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Biomedical subjects

A Russo

Publications and source records attributed to A Russo.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

A phase II trial of mitoxantrone plus cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil in modulation with levo-folinate for advanced breast cancer patients.

Advanced breast cancer remains a major clinical problem. Current chemotherapy regimens are able to induce a clinical response in many patients but do not appear to influence significantly patients' survival. The use of new drugs such as mitoxantrone with a predicted lower toxicity and biochemical modulation of 5-fluorouracil with levo-folinate are extensively studied research areas that could combine good therapeutic efficacy with the maintenance of an acceptable quality of life. 34 patients with advanced breast carcinoma were included in the study. Only 4 women had received prior chemotherapy for advanced disease. Treatment plan was: 5-fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 + l-leucovorin 100 mg/m2 days 1-3, cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 and mitoxantrone 12-14 mg/m2 on day 3, q28. G-CSF (5 micrograms/kg/d days 7-14) was routinely delivered to the patients with the aim of maintaining dose intensity. 15 patients obtained a response for an overall response rate of 44%. Mean duration was 10.2+ and 11+ months for complete and partial responses respectively. Mean overall survival was 14.4+ months. A high complete response rate was seen in liver metastasis (44%), while lung lesions had a lower probability of response (25%). Toxicity was globally mild with 23% of grade 3 vomiting and 15% of grade 3-4 leukopenia. Two cases of cardiotoxicity were reported. No difference in response rate or toxicity was identified between patients receiving two different mitoxantrone doses (12 or 14 mg/m2). The schedule employed appears to be well tolerated and active in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Meningoencephalic herniation into the middle ear: a report of 27 cases.

Meningoencephalic herniation into the middle ear is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition that may require prompt surgical intervention. Preoperative diagnosis is based on a high index of suspicion. Sometimes, however, meningoencephalic herniation is discovered during surgery. High-resolution computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging should be performed to confirm the diagnosis and to evaluate the extension of the herniated tissue. This article discusses the diagnostic approach, management strategy, and surgical technique used in 27 patients with meningoencephalic herniation. In an attempt to avoid infective complications, the authors used the middle cranial approach in patients with large herniations.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Color Doppler ultrasonography for the assessment of renal blood flow in heart failure.

To validate color Doppler ultrasonography of renal arteries for the assessment of renal blood flow (RBF), we compared left and right RBF estimates and their sum (total RBF) by echo-Doppler with data obtained by iodine 123-123I-p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) scintigraphy in 19 patients with heart failure and 7 normal control subjects. Single-side and total RBF estimates by echo-Doppler ranged, respectively, between 179 and 428 mL/min/m2 and from 378 to 835 mL/min/m2 in patients with heart failure and between 265 and 601 mL/min/m2 and from 564 to 1,182 mL/min/m2 in normal control subjects. Single-side and total RBF estimates by echo-Doppler correlated well with measurements obtained by scintigraphy (r = 0.74 and 0.76, respectively, in patients with heart failure; both: p < 0.001). At Bland and Altman's analysis of correspondence between the 2 techniques, there were 17 disagreements (33.7%) for single-side RBF and 8 disagreements (31.8%) for total RBF. However, the two techniques disagreed markedly in only two single-side and one total RBF estimates. Thus, in patients with heart failure, RBF assessed noninvasively by color Doppler ultrasonography has a good correlation with 123I-PAH renal scintigraphy data over a wide range of blood flow.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Granular-cell tumor of the oral cavity (a case report and statistical notes)].

The granular cell tumor is an uncommon benign lesion that may occur anywhere in the body presenting as a single nodular lesion. A case is reported with bilateral palatal lesions. This case, in authors' opinion, is exceptional both for its localization, near palatine foramina, suggesting a neural crest tissue origin, and bilaterality and symmetry pointing out its plurifocal potentiality.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1995

Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors protects cultured neurons against apoptosis induced by beta-amyloid peptide.

