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Biomedical subjects

A Pasini

Publications and source records attributed to A Pasini.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Evaluation of a platinum-doxorubicin complex in experimental tumor systems.

On the basis of previous observations indicating that the platinum (II)-doxorubicin complex (coordinated via the amino sugar) was active against resistant ascitic leukemias, the preclinical evaluation of this complex was extended to a variety of experimental tumors, including solid doxorubicin-resistant tumors (P388/DX, B16 melanoma with acquired resistance, and MXT mammary carcinoma with natural resistance). In the treatment of sensitive tumors (Gross leukemia and Lewis lung tumor) the complex provided efficacy comparable to that of doxorubicin. Among resistant models, only P388/DX, which is only weakly responsive to cisplatin itself, showed significant sensitivity to the platinum complex. Since all resistant tumors were transplanted in the same site (s.c.) of the same mouse strain, it is likely that the different tumor response reflects different underlying mechanisms of cell resistance rather than alterations in pharmacologic behavior of the anthracycline after covalent binding to platinum. The data reported in this preclinical study support the potential value of this approach to overcome selected manifestations of resistance to anthracyclines. In contrast to the highly toxic doxorubicin/cisplatin combination, doxorubicin complexation with platinum was not associated to an increase in toxicity.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

5-HT2 antagonist ritanserin in neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism: a double-blind comparison with orphenadrine and placebo.

Several studies support the hypothesis of 5-HT (serotonin) involvement in the physiopathology of the extrapyramidal system. Ritanserin is a new compound with a high, selective, and long-lasting binding affinity for 5-HT2 receptors. A therapeutic effect of ritanserin has been reported in Parkinson's tremor and L-Dopa-induced dyskinesias but no effect was seen in essential tremor. In this double-blind comparative study with orphenadrine (150 mg daily p.o.) and placebo, ritanserin (30 mg daily p.o.) was administered to 36 schizophrenic outpatients who were being treated with neuroleptic drugs and who had parkinsonism. For a period of 3 weeks, the treatment was added to the antipsychotic therapy after a 7-day washout from previous antiparkinson medication. Psychopathology was rated weekly by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and showed no significant changes during the trial. The Mindham Rating Scale was used to assess symptoms of parkinsonism; at week 3, ritanserin was superior to orphenadrine (p less than 0.03) and to placebo (p less than 0.01). The results confirm previous observations of the therapeutic efficacy of ritanserin on neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism, and support the hypothesis that serotonin influences extrapyramidal physiopathology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Ethological assessment of the DSM-III subtyping of unipolar depression.

An ethological method was employed to validate the DSM-III subtyping of unipolar, nondelusional depression. The nonverbal behavior of 44 depressed outpatients was video-recorded during psychiatric interview. The DSM-III subtyping was not significantly associated with sex or level of education. Patients with major depression (with or without melancholia) were significantly older than those with dysthymic disorder. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) scores of the 3 diagnostic groups indicated a progressive increase in symptom severity across DSM-III subtypes (dysthymic disorder less than major depression without melancholia less than major depression with melancholia). Ethological assessment failed to find any evidence for the validity of the DSM-III subtyping of unipolar depression. Of the 8 behavioral categories analyzed in this study, none showed statistically significant differences between the 3 diagnostic groups. Our interpretation of these results is that, whereas the DSM-III subtyping primarily reflects illness severity, the ethological profile measures a dimension of depression largely independent from severity, as indicated by the lack of correlation between the HRSD score and the categories of nonverbal behavior.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Reduced natural killer cell activity in major depression: neuroendocrine implications.

Natural killer cell activity (NKCA) was significantly reduced in a group of depressed patients, melancholic subtype, compared to sex- and age-matched controls. Corticotropin and cortisol values were significantly higher in the depressed subjects than in the controls, but no correlation between high hormone levels and low immunological activity was found in the patients.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1986

Synthesis and antitumor activity of a platinum (II)-doxorubicin complex.

