Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Falcini

Publications and source records attributed to F Falcini.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Orthotopic liver transplantation in the pig: a surgical experience with 124 liver transplants.

From January 1988 to June 1990 one-hundred-twenty-four orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) were performed in pigs, using a surgical procedure already described in the literature but with two major modifications. One of these modifications was the end-to-end microsurgical anastomosis of the proper hepatic arteries of the donor and recipient; the second one was the reduction in length of the donor suprahepatic vena cava to 1-2 mm before anastomosing it with the recipient suprahepatic vena cava at the level of the diaphragm. The first 24 transplants were used to develop the surgical technique. The latter was then applied to all subsequent 100 transplants, and results are herein presented. Good outcome of surgery appeared to depend on the modifications adopted in surgical technique, use of a pump-driven veno-venous bypass during the anhepatic phase of surgery, administration of cyclosporin A postoperatively, and training of the operator.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗
PubMed1992

[Defibrotide vs. calcium heparin in the prevention of deep vein thrombosis in gynecologic oncologic surgery].

Eighty-one patients were submitted to gynaecological malignancy surgery in a randomized study aimed at the evaluation of the efficacy of defibrotide (40 patients) and calcium heparin (41 patients) in perioperative prophylaxis. They were randomly allocated to defibrotide group (400 mg bid im starting one day before surgery and continuing until the 7th postoperative day) or calcium heparin group (5000 IU bid sc starting two hours before surgery and continuing likewise for 7 days). No cases of DVT diagnosed by means of a Doppler CW were observed in either treatment group. Laboratory parameters have shown similar modifications in the two treatment groups. Three cases of bleeding were observed in the calcium heparin group while no cases of bleeding were detected in the defibrotide group. The results obtained suggest that defibrotide is at least as effective as calcium heparin in perioperative DVT prevention and that the former drug has a possibly better tolerability profile, due to a decisively lower tendency to bleeding.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

A new surgical model of acute liver failure in the pig: experimental procedure and analysis of liver injury.

In this research, the effects of portocaval shunt plus 70% partial hepatectomy were evaluated in 11 pigs. Hepatic coma and death from progressive liver failure occurred in 5 pigs between 14 and 64 h from surgery, whereas 3 pigs, which also showed symptoms of progressive liver failure, died of presumed gastric hemorrhage between 17 and 19 h after surgery. In 3 pigs, transient liver failure was followed by complete recovery, as judged by clinical, electroencephalographic and biochemical parameters. No case of death occurred among the pigs treated with portocaval shunt alone or 70% partial hepatectomy alone as controls. This new model for acute liver failure is reproducible, seems to be potentially reversible, causes death due to hepatic failure after a time period sufficiently long to allow for the institution of support procedures, is applied to a large animal and lacks relevant biohazard. Therefore, this model may be used to evaluate possible support procedures during acute liver failure.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1991

Primary antiphospholipid syndrome: a report of two pediatric cases.

Two cases of primary antiphospholipid syndrome are described. A girl presented with myocardial infarction at the age of 6. afterward developed chorea, livedo reticularis, thrombocytopenia and circulating lupus anticoagulant (LAC). A boy, age 7, had an episode of intracranial hypertension and a deep venous thrombosis of a lower left limb, both recurrent in the following years. A high titer of IgG anticardiolipin antibodies (aCI) was detected. These observations suggest that both LAC and aCI tests should be performed in children with thromboembolic phenomena when the criteria for a definite autoimmune disease are lacking.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1990

Clinical correlations of plasma angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity in systemic sclerosis: a longitudinal study of plasma ACE level, endothelial injury and lung involvement.

Lung involvement was studied by perfusion scan, ventilation scan, pulmonary clearance rate of 99mTc DTPA and pulmonary function tests in 20 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Decreased plasma angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity and increased levels of von Willebrand Factor Antigen (vWF:Ag) were found in all patients with SSc. The relationship between ACE levels and lung involvement was not statistically significant, however levels of vWF:Ag correlated with parameters of lung vascular alterations. An inverse relationship between the reduced ACE levels and ESR was found. It is likely that ACE levels reflect the inflammatory aspect of the disease. Further studies of ACE synthesis, release and inhibition are needed to determine the mechanism of the observed decreased activity in SSc.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Bioavailability of intramuscular ciclosporin in the pig.

We conducted a cross-over single-dose pharmacokinetic study in 4 pigs to measure the bioavailability of ciclosporin (CS) after intravenous and intramuscular administration. Each animal was given 5 mg/kg i.v. followed by 20 mg/kg i.m. after 1 week. Serial blood samples were taken over 36 h after each dose, and the concentration of CS was assayed by radioimmunologic methods. The pharmacokinetic parameters after intravenous administration were (mean +/- SD; n = 4): clearance = 327 +/- 21 ml/h/kg; volume of distribution = 7.2 +/- 2.8 liters/kg. The same parameters after intramuscular dosing were: clearance = 326 +/- 59 ml/h/kg; volume of distribution = 6.9 +/- 2.1 liters/kg. The percent bioavailability of intramuscular CS was 101.9 +/- 13.3 with a mean absorption time of 10.6 +/- 2.7 h. Our results indicate that following a single dose, the percent bioavailability of intramuscular CS in pigs is considerably greater than that reported in previous studies.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Reduced angiotensin converting enzyme plasma activity in scleroderma. A marker of endothelial injury?

