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Biomedical subjects

G Penno

Publications and source records attributed to G Penno.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of guar-pasta on serum lipid levels in obese diabetic and non-diabetic women with normal lipids.

Alternative medications for hyperlipidemia management have been continuously searched for above all because currently employed drugs appear not to be effective or are poorly tolerated. Fibers, such as guar-gum, seem to be able to reduce cholesterol levels, but their extensive and long-term use is beset by the high incidence of gastrointestinal side-effects. In this study the administration of guar-enriched pasta has proved to reduce fasting and post-prandial cholesterol levels significantly in 15 obese normocholesterolemic women (5 diabetics and 10 non-diabetics). The women reported good palatableness of guar-pasta without any side-effects.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Endogenous digitalis-like factors (EDLF) in obese individuals: preliminary results.

We measured by RIA the serum and urinary digoxin-like immunoreactivity (EDLF) in 8 subjects with severe obesity and in 10 healthy, non-obese individuals (as a control group), to evidentiate whether circulating and urinary levels of EDLF are increased in obesity. For each individual, we measured the mean EDLF on two sera collected consecutively on two successive mornings, between 8-9 a.m. and the daily urinary EDLF excretion. Every subject collected his/her 24 hour urine in 5 different timed fractions. For each urine fraction, we measured the excretion of EDLF, electrolytes (Na and K), and creatinine. In obese people, the mean serum digoxin-like immunoreactivity (no. 8, 27.3 +/- 8.7 ng/L de) was significantly higher (unpaired t test, p = 0.0002) than in the controls (no. 10, 12.0 +/- 7.3 ng/L de), whereas control and obese subjects had superimposable 24 hour EDLF urinary excretion. Urinary excretion of EDLF significantly changed throughout the day in normals, but not in obese people. In a multiple stepwise regression analysis, urinary K+ and Na+ significantly (p less than 0.01) contributed to the regression with urinary EDLF (EDLF = 76.9 + 0.67 K+ - 0.24 Na+; R = 0.601, no. 40) in obese individuals. The in vivo kinetic and metabolic pathways of EDLF are conceivably different in obese and normal subjects. A difference in the production rate, binding to plasma proteins and/or removal mechanisms could explain the findings of higher circulating levels with normal EDLF urinary excretion in obese persons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Integrin Beta 3 PlA1/PlA2 polimorphism does not contribute to complications in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes].

BACKGROUND: The glycoprotein IIIa (beta3 integrin) is an integral part of two glicoprotein receptors of platelets and, respectively, endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cells. The gene encoding the GPIIIa, a receptor for fibrinogen, vWF and fibronectin, shows polymorphism (PlA1/PlA2); the PlA2 allele has been associated with myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Seven hundred and thirty-two subjects with type 1 diabetes and 605 subjects with type 2 were recruited. The prevalence of complications in type 1 diabetes was: microalbuminuria (uA) 17%, overt nephropathy (MA) 10%; background retinopathy (bR) 27%, proliferative retinopathy (pR) 22%; hypertension (HYP) 13%; coronary heart disease (CHD) 9%. The respective figures for type 2 diabetes were: uA 34%, MA 21%; bR 38%, pR 18%; HYP 80%; CHD 26%. A 247 bp fragment (exon 2) was amplified by PCR. For the detection of the point mutation CDGE (Constant Denaturing Gel Electrophoresis) after optimum denaturing conditions setting by DGGE (Denaturing Gradient GE) and/or RFLP by NciI digestion were employed. RESULTS: In type 1 diabetes, PlA1PlA1/PlA1PlA2 distribution was 77/23%. No differences were found among normoalbuminuric (nA: 76/24%), microalbuminuric (uA: 79/21%) and macroalbuminuric subjects (MA: 75/25%, p=0.79) as well as among subjects with no retinopathy (Ret-) (74/26%), bR (76/24%) and pR (78/22%, p=0.81), and between HYP- (78/22%) and HYP+ (72/28%, p=0.27) as well as CHD- (76/24%) and CHD+ (75/25%, p=0.72). Systolic blood pressure, HbA1c and retinopathy were independent predictors of nephropathy. No contribution of diastolic BP, sex, BMI, duration of diabetes and PlA2 allele was found for the risk of nephropathy. In type 2 diabetes, PlA1PlA1/PlA1PlA2/PlA2PlA2 distribution was 74.4/23.3/2.3%, with no differences foud among nA (73/25/2%), uA (75/23/2%) and MA (81/17/2%, p=0.66). No significant difference was detected among subjects with Ret- (74/22/4%), bR (77/22/1%) and pR (77/22/1%, p=0.62). Also, no differences were found between HYP- (81/17/2%) and HYP+ (74/24/2%, p=0.28) as well CHD- (76/22/2%) and CHD+ (74/24/2%, p=0.93). Systolic BP, HbA1c, presence of retinopathy, gender and BMI were independent predictors of nephropathy. Diastolic BP, duration of diabetes and PlA2 allele did not contribute to the risk of nephropathy. CONCLUSIONS: The PlA1/PlA2 polymorphism of the GPIIIa gene does not contribute to the development of nephropathy or retinopathy in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, no association was found between the PlA1/PlA2 polymorphism, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Efficacy of sulfonylurea and sulfonylurea-benfluorex therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with commercial sulfonylurea-biguanide combinations].

