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Biomedical subjects

G Mosconi

Publications and source records attributed to G Mosconi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Multihormonal control of vitellogenin mRNA expression in the liver of frog, Rana esculenta.

In Rana esculenta in an in vitro system, hepatic vitellogenin synthesis can be induced by growth hormone in both sexes. In this study: (1) the ability of this hormone to induce transcription of the VTG gene was determined, and (2) this ability was compared with that of estradiol-17 beta. The results indicate that growth hormone stimulates VTG mRNA transcription both in vivo and in vitro, in both sexes. The levels of mRNA are related to protein levels in the medium. In addition, seasonal variation occurs in the VTG gene transcription under growth hormone and estradiol-17 beta; indeed the more active inducer was growth hormone during the reproductive period and estradiol-17 beta during the preproductive phase.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Efficacy of femoral intra-arterial administration of teicoplanin in gram-positive diabetic foot infections.

In this study the efficacy and safety femoral intra-arterial administration of teicoplanin in the treatment of diabetic foot infections caused by gram-positive bacteria were evaluated. Twenty-five hospitalized diabetic patients with foot ulcers or with foot ulcers and metatarsophalangeal osteomyelitis were included in the study. In the ulcers Staphylococcus aureus was present alone in 16 patients and was associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 2 patients, with Candida albicans in 2, and with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus in 1 patient. In 4 patients other gram-positive bacteria were isolated. All isolated strains were resistant to various antibiotics tested. Teicoplanin, 200 mg, was administered once a day by femoral intra-arterial injection for an average period of 14.72 +/- 7.16 days (range ten to thirty-six days). Six patients were treated with an additional antibiotic intramuscularly or intravenously because of a mixed infection. At the end of the therapy microbiological assessment confirmed that gram-positive infection was eliminated in all patients. Clinical outcome demonstrated that healing occurred in 18 patients (72%) and improvement in 7 patients (28%). No adverse drug reactions were observed during the treatment. The results demonstrate that femoral intra-arterial administration of teicoplanin was highly effective in skin- and bone-infected lesions in the diabetic foot. This method may represent a further advantage in management of this severe diabetic complication.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Is Ace inhibitor treatment a possible cause of better cardiovascular remodelling in well functioning kidney transplant?

Diseases of the cardiovascular system are a common cause of death in renal transplanted patients. In this study we assessed the echocardiographic morphological and functional findings after renal transplantation of two homogenous groups of transplanted patients with normal renal function. The first (A) with spontaneously normotensive patients, the second (B) with moderate hypertension treated mainly with Ace inhibitors. Analysis of these data highlights two noteworthy results: the similar left ventricle hypertrophy found in both groups and the existence of better diastolic compliance among the hypertensive transplanted patients. If this is confirmed by studies currently in progress, the importance of Ace-inhibitors treatment in remodelling cardiac dysfunction after long term dialysis treatment might be seriously considered.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Metal determinations in biological specimens of diseased and non-diseased hard metal workers.

Biological monitoring of Co, Ta and W, using mainly neutron activation analysis, was carried out on the urine, blood, pubic hair and toe nails of 251 subjects occupationally exposed to hard metal dusts (23 individuals were diagnosed as 'diseased subjects', affected by asthma and/or lung fibrosis). Airborne dust at hard metal workplaces were also analyzed for Co and W content. Cobalt and tungsten exposure at workplaces varied widely and frequently exceeded the TLV (0.05 mg Co/m3). Cobalt in urine (CoU), which is better than Co in blood (CoB), could represent a valuable indicator in discriminating between exposed groups, but is of little value as an indicator of exposure for single individuals. The high concentrations of cobalt in public hair (CoH) and toe nails (CoN) could also be valuable indicators of exposure although they are not useful, however, in establishing quantitatively the levels of cobalt accumulation. Tungsten and tantalum in pubic hair (WH and TaH) and toe nails (WN and TaN) also seem to be useful indicators in proving hard metal exposure qualitatively. The determination of these two elements, rather than cobalt, in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is very useful in complementing the diagnosis of hard metal disease proving hard metal exposure. The analysis of the BAL subfractions showed that W and Ta were firmly incorporated into the macrophage fraction while Co was distributed between cellular fraction and supernatant, which suggests a different mobility of hard metals in pulmonary tissue. The metal concentrations determined when submitted to statistical analysis indicated a positive correlation with P < 0.001 for the pairs (CoB-CoU), (Co-W) in urine, and (Co-W) in toe nails. Multielement analysis of biological specimens from diseased subjects suggests that hard metal disease does not relate to Co, W and Ta levels in the specimens considered. The disease does not depend on sex, age, working age and length of hard metal exposure. These findings support the theory on the possible haptenic properties of Co which may induce hypersensitivity and immuno-related toxic effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Cobalt myocardiopathy. A critical review of literature.

