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Biomedical subjects

G Rossi

Publications and source records attributed to G Rossi.

At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources

[Prolactin in chronic alcoholic liver diseases with and without gynecomastia].

The Authors, after having examined the factors responsible for the hyperprolactinemia in the cirrhotic, confirm the lack of a relationship between the increase in the prolactinic reserve and gynecomastia and between the amount of the prolactinic reserve and the degree of liver disorder. While hyperestrinism and the false transmitters lost most of their pathogenetic importance, other factors such as GABA, the Serotonin and the VIP, offered a new pathogenetic prospective. The prolactin reserve was studied in 63 patients affected by cirrhosis and in 25 affected by fibrosis and hepatic fibrosteatosis, pointing out an increase in the prolactin reserve in 61% of cirrhotic patients and an absence of pathological reports in patients affected by fibrotic hepatopathies. These data confirm the low pathogenetic responsability to be strictly ascribed to ethanol and the preminent role of liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension in the prolactin turnover.

Fatty Liver, Alcoholic↗

Primary intracranial tumors. Survey of incidence in the province of Trento in the years 1977-1981.

The incidence rate of primary intracranial tumors in the Province of Trento from 1977 to 1981 was 7.4 per 100,000 inhabitants per year. The age curve is as reported by other authors, with two peaks, one early and the other, much higher, at 50-59 years. This curve reflects that of malignant tumors in males. The age-adjusted crude rate in males proved to be 7.4 (4.9 for malignant and 2.5 for benign tumors). The corresponding value in females was 7.4 (3.5 and 4.0). The most frequent tumors in males were astrocytomas, grades III and IV (M/F ratio = 1.6), and in females meningiomas (M/F ratio = 0.6). Hypophyseal adenomas, which accounted for 15.4% of all tumors, had an M/F ratio of 0.4. The factors likely to be responsible for the differences in incidence rates reported in the various surveys are discussed.

Adenoma↗

Relationships between acoustic reflex patterns elicited by unfiltered white noise and narrow band white noise stimuli of different duration but of the same intensity.

For the purpose of this study, acoustic signals were generated by an Amplaid MK VI. An Amplaid 702 impedence meter was connected to its averaging section and to its computer. The stimuli were bursts of unfiltered white noise (UWN) and of narrow band white noise (NBWN; 30 db./oct/slope; central frequencies 1,000, 2,000, 4,000 Hz.) lasting 3-1,000 msec., at intensity of 105 db. SPL p.e. The following parameters were evaluated: stapedius contraction latency, amplitude, duration and recruitment time. It was found that latency was independent of the spectrum of the stimulus and its duration. Amplitude and recruitment time, on the other hand, were related to spectrum and duration, while duration of contraction was directly related to the duration of the stimulus only.

Adult↗

Effect of naloxone on oxytocin-induced cortisol decrease in normal men.

iv administration of oxytocin decreases plasma ACTH-cortisol levels in normal men. In contrast, naloxone, a specific opioid antagonist, stimulates cortisol release, suggesting that opioid peptides exert an inhibitory control on ACTH-cortisol secretion. The present study was carried out in an attempt to determine whether an opioid pathway mediates oxytocin action; therefore, we evaluated the effect of naloxone on the decrease of cortisol induced by oxytocin. Six normal men were treated iv with oxytocin (2 IU as a bolus), naloxone (4 mg as a bolus plus 10 mg infused for 2 h) or a combination of the 2 drugs. Plasma cortisol levels were determined in samples taken before and 2 h after drug treatment. As expected, administration of oxytocin significantly decreased cortisol secretion, while naloxone had a stimulatory effect on plasma cortisol levels. When oxytocin injection was followed by administration of naloxone, cortisol levels remained unchanged; thus, naloxone abolished a cortisol decrement in response to oxytocin. These findings show that in man oxytocin requires an active opioid system in order to produce its inhibitory action on ACTH-cortisol secretion, suggesting that this effect of oxytocin could be mediated by an opioid pathway.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty: influence of complications on long-term blood pressure results.

Natural history and outcome of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) in renovascular hypertension (RVH) were assessed retrospectively in 52 patients in whom 62 PTRAs were successfully performed. Complications were observed in 16 patients: prolonged and extensive arterial spasms in eight, severe intimal dissection of the main renal artery in five, arterial thrombosis at the site of PTRA in two and acute deterioration of renal function in one. All the complications cleared up with medical treatment except for one major dissection occluding the distal branches, which required surgery. According to the Co-operative Study, after 1-5 years of follow-up, 21 patients (40.4%) were cured, 27 (51.9%) improved and four (7.7%) did not improve. The long-term results on blood pressure in both uncomplicated and complicated cases were better in fibrodysplasia (61.5% cured, 34.6% improved and 3.8% not improved) than in atherosclerosis (17.4% cured, 69.6% improved and 13% not improved). In the last 21 PTRAs performed, in which verapamil (200-1500 micrograms) was given as a bolus injection into the stenotic artery before dilatation, the complication rate was significantly lower. It is concluded that PTRA is an effective treatment for RVH; complications occurred in 25.8% of PTRAs and resulted in poor control of blood pressure in atherosclerosis but not in fibrodysplasia; premedication with verapamil into the stenotic renal artery reduced the complication rate.

Adult↗

Intra-erythrocytic sodium content in normotensive offspring of normotensive and hypertensive subjects: an epidemiological study.

An increase in intra-erythrocytic sodium (IENa) content has been proposed as a genetic marker of essential hypertension. Intra-erythrocytic sodium was studied using hypotonic lysis and flame photometry after four washings with isotonic MgCl2 in 240 normotensive subjects (aged 10-45 years) on a free diet with (F+, 121 patients) or without (F-, 119 patients) hypertensive parents, recruited from a random sample of the general population. Systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in males F+ than in males F- (130 +/- 2 versus 125 +/- 2 mmHg, mean +/- s.e.m., P < 0.05), while IENa did not differ. In contrast, intra-erythrocytic potassium content (IEK) was significantly lower and red cell sodium potassium (Na:K) ratio significantly higher in F+ than F-. This might reflect decreased NaK pump activity, or increased membrane permeability to cations which causes increased K leakage. No differences in blood pressure, IENa or IEK showed in female F+ versus F-. It is concluded that IENa is not a genetic marker of hypertension, and that it is probably influenced by exogenous factors. Being associated with differences in blood pressure, the abnormalities of IEK and Na:K ratio might be pathogenetically linked to an early increase in blood pressure.

Adolescent↗

[Radiological diagnosis of neoplasms of the small intestine (personal contribution on 60 cases)].

The authors reviewed critically the radiologic diagnosis and the investigation methods (plain abdomen, barium follow-through, small bowel enema, angiography, lymphography, abdomen c.t.), of 60 patients operated for small bowel tumors, either benign or malignant. They compare the radiologic diagnosis with the surgical findings and discuss the validity of the different methods on the basis of the results obtained.

Barium Sulfate↗

[CT in the evaluation of the extension of bronchogenic carcinoma].

The computed tomographic patterns in 