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Biomedical subjects

F Drago

Publications and source records attributed to F Drago.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Comparative effects of amitriptyline and amineptine in patients affected by anxious depression.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the therapeutic efficacy of two antidepressants with different neurochemical mechanisms of action, amitriptyline and amineptine, was investigated in patients affected by anxious depression. Sixty-six patients with the primary diagnosis of major depression or bipolar affective disorder (DSM-III-R) and meeting additional operational clinical criteria such as anxiety, trepidation, restlessness, early and/or late insomnia, impulsivity, hostility, dysphoria, compulsivity, hyperperspiration, palpitation, pollakiuria and phobias were included. They were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 22) and treated either with placebo, amitriptyline (up to 100 mg/day) or amineptine (up to 200 mg/day) for 6 weeks. Patients showed better response to amitriptyline, a preferential inhibitor of serotonin reuptake, than to amineptine, a selective inhibitor of dopamine reuptake. The present results suggest that alterations in serotonergic rather than dopaminergic transmission contribute to the pathophysiology of anxious depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

May Helicobacter pylori be important for dermatologists?

Helicobacter pylori, a microaerophilic gram-negative bacterium, is the major cause of gastritis, plays a key role in the etiology of peptic ulcer and is a risk factor for gastric cancer. Although 50% of the population is affected, dermatologist seem to be unaware of the impact H. pylori may have on cutaneous pathology. Among skin diseases, H. pylori has been related so far only with chronic urticaria and rosacea. In rosacea, histology of the stomach mucosa revealed tht 84% of 31 patients were H. pylori positive. Twenty percent of them were serologically negative, but, overall, 100% of the 20 patients with both histology and serology were H. pylori positive with either test. The consistency between clinical success with metronidazole and abatement of H. pylori isolates and serology after treatment was an additional evidence suggesting an etiologic relationship between rosacea and H. pylori infection. Rosacea has often been linked with gastrointestinal disturbances. H. pylori, therefore, may link them to the well-known beneficial activity of metronidazole on rosacea lesions. The role of H. pylori is more probable in erythrotic rosacea than in its papulopustular and granulomatous stages. As in Bacillus subtilis intoxication, a flush-inducing toxin cannot be excluded. Despite the difficulty to find patients accepting bioptic gastroscopies, large case-control studies should be done before a causal relationship with urticaria and rosacea is firmly established.

Bacterial Toxins↗
PubMed1995

[Transesophageal atrial stimulation in the oral treatment of supraventricular reciprocal paroxysmal tachycardia in infants].

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was the evaluation of the usefulness of transesophageal atrial pacing in predicting chronic oral treatment efficacy of symptomatic reciprocating supraventricular tachycardia in infants and in avoiding the risk of very dangerous recurrences at home. METHODS: We studied 13 infants (11 males, 2 females, mean age 43 +/- 31 days) with symptomatic reciprocating supraventricular tachycardia and no structural heart disease. All patients had chronic oral therapy, using the drug effective in acute i.v. somministration. Each patient was discharged when supraventricular tachycardia was not inducible with transesophageal atrial pacing after 5 half-lives of the drug used in chronic oral treatment. All patients, every 6 months, were retested with transesophageal atrial pacing alternatively during chronic oral therapy and after complete wash out. Oral therapy was stopped in each patient when supraventricular tachycardia was not inducible after the wash out. RESULTS: The number of oral treatments tested for each patient were 2 +/- 1 (range 1-5). The number of transesophageal studies performed for each patient were 4 +/- 2 (range 3-7). No patient had symptomatic episodes of supraventricular tachycardia or needed to change therapy during the follow-up. The oral treatment was stopped after the twelfth month of life in 8 patients and after the twenty-fourth in 2 others without recurrences. CONCLUSION: Transesophageal atrial pacing seems to be useful in predicting accurately and rapidly the oral treatment efficacy of supraventricular tachycardia in infants. Our protocol seems to be effective to avoid dangerous recurrences of tachycardia and to decide when we can stop therapy without risk.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Epidermoid anal canal carcinoma metastatic to the skin. A clinical mimic of prostate adenocarcinoma metastases.

