Biomedical subjects

A Paolicchi

Publications and source records attributed to A Paolicchi.

58 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Mechanisms for reduction of endothelial activation by oleate: inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB through antioxidant effects.

In a model of early atherogenesis based on cultured endothelial cells, we observed that the incorporation of oleic acid in cellular lipids decreases the stimulated expression of several endothelial adhesion molecules and soluble products typically expressed during endothelial activation and involved in monocyte recruitment. We investigated possible mechanisms for this effect assessing the stimulated induction of nuclear factor-kappaB. In parallel, we also measured glutathione (GSH) content and the activity of antioxidant enzymes after oleate treatment and cytokine stimulation. Oleate prevented the stimulated depletion of GSH without any change in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. These results suggest an antioxidant mechanism by which oleate may exert direct vascular atheroprotective effects.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The magnetic resonance and histological correlations in hepatocellular carcinoma].

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exhibits variable features on Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. In this study, the correlations between MR patterns of HCC and histopathologic findings are investigated. Fifty patients with HCCs were studied with MR at 0.5 T. All neoplastic lesions were subsequently submitted to biopsy: structural pattern, tumor grading (following the Edmonson and Steiner classification), the presence of fatty degeneration, and intracellular glycogenic content (established on the basis of staining by the periodic acid Schiff-PAS-method) were evaluated. Thirteen HCCs were < 3 cm, 16 ranged 3-5 cm, and 21 were > 5 cm. On spin echo (SE) T1-weighted images (T1w), 18 tumors were hyperintense, 10 isointense, and 22 hypointense with respect to the surrounding liver parenchyma. On SE T2-weighted images (T2w), 46 HCCs resulted hyperintense and 4 isointense. Histopathologic examination demonstrated 46 tumors with trabecular pattern and 4 tumors with pseudoglandular pattern; however, no significant correlation between structural pattern and signal intensity was observed. Thirty-one HCCs were classified as well-differentiated tumors (grade 1), 12 as moderately differentiated tumors (grade 2), and 7 as poorly-differentiated tumors (grade 3). Hyperintensity on SE T1w and isointensity on SE T2w significantly correlated with grade 1 tumors (p < 0.01). No MR feature demonstrated significant correlation with grade 2 or grade 3 tumors. Fatty degeneration was demonstrated in 4 HCCs: none of them resulted hyperintense on SE T1w (2 were isointense and 2 hypointense). PAS staining was strongly positive in 16 lesions, slightly positive in 20 and negative in 14 lesions. Strong positive staining by the PAS method significantly correlated with hyperintensity on SE T1w (p < 0.01). Hyperintensity on SE T1w and isointensity on SE T2w strongly suggest well-differentiated HCCs. High signal intensity on SE T1w correlates with high glycogenic content of the tumor cells and seems unaffected by the presence of fatty degeneration.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity in human ovarian carcinoma.

Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) is a cell membrane enzyme involved in the hydrolysis and uptake of extracellular glutathione. Histochemically detectable GGT has been shown in several human neoplasms. However, few studies have addressed the quantitative biochemical assessment of GGT activity in human tumors, and the importance of GGT activity in human tumor biology remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to assess biochemically GGT enzyme activity in human ovarian surgical biopsies. GGT activity was assayed in homogenates of surgical samples of ovarian tumors and compared with the clinical data of the patients in order to establish: a) the level of tumor GGT activity, b) its correlation with other clinical parameters of the neoplasms, c) the possibility of the induction in vivo of GGT after anticancer platinum-based therapy, since some of the patients were pretreated. The results indicated that ovarian tumor expresses biochemically relevant GGT activity. The sensitive method used in this study allowed the quantitative evaluation of enzyme activity in all samples examined, showing that GGT activity values in ovarian carcinoma samples were extremely variable among the different subjects, both in untreated neoplasms (6.2 +/- 5.4 mU/mg protein) and in second-look laparotomy biopsies following platinum-based therapy (4.7 +/- 3.8 mU/mg protein). The mean GGT activity in benign ovarian tumors was lower than that in malignant tumors. No significant correlation was found between GGT activity and patient characteristics (tumor stage, age of patients, serum CA125, TAG-72, and GGT levels). However, the biological and pharmacological relevance of GGT expression remain to be elucidated in a large series of tumors.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Percutaneous alcohol administration for hepatocarcinoma: long-term results].

We investigated the long-term outcome of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A series of 184 HCC patients received PEI as the sole anticancer treatment over an 8-year period, December, 1987, to December, 1995. Ninety-four patients had a single tumor < or = 3 cm, 50 patients had a single lesion of 3.1-5 cm, and 40 patients had multiple nodules (up to four) < or = 3 cm each. All patients had liver cirrhosis, classified as Child-Pugh class A in 127 cases and as Child-Pugh class B in 57 cases. The treatment schedule included, for each lesion, 6-14 therapeutic sessions performed once or twice weekly. The total amount of alcohol administered ranged 10 to 110 ml (mean: 36 ml). All patients were followed after therapy with clinical examinations, laboratory tests, and imaging studies performed at regular time intervals. The follow-up period ranged 2 to 94 months (mean: 23.6 months). Overall survival rates by the Kaplan-Meier method were 67% at 3 years, 41% at 5 years, and 19% at 7 years. The survival rates of patients with single lesion < or = 3 cm (78% at 3 years, 54% at 5 years, and 28% at 7 years, respectively) were significantly higher (p < .01) than those of the patients with a single lesion of 3.1-5 cm (61% at 3 years, 32% at 5 years, and 16% at 7 years) or multiple lesions (51% at 3 years, 21% at 5 years, and 0% at 7 years). The survival of Child-Pugh A patients (79% at 3 years, 53% at 5 years, and 32% at 7 years) was significantly longer (p < .01) than that of Child-Pugh B patients (50% at 3 years, 28% at 5 years, and 8% at 7 years). A selected group of 70 patients with Child-Pugh A cirrhosis and a single lesion < or = 3 cm had a 3-, 5-, and 7-year survival of 89%, 63% and 42%, respectively. During the follow-up, new lesions appeared in 93 patients. The recurrence rates by the Kaplan-Meier method were 15% at 1 year, 34% at 2 years, 51% at 3 years, 67% at 4 years, 78% at 5 years, 88% at 6 years, and 94% at 7 years. The analysis of the survival curves of the treated patients confirms the effectiveness of PEI in the treatment of HCC. This therapeutic approach is particularly indicated for patients with a single lesion 3 cm or less in greatest diameter, as in these cases the long-term results of PEI are comparable to those reported in the best surgical series published in the literature.

Adult↗