Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Martinelli.
The case of a young woman suffering from a rare cerebrovascular disease associated with livedo reticularis (Sneddon syndrome) is reported. Hemicranic attacks were the first symptom detected. The patient had a progressive clinical course of neurologic symptoms. Cerebral CT scan, NMR and cerebral arteriography revealed a progressive cerebral multifarctual feature involving middle-size arteries.
We assessed the iron load content in 36 beta-thalassemia patients by NMR correlating the results with serum ferritin levels. 22 of them were affected by beta-thalassemia major on hyper-transfusional regimen (Group A), 4 by beta-thalassemia intermedia (Group B) and 10 by beta-thalassemia major, who had been previously bone marrow transplanted (Group C). In A and C Groups the liver showed the lowest signal intensity on spin echo images (p less than 0.01; p less than 0.06, respectively). A significant correlation between the summation of signals obtained from all the examined organs and serum ferritin levels was observed by evaluating both all the patients globally (r = 0.78; p less than 0.001) and the A and C Group patients. This correlation was confirmed only in the liver both in all the patients (r = 0.77; p less than 0.001) and in A and C Group patients, when the signals obtained from each organ were evaluated.
Previous experimental and theoretical studies carried out on the mechanism of action of adrenergic drugs have shown that the (methyleneaminoxy)methyl moiety (C = NOCH2, MAOMM) can be considered as a "bioisostere" of an aryl group (Ar). On this basis, a series of substituted beta-aminoxypropionic acids (AOPAs) were synthesized as analogues of antiinflammatory arylacetic acids (ArAAs), in which the Ar portion is substituted by the MAOMM, with the aim of evaluating whether any antiinflammatory activity could be obtained from this class of drugs after the substitution of the Ar with the MAOMM. The antiinflammatory activity of the AOPAs synthesized was determined by carageenan-induced rat paw edema, using diclofenac as the reference drug. The pharmacological data showed that most of the AOPAs examined exhibit a significant antiinflammatory activity, which in the case of the (E)-3-(benzylideneaminoxy)propionic acid (7q) is very close to that of the reference drug. Structural and theoretical studies were carried out in order to compare the conformation and the molecular reactivity of the AOPAs with those of the ArAAs. Pharmacological results showed that the ArAAs also generally exhibit an antiinflammatory activity after the substitution of the Ar with the MAOMM, thus supporting the hypothesis of a bioisosterelike relationship between these two moieties in this class of NSAIDs.
This paper deals with the oral manifestations observed in patients with haemolymphopathies and oral complications associated with systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. We report the percentage of oral manifestations observed in 30 patients treated with cytotoxic drugs for malignant haemolymphopathies or other tumors after 2-4 cycles of systemic combinations chemotherapy. No sex or age differences were recorded except for abnormalities of taste present only in 13% treated patients older than 50. Stomatitis was more frequent in patients with malignant haemolymphopathies than in patient with other neoplastic diseases, probably due to the fact that in the former group neutropenia and thrombocytopenia induced by bone marrow infiltration or by more aggressive combination chemotherapy are most frequent. An oral care protocol for these patients is suggested.
In rabbits blood flow was measured in 19 muscles with the radioactive microsphere technique. Fibre type composition (SO, slow-twitch oxidative; FOG, fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic; FG, fast-twitch glycolytic) was determined histochemically for the same muscles. While no significant changes occur in the transition from quiet wakefulness (QW) to synchronized sleep (SS), in desynchronized sleep (DS) blood flow decreases in SO and increases in FOG and FG fibres. These changes may be related to the changes in motor activity characteristic of DS: muscle atonia and twitches, respectively.
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Midstream urine specimens from 60 consecutive patients with hematuria were examined with an autoanalyzer to determine whether the source of bleeding could be predicted on the basis of the size distribution of urinary red blood cells. In 54 patients a definite diagnosis was made which correlated with the urinary-red-cell-size distribution in 93.7% (15/16) of cases for whom hematuria was considered to be glomerular and in 100% (38/38) of cases of nonglomerular hematuria. It is concluded that this method can greatly help the clinician in distinguishing between glomerular and nonglomerular bleeding in patients with hematuria and channeling such patients towards the most appropriate investigations.
