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Biomedical subjects

E Lanza

Publications and source records attributed to E Lanza.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

A critical review of food fiber analysis and data.

Epidemiologists, research scientists, and dietitians need data on the dietary fiber content of foods. This article provides a provisional table on dietary fiber, compiled after a thorough search of the literature and a critical evaluation of the analytical methodology employed. To make fully understandable the limitations and problems associated with the current dietary fiber data base, a short review of what is meant by the term dietary fiber and the complex chemical structures of the major dietary fibers--cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and lignin--are presented. A short description of the numerous analytical methods for quantifying dietary fiber, including the neutral detergent fiber procedure, the various enzymatic gravimetric procedures, and the analytic schemes for measuring the major dietary fiber fractions is also given, along with the strengths and weakness of the various procedures. The table on foods commonly eaten in the United States is meant as an interim guide for menu planning and dietary evaluation until newer data become available. Data are most limited on legumes and the numerous specialty baked products and breads available in this country.

Bread↗
PubMed1986

The Diet and Cancer Branch, NCI: current projects and future research directions.

Diet, perhaps more than any other environmental factor, has a significant potential for reducing the incidence of cancer. It has been projected that as much as 35 percent of all human cancer can be prevented through effective dietary modification strategies. The comprehensive research program of the DCB significantly directs diet and cancer research toward the ultimate cancer prevention goal of modifying dietary habits of the general population for optimal health. The DCB is currently supporting projects along the entire continuum from laboratory research to human intervention trials: basic research projects in food composition, encompassing dietary fiber, vitamin A and carotenoids and development of INFOODS; physiologic studies establishing safe and effective levels of dietary fiber and carotenoids; modification of eating behavior; human intervention trials of low fat diets in prevention of breast cancer; and clinical nutrition research units.

Diet↗
PubMed1985

[Lung cancers synchronous and metachronous with primary malignant neoplasms in other sites].

A series of 19 cases are reported in which, with the exception of one case, two primary malignant tumours developed at different times, one of which in the lung. Some details of this occurrence are discussed in relation to similar findings in the international literature. The average interval between the two tumours was found to be 7.5 years. In eight cases, all male, the lung tumour arose in subjects who had already been subjected to radical treatment for a laryngeal tumour. A lung carcinoma appeared in four women who had been subjected to radiation therapy following mastectomy. This sequence of events was considered a coincidence and not radioinduced in view of the fact that a total of 1061 similarly treated patients were observed over the same period. Finally it is suggested that certain histobiochemical factors induced by the lung tumour may somehow become pathogenically transformed to simulate a new primary malignant tumour.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Flunarizine, cerebral blood flow and reversion of experimental atherosclerosis in rabbit.

Flunarizine is a calcium entry blocker active in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of flunarizine on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and lipidic patterns in rabbits with dietary experimental atherosclerosis. Since it is well known that there is only a slight correlation between the severity of atheromatous lesions ascertained at necroscopy and the severity of clinical symptoms of cerebral vascular disease, the effect of the drug was assessed by measuring the CBF and compartmental distribution of blood flow in unanaesthetized rabbits by the intracarotid Xe-133 clearance method; blood pressure, plasma lipids and tissue fat infiltration were also checked. An atherogenic diet brings about significant impairment of CBF. Flunarizine is inactive in normal rabbits if chronically administered at the daily dose of 10 mg/kg p.o. In atherosclerotic rabbits chronic treatment with flunarizine induced a pronounced increase in cerebral haemodynamic parameters. Arterial pressure and blood pCO2 were not significantly modified. Lipidic patterns were not markedly improved by flunarizine treatment in comparison with values for atherosclerotic animals. These data demonstrate that flunarizine treatment counteracts the haemodynamic effects of cerebral atherosclerosis. The pronounced activity on the cerebral vessels is accompanied by a weak antilipaemic effect.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Preliminary evaluation of myocardial toxicity of 4'-deoxydoxorubicin: experimental and clinical results.

