was decreased in all patients; sinus node recovery time was increased in all patients, but the increment was not statistically significant. Atrial and atrioventricular (AV) nodal refractoriness were not modified. The relative refractory period of the His-Purkinje system was reduced in patients with normal intraventricular conduction on the surface electrocardiogram; no changes were noted in five patients with intraventricular conduction delay. In two patients, in whom AV nodal refractory period curves showed antegrade dual AV nodal pathways, mexiletine increased refractoriness of the fast pathway. This report points out that the drug is effective against arrhythmias sustained by a reentry mechanism, not only in the ventricles, but also in the AV node.

Aged

A multi-centre general practice study evaluating the efficacy and tolerance of ibuprofen in common painful conditions.

An open, multi-centre study in general practice was carried out in 1842 patients presenting with non-serious painful conditions to assess the effectiveness and tolerance of ibuprofen. Patients received daily doses ranging from 400 mg to 2400 mg for up to 1 month; most took between 1200 mg and 1600 mg per day for about 1 week. Assessments of pain severity on a visual analogue scale showed that 82% of patients with moderate to severe pain derived benefit from treatment, the analgesic effect of a dose often lasting up to 6 hours. The best response was seen in patients with dysmenorrhoea and dental pain, and although headache was less responsive than other painful conditions the overall rate of positive results for this diagnosis reached 75% in the opinion of both physicians and patients. Approximately 14% of patients reported side-effects, mostly gastro-intestinal with abdominal pain predominating.

Administration, Oral

Controlled study on flurbiprofen and diclofenac in the treatment of rheumatic disorders.

Forty patients affected by various rheumatic disorders (mainly osteoarthritis) were treated with flurbiprofen (300 mg daily) or diclofenac (200 mg daily) in a two-week, parallel group, randomized trial. Both drugs were clinically effective in all the parameters except for fingertip-to-floor distance and ESR. Flurbiprofen proved to be more effective than diclofenac in reducing pain on movement (p less than 0.01) and number of swollen joints (p less than 0.05). The doctor's overall assessment favoured flurbiprofen (p less than 0.10). The incidence and severity of side-effects were low and similar with the two drugs.

Clinical Trials as Topic

Steroid-sparing action of flurbiprofen and indomethacin in rheumatoid arthritis: a nine-week study.

Thirty out-patients with rheumatoid arthritis aged from 3 yrs. (+/- 0.5 SEM) were included in a between-patient controlled trial comparing effectiveness and safety of flurbiprofen 300 mg daily and indomethacin 150 mg daily. The duration of the treatment was nine weeks. Both drugs allowed to reduce the initial dose of corticosteroids administered (-21% on flurbiprofen and -12% on indomethacin) and were effective in improving clinical signs of the disease such as number of swollen joints, grip strength, articular index and morning stiffness. Flurbiprofen was better tolerated (p less than 0.01).

Adolescent