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The electrostatic molecular potential (EMP) of model compounds (isoproterenol and four of its analogs) with agonist activity on the beta-adrenergic receptor was investigated, at the SCF-MO ab initio level. A method was developed to calculate the drug-receptor interaction energy (delta E) for these compounds, and the EMP and delta E values were compared with the affinity of the drugs for the beta-adrenergic receptor, quantified in terms of pKd. Our results indicate that the aromatic ring takes part in its entirely in the interaction with the receptor. No particular constituent of the aromatic portion considered by itself appears to play a determining role in this interaction.
Some totally aliphatic 3-(acyloxy)propanolamines were synthesized with the aim of testing whether beta-blocking activity could be obtained from this class of drugs, even in the absence of an aromatic group. The significant and, in most cases, competitive beta-blocking activity shown by the compounds under examination, together with the results of a theoretical study in which their reactivity was compared with that of other adrenergic beta-blocking drugs, seems to confirm a hypothesis previously advanced on the basis of knowledge about the action mechanism of adrenergic beta-blocking drugs and of the results of structural studies. It was also possible to suggest some considerations about the role played by the (acyloxy)methyl portion of 3-(acyloxy)propanolamines in eliciting their adrenergic beta-blocking activity.
On the basis of results previously obtained from structural and theoretical studies on beta-adrenergic drugs, a series of aliphatic oxime ether derivatives (AOEDs) was synthesized. As expected, pharmacological in vitro tests showed that compounds examined exhibit a marked and competitive antagonism at beta-adrenoceptors; the beta 2/beta 1 selectivity ratio indicated that they are more active on the tracheal than on the cardiac beta-receptor. The chemical reactivity of the AOEDs was studied through the calculation of the electrostatic molecular potential (EMP) on a model compound in its preferred conformation. The results showed that the EMP trend agrees with that previously calculated for other beta-blocking drugs.
Four selective H2-antagonists were studied: burimamide, thiaburimamide, metiamide and cimetidine and their conformations were investigated using the PCILO method. The results show similar preferred conformations but also show that the most active drugs can more easily assume conformations different from the preferred ones. The selective H2-agonist dimaprit was also examined in order to find conformational features determining activity at the H2-histamine receptor.
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A retrospective survey was carried out on 87 patients with diverticulosis and 223 control subjects with a view to studying the incidence of colon pathology in association with diverticulosis of the colon. All subjects were given colonoscopies of the distal section of the colon. The survey revealed that the group of diverticulosis patients was, on average, older than the control group (72 v. 59 years). There was no significant difference in the performance or totality of the endoscopic examination. Subjective and objective symptomatology revealed no a priori evidence of pathology associated with diverticulosis. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of polyps, neoplasias, haemorrhoids or colon melanosis in the two groups.
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The A.V.I.S. Blood Transfusion Center of Turin performs the screening of foetomaternal allo-immunizations for the S. Anna Hospital of Turin. This hospital includes 3 hospital departments and 3 obstetrical and gynaecological university departments. The number of births in one year is roughly 13.000, i.e. 50 mother-baby couples, are tested every day. The identification system and the sampling process are described. The program used on the Groupamatic system includes: 1.) First run: Blood typing of mother blood with screening of alloantibodies. Second run: Blood typing control, screening of immune anti-A and anti-B antibodies, syphilis screening. 2.) Washing of cord blood red blood cells: First run: Washed red blood cells ABO and Rhesus typing, direct Coombs test. Second run: Blood typing control. Automatic screening of maternal irregular alloantibodies and automatic indirect Coombs test on washed cordblood red cells are simultaneously controlled with standard manual techniques. Sampling and testing are processed within 24 hours after birth. The set of results concerning mother-baby couples are grouped on one card and sent to the hospital department for a quick MHNN prophylaxy. Results of tests performed on 6.351 pregnancies studied until birth are presented. The automated direct Coombs test was positive with: 1--95% of new borns from mother who have a high immune allo antibody anti-A/B titer (IgG after treatment with two Mercapto etanol greater than I/64). 2--100% of new borns from mother who have irregular allo antibodies in Rh, Kell, Duffy or Kidd systems.