4'-deoxydoxorubicin (4'-deoxy-DXR), a new doxorubicin (DXR) analogue with interesting antineoplastic activity, was tested for its cardiotoxicity in guinea pigs and humans. In experiments on isolated guinea pig heart, which is considered a highly predictive model of acute anthracycline cardiotoxicity in humans, 4'-deoxy-DXR was found to be significantly less cardiotoxic than DXR. This effect was correlated with a lower degree of inhibition of the fast-exchanging calcium compartment and of the low affinity sarcolemmal calcium-binding sites. The preliminary study on 4'-deoxy-DXR in humans was conducted on 117 patients affected by advanced malignancies resistant to conventional chemotherapy. The drug was administered by bolus i.v. injection in doses ranging from 10 to 40 mg/m2 in the phase I study and in doses of 35 mg/m2 in the phase II study, which is still ongoing. Cardiologic evaluation consisted of recording of EKG, left ventricular systolic time intervals (STI), echocardiography and radionuclide ejection fraction. Preliminary data indicated a lower percentage of EKG abnormalities in comparison not only with DXR but also with other anthracycline analogues. Analysis of STI recorded 1 h after different doses of 4'-deoxy-DXR failed to show the dose-dependent effect on left ventricular function which has been described for DXR, thus confirming the lower acute cardiotoxic effect. Functional parameters serially measured to evaluate chronic cardiotoxicity in 15 patients who received more than 200 mg/m2 were not significantly different from basal values.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Comparative evaluation of different methods for calculation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in nonanesthetized rabbits.

The measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by the extracranial detection of the radioactivity of 133Xe injected into an internal carotid artery has proved to be of considerable value for the investigation of cerebral circulation in conscious rabbits. Methods are described for calculating CBF from the curves of clearance of 133Xe, and include exponential analysis (two-component model), initial slope, and stochastic method. The different methods of curve analysis were compared in order to evaluate the fitness with the theoretical model. The initial slope and stochastic methods, compared with the biexponential model, underestimate the CBF by 35% and 46% respectively. Furthermore, the validity of recording the clearance curve for 10 min was tested by comparing these CBF values with those obtained from the whole curve. CBF values calculated with the shortened procedure are overestimated by 17%. A correlation exists between the "10 min" CBF values and the CBF calculated from the whole curve; in spite of that, the values are not accurate for limited animal populations or for single animals. The extent of the two main compartments into which the CBF is divided was also measured. There is no correlation between CBF values and the extent of the relative compartment. This fact suggests that these two parameters correspond to different biological entities.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1982

The effects of ethanol on the responses of the vascular musculature to norepinephrine.

Intravenous infusion of ethanol (EtOH) (up to 0.1 ml kg-1 min-1) does not modify the blood pressure in conscious rabbits. In this range of doses, EtOH brings about an increase of the pressure responses induced by norepinephrine (NE) with respect to values obtained in the absence of EtOH. Similar experiments have been performed on the isolated rat tail artery: EtOH perfusion does not modify the basal tone of the preparation up to 2% concentration, while the contractile response to NE administration is potentiated. The supersensitivity of the arteries to NE induced by EtOH, is a function of EtOH concentration and can be represented by a bellshaped curve reaching the maximal value at 1% EtOH, whereby concentrations larger than 2% induce an inhibition of NE activity. The present experiments suggest that the potentiation of the contractile effects of NE induced by EtOH might be related to an enhancement of the rate of calcium transport due to the increase in cell membrane plasticity induced by EtOH.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Effects of experimental atherosclerosis on cerebral blood flow in rabbits. Reversal by sorbinicate.

The present investigations were performed in conscious rabbits with the aim of determining the effects of an atherogenic diet (AD) on the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and of a nicotinic acid derivative (SN) on the CBF alterations induced by the diet. Experimental atherosclerosis reduces the blood flow in the rapidly exchanging cerebrovascular compartment; SN largely counteracts this effect. The experimental data suggest that the effect of this antiatherogenic drug is not due to vasoactive properties.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Method for the determination of cerebral blood flow in conscious rabbits.