Cobalt is regarded as being responsible for a form of myocardiopathy whose pathogenesis and clinical description must still find a specific place in the range of congestive myocardiopathies. In spite of this, epidemiological studies are not sufficient to prove the role of cobalt in inducing myocardiopathy in hard metal workers. This critical review intends to evaluate if hard metal exposure may induce toxic effects on the heart. In this context, the literature considered ranges from pioneer reports on 'beer drinkers' to the more recent papers concerning cases of patients occupationally exposed; subjects who, after a surgical operation died of fulminant heart failure and, lastly, hard metal workers who were examined for their cardiac function. Various pathogenetic mechanisms related to possible cardiac effects in hard metal workers have been analyzed. The most likely should be the inhibition of cellular respiration due to inhibition of the mitochondrial dehydrogenase.

Beer↗
PubMed1994

Cobalt exposure in 'hard metal' and diamonds grinding tools manufacturing and in grinding processes.

Cobalt is considered to play a major role in the development of 'hard metal' interstitial lung disease, asthma and other adverse health effects. A survey of occupational exposure of workers is a fundamental step to obtain exposure-response information and for preventive action. Process related exposure assessment was performed before and after technical control in small and medium size factories in a large surveillance programme. Cobalt containing airborne dusts were sampled by performing multiple measurements at the workplace of each process in which the types of job and duration of exposure were similar. Samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Very high exposure levels encountered before technical control were significantly lowered with efficient local exhaust ventilation plant in 'hard metal' and grinding processes, but sometimes the TLV of 0.05 mg/m3 were exceeded. In the manufacture of grinding tools, major steps in cobalt control by local ventilation was not able to keep exposure below the TLV; exposures from 0.12 to 0.75 mg/m3 were recurrent and these need control strategies.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1994

Occupational exposure to metallic cobalt in the Province of Bergamo. Results of a 1991 survey.

The results of a survey on workers potentially exposed to cobalt in the Bergamo Province are reported. Its aim is to assess the number of workers at risk of developing respiratory disease due to the inhalation of metallic cobalt. Interest was shown after an examination of 11 cases of 'hard metal disease', which we diagnosed, in workers who came from different production areas and had different degrees of exposure. A first group of 45 factories with potential cobalt exposure was identified by consulting the archives of the Local Sanitary Units (USSL) and of the Chamber of Commerce, and by use of the telephone directory and requesting information from the producers and users of Widia tools. A second group of 2039 factories was selected from those industrial activities where we had previously ascertained the presence of grinding operations using hard metal tools with diamond wheels. This study is related to all the factories in the first group and 10% of the factories in the second group. More than 304 inspections were carried out. In this context 403 exposed workers were identified. Workplace air measurements (250 samples) and biological monitoring (> 600 samples) to determine the exposure levels to cobalt were performed. The results show an unexpected diffuse occupational exposure in different production areas where the airborne cobalt is frequently underestimated and higher than the TLV.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1994

Cobalt excretion in urine: results of a study on workers producing diamond grinding tools and on a control group.

A study was carried out on cobalt (Co) excretion in the urine of 12 workers exposed to known cobalt concentrations in the stone cutting diamond wheel production and in six volunteers: four of these were exposed in the same work environment for a whole workshift and the other two were exposed to cobalt in a cabin under experimental conditions. The kinetics of the urinary excretion was multiphase: (i) a first stage of rapid elimination (T 1/2' = 43.9 h); (ii) a second phase of slower elimination (T 1/2'' = 10 days); (iii) a longer period of retention, of the order of years, in subjects with higher exposure. In the control group (4 subjects), the excretion proved to be much faster in the first stage (T 1/2' = 20 h). The different behaviour of the two groups could be related to the different body burden, of cobalt and/or to the possibility of different kinetics induced by continuous exposure to the metal. Moreover, 3 weeks after the removal of the workers from exposure the urinary cobalt concentrations were not within the normal limits of CoU for the general population, (even for workers exposed to cobalt levels of the same order as the TLV). The increase of CoU concentrations in the first 3 h after the end of exposure, stresses the problem of when urine samples for biological monitoring of the workers should be collected. The present study confirms the utility of CoU in discriminating between exposed and non-exposed subjects as well as in assessing high and low level exposure.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Cobalt speciation in urine of hard metal workers. A study carried out by nuclear and radioanalytical techniques.