Prolonged exposure of cultured cortical cells or cultured cerebellar granule cells to the residue 25-35 fragment of beta-amyloid peptide (beta AP), beta AP(25-35), induced neuronal apoptosis, as revealed by morphological analysis, fluorescent chromatin staining, and immunodetection of oligonucleosomes released from the nucleus into the cytoplasm. beta AP(25-35)-induced apoptosis was insensitive to ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists but was substantially attenuated by the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid. The neuroprotective action of (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid was antagonized by (RS)-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine and was mimicked by (2S,1'R,2'R,3'R)-2-(2,3-dicarboxycyclopropyl)glycine (a selective agonist of mGluR2 and -3 subtypes) and by L-2-amino-4-phosphobutanoate and L-serine-O-phosphate (selective agonists of mGluR4, -6, and -7 subtypes). However, whereas all of these drugs behaved as neuroprotectants in cultured cortical cells, only L-2-amino-4-phosphobutanoate and L-serine-O-phosphate [and not (2S,1'R,2'R,3'R)-2-(2,3-dicarboxycyclopropyl)glycine] reduced beta AP(25-35)-induced apoptosis in cultured cerebellar granule cells. The neuroprotective activity of mGluR agonists may be related to their ability to inhibit membrane Ca2+ conductance, because drugs that block voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels, such as nimodipine or Co2+, could also attenuate beta AP(25-35)-induced apoptosis.

Aminobutyrates↗
PubMed1995

Facial nerve neuromas: diagnosis and management.

Facial nerve neuromas are uncommon tumors that involve the facial nerve. There is no classic presentation of these tumors. This study presents a series of 22 patients with facial neuromas managed from 1977 to 1993. Facial nerve dysfunction was the most common complaint, present in 90.5% of cases. Hearing loss was the second most common complaint and was found in 76.2% of cases. High resolution computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium proved to be the most accurate methods of preoperative assessment of these tumors and are complementary in selected cases. Different surgical approaches were performed according to tumor location and preoperative hearing level. In all cases long-term follow-up showed no tumor recurrence, and acceptable return of facial function was noted in 80% of cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Modified Bondy technique.

Bondy operation is a type of modified radical mastoidectomy in which the mastoid cavity is exteriorized without disturbing the intact ossicular chain and pars tensa. It is indicated in cases of epitympanic cholesteatoma with intact ossicular chain, normal pars tensa, and good hearing. The advantages of the technique are one-stage surgery with preservation of preoperative hearing levels, which is not possible with any other procedure. This article presents the indications, technique, results, and complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The ethograms of Tetrahymena pyriformis GL and T. malaccensis.

The behaviour of Tetrahymena, one of the most intensively investigated laboratory organisms, was analysed, and ethograms of T. pyriformis and T. malaccensis were studied. The basic ethogram, which previously described the behaviour of ciliates was appropriate for T. pyriformis and T. malaccensis. Although quite similar to each other, the two new ethograms differed significantly in some aspects of ciliate behaviour. Four new behavioural patterns were recognized and described quantitatively and qualitatively, viz induced continuous trajectory change, induced continuous reorientation reaction, sliding and coiling. The complexity of these results is discussed per se and also from a comparative point of view.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

[Injuries of the nasal bone in boxing].

Nose fractures in boxers ar clamfied and their pathogenesis described. Therapy is related to boxer's activity; in fact in boxers in activity the respiratory tract was reinstated; in that one retired over respiratory tract, nose aesthetics was treated too.

Athletic Injuries↗
PubMed1995

[Congenital cholesteatoma of the middle ear: a case series different from cases in the literature].

We present 44 cases of congenital cholesteatoma of the middle ear. Twenty-one patients had a cholesteatoma located in the posterosuperior mesotympanum. This finding was in complete contrast to the commonly reported anterosuperior location, seen in only 2 cases in our study. The remaining 21 patients had a cholesteatoma involving either the entire mesotympanum and/or epitympanum. The posteriorly located congenital cholesteatoma might represent a completely different entity and originate from epithelial cell debris trapped in the posterior mesotympanum during development of the temporal bone. All but one patient were treated with a closed tympanoplasty. Eight patients underwent single stage surgery. A preplanned second stage procedure was performed in 33 patients, while 3 are presently awaiting the second stage. Residual disease was seen in 19 patients (57%) who had undergone second stage surgery. No patient has had recurrent disease this far. Thirty-eight patients (85%) had a preoperative air bone gap of 30 dB or more. Of the 33 patients evaluated for hearing results, 16 (48%) had a postoperative gap within 10 dB.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Incidence of normal hearing in acoustic neuroma].