BACKGROUND. Cancers of the anal canal are rare, but their frequency is constantly increasing. Only 10-20% of the patients develop a local recurrence and about 20% distant visceral metastases. OBJECTIVE. To report what we believe to be the first case of skin metastases of epidermoid anal canal carcinoma mimicking a typical clinical pattern of prostatic adenocarcinoma metastases.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

Efficacy and safety of ventricular rate responsive pacing in children with complete atrioventricular block.

Single chamber rate responsive pacing offers many potential advantages over the more complex dual chamber atrial tracking pacing mode in children, and the preservation of atrioventricular synchrony could be unnecessary in selected groups of pediatric patients. Twenty-two pediatric patients (age range 9 months to 12 years; mean 6.5 years) had implantation of ventricular rate responsive (VVIR) pacemakers over a 2-year period. All patients had chronic third-degree atrioventricular block, and a normal ventricular function at rest. During the follow-up each patient underwent a 24-hour Holter monitoring, and ten performed a graded treadmill test in both ventricular fixed rate (VVI) and rate responsive (VVIR) pacing mode. Paced ventricular rates were found to be normal for age in all 22 patients; maximum rate did not reach the higher programmed rate during daily activities in any patient. Comparing the mean paced ventricular rate to the mean rates of blocked P waves, six patients showed a difference of more than 20 beats/min, which induced the pacemaker parameters to be reprogrammed. In all patients a significant correlation was found between variations of paced ventricular rate and variations of spontaneous blocked atrial rhythm (P < 0.05); this correlation persisted in the subsequent Holter controls in the ten patients with longer follow-up. Exercise tolerance resulted normal in the ten patients who performed a treadmill test either in VVIR or VVI mode, with increased maximal heart rates and maximal systolic blood pressure in VVIR mode (P < 0.0013). Rate responsive ventricular pacemakers seem to adequately respond to the physiological needs of daily life of this selected group of children requiring permanent pacing.

Atrial Function↗
PubMed1994

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a novel disorder with cutaneous manifestations.

Persistent and disabling fatigue associated with low-grade fever and other constitutional symptoms, without any known disorder that accounts for it, is recognized as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Skin lesions occur in 10-35% of patients, but their description is inaccurate. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis or persistent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related erythema multiforme have also been reported. Patients may be diagnosed as having CFS only when they fulfill at least 2 major and 8 minor criteria. Major criteria are the presence of debilitating fatigue persisting or recurring for at least 6 months and the absence of any other medical disorder that may explain it. Although different viral or nonviral etiologies have been documented, evidence implicating EBV is gaining support.

Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic↗
PubMed1993

Evaluation of the effect of thymoxamine solution 0.5% on mydriasis induced by ibopamine solution 1%.

The effects of thymoxamine 0.5% solution and of a placebo solution (mannitol) on the mydriasis induced by ibopamine 1% solution were evaluated in 8 healthy volunteers and 12 patients with eye diseases. One drop of ibopamine was instilled into each eye and 30 min later 1 drop of thymoxamine was instilled into one eye and 1 drop of placebo into the contralateral eye. Pupillary diameter was measured before and 30 min after the instillation of ibopamine, immediately before the treatment with thymoxamine and placebo and 30, 60 and 90 min after the instillation of thymoxamine or of placebo. Within 30 min of treatment, ibopamine had produced a statistically and clinically significant mydriatic effect. In eyes treated with thymoxamine, prompt reversal of mydriasis was observed, the baseline diameter being observed within 60 min. No difference in the time-course of the mydriatic effect was detected between healthy subjects and patients. The pupillary response to thymoxamine was not influenced by the colour of the iris. The tolerability of ibopamine and of thymoxamine was good. No local or systemic adverse events were seen or reported.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Effect of the enhancement of the cholinergic tone by pyridostigmine on the exercise-induced growth hormone release in man.