A mixed platinum (II) complex with tert-butylamine and doxorubicin (coordinated via the amino-group) has been synthesized and tested for antitumor activity. The results indicate that the complex was active against doxorubicin-resistant P388 and cisplatin-resistant L1210 leukemias, while maintaining antitumor activity against sensitive parent lines.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Explicit incestuous motifs and emotional crises in psychosomatic patients.

This paper examines the emergence of incestuous motifs in the first four interviews of 50 people seeking psychotherapy. Results show a percentage (6%) which is neither relevant nor specific for any kind of diagnosis. The progress in psychotherapy of two groups of 8 patients, psychosomatic + neurotic respectively, is then compared with regard to the same motifs. All the patients underwent psychoanalytic psychotherapy twice a week for at least 2 years, between 1979 and 1982. Among the patients treated with psychotherapy, the psychosomatic subjects proved to have the weaker defense mechanisms. Most of these patients (87.5%) showed a tendency to act specific emotions through temporary exacerbations of their organic disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Low serum inhibin B levels as a marker of testicular damage after treatment for a childhood malignancy.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of inhibin B and the determination of its concentration to diagnose testicular damage after treatment for a childhood malignancy. Thirty-seven males treated for Hodgkin disease (n = 11) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 26) were examined at a mean age of 16.9+/-2.9 years. Mean age at the stop of therapy was 11.3+/-3.0 years and in most cases the chemotherapy regimen included gonadal damaging alkylating agents. Thirty-three normal males (mean age 17.9+/-4.1 years) were examined as controls. Serum samples were collected for determination of inhibin B, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone. Median inhibin values were significantly lower in patients than in controls (96.0 vs. 225.0 pg/ml, P<0.0001) and a strong negative correlation was found between inhibin B and FSH (r = -0.86, P<0.0001), a weak correlation with LH (r = -0.32, P<0.05) and no correlation with testosterone. In post-pubertal patients (i.e., over 16 years) a positive correlation was found between testicular size and inhibin level (r = 0.53, P<0.05), but not between testicular size and testosterone level. Pathological low levels (values that differed by more than 2 SD from the mean value of control subjects) were found in 20 patients for inhibin B and 8 for testosterone (P<0.01) and pathological high values in 19 patients for FSH and 3 for LH. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the role that inhibin B plays in the regulation of FSH secretion and provides further evidence of the utility of its evaluation as a direct indicator of male gonadal dysfunction.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alexithymia as related to sex, age, and educational level: results of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale in 417 normal subjects.

The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) was administered to 417 normal subjects. Total TAS scores and scores of the four TAS factors were correlated with sex, age, and educational level. Age ranged from 21 to 64 years. The sample was subdivided into three groups according to age. TAS scores, both total and on single subfactors, were significantly greater in the higher age groups with respect to lower age groups. Subjects with a lower educational level scored higher on factors 1, 2, and 4 and had higher TAS total scores with respect to subjects with a higher educational level. As for sex, no significant differences in total TAS scores were obtained, but women scored higher at factor 1. Factor analysis of the TAS, performed on both the whole sample and the subgroups according to sex and age, confirmed the fair internal stability of the TAS.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ethological predictors of amitriptyline response in depressed outpatients.

Non-verbal behaviour of 22 unipolar, non-delusional depressed outpatients was video-recorded during psychiatric interview to determine whether response to tricyclic treatment (50-100 mg/day of amitriptyline for 5 consecutive weeks) could be predicted on the basis of the ethological profile at baseline. At the end of the study, patients were divided into two treatment outcome groups on the basis of their final Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores. At baseline, responders (n = 14, HDRS score less than or equal to 10) and non-responders (n = 8, HDRS score greater than 10) did not differ with respect to sex, age, education, DSM-III diagnosis, and HDRS score. In contrast, ethological profiles of the two treatment outcome groups at baseline were different, with non-responders showing significantly more assertive and affiliative behaviours. The results are discussed in the light of previous studies which have identified subgroups of depressive patients with different responsiveness to tricyclic treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fluoxetine decreases concentrations of 3 alpha, 5 alpha-tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC) in major depression.