Decreased levels of angiotensin converting enzyme plasma activity were found in systemic sclerosis. No relationship with clinical characteristics of the disease and increased von Willebrand factor antigen concentration (a widely accepted marker of endothelial injury) were statistically demonstrated. An inverse relationship between the reduced activity of the enzyme and erythrocyte sedimentation rate was detected (r = 0.410, p less than 0.05). We hypothesize that in systemic sclerosis, angiotensin converting enzyme activity might be affected by a decrease in endothelial production or by interference of circulating factors. Further studies are needed to determine if angiotensin converting enzyme activity could be used as a marker of endothelial injury in scleroderma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Veno-venous bypass in experimental liver transplantation: portal-jugular versus caval-portal-jugular.

This study was undertaken to compare the changes in physiologic variables caused by the use of two different types of pump-assisted veno-venous bypass during experimental liver transplantation. The experiments, performed on female pigs weighing 30 +/- 2 kg, were divided into two groups depending on the bypass used. During the anhepatic phase a pump-assisted portal-jugular (PJ) bypass was used in Group 1 (n = 8) at a flow rate of 15 ml kg-1-min-1, while a pump-assisted caval-portal-jugular (CPJ) bypass was used in Group 2 (n = 8) at a flow rate of 20 ml kg-1-min-1. Intraoperative haemodynamics, pulmonary gas exchange, haematological and serum biochemical parameters were evaluated. Postoperative animal survival rate and complications associated with the bypass used were evaluated. Mean pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) and pulmonary vascular resistance (Pvr) showed significantly different behaviour in the two groups, whereas the remaining parameters all showed the same trend. Thus an earlier and more substantial increase in Ppa and Pvr values was found in Group 1 when compared to Group 2 during the anhepatic phase. The different behaviour shown by Group 1 may depend on the release of circulating vasoactive substances generated following pelvic venous congestion caused by the temporary clamping of the inferior vena cava. In conclusion, this study indicates that the pump-assisted CPJ bypass is more suitable than the pump-assisted PJ bypass. Furthermore, in order to obtain better results it should be used routinely in porcine liver transplantation.

Anesthesia, General↗
PubMed1989

Biliary tract complications in orthotopic liver transplantation: an experimental study in the pig.

The results of 56 consecutive orthotopic liver transplants in the pig were reviewed to determine the incidence of primary biliary tract complications. There were 8 biliary tract complications in 56 grafts (14.2%) directly responsible for death. End-to-end choledochocholedochostomy (ee-CC) was the most frequently used technique (40 cases) with 4 technical failures (10.0%). Choledochojejunostomy with a Roux-en-Y jejunal loop (RYCJ) was used in 9 cases with 2 technical failures (22.2%). Side-to-side choledochocholedochostomy (ss-CC) was used in 7 cases with 2 technical failures (28.5%). Biliary leak and stenosis were the most common complications. End-to-end choledochocholedocostomy appears to be the most suitable and easy biliary reconstruction in the pig but possible gross disparity in the sizes of the donor and recipient ducts may represent and adverse factor.

Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y↗
PubMed1986

Gastric cancer: histopathologic patterns according to Lauren's classification in a high-risk area and distribution by residence.

A total of 1061 advanced gastric cancers with histologic confirmation, diagnosed from 1973 to 1982 at the Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital (Forlì) were reclassified according to Lauren, and histologic types were related to the source of the histologic specimen, sex, age at diagnosis, place of birth and residence. This large case series showed a high percentage of intestinal type cancers, consistent with the high risk for gastric cancer which characterizes the area under study. Intestinal type carcinomas tend to be represented more in the older age groups, in males and in subjects born in the Forlì province and resident in hilly and mountainous areas. The distribution over time of biopsy specimens in this case series showed an increased use of gastroscopy for diagnosis in the population under study.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Combination chemotherapy in advanced ovarian carcinoma.

Ovarian carcinoma is the fifth most common cause of death among women in western countries. It is often diagnosed in an advanced stage (FIGO Stage III and IV) and requires effective chemotherapy as first-line treatment. The advent of cis-platin combined with adriamycin and cyclophosphamide has remarkably increased the response rate in advanced disease. The authors report 31 cases of epithelial ovarian neoplasia, without prior chemotherapy, treated with cis-platin, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (PAC I). Of the 30 evaluable patients, 15 had clinical complete remissions (cCR = 50%), 10 clinical partial remissions (cPR = 33%) and 5 no response (NR = 17%). The total response (cCR + cPR) was equal to 83%. Twelve of the 15 patients in cCR underwent second-look laparotomy; in 8 of these cases, histologic and cytologic confirmation of CR was obtained. PAC I was found to be a highly effective therapeutic regimen with moderate toxicity. The individual toxicity reported was gastroenteric (nausea and vomiting), but transitory. No chronic toxic side-effects from cisplatin or adriamycin were noted. However, more definitive results must be obtained to verify its impact on the prolongation of survival.

Adult↗