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Biomedical subjects

G Cattaneo

Publications and source records attributed to G Cattaneo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Comparison of tensile strength of solder joints by infrared and conventional torch technique.

Fabrication of a fixed partial denture may require a soldering step. This study compared soldering by a conventional torch procedure with an infrared soldering technique. Comparisons were made for tensile strength, porosity, and time efficiency between the two methods. No significant difference was found in ultimate tensile strength between the two types of solder joints and the nonsoldered control samples. Random samples photographed with a scanning electron microscope revealed no difference in joint porosity between the two techniques. Torch soldering took consistently less time that infrared soldering.

Dental Alloys↗
PubMed1991

Mitoxantrone as a single agent in pretreated metastatic breast cancer: effects on T lymphocyte subsets and their relation to clinical response.

Mitoxantrone (DHAD), an anthracenedione with antineoplastic properties similar to doxorubicin, was tested for therapeutic efficacy and for immunomodulating action on lymphocyte subsets in 16 metastatic breast cancer patients, 12 of whom had been previously treated with chemotherapy. DHAD was given intravenously at a dose of 14 mg/m2 every 21 days. To evaluate total T lymphocytes (CD3), T helper (CD4), and T suppressor/cytotoxic cells (CD8) and the CD4/CD8 ratio, venous blood samples were drawn before and after the first DHAD cycle. Moreover, in 8/16 patients, B lymphocytes (CD20), T suppressor cells (CD8+/CD57+), T cytotoxic cells (CD8+/CD57-), NK (CD16) and IL-2 receptor-expressing cells (CD25) were also measured at the same time. An objective tumor response was achieved in 5/16 (31%) patients and the response rate was significantly higher in patients pretreated with hormone therapy alone than in those pretreated with chemotherapy. No relation was found between clinical response and changes in the CD4/CD8 ratio. Neither the mean number nor the percentage of CD3, CDA and CD8 cells observed after DHAD were significantly different with respect to those seen before. In contrast, the mean number of T suppressor cells, B lymphocytes and CD25-positive cells was significantly lower after than before DHAD administration, whereas no difference was seen in NK cells. These results confirm in humans the immunomodulating properties of DHAD previously described in experimental conditions. However, the DHAD-induced changes in lymphocyte subsets do not seem to be related to the clinical response in breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Clinical results with the pineal hormone melatonin in advanced cancer resistant to standard antitumor therapies.

The pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) is able to exert an oncostatic action. Its possible use in the treatment of human tumors, however, has not yet been investigated. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of MLT in patients with metastatic solid tumors resistant to conventional therapies. The study included 54 patients, most of them were affected by lung cancer or colorectal carcinoma. MLT was given intramuscularly at a daily dose of 20 mg at 3.00 p.m. for 2 months; this induction phase was followed by a maintenance period at a dose of 10 mg orally in responder patients or in those with an improvement in performance status (PS). The clinical response was as follows: 1 partial response (cancer of pancreas), 2 minor responses (colon cancer and hepatocarcinoma) and 21 with stable disease. The remaining 30 patients rapidly progressed within the first 2 months of therapy. An evident improvement in PS was achieved in 18 of 54 (33%) cases. These results, by showing an apparent control of the neoplastic growth and an improvement in the quality of life in a reasonable number of cancer patients for whom no other standard therapy is available, would justify further clinical trials to better define the impact of MLT therapy on the survival and quality of life of untreatable advanced cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Evaluation of the cardiovascular toxicity related to cancer immunotherapy with interleukin-2 by monitoring atrial natriuretic peptide secretion: a case report.

Increased capillary permeability and severe hypotension represent the two major cardiovascular complications of IL-2 immunotherapy. The mechanisms responsible for IL-2 cardiovascular toxicity are still obscure. Since increased vascular permeability and vasodilatation may be also induced by the cardiac hormone atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), we have evaluated ANP concentrations in relation to mean arterial pressure in one patient with metastatic renal carcinoma, treated with a 24-h intravenous infusion of IL-2 at a dose of 3 x 10(6) Cetus U/m2/day for 5 days. The results showed that episodes of important hypotension were associated with abnormally high plasma levels of ANP. Owing to its vasodilator activity, exaggerated ANP secretion, perhaps due to an inappropriate cardiac endocrine function in response to hemodynamic changes induced by IL-2, may play a role in hypotension, which occurs during IL-2 immunotherapy for cancer.