Unilateral or asymetrical sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus and instability classically represent the main symptoms for the suspected diagnosis of acoustic neurinoma. In literature there are very few studies which refer about acoustic neurinoma in patients with normal hearing. In this article we report the results of a retrospective analysis of 155 acoustic neurinoma cases with normal hearing managed in our center in the last 7 years. These patients are classified in two groups: 1) with normal hearing at the time of diagnosis and 2) with at least a mild sensorineural hearing loss. Of this 155 cases, 21 (13.5%) had normal pure tone audiogram. An important characteristic of these patients, in comparison with the group with normal hearing, is the younger age. Tinnitus, instability, sudden hearing loss with complete recovery and vertigo are the most common symptoms. The mean pure tone threshold is 14.7 dB, speech audiometry is positive in very few cases, while a large number of cases show false negative. ABR are positive in 90.5% of cases, and demonstrate its high sensitivity for retrococlear pathology. The mean tumor size shows significant differences between the group with normal hearing and this with hearing loss. We believe that the presence of this symptoms in a young patient should necessitate complete neurotologic examination and in the patients with normal hearing a high level of suspicion represents the first step for early diagnosis of small tumors; the next step is the through evaluation of patient with pure tone audiogram, ABR, and imaging studies, preferably MRI with gadolinium, as this permits the diagnosis of small intracanalicular tumor. Thus, in cases of small tumors with good hearing we feel that will be possible to adopt hearing conservation surgical approach like FCM and retrosigmoid approach in more cases.

Audiometry, Pure-Tone↗
PubMed1995

[Meningoencephalic herniation into the middle ear].

Herniation of meningeal and/or encephalic tissue into the middle ear is a pathology which, even if rarely found by the otologist, can be life-threatening for the patient because of eventual infective intracranial complications. Four different etiological types are possible, infective, post-surgical, traumatic and spontaneous. From a pathogenic point of view, all types are characterized by a bony and dural defect localized in the tegmen through which meningeal and encephalic tissue can herniate. Symptomatology is often non-specific so that some cases are diagnosed during surgery. When there is strong suspicion of herniation neuroradiological assessment procedures must be carried out in order to make a correct pre-operative diagnosis, High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) of the temporal bone in particular, can show the exact limits and location of the bone defect, while Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) allows the nature of the tissue in the middle ear to be determined. Surgery is the only appropriate therapy. Different approaches have been described amongst which the transmastoid with or without temporal minicraniotomy and the middle cranial fossa (MCF) are the most frequently reported literature. From June 1982 to March 1994, 27 consecutive cases underwent surgery at the Gruppo Otologico, Piacenza. As a result of the occurrence of postoperative meningitis in one case, a new surgical technique through the MCF was standardized. The main step of this procedure consist in leaving the herniated tissue in situ so as to make a barrier between the middle ear and subdural space. The technique is indicated either in the case of large, multiple or very anteriorly located bony defects or when there is an infection in the middle ear.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Weak genotoxicity of acrylamide on premeiotic and somatic cells of the mouse.

The effects of acrylamide (AA) were evaluated, under the EEC/STEP project 'Detection of Germ Cell Mutagens', by carrying out several cytogenetic assays on mouse germ and somatic cells. The spermatid micronucleus (MN) test was applied after treatment of meiotically dividing or premeiotic S phase cells. Acute treatments (50 and 100 mg/kg i.p.) as well as subchronic exposure to AA (4 x 50 mg/kg, 4 i.p. injections at 24-h intervals) were performed. A weak increase of MN was induced only by treatment with AA of cells in S phase. Sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) analysis in differentiating spermatogonia treated i.p. with 50 and 100 mg/kg confirmed the weak genotoxicity of AA in the premeiotic stages of spermatogenesis. The application of the MN test in peripheral blood reticulocytes of the same animals used for the spermatid MN assay indicated that the cytogenetic effects induced by AA in the somatic and the germ cell lines are comparable in magnitude. The results obtained in this study by applying the spermatid micronucleus assay are in very good agreement with those reported by two other laboratories with the same technique.

Acrylamide↗
PubMed1994

Intrapleural photodynamic therapy: results of a phase I trial.