A method for the determination of inorganic and organically-bound cobalt in human urine has been developed and applied to the urine of hard metal workers. The development was based on the use of the radionuclides 57Co, 58Co and 60Co-labelled Co compounds such as Co-Vitamin B12 and CO2+ ions which allowed the study of their biotransformations in human and rat urine. The proposed procedure is based on the use of Chelex 100 resin which retains quantitatively the inorganic Co from the urine while the organic complexed form of the element is eluted. Cobalt is detected in both column and eluate by neutron activation analysis (NAA). The method has been applied to speciate inorganic and organically-bound Co in the urine of hard metal workers. There is a significant increase (P < 0.02) of the ratio inorganic/organic Co (2.3) in the urine of workers compared with controls (1.01), showing an increase of the inorganic fraction of Co in the urine of workers. The ratio was constant for the wide range of urinary Co analyzed (from 180 micrograms to 1254 micrograms Co/l). Therefore, the discrimination between inorganic and organic Co in urine should not represent progress in the biological monitoring of Co compared with the determination of total urinary Co. However, a large amount of organically-complexed Co is formed in the body of hard metal workers and excreted in urine, thus, investigations of the nature of the organo-cobalt compounds are of fundamental importance in establishing their possible clinical significance.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1994

Bronchoalveolar lavage and its role in diagnosing cobalt lung disease.

The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of two groups of hard metal workers (11 subjects) were examined and compared with BALs of 14 unexposed individuals as controls. The first group of workers included five asymptomatic subjects (2 females and 3 males) with normal lung function tests and chest X-rays. All the workers had been exposed daily to hard metal dust for 5 years before fiberoptic bronchoscopy. The second group of workers included six individuals (1 female and 5 males) with cobalt lung disease at biopsy. The BAL's cytology at the deep lung level is in agreement with a possible immunologic pathogenesis of the lung disease, similar to hypersensitivity pneumonitis (lymphocytosis with helper-suppressor ratio reduction). In order to identify diagnostic key-parameters, the data presented here are compared with data reported in literature for workers with a history of hard metal or cobalt (alone) exposure. Although the BAL can be useful, for a better definition of the reaction at the deep lung level, it seems insufficient per se for the diagnosis of hard metal lung disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Cardiac function study in hard metal workers.

The induction of cardiac effects in hard metal workers is uncertain. This study investigates cardiac function of a group of 31 hard metal workers with or without pulmonary disease. The average duration of exposure to cobalt containing dusts was 10.4 years (range 1-30), while the environmental levels of cobalt exposure ranged from 0.09 to 13.6 mg/m3 Co. Cardiac function has been studied by: ECG (electrocardiogram), exercise test (ET), ECG 24 h according to Holter (ECGH), echocardiogram (ECHO) and radionuclide angiocardiography with 99Tc (RNA). The aims of this work were (i) to show the existence of cobalt myocardiopathy in the workers analyzed and, (ii) to find an early indicator of cardiac dysfunction which could be used in the clinical examination of hard metal workers. Within the group of patients with hard metal lung disease, cases of myocardiopathy of doubtful aetiology have been found. The cardiac indexes obtained through RNA show ventricular dysfunction in healthy hard metal workers which could be a manifestation of initial pulmonary artery hypertension or of an early occult cor pulmonale due to an unknown fibrotic lung disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Hard metal disease: eight workers with interstitial lung fibrosis due to cobalt exposure.

Eight hard metal workers exposed to cobalt containing dust (four producers of stone-cutting cobalt-diamond wheels and four grinders of hard metal tools) and affected by interstitial lung fibrosis have been examined. A close relationship between cobalt exposure and clinical findings was observed in six patients who were still working. The clinical picture ranged from minor symptoms to manifestations resembling those of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, with fever, weight-loss, non-productive cough and dyspnea. A restrictive impairment of the ventilatory function was prevalent. The chest roentgenogram of one patient showed a diffuse reticular nodular pattern, while the others presented a mild reticular accentuation of the interstitium. In five patients, bioptic specimens of the lung parenchyma showed interstitial collagenic fibrosis with inflammatory cells infiltrating the alveolar septa. An increased number of lymphocytes and polymorphs was reported in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from seven patients. Giant multinucleated cells were present in the BAL of four subjects while an inversion of the helper-suppressor ratio was evident in those patients who were still exposed to cobalt when BAL was performed. In this study, the causal role of metallic cobalt inhalation in the etiology of the lung disease is examined and discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The European Congress on Cobalt and Hard Metal Disease. Conclusions, highlights and need of future studies.