Atrial Natriuretic Factor↗
PubMed1990

A study of pineal-prolactin interaction: prolactin response to an acute melatonin injection in patients with hyperprolactinemia.

Several studies demonstrated that the pineal gland plays a regulatory role in PRL secretion. At present, however, there are few clinical data only about the pineal function in PRL secretion disorders. To further clarify which is the pineal importance in the dysfunctions of PRL release, we have evaluated the effect of an acute injection of the pineal hormone melatonin in 19 patients with hyperprolactinemia, 8 of whom had idiopathic hyperprolactinemia, while the other 11 had a prolactinoma. Melatonin was given im at a dose of 20 mg at 09:00 h, and venous blood samples were collected at -20, 0, 20, 60, 120, 180 min. A normalization of PRL levels was achieved after melatonin injection in 3/8 patients with idiopathic hyperprolactinemia, while no effect was seen in patients with prolactinoma. Further studies, by evaluating the effect of a chronic treatment, will be required to define which is the action of melatonin on PRL release in PRL secretion disorders, and to evaluate its possible therapeutic role.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Postoperative hyperprolactinaemia and early recurrence rate in breast cancer.

Serum levels of prolactin before and after surgery were measured in 90 women with breast cancer until the 5th postoperative month. Surgery-induced hyperprolactinaemia occurred in 51 patients, without significant correlation to any other clinical variable. After a median follow-up of 39 months, irrespective of each other variable (i.e. nodal involvement, oestrogen receptor status, adjuvant therapies), patients with postoperative hyperprolactinaemia had a significantly lower recurrence rate than those in whom surgery was not followed by an abnormal increase in prolactin secretion (3/51 vs. 13/39, P less than 0.001). These results suggest that, despite the stimulatory role of prolactin on mammary tumours, the lack of postoperative hyperprolactinaemia is an unfavourable prognostic factor because of its association with a higher relapse rate.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Pathogen-host interaction.

Host defense, as it generally applies to humans, refers to the individual's ability to withstand infections. Human host defense mechanisms are numerous, diversified, complex, and often interdependent. The administration of drugs may influence some phases of immunocompetence mechanisms. The effect of several antimicrobial agents on organic defenses has been studied. The parameters considered were chemotaxis, phagocytosis, intracellular killing, superoxide-anion production, antibody production, lymphocyte subset behavior, and natural killer cell activity. Some antibacterial agents inhibit these parameters, whereas others can enhance some of these immune parameters to differing extents. Some antibacterial agents have a neutral effect on these parameters.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1990

In-vitro postantibiotic effects of miocamycin and erythromycin on gram-positive cocci.

The capability of miocamycin to induce a postantibiotic effect (PAE) on a Group A Streptococcus beta-haemolyticus clinical isolate and on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 has been studied. Erythromycin was chosen as a reference molecule. The exposure time to antibiotics was 90 min. The removal technique of the antibiotic agents consisted of a 1:200 dilution in cultural broth. Miocamycin displayed a PAE of 2 h 30 min in relation to the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Streptococcus and a PAE of 2 h 30 min in relation to the MIC of Staphylococcus. The PAE value lasting longer than the others was of 5 h 40 min towards Streptococcus and of 4 h 18 min towards Staphylococcus at a concentration eightfold the MIC. Erythromycin showed a PAE of 1 h 36 min in relation to the MIC of Streptococcus and a PAE of 1 h 30 min in relation to the MIC of Staphylococcus. The PAE value lasting longer than the others was of 3 h 15 min against Streptococcus and of 2 h 30 min against Staphylococcus at a concentration eightfold the MIC. In some cases a PAE was observed in relation to subinhibitory concentrations (1/2 MIC). Miocamycin therefore proved to possess a more evident capability to induce a PAE against the clinical isolate of Group A Streptococcus beta-haemolyticus and on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 than did erythromycin.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Miocamycin distribution in tonsillar and pulmonary tissues after repeated administration.