This study tests the possibility to avoid the use of phenformin in 40 type 2 (non insulin dependent) diabetic patients treated with the commercial sulphonylurea-phenformin combinations. In diabetic patients treated with sulphonylureas and phenformin at low dosage (glibenclamide 5 mg and phenformin 50 mg) it was possible to maintain good glycometabolic control using only the sulphonylurea gliclazide (160 mg/die). The diabetic patients on treatment with sulphonylureas and phenformin at higher dosage (glibenclamide 7.5 mg and phenformin 75 mg) may further improve their metabolic control when transferred to a gliclazide-benfluorex combination 160 mg and 300 mg/die, respectively. These results suggest the possibility of withdrawing or replacing phenformin in the therapy of type 2 diabetic patients without modifying their glycometabolic control.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Measurement of urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in diabetic patients: immunonephelometry versus radioimmunoassay.

We have compared the chemico-clinical characteristics of an immuno-nephelometric technique (INA) with those of a solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) method for the measurement of urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in diabetic patients. The UAE was evaluated in 227 diabetics; all, except 9, were Albustix-negative. The calibration of the nephelometer apparatus every time before the assay did significantly improve the accuracy and precision of the INA method. Similar values were obtained with the two methods (INA = 2.1 + 0.95 RIA, n = 227, r = 0.969) through all the ranges of albumin concentration explored. INA seems as suitable as RIA for the assay of UAE in diabetics. The two methods are comparably accurate and precise. However, RIA appears more sensitive than INA, while immunonephelometric system is easier and faster to perform (up to 200 samples can be assayed in about 1 hour, while 2-4 hours are necessary with RIA), with fewer handling steps. The INA instrumentation is automated and the reagents are more stable and less hazardous than those used in RIA. However, due to the cost of the nephelometer apparatus, the INA technique may be employed by those laboratories which have already this instrumentation or by those which will use it in the next future for the assay of other analytes in addition to albumin.

Albuminuria↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A computerized information system for diabetes services.

The utilization of a computer-assisted information system may be both useful and efficacious in the care and follow-up of diabetic patients. The model developed by us operates under GCOS-6 on a Microsystem 6/10 Honeywell computer (20 MB hard-disk storage, 512 kb central memory) and allows the creation of clinical data files for individual patients, statistical analysis of the data, and a print-out of clinical records. The package, which may be employed on a multi-user system, is supplied with an easy to understand user's manual. It represents an effective tool for the precise management of the care of diabetic patients and also provides several opportunities for research.

Diabetes Mellitus↗