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Biomedical subjects

E Strocchi

Publications and source records attributed to E Strocchi.

100 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Digitalis receptors and digoxin sensitivity in renal failure.

The number and the in vitro and in vivo affinity of digitalis receptors for digoxin were measured in patients with normal renal function and in uraemics. In uraemic patients the number of receptors was decreased. Although their in vitro affinity for digoxin was unchanged the in vivo affinity was decreased, probably due to hyperkalaemia. These findings provide a possible pharmacodynamic explanation for decreased activity of cardiac glycosides in chronic renal failure.

Adult↗

A double-blind evaluation of the analgesic efficacy and toxicity of oral ketorolac and diclofenac in cancer pain. The TD/10 recordati Protocol Study Group.

AIM: To compare the analgesic efficacy and toxicity of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic drug, ketorolac (Toradol, Recordati spa, Milan) 10 mg p.o. (t.i.d.) with diclofenac (Voltaren, Novartis Farma, Origglo, VA) 50 mg p.o. (t.i.d.) in cancer patients with moderate to severe chronic pain. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: The study was a multicenter randomized double-blind cross-over trial. Each treatment lasted 7 days, after which the patients crossed over to the other drug. Pain intensity was evaluated by the visual analogue scale (VAS) after the first dose and by the 5-point verbal rating scale (VRS) by the patient and by the physician following the 7-day treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A total of 138 advanced cancer patients were enrolled in the study. Overall 251 single-dose administrations (117 cross-over observations) and 257 multiple treatments (127 cross-over experiments) were assessable. After a single administration of ketorolac and diclofenac, no significant difference could be observed in analgesic activity, as indicated by the area under the pain-intensity time curve (AUC0-8), in the maximum efficacy, or the duration of efficacy of the two drugs. The Westlake confidence intervals of the AUC0-8 ratio (ketorolac: diclofenac) (1.07; 90% CI, 0.94-1.19), of the maximum efficacy ratio (1.03; 90% CI, 0.92-1.14), and the duration of efficacy ratio (1.05; 90% CI, 0.97-1.11) showed the bioequivalence of the two drugs. Satisfactory pain relief was reported for multiple 7-day treatments, with no significant differences between the two therapies: according to the physician's evaluation, in 93/128 (73%; 95% CI, 65-80%) ketorolac treatments and 91/129 (71%; 95% CI, 63-78%) diclofenac treatments; according to the patient's evaluation, in 83/128 cases (65%; 95% CI, 57-73%) after ketorolac and in 74/129 cases (57%; 95% CI, 49-66%) after diclofenac. Adverse symptoms were acceptable with both drugs. Interestingly, a pronounced sequence effect was found: gastric disturbances after ketorolac were observed mainly (10 out of 15 observed events) when the drug was given to patients pretreated with diclofenac.

Administration, Oral↗

Efficacy and tolerability of enalapril (20 mg)/hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg) combination therapy in essential hypertension.

The efficacy and tolerability of a preconstituted formulation combining enalapril (20 mg) and hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg) were evaluated in patients with essential hypertension unresponsive to enalapril monotherapy (20 mg/day). The duration of this open-lable, multicenter, noncomparative trial was 12 weeks: a two-week washout period followed by ten weeks of active treatment. During the active treatment period, patients received enalapril alone (up to 20 mg/day) for six weeks. At the end of week 6, patients with supine diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg were treated with the enalapril/hydrochlorothiazide combination therapy (EN/HCTZ). Of the 147 patients who were entered into the study, 81 were not normalized with enalapril alone. At the end of the study period, blood pressure was normalized (supine diastolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90 mmHg) in 60 (74%) of the 81 patients who had received the EN/HCTZ combination. Overall, 86% of the patients achieved satisfactory blood pressure control with this therapeutic regimen. Adverse reactions were mild and transient. Six patients experienced undesirable effects, the most frequent of which was coughing (2 cases). Neither enalapril (20 mg/day) alone nor the EN/HCTZ combination had any significant influence on any of the metabolic parameters evaluated. No hypokalemia and no significant changes in serum lipids occurred in the course of the study.

Aged↗

Aminoglutethimide in advanced breast cancer: prospective, randomized comparison of two dose levels. Italian Cooperative Group.

In a multicenter randomized clinical trial 106 post-menopausal patients with progressive metastatic breast cancer were allocated to receive 500 mg or 1000 mg Aminoglutethimide (AG) per os daily. Cortisone Acetate (CA) replacement dose was 37.5 mg/day orally in both groups. In 91 fully evaluable patients, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two therapeutic regimens, neither in terms of overall response (28 vs 35%) and by site responses, nor in terms of median time to progression (10.5 vs 14.5 months) and median overall survival (20 vs. 22 months). The tolerability was satisfactory in both regimens. Although no statistically significant differences occurred, in the low dose regimen we observed fewer patients with side-effects (25% vs 6%) and induced grade 3 side-effects (4% vs 9%). Our results confirm that AG daily doses of 500 and 1000 mg associated with corticosteroids have a comparable effect. Because of its slight but clinically noticeable better tolerability, the lower dose is the preferable regimen in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Administration, Oral↗

Comparative crossover trial of two intravenous doses of granisetron (1 mg vs 3 mg) + dexamethasone in the prevention of acute cis-platinum-induced emesis.

BACKGROUND: The 5HT3 receptor antagonist Granisetron (GRA) is available on the market as a 1 mg vial in USA and as a 3 mg vial in Europe. This study aimed to compare the two i.v. doses of GRA (3 mg vs 1 mg), both of which combined with Dexamethasone (DEX) (20 mg) in the prevention of acute Cisplatinum (CP)-induced emesis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and ninety-eight consecutive chemotherapy-naive cancer patients, mainly suffering from lung and bladder cancer, were randomized at their first cycle to receive either GRA 1 mg + DEX or GRA 3 mg + DEX as i.v. bolus prior to chemotherapy and crossed-over to another GRA dose at the second cycle. The cytotoxic treatment included different multi-drug regimens containing CP (median dose 60 mg/m2, range 50-70) administered on day 1 and repeated every 21-28 days. RESULTS: Of the 192 evaluable patients complete protection from acute emesis with GRA 1 and GRA 3, was observed after the 1st + 2nd cycles as follows: nausea 70% and 74%, vomiting 90% and 94%, nausea and vomiting 67% and 74% respectively (no statistically significant difference). No carry-over effect was observed on the complete protection from emesis. The crossover analysis comprising 156 patients confirmed there were no differences between the two antiemetic treatments. Twenty-seven per cent of patients preferred GRA 1, 31% preferred GRA 3, while 42% expressed no preference (P = 0.75). Nor was any difference observed for tolerability, the only reported side-effects being mild headache (16% vs 17%) and constipation (18% vs 25%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that, under the above conditions, the 1 mg and 3 mg i.v. GRA doses are comparably effective when combined with DEX 20 mg in the prevention of acute CP-induced emesis.

Adult↗