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Biomedical subjects

E Ferrario

Publications and source records attributed to E Ferrario.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Oral BCAA supplementation in cirrhosis with chronic encephalopathy: effects on prolactin and estradiol levels.

The effects of oral BCAA supplementation on fasting levels of prolactin and estradiol were retrospectively analyzed in frozen plasma samples of patients with cirrhosis and chronic hepatic encephalopathy, taking part in a 3-month randomized, double-blind trial. Twenty-five patients had received 0.24g of BCAA per kg body weight, 24 had received an equinitrogenous amount of casein, in addition to a diet providing 0.7-1.0 g/kg of protein. Thirty-eight were males, 11 post-menopausal women. Fasting prolactin did not show any change in the BCAA group, where mental state significantly improved. In the casein group plasma prolactin increased by nearly 50% during the 3-month period. Similarly, estradiol concentrations were unchanged during BCAA supplementation, and increased during casein treatment. The analysis of variance demonstrated significant differences between the 2 treatments. Liver function tests and nutritional parameters (albumin, transferrin, urinary creatinine) supported a superiority of BCAA over casein. These data suggest that the favorable effects of BCAA on mental state are not mediated by changes in cerebral neurotransmission, but are due mainly to maintained liver function, possibly related to improved nutrition.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1991

Interference of cephalosporins with immune response: effects of cefonicid on human T-helper cells.

To determine the immunosuppressive effect(s) of cephalosporin cefonicid (CEFO) on human T-helper cells (Th), we exposed human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to various concentrations of CEFO during in vitro stimulation with a panel of T-lymphocyte stimulators that activate different Th/antigen presenting cell (APC) pathways. We evaluated the proliferation and IL-2 production induced by influenza virus (FLU), allogeneic lymphocytes (ALLO), xenogeneic mouse splenocytes (XENO) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The proliferative responses to FLU and XENO were much more depressed by CEFO than those to ALLO or PHA. After 7 days of culture with the highest dose of CEFO tested (200 mg/l) the stimulation index (stimulated/unstimulated culture) was near to 0 in FLU and XENO treated cultures, indicating that the response against these antigens was completely abrogated. The responses to ALLO and PHA were also impaired, but not abrogated (stimulation index greater than 1). Since FLU and XENO utilize the CD4+ Th/self-APC pathway our data suggested that this pathway was extremely sensitive to CEFO-induced inhibition both when the response requires memory Th cells (FLU) and virgin Th cells (XENO). The incubation with CEFO (200 mg/l) reduced the IL-2 production by XENO, FLU and ALLO to less than 20% of control cultures, while paradoxically increases to 120% the production by PHA.

Antigens↗
PubMed1991

Reduced natural killer cell activity and IL-2 production in malnourished cancer patients.

Natural killer (NK) cell activity was measured in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from malnourished (MN) and well-nourished (WN) cancer patients and in healthy controls. A marked depression of NK activity was observed in MN cancer patients with moderate protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM), but not in WN cancer patients nor in the healthy controls. The depression of NK activity did not correlate with the localisation of the tumour, patient's age or body weight reduction. The defective NK activity of PBMC from MN cancer patients was restored to normal by rIL-2, but not by alfa-rIFN. Parenteral nutrition of MN patients with the proper amount of proteins and calories quickly corrected the depressed NK activity, indicating a central role of malnutrition in the genesis of their immune disfunction. PBMC from MN cancer patients produced lower amounts of IL-2, as compared with healthy controls, when stimulated in vitro; the most frequently affected were the responses to recall antigens such as influenza virus vaccine (FLU), while those to allogeneic PBMC (ALLO) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) were less affected. However, for each patient the ability to produce IL-2 in vitro did not correlate with NK activity, thus showing how the impairment of NK activity is not subsequent to a decreased production of endogenous IL-2. In summary, it can be concluded that malnutrition, rather than malignancy, plays a major role in the immune dysfunction of cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Influence of sex steroids on the antigen-specific primary antibody response in vitro.