Twenty patients undergoing tonsillectomy were treated with a peroral administration of 600 mg of miocamycin every 12 hours for 4 days. On the 5th day, after a last administration of a dose of 600 mg the ablation of the tonsils was carried out on groups of 4 subjects, each one at the following times after oral intake of the drug: 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 h. Twenty-nine patients, admitted to hospital to undergo lung resection were treated with peroral administration of miocamycin in accordance with the above mentioned dose scheme. The operation was carried out on groups of 5 subjects, each on the fifth day at the following times after the last administration: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 h (4 subjects). Simultaneously blood was withdrawn for the determination of miocamycin in serum. Miocamycin was measured by a microbiological procedure using Sarcina lutea ATCC 9341. The highest levels of miocamycin were observed after 2h in tonsils (3.2 +/- 0.82 mg/kg) and serum (1.3 +/- 0.33 mg/l). After 12h miocamycin proved to be still measurable in the tissue (0.12 +/- 0.05 mg/kg), whereas it was not detected in serum. In pulmonary tissue, the highest levels of miocamycin were likewise identified at the 2nd hour (2.82 +/- 0.59 mg/kg), simultaneously with the highest serum levels (2.3 +/- 0.61 mg/l). At the 12th hour miocamycin could still be dosed in 3 tissue samples, with values between 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg and was found just at dosing limits in only one serum sample.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Miokamycin and leukocyte activity in man.

The effects of miokamycin on the immune system were studied in healthy volunteers by means of the following assays: phagocytosis, intracellular killing and natural killer activity. The tests were performed before, 2 and 6 h after oral administration of 600 mg of miokamycin. The findings suggest that miokamycin stimulates phagocytosis and intracellular killing. These effects could be clearly shown 2 h after drug intake and disappeared at the 6th hour. On the contrary, the natural killer activity was not significantly stimulated by miokamycin.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Pharmacokinetics of dactimicin in rats.

Dactimicin is a new pseudo-disaccharidic aminoglycosidic antibiotic produced by Dactylosporangium matsuzakiense. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of dactimicin intramuscularly administered, at the dosage of 20 mg/kg, in male Sprague-Dawley rats with an average b.w. of 200-220 g. Dactimicin levels were assessed by using a microbiological method (agar diffusion) employing Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 as test organism. Samples were collected immediately before and 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.15 and 2 h after drug administration. The mean peak serum level, reached after 15 min, was 33.6 micrograms/ml (range 30.3-40 micrograms/ml); T1/2 beta was 0.42 h; extrapolated AUC was 26.8 mg h/l.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed1989

Cefroxadine in the treatment of children affected by respiratory and ENT diseases. A multicentre study involving 1072 in-patients.

In this multicentre trial, 1072 hospitalized children, 573 boys and 499 girls (847 of whom were aged less than 6 years), affected by respiratory tract (376 patients) or ENT (696 patients) infections were treated for 10 days with cefroxadine per os, at an average dose of 650 mg/day (325 mg every 12 h corresponding to 25 mg/kg b.w.). Most patients (1047; 97.7%) completed the trial, while 25 patients were withdrawn from the study (20 patients for viral diseases and 5 for side-effects). Of the patients affected by respiratory tract infections, 361 completed the trial and 342 of them (94.7%) were cured in 6.0 days on average. Of the patients affected by ENT infections, 686 completed the trial and 649 of them (94.6%) were also cured in an average of 6.0 days. In the two groups the signs and symptoms of the disease significantly (p less than 0.001) decreased by the end of the study. Some patients (80; 7.6%) complained of side-effects, mainly gastric discomfort (4.9%), skin rash (2.2%) and glossitis (0.5%). In conclusion, cefroxadine exerts a satisfactory antibacterial action with only a few days of treatment, and it appears to be very well tolerated.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1988

A study on the relationship between the pineal gland and the opioid system in patients with cancer. Preliminary considerations.