There is evidence for a differential alteration in the concentrations of 3 alpha-reduced neuroactive steroids in major depression. Because it has been suggested that fluoxetine may shift the activity of the 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase towards the reductive direction, treatment of major depression may be accompanied by a further increase in plasma 3 alpha, 5 alpha-tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC) concentration. We studied eight male depressed patients before and after treatment with fluoxetine and compared them to healthy age-matched control subjects. Blood samples were quantified for 3 alpha, 5 alpha-tetrahydroprogesterone, 3 alpha,5 beta-tetrahydroprogesterone (THP) and THDOC by means of a highly sensitive combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. Compared to control subjects, concentrations of THDOC were higher in depressed patients and decreased after fluoxetine treatment. In contrast, THP concentrations were lower in depressed patients and increased after fluoxetine treatment. Our results give further evidence for a disequilibrium of 3 alpha-reduced neuroactive steroids in major depression, which is normalized by treatment with fluoxetine.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alexithymic features in stroke: effects of laterality and gender.

OBJECTIVE: Stroke patients suffer from a high rate of behavioral disorders, and the laterality of the lesion may affect the expression of emotional disturbances. This study tested the hypothesis that stroke patients with a lesion in the right hemisphere are at high risk of developing alexithymic features. METHODS: Forty-eight patients were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (patient edition), the Mini-Mental State Examination, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (state form), the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (20-item version). Alexithymic differences between stroke patients with a lesion in the right hemisphere and those with a lesion in the left hemisphere were computed by analysis of covariance, using scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Beck Depression Inventory (psychic subscore), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory as covariates and the score on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale as the dependent variable. A multivariate analysis of covariance and a series of follow-up analyses of covariance with the same covariates were used to discriminate differences in subscores on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. An exploratory analysis of covariance was also performed to determine the effect of gender on alexithymic features in both groups of stroke patients. RESULTS: The 21 stroke patients with a lesion in the right hemisphere were more alexithymic than the 27 patients with a lesion in the left hemisphere. This evidence was strengthened by the categorical analysis: 48% of the patients with a right-hemisphere lesion had alexithymia, compared with 22% of patients with a left-hemisphere lesion. Univariate analyses of covariance showed significant differences between the two groups in difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings, but not in externally oriented thinking. The last exploratory analysis of covariance suggested that gender may influence alexithymic features. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides direct evidence that alexithymia, and more specifically difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings, is more common in stroke patients with a right-hemisphere lesion than in those with a left-hemisphere lesion. It also provides preliminary evidence that gender may affect alexithymic expression.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of depression in Alzheimer's disease: symptoms, syndrome, and computed tomography findings.

The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and DSM-III-R criteria were simultaneously employed to assess the prevalence of depression in 26 outpatients with dementia of the Alzheimer type and 26 age-matched normal control subjects. Both assessment methods evidenced a higher frequency of depression during the severe stages of Alzheimer's disease. Among the Alzheimer patients, the prevalence rate of depression produced by the HAM-D (38%) was higher than the rate produced by DSM-III-R criteria (23%). Such a difference was due to the weight given by the HAM-D to the vegetative symptoms reported by the Alzheimer patients with more severe dementia. In a subgroup of 14 Alzheimer patients who underwent computed tomography, the volumetric measurement of CSF spaces did not reveal any difference between the depressed and nondepressed patients. On the basis of these results, the clinical problems related to the assessment of depression in Alzheimer's disease are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Endometrial metastases from gastric adenocarcinoma: a case report.

Embolic metastases to the endometrium are unusual, especially from extragenital cancers. Metastases in the uterine corpus are generally detected at autopsy. We describe a patient with abnormal vaginal bleeding in whom endometrial metastases from an inoperable gastric tumor were discovered in hysteroscopic biopsy specimens.

Adenocarcinoma↗