In incubated blood mononuclear cells from normal subjects bezafibrate inhibited the incorporation of 14C-acetate into squalene, methylsterols and cholesterol. Similarly, the drug produced a sharp decrease of the incorporation of labelled 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) into non-saponifiable lipids, while the incorporation of 14C-mevalonate was unaffected by the presence of bezafibrate in the incubation mixture. This strongly suggests that bezafibrate inhibits HMG-CoA reductase activity. In cultured cells from patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia the presence of bezafibrate in the incubation medium resulted in an inhibition of the incorporation of labelled acetate into non-saponifiable lipids. Bezafibrate then inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis in cells from normal and hypercholesterolaemic patients and this effect is likely, to contribute to the hypocholesterolaemic activity of the drug.

Acetates↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrastructural pathology of pediatric myocardium in acute ischemia: bioptic study before and after treatment with cardioplegic solution.

Protecting the myocardium from the risk of acute ischemia during heart surgery is still an unsolved problem; the problem is even more open and more pressing in pediatric heart surgery. To meet this greater risk it is advisable to use a cardioplegic solution with a composition that is better suited to the particular morphofunctional conditions of the myocardium in the child, i.e., a solution offering greater protection. To this purpose the authors experimented with Celsior cardioplegic solution during heart surgery in children to evaluate the efficacy compared to the standard St. Thomas solution. In this comparative study 15 children were treated with Celsior cardioplegic solution and 15 others with St. Thomas cardioplegic solution. Each patient underwent 2 biopsies of the myocardium, the first before cardioplegic treatment and the second immediately after reperfusion. In both groups, focal lesions involving both the cardiomyocytes and the vascular-stromal structures were randomly found. The former had undergone a necrotic-regressive process with changes in the myofibrils and the mitochondria. The vascular-stromal structures showed changes in the permeability of the capillary endothelia, with interstitial edema. The results show the lesions to be similar in the 2 groups both on a quality and quantitative level.

Capillary Permeability↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The in vitro effects of ceftibuten on the host defense mechanism.

The in vitro effects of ceftibuten on human polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) chemotaxis, phagocytosis and chemiluminescence were investigated. PMN from healthy adult donors were incubated for 1 h in medium alone or in medium containing increasing concentrations of ceftibuten (4, 8 and 40 times the MIC for Escherichia coli). Up to 40 MIC ceftibuten did not significantly interfere with the function of PMN.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Increased lead absorption in children living in an area with high concentration of ceramic workshops.

Children who live in contaminated areas or whose cohabitants are occupationally exposed to lead are at a higher risk of lead absorption. The present study examined the blood lead levels of 539 nursery and primary school children living in three towns in the Umbria region (central Italy): Deruta, Corciano and Perugia. Deruta is a small town with a high number of ceramic workshops; Corciano is a mainly agricultural centre; Perugia is the largest town in Umbria. The lead concentrations of house dust, soil, air and water ducts of Deruta and Corciano were also examined. The blood lead levels were significantly increased in children in Deruta (9.7 S.D. = 3.6 micrograms/dL, p < 0.05) and Perugia (9.6 S.D. = 4.0 micrograms/dL, p < 0.05) compared to Corciano (8.3 S.D. = 1.9 micrograms/dL). In Deruta the blood lead levels were higher in children whose cohabitants worked in small ceramic factories or workshops near or in the homes (10.7 S.D. = 4.1 vs 9.0 S.D. = 3.0 micrograms/dL, p < 0.05). The mean concentration of lead in the house dust in Deruta was higher than in Corciano (2.8 S.D. = 2.5 vs 0.8 S.D. = 3.8 micrograms/m2, p < 0.01); the highest values were found in the house dust of the homes of children whose cohabitants worked in small ceramic factories either near or in the same building. There was no significant difference between the concentrations of lead in street dust or tap water of Deruta and Corciano. We conclude that the production of handworked ceramics could lead to an increased risk of lead absorption in children, particularly those who live with workers from this sector.

Absorption↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Increased urinary excretion of D-glucaric acid in workers exposed to styrene in reinforced plastics industry].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adolescent↗