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Biomedical subjects

G Fontana

Publications and source records attributed to G Fontana.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Chemotactic arrangement of axons inside and distal to a venous graft.

Experiments in rats, introducing the proximal and distal stumps of tibial and sural nerves into a vein graft, showed by acetylcholinesterase and toluidine blue staining that sensory and motor fibers mix inside the vein graft, but that nevertheless they are able to select their distal targets correctly. The authors' hypothesis is that surface membrane antigens of Schwann cells might be responsible for this chemotactic phenomenon.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Comparison of once-daily bedtime administration of famotidine and ranitidine in the short-term treatment of duodenal ulcer. A multicenter, double-blind, controlled study.

A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled study was conducted in 234 duodenal ulcer patients to compare the efficacy and safety of the H2-receptor antagonists famotidine and ranitidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcer. Patients received 40 mg famotidine (119 patients) or 300 mg ranitidine (115 patients) once daily at bedtime for 4 weeks. If ulcer lesions persisted, treatment was extended to 6 weeks. Efficacy was assessed by relief of symptoms and endoscopic findings of ulcer healing. Safety was determined on the basis of reports of side effects, results of laboratory tests, and, in selected patients, changes in plasma levels of hormones. The 4- and 6-week healing rates achieved with famotidine were 76% and 91%, respectively, and with ranitidine they were 76% and 87%, respectively; the differences in healing rates for the two drugs were not statistically significant. Similarly, both drugs provided satisfactory relief of pain and dyspeptic symptoms. However, famotidine produced significantly (P less than 0.05) greater relief of postprandial fullness and heartburn. The incidence of untoward effects was low in both treatment groups, and abnormal results in laboratory tests were observed in only one patient, a chronic alcoholic receiving famotidine, who withdrew from the study because of a slight elevation in serum transaminase levels. One patient in the ranitidine treatment group dropped out of the study because of a generalized urticarial rash; however, a causal relationship between drug and effect could not be established. The authors conclude that famotidine may be regarded as the best alternative to ranitidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Treatment of urinary infections: clinical perspectives.

The present study was carried out with the aim of comparing the microbiological and clinical efficacy of norfloxacin, cinoxacin and aztreonam in urinary tract infections. Patients were tested who had infections of the higher and/or lower urinary tracts associated with complicating factors. The microorganism most frequently isolated in these individuals was Escherichia coli. The assays carried out with the aim of testing the in vitro antibacterial activity (agar diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration) on the microorganisms responsible for the infections, as well as the evaluation of clinical efficacy, showed that norfloxacin has a wider antibacterial spectrum of action and inhibitory activity greater than the other two drugs tested.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Serum theophylline concentrations and pulmonary function tests after administration of two sustained-release formulations containing theophylline in patients affected by chronic obstructive lung disease.

We compared serum theophylline concentrations in patients treated with one of two commercially available theophylline preparations: a sustained-release aminophylline and a sustained-release theophylline. Two comparable groups of 15 out-patients with stable, chronic obstructive lung diseases were studied: one group was given sustained-release aminophylline while the other took sustained-release theophylline. Both drugs were administered orally for 7 days at a daily dose, equivalent to 12 mg/kg in terms of anhydrous theophylline. Serum theophylline concentrations were always significantly lower after treatment with sustained-release aminophylline than after treatment with sustained-release theophylline, which latter frequently caused undesirable side-effects. Moreover, patients receiving sustained-release aminophylline always showed serum theophylline concentrations lower than 10 mcg/ml. Pulmonary function tests were unaffected by the administration of either drug. We conclude that sustained-release theophylline is more effective than sustained-release aminophylline in terms of induced serum theophylline concentrations. However neither drug was suitable for the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive lung disease without other concomitant therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Histamine-induced bronchial response after administration of placebo, salbutamol and a combination of a beta-2-adrenergic drug (fenoterol) with an anticholinergic agent (ipratropium bromide) in asymptomatic asthma patients.