The effect of 17 beta-oestradiol on an Ag-specific primary antibody response in cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), stimulated by sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was studied. Addition of 17 beta-oestradiol (2 x 10(-9) to 100 x 10(-7) M final concentration), to PBMC from adult blood donors significantly augments the Ag-specific immune response. PBMC incubated with the anti-oestrogen agent Tamoxifen (10(-6) to 10(-8) M final concentration) prior to culture were no longer stimulated to produce an increased number of anti-SRBC antibodies as compared to control cultures. The augmentation of the immune response to SRBC in treated cultures is due to an inhibiting effect of 17 beta-oestradiol on CD8+ T suppressor (Ts) cells, since preincubation with Tamoxifen, which acts by competitive binding with CD8+ oestrogen receptors reverses such an effect. The antibody response of PBMC X-irradiated with 10 Gy before culture, (in order to decrease the suppressor activity), and then stimulated with SRBC without addition of oestrogen, was increased about 40% as compared to that of unirradiated PBMC. No further increase by addition of 17 beta-oestradiol to PBMC irradiated cultures was obtained. These findings confirm that oestrogen influences the regulatory radiosensitive CD8+ Ts cells subset. T helper (Th) cells and antigen presenting cells (APC) were not modulated by oestrogens. Our study demonstrates direct immunoregulatory effects of oestrogen on human PBMC and suggests that female sex hormones and anti-oestrogens agents may play a role in the pathogenesis and treatment of some autoimmune diseases and tumors, such as breast cancer.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMed1990

[Malnutrition as a cause of decreased NK activity in cancer patients].

In this work we investigated the effects of malnutrition on the immune response in neoplastic patients. We studied the basal NK activity of 34 neoplastic malnourished patients and 10 neoplastic not malnourished patients and a control group of blood donors, by a standard 51 Cr release assay against K562 cells. We observed that the neoplastic malnourished patients have a defective NK activity in spite of a normal number of NK cells, as ascertained by HNK-1 monoclonal antibodies. The reduced NK activity of the neoplastic malnourished patients is only partially restored by rIFN alpha 2a but is normalized by rIL-2 stimulation. We also found that the endogenous IL-2 production from some of these patients is slightly reduced as compared to controls. On the contrary, there are no significative differences between the neoplastic not malnourished patients and blood donors, as concerns the NK activity. These results suggest that nutritional status plays a very important role in the maintenance of an efficient immune response in neoplastic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Effects of chronic oral branched-chain amino acid supplementation in a subpopulation of cirrhotics.

Liver cirrhosis is characterized by low plasma levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) and high concentrations of aromatic amino acids (AAA), and this imbalance has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy by the synthesis of altered neurotransmitters. Contrasting results on intravenous or oral BCAA efficacy and metabolic impact have already been reported, but studies reported in the literature were never longer than a few weeks. After oral administration of BCAA and a standard diet to 28 cirrhotic patients for 1 year, no modifications in plasma concentrations of BCAA could be observed up to 3 months of therapy. Our data and an accurate analysis of the current literature lead us to propose the hypothesis that in the impaired nitrogen metabolism following cirrhosis there are neither single metabolic presentations nor many perturbations, but numerous 'subpopulations' of patients who present a homogeneous pattern of alterations that may distinguish them in terms of therapeutic approach.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Oxiracetam in the treatment of primary degenerative and multi-infarct dementia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

A multicentre, double-blind, between-patient study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oxiracetam (800-mg tablets), in comparison with placebo, each given twice daily for 12 weeks to patients suffering from primary degenerative, multi-infarct or mixed forms of dementia. Efficacy was assessed by the Inventory of Psychic and Somatic Complaints in the Elderly (IPSC-E), administered at entry and after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, and by the Blessed Dementia Scale and the Newcastle Memory, Information and Concentration Scale (NMICS), administered at the beginning and at the end of the study. Three hundred and seven patients were enrolled, 18 of whom were excluded from the analysis because of violation of the protocol. Two hundred and eighty-nine patients were analyzed (145 m, 144 f, mean age 73 years) and 272 completed the study; 3 patients in each treatment group were withdrawn because of poor tolerability, 10 because of poor compliance and 1 patient because of the occurrence of a cerebral stroke. A significantly (p less than 0.01) different effect, in favor of oxiracetam, was observed in the three main efficacy criteria (i.e. IPSC-E, Blessed Dementia Scale and NMIC total scores), and confirmed by descriptive analyses carried out on some subitems of the scales used. Thirty-one patients on oxiracetam and 27 on placebo complained of a total of 35 and 32 minor unwanted effects, respectively. No clinically or statistically significant changes were observed on routine laboratory examinations.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

[ADP-induced platelet aggregation in vascular diseases of the elderly].