BACKGROUND: The management of pleural neoplasms, specifically mesothelioma, remains difficult. We performed a phase I trial in 54 patients with isolated hemithorax pleural malignancy to determine (a) the feasibility of intraoperative, intrapleural photodynamic therapy after debulking surgery; (b) the influence of light dose/sensitizer interval on postoperative morbidity in order to define the photodynamic therapy (PDT) maximal tolerated dose (MTD); and (c) whether first order dosimetry could be applied to this complex geometry. METHODS: Cohorts of three patients were given escalating intraoperative light doses of 15-35 J/cm2 48 h after i.v. delivery of 2.0 mg/kg Photofrin II (Quadra Logic Technologies, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), and then escalating light doses of 30-32.5 J/cm2 after a 24-h sensitizer/operation interval. Twelve patients could not be debulked to the prerequisite 5 mm residual tumor thickness. The remaining 42 patients underwent 19 modified pleuropneumonectomies, five lobectomy-pleurectomies, and 18 pleurectomies. Intrapleural PDT was delivered using 630 nm light from two argon pump-dye lasers, and real-time and cumulative light doses were monitored using seven uniquely designed, computer-interfaced photodiodes. RESULTS: There was one 30-day mortality from intraoperative hemorrhage. In the 48-h sensitizer/operation group (n = 33), possible PDT-related complications included an empyema with late hemorrhage in one of three patients at 17.5 J/cm2 and a bronchopleural fistula at 35 J/cm2. At each of these light doses, three additional patients were treated without complication. Two patients subjected to 24-h sensitizer dosing and 32.5 J/cm2 developed esophageal perforations after pleuropneumonectomy at identical sites. The MTD was declared as 30 J/cm2 light with a 24-h dosing interval when none of the six patients (three original, three repeat) at that level developed toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that resection and intrapleural PDT can be performed safely with currently available sensitizers and lasers. Phase II and III trials are now warranted at this MTD in a homogeneous population of patients with pleural malignancies.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Evaluation of sister-chromatid exchanges in mouse spermatogonia: a comparison between the classical fluorescence plus Giemsa staining and an immunocytochemical approach.

Sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) were analyzed in mouse spermatogonia using two different protocols for bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) exposure and detection. With the classical approach, based on subcutaneous implantation of agar-coated BrdU tablets and fluorescence plus Giemsa (FPG) staining a satisfactory differentiation of spermatogonial metaphases was obtained with 50 or 25 mg BrdU per mouse (two or one tablets respectively). Alternatively, the immunodetection of BrdU was carried out after exposure to a very low BrdU concentration (three injections i.p., 3 mg/kg b.w. each, at 5-h intervals), and after exposure to one BrdU tablet; SCE frequencies evaluated in this way were lower than those found after classical FPG staining, even when the mice were exposed to the same BrdU concentration (one tablet, 25 mg BrdU). We concluded that the two methodologies may have different sensitivities with respect to SCE detection. In addition, when the effect of a treatment with mitomycin C was tested (1 mg/kg b.w., at time intervals ranging from 24 h to 5 days), no sister-chromatid differentiation was obtained with the multiple injection protocol, or with one BrdU tablet. By contrast, with two BrdU tablets and FPG, well differentiated metaphases were found at any time interval tested after MMC treatment, and the peak frequency of SCE (3.4 times the baseline) was observed at 55 h after treatment, as expected on the basis of cell cycle duration in spermatogonia. In summary, even though the use of medium-low concentrations of BrdU was successful in untreated animals, these protocols appeared inadequate to detect SCE induction by MMC. It is possible that, in the presence of cell cycle delay induced by the treatment, interferences with the rate of BrdU uptake produce an unsatisfactory differentiation of sister chromatids.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Lateral approaches to the median skull base through the petrous bone: the system of the modified transcochlear approach.

Twenty-three patients with intradural lesions of the petroclival region and prepontine cistern were managed in our centres by the modified transcochlear approach. Total tumour removal was accomplished in 17 patients, while a second stage was planned for the remaining six patients. Two cases died in the immediate post-operative period. All the remaining cases showed a good outcome and returned to work. The basic approach type A is further classified according to its anterior, superior and inferior extension into types B, C and D respectively. The surgical procedure, classification, illustrative case reports and patients' summaries are presented.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

99Tcm-MIBI uptake in green plants.

Uptake of 99mTcm-sestamibi by biological structures depends on delivery and concentration by electrochemical gradients through the biological membranes and can be simply studied using a green plant model in which photosynthesis tightly modulates water and solute regional flow. Photosynthesis creates electrochemical gradients inside chloroplasts and mitochondria. Moreover, it is the driving force for the movement of water and solutes through induction of pore opening which causes capture of CO2 and loss of water vapour. Thus osmotic pressure increases thereby drawing water from the roots. Hypoestes sanguinolenta was used as an experimental model. This plant displays green zones (with several chloroplasts) and red zones (where they are absent). To detect the uptake differences between these zones we used a new, high-resolution gamma camera. Our results show that (a) 99mTcm-sestamibi is actively transported with water and ions by xylem to leaves where it may diffuse at cellular levels; (b) activation of photosynthesis by light strongly influences the total uptake and the selective compartmentation in green zones; and (c) the green plant's particular physiology tremendously enhances the differences between 99Tcm-sestamibi and 201Tl uptake. We suggest that viable cells, able to create and maintain electrochemical gradients, selectively take up 99Tcm-sestamibi.

Biological Transport↗