A procedure for the determination of cerebral blood flow by the local clearance method after intracarotid injection of 133Xe in the conscious rabbit is described. The inert radioactive indicator is injected into a permanent nylon catheter equipped with a two-way Gordth's needle inserted into the common carotid artery and filled with heparin, emerging behind the shoulders of the animals. All branches of the homolateral common carotid artery except the internal carotid artery were ligated. Studies of the distribution of colored tracers (dark blue ink) and radioactive tracers (99mTc albumin microspheres) show that the main localization of the injected indicator is within the homolateral hemisphere. Brain to blood partition coefficients of 133Xe are worked out for rabbit's gray matter (0.576 +/- 0.048) and white matter (0.808 +/- 0.023). The slope method for first and second component of the wash-out Xenon curve is used for CBF calculations. CBF determinations in 9 normal rabbits result in 84.27 +/- 5.59 and 16.69 +/- 2.44 ml/min x 100 g tissue, respectively, for the fast and slow component. Significant changes do not occur in serial determinations within 2 hr.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1975

Genetic and physiological studies on the site of action of distamycin A.

Two new genetic loci of Bacillus subtilis are identified by mutations that confer resistance to distamycin A and to other antibacterial agents. The chromosomal region where they map probably contains a cluster of genes whose products are related to membrane structure and function. Some of the biological effects of distamycin A are still in evidence in the resistant mutants indicating that the drug possibly acts at multiple sites. Most biological effects of the drug (including the phenotypic correction of a morphopoietic mutation) are likely to be due to the interaction of distamycin A with membrane (or surface) structures.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Synthesis of pyrrolinylnaphthalenes and evaluation of their antinociceptive activity.

In this paper the regioselective preparation of (R/S)-1,2-dimethyl-3-[2-(6-substituted naphthyl)]-2H,5H-pyrrolines 2a-d is reported. These compounds were prepared by thermal dehydration of the corresponding alcohols (2R,3S/2S,3R)-1,2-dimethyl-3-[2-(6-substituted naphthyl)]-3-hydroxy-pyrrolidines (2R,3S/2S,3R)-1a-d with anhydrous FeCl3-SiO2, under vacuum. Pharmacological properties of (R/S)-2a-d are also described. Analgesic activity was investigated by the hot plate test, also in the presence of selective antagonists of mu, delta and kappa opioid receptors. Preliminary analysis of the side-effects was also accomplished using the rota-rod test. Interesting antinociceptive activity was shown by all compounds and in particular by (R/S)-2a (AD50 = 0.31 mg/kg); delta opioid receptors were found to be mainly involved in the pharmacological process and, in general, it was found that the compounds influenced locomotory activity to a much lesser extent than did morphine.

Analgesics↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Selective growth of natural cytotoxic but not natural killer effector cells in interleukin-3.

Interleukin-3 (IL-3) can promote the proliferation of certain classes of lymphocytes distinct from those that are dependent on interleukin-2 (IL-2) for growth. Culture conditions for its production are identical to those required for IL-2 and in both cases the producer cell appears to be Thy 1.2+, Lyt1+, Lyt2- However, unlike the IL-2 responder cells, the cells that proliferate in IL-3 are generally Lyt2-. Here we have measured the natural cytotoxic (NC) activity as well as natural killer (NK) cell activity of the IL-3-dependent cells. Both of these activities are part of a repertoire of spontaneous cytotoxic functions found in mice that might serve in early defence against infectious agents or immunosurveillance against tumours in vivo. We report a new finding that IL-3 selectively maintains NC cells but not NK cells in culture. This is in contrast to the known requirement for IL-2 in NK cell growth. This provides a means of isolating NC cells from NK cells in the mouse as an initial step in the study of the relative contribution of these two cell types in tumour immunity.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alpha-fetoprotein monoclonal assay: preliminary clinical findings in a high risk population.

A two-site solid phase immunoradiometric assay was developed for measurement of human alpha-fetoprotein, utilizing two high-affinity monoclonal antibodies directed against distinct and separate epitopes on the proteic structure. The analytical sensitivity of the assay is 0.5 ng/ml. The clinical sensitivity was evaluated by comparison of patients with cirrhosis and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis. This assay gave good diagnostic discrimination. In a preliminary clinical trial, the specificity of the assay was 92.3%, the clinical sensitivity 88.2%, and predictive values were 78.9% in the clinically positive stage and 96.0% in the negative stage. The diagnostic efficacy of the assay was 91.3%.

Animals↗