This article summarizes the present state of the art and some recommendations for solutions to problems identified by the European Congress on Cobalt and Hard Metal Disease on the basis of the papers and posters presented, as well as a round table discussion which produced several dominant questions and revealed areas of weakness and uncertainty. The round table discussion (chairman, Professor E. Capodaglio) focussed on the following aspects: (i) Monitoring (opinion leaders: R. Lauwerys, E. Sabbioni). (ii) Mechanisms of toxicity (opinion leaders: B. Nemery, N.L. Sprince, G. Scansetti). (iii) Health effects (opinion leaders: G. Nordberg, I.B. Andersen). (iv) Diagnosis/health surveillance (opinion leaders: G. Chiappino, S. Hernberg, S. Brown).

Cobalt↗
PubMed1994

Seasonal changes in plasma growth hormone and prolactin concentrations of the frog Rana esculenta.

Plasma growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), and vitellogenin (VTG) concentrations were determined during the annual reproductive cycle of the frog Rana esculenta. Plasma GH and PRL were measured using a RIA that employed purified bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) GH and PRL as standards and radioligand, and their respective antibodies. Using ELISA, plasma VTG titers were related to ovarian weight. GH, PRL, and VTG displayed different trends related to season and sex. In male frogs the GH and PRL trends have been found parallel, showing the highest concentrations (35 and 85 ng/ml, respectively) during the winter months. In the female frogs, the GH trend behaved differently from that in males; in fact, plasma GH changed during the annual reproductive cycle, showing two main peaks occurring during the reproductive period and the autumn ovarian recrudescence that are well correlated with the vitellogenesis as well as with the main changes in ovarian weight.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Seasonal changes of plasma prolactin concentration in the reproduction of the crested newt (Triturus carnifex Laur).

Plasma prolactin (PRL) and vitellogenin (VTG) concentrations were determined during the annual reproductive cycle of the newt Triturus carnifex Laur. Plasma PRL was measured by a radioimmunoassay using purified newt (Cynops pyrrogaster) PRL as standard and radioligand and its antibodies. Using ELISA, plasma VTG titers were related to ovarian weight. The trends in PRL differed in the two sexes: the PRL changes seemed to be related with vitellogenic processes in the female, whereas they were more related to reproductive behavior in the male.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Opioid peptide modulation of stress-induced plasma steroid changes in the frog Rana esculenta.

The present paper aims to evaluate whether a neuroendocrine system including opioids accounts for the effects of stress in the frog, Rana esculenta. Using an acute-stress paradigm, the involvement of hypothalamic opioid peptides was investigated biochemically as well as by in vivo studies. HPLC and RIA investigations confirm the presence of beta-endorphin-like peptides in the brain of this frog. Several immunoreactive peaks are present, two of them coeluting with beta-endorphin and acetyl beta-endorphin reference peptides. Quantitative evaluation revealed that the beta-EP content of 24-hr captured animals was higher than that in fresh captured ones. The stress paradigm applied here was consistent with the measurement of plasma androgens and corticosterone levels in females after short-captivity confinement. In comparison with fresh-captured animals, a sharp decrease of these levels was found within 10-24 hr after capture. These effects were reversed by naltrexone, a long-acting opioid antagonist, after 24 hr of treatment. In fact, in the captive animals injected with 100 ng of naltrexone, the plasma androgen titers remained low at the 10th hour postcapture, but rose to the control levels within 24 hr. A similar effect was found for the plasma corticosterone levels. These data demonstrate that, in this anuran, endogenous opioids could mediate the stress-induced inhibition of gonadal function, and perhaps the inhibition of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Androgens↗
PubMed1994

Ovarian melanotropic peptides and adaptation in two teleostean species: Sparus aurata L. and Dicentrarchus labrax L.

The ovarian tissue of Dicentrarchus labrax and Sparus aurata displays two immunoreactive peaks that correspond to the elution time of human des-acetyl alpha-MSH [ACTH(1-13)-amide] and human alpha-MSH. In view of the close identity between the primary structure of fish and human alpha-MSH, these data demonstrate that two MSH-related peptides are present both in sea bream and sea bass ovary. alpha-MSH-like immunoreactivity was found within both granulosa and thecal layers of mature follicles, as well as in the cytoplasm of oogonia of sea bream and sea bass ovary. Gonadal content of ACTH(1-13)-amide and alpha-MSH display differences with regard to season, showing the highest peptide levels in reproductive animals. Moreover, the alpha-MSH content is significantly higher in the ovary of fish farm animals, whereas that of ACTH(1-13)-amide prevails in wild fish ovary.

Adaptation, Physiological↗