We have evaluated the effect of pyridostigmine (PD), a cholinergic agonist, on the growth hormone (GH) response to physical exercise (EXC) in nine healthy volunteers. PD administration and EXC caused a similar increase of GH secretion to mean (+/- SE) peak values of 5.3 +/- 0.9 and 6.5 +/- 1.2 micrograms/l, respectively. Pretreatment with PD caused a significant augmentation of the EXC-induced GH release evaluated both as maximum peak (13.5 +/- 2.1 micrograms/l, p < 0.01 vs EXC) and as area under the secretory curve (EXC = 292.6 +/- 41.9 micrograms.min.l; PD + EXC = 587.3 +/- 68.9 micrograms.min.l, p < 0.005). The action of PD on GH secretion was additive to that of EXC since the sum of the GH responses to PD and EXC was not significantly different from the response obtained during PD + EXC. Whether PD and EXC act through a common final pathway, i.e. inhibition of endogenous somatostatin release, or the EXC-induced GH secretion involves stimulation of endogenous GHRH remains matter of investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Effects of cerebellectomy on motivation-related behavior: a time-course study.

The open field behavior and learning capacity of male rats of the Wistar strain was studied 1, 2, and 6 months after cerebellectomy (CBX). The results show a decrease in locomotor activity 1 month after CBX and thereafter a slow recovery. Grooming behavior was still normal after 1 month, but it decreased 2 months after CBX. Learning capacity, as assessed by the shuttle-box test, was remarkably decreased in cerebellectomized animals 1 month after operation. A significant impairment of memory capacity was also observed in rats tested for passive avoidance behavior 2 months after CBX. A partial recovery of this parameter was present 6 months after operation. These results support the hypothesis of a possible influence of cerebellum on motivation-related behaviors, independently of its modulatory role on motricity.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Thymic factors influence on behavior in rodents.

We studied the effect of thymopentin, a synthetic thymic peptide, on spontaneous behavior and stress models in BALB/c mice in which a WEHI 164 clone 13 murine fibrosarcoma had been implanted, as well as in the intact Sprague-Dawley rat. In untreated animals with tumors, spontaneous behavior was significantly inhibited. Resistance to swimming in cold water was also decreased in untreated animals. Thymopentin (10, 100, 1,000, and 5,000 micrograms/kg body weight, IP, 20 min before the test) enhanced spontaneous behavior in tumor-implanted mice. In addition, thymopentin partially restored floating capability of tumor bearers in either freely moving or animals on which an additional weight had been applied. In the latter test, plasma corticotropin and corticosterone levels were relatedly modified according to treatment. Rats treated with thymopentin showed a decreased sensitivity to painful stimuli. The effect of thymopentin was comparable to acetylsalicylate. Finally, thymic factors appeared capable of restoring the diminished behavioral activity of animals bearing tumors, as well as of increasing resistance to stressful stimuli and pain.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1993

Effects of cytidine-diphosphocholine on acetylcholine-mediated behaviors in the rat.

The phosphatidylcholine precursor, cytidine-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline), was injected intraperitoneally (IP) at the dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg/day for 20 days to 24-month-old male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain that showed cognitive and motor deficits. The drug was also injected in animals with behavioral alterations induced pharmacologically with a single injection of the cholinergic receptor antagonist, scopolamine, with prenatal exposure to methylazoxymethanol (MAM rats), or with bilateral injections of kainic acid into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). Learning and memory capacity of the animals, studied with tests of active and passive avoidance behavior, was improved after treatment with CDP-choline in all experimental groups. An improvement in motor performance and coordination in the rotorod and open field tests was also observed in aged rats. These results indicate that this drug affects central mechanisms involved in cognitive behaviors, probably through a cholinergic action.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1993

Effects of oxytocin on emotional stress and stress-induced gastric lesions.

The effect of oxytocin has been studied in gastric lesions induced by cold-plus-restraint stress or by subcutaneous (sc) administration of cysteamine. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of the peptide was followed by a reduction of the incidence of gastric lesions in both experimental models. This effect was comparable to that found after icv injection of prolactin, a peptide which is known to facilitate adaptation to stress and reduce the incidence of stress-induced gastric lesions. These results may be relevant in focusing on the general role of oxytocin as a protective factor against stress-induced biological modifications.

Animals↗