A study of 60 over-65's, of whom 30 were suffering from coronary disease 15 had previous but now stable cerebrovascular insufficiency and 15 were suffering from circulation insufficiency in the lower extremities, showed that ADP-induced platelet aggregability was significantly increased by comparison with a group of 15 subjects of similar age rigidly selected as "normal". The aggregation rate was more enhanced than other parameters. In patients with coronary insufficiency and in those with cerebral vasculopathy, other aggregability parameters were significantly changed (minimum aggregating concentration). It is concluded that platelet aggregation, which is often increased in physiological ageing, is altered to an even greater extent in the vasculopathic elderly.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1979

[Changes in the acid-base and water-electrolyte balance induced by salbutamol. "In vivo" studies in patients with chronic broncho-pulmonary disease and "in vitro" by tonometry of venous blood].

The Authors studied the effects of e.v. Salbutamol evaluating the acute "in vivo" variations of acid-base and hydro-electrolitic balance in 16 chronic obstructive lung patients undergoing e.v. drug administration, and also ionic variations "in vitro" of venous blood samples incubated and tonometrated with the drug. The results "in vivo" do not show variations of acid-base equilibrium (paO2, paCO2, pH, HCO3-); whereas diminution of haematocrit (Ht), rise of urinary osmolarity and variations of hydro-electrolitic balance (Na+, K+, Cl-) are demonstrated. The results "in vitro" do not show considerable variations on ionic assessment. These data, according to the other latest result, indicate the possible role of haemodilution. We think that the explanation of these phenomena could be a modification of renal water and electrolytes reabsorption, likely under the influence of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), stimulated in the hypothalamus and activated also by the beta-stimulant drug at tubular cell receptors.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMed1979

[Plasma ion changes in venous blood incubated with beta receptor blockers and subjected to tonometry in vitro. 1. Study using propranolol].

The Authors considered the variations in electrolyte plasmatic assessment in blood samples incubated "in vitro" with propranolol (48 gamma/10 cc) and part of sample incubated with propranolol and theophyllin-ethilandiamin. The evaluation of electrolyte assessment was performed at 20'-40'-60' after tonometration. Sodium and potassium values increase in the samples with the beta-blocking agent and are statistically significant only after 20'; in further controls the increasing values persist. Chloride rises too, marked by a low statistic significance. No variations were observed in samples incubated also with propranolol and antiphosphodiestherasic agent. The Authors suggest trat data should confirm ionic transport blockage across the red cell membrane obtained with theophylline.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1979

[Physiopathological and clinical data on post-hypercapnic metabolic alkalosis. A case of severe hypercapnia treated with drugs and in an "iron lung"].

The Authors produce a further contribution on metabolic post-hypercapnic alkalosis on the basis of clinical observation of a patient with severe hypercapnia and respiratory failure undergoing intensive care as well as treatment with iron lung (Pulmolife). The improvement of respiratory acid-base umbalance was associated with alteration of electrolytic assessment, especially of the plasmatic chloride ratio. The Authors consider this remark as a starting point for a physiopathological pattern and a more complete analysis of the pathways which generate the metabolic post-hypercapnic alkalosis condition in such patients.

Alkalosis↗
PubMed1979

[The use of oral potassium chloride (BS 560) in the treatment of mixed acid-base imbalance in patients with chronic broncho-pulmonary diseases].

The Authors, after giving an outline of metabolic alterations on acid-base balance in chronic obstructive lung disease, describe the need of correction of electrolytic umbalance, signally in relationship to metabolic alkalosis dued to hypochloremia. The Authors emphasize the importance of correction of jonic balance during long term therapy in such patients, especially diuretic and steroid long term treatment. The Authors studied the comparative effects on jonic assessment by correction with potassium chloride e.v. and potassium chloride by oral administration with a new capsulate preparation, (BS 560). Last they underline the good tolerance of this preparation and report the favourable effects on electrolytic patterns.

Acid-Base Imbalance↗
PubMed1977

[Rapid determination of creatinine in the blood and urine by 1st-generation Autoanalyzer].

Two procedures for the determination of serum and urinary creatinine by first generation AutoAnalyzer have been positively tested. These methods enable to perform these analyses by cam 60 and 100 respectively, in order to make the influence of carryover neglectable. Very regular peaks with clear-cut resolution can be obtained. The range of concentrations which can be reliably evaluated corresponds to 0,5-10,0 mg/100 ml for serum and to 20-500 mg/100 ml for urine, for this analysis neither diluition nor the dialysis of the sample are required.

Animals↗