We examined 12 non-smoking patients affected by extrinsic bronchial asthma in steady state. Histamine PD20 FEV1 was assessed 4 h after the administration of salbutamol 200 micrograms, a combination of fenoterol 200 micrograms and ipratropium bromide 80 micrograms, and placebo. Despite the absence of any relevant bronchodilator effect, both salbutamol and the combination fenoterol + ipratropium bromide showed a strong protective effect against the bronchial response to histamine compared to placebo, the combination being more effective than salbutamol (p less than 0.05). Our data suggest that, when bronchial challenges with histamine are performed, airway response may be a consequence of both a direct action of such an agent on H1 receptors and of an associated cholinergic reflex.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

A multicenter double-blind controlled trial comparing lidamidine HCl and loperamide in the symptomatic treatment of acute diarrhoea.

The efficacy of 1-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-3-methyl-amidinourea hydrochloride (lidamidine HCl, WHR-1142 A) an aryl-substituted amidinourea recently synthesized, was compared with that of loperamide in 32 patients with acute diarrhoea. The results of the study show that lidamidine HCl and loperamide had comparable effects in the pharmacological treatment of acute non-specific diarrhoea. Lidamidine HCl was also shown to be well tolerated; side-effects were generally minor and self-limiting.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Bronchoprovocation tests in bronchial asthma and other respiratory disorders: a short review and some personal contributions.

The purpose of this paper, after a brief review of the main features of bronchoprovocation challenges, was to determine whether the administration of an ultrasonic mist of distilled water can influence the bronchial tone of normal subjects and patients affected by various respiratory disorders, in order to assess the effectiveness of this bronchoprovocation test in discriminating between patients. Of the 129 subjects tested 13 were classified as normal, 60 as extrinsic asthmatics, 21 as intrinsic asthmatics, 25 as allergic rhinitics and 37 as chronic bronchitics. Ultrasonic mist, was administered for 5 min and the bronchial response was evaluated in terms of difference between that after the mist minus baseline values of specific airways conductance. The data suggest that the bronchial challenge with ultrasonic mist, a safe, non-pharmacological and simple test, allows a good discrimination between asthma patients and those affected by other respiratory disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

A report of seven long survivors for evidence of prognostic factors in hairy cell leukemia.

The clinical hematologic and pathologic findings of 30 patients with hairy cell leukemia observed between 1966 and 1979 were studied. Twelve patients had long-lasting course of the disease. Seven of them displayed a survival greater than or equal to 120 months, whereas 18 patients died within 36 months of the diagnosis. Their clinical and laboratory characteristics (age of onset, sex, ESR, hemoglobin, WBC, neutrophils, monocytes, platelets, spleen and liver size) were analyzed to ascertain possible prognostic features. Multivariate discriminant analysis, performed both with a direct method and with a stepwise method (Wilks' method), provided a discriminant function able to correctly predict the prognosis of the disease in 83.3% of the examined cases. Spleen size, neutrophil count, age of onset, ESR and liver size turned out to be the most important prognostic factors; in contrast, splenectomy did not significantly affect the prognosis in our cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Neurobehavioural comparison of low-risk preterm and fullterm infants at term conceptional age.

The neurobehavioural performances of 20 low-risk preterm infants born at 33 weeks gestation or less were examined with the Brazelton Scale at the expected date of delivery, and 20 healthy fullterm infants were also examined on the fifth day of life. The preterm infants were significantly inferior in orientation, motor performance, regulation of state and autonomic regulation. With the exception of autonomic regulation, the neurobehavioural clusters were more heterogeneous among the preterm group. The data suggest that low gestational age at birth, even following relatively normal pre-, peri- and neonatal development, is associated with a behavioural repertoire which is different, more heterogeneous and on average poorer than that of fullterm infants.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1980

Multicentre study of soybean protein diet for outpatient hyper-cholesterolaemic patients.

The animal proteins in a low-lipid, low-cholesterol diet were substituted with a textured soybean preparation for 127 outpatients with stable type II hyperlipoproteinaemia selected from eight Italian and one Swiss lipid clinics. Eight weeks of the modified diet reduced plasma cholesterol by 23.1% in the 67 participating male patients and by 25.3% in the 60 females. No significant changes in plasma triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and body weight were recorded. Better reductions in plasma cholesterol occurred in non-familial cases and in very young male patients. The acceptable taste of the soybean preparation used in this study, and its easy handling, indicate that this type of dietary treatment may be suitable for outpatients.

Adult↗