Recent studies showed that both the pineal gland and the endogenous opioid system are involved in the modulation of the immune system and in the regulation of tumor growth. Moreover, a relationship between pineal and opioid system has been demonstrated. In order get an overall view of the psychoneuroendocrine interactions in cancer patients, the levels of melatonin, the most important pineal hormone, and of beta-endorphin have been measured on blood samples collected during the morning. The study was carried out on 54 patients, 42 healthy subjects, and in 34 patients having illnesses other than cancer. Breast cancer, lung carcinoma, and colorectum cancer were the three neoplasms detected in the patients investigated. Growth hormone (GH), somatomedin-C and prolactin (PRL) levels were also determined. beta-endorphin levels were found to be substantially within the normal range in patients with cancer, whereas those of melatonin were raised in several cases. The beta-endorphin/melatonin ratio was higher than 2 in normal subjects, in non-neoplastic patients and in most cancer patients without metastases, whereas this ratio was lower than 2 in almost all patients in a metastatic stage of the disease. Neither melatonin levels nor those of beta-endorphin appeared to be significantly correlated with GH, somatomedin-C, and PRL concentrations. The low beta-endorphin/melatonin ratio observed in metastatic patients suggests the presence of an unbalanced relation between the pineal and the opioid system in those subjects. Therefore, an anomalous relationship between pineal function and opioid activity might play a role in the clinical course of neoplastic disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Endocrine and clinical effects of an LHRH analogue in pretreated advanced breast cancer.

Buserelin represents one of the main LHRH analogues. It appears to be effective in untreated metastatic breast cancer, whereas its activity in pretreated advanced patients remains to be established. To evaluate endocrine and clinical effects of buserelin in pretreated advanced mammary carcinoma, 14 postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer, which had been previously treated with hormones and/or chemotherapy, entered the study. Buserelin was subcutaneously injected at a daily dose of 1.5 mg for 7 days, then intranasally at a daily dose of 1.2 mg until progression. Before and after the 7 days of subcutaneous administration of the LHRH analogue, FSH, LH, estradiol, testosterone basal serum levels, and PRL response to TRH were examined. After the 7 days of buserelin subcutaneous injection, a significant decrease in FSH, LH and estradiol values was observed, whereas testosterone was not affected. PRL response to TRH did not change after buserelin subcutaneous treatment in 8 patients, it decreased in one and was completely abolished in the last 5 cases. All patients whose PRL response to TRH did not decrease had a progression within the first month of therapy, whereas only 1 of 6 patients whose PRL response to TRH was reduced or abolished following buserelin administration showed a progression. Among the other 5 cases, 2 minor responses and 3 stable diseases were achieved. These preliminary results suggest that buserelin has only a limited effectiveness in metastatic breast cancer patients who have been previously treated with hormones and/or chemotherapy, and that its activity in the control of tumor growth is associated with a reduction in PRL secretion.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Melatonin increase as predictor for tumor objective response to chemotherapy in advanced cancer patients.

Clinical studies have demonstrated an altered pineal function in cancer patients. Owing to the documented antineoplastic activity of the pineal gland, these anomalies could have a prognostic significance. This study was carried out to monitor changes in blood levels of melatonin, the most important pineal hormone, in relation to the clinical response to chemotherapy in human neoplasms. The study included 42 cancer patients of both sexes (breast cancer, 10; lung cancer, 13; colon cancer, 11; soft tissue sarcoma, 4; testicular cancer, 1; Hodgkin's disease, 1; peritoneal mesothelioma, 2). Melatonin serum levels were measured by radioimmunoassay before and 28 days after each cycle of chemotherapy. The results showed that, irrespectively of the type of tumor and chemotherapeutic regimen, 12/16 patients (75%) whose melatonin markedly enhanced after chemotherapy had an objective regression. In contrast, 2/26 patients only (8%) whose melatonin did not enhance after chemotherapy had a clinical response. The percentage of objective responses was statistically significantly higher in patients with a chemotherapy-induced melatonin increase than in those with no melatonin increase (p less than 0.001). This study seems to demonstrate that melatonin determination can be used as a predictor of the objective response to chemotherapy in cancer patients. Moreover, it suggests that the antineoplastic effect of cytotoxic drugs may require participation of the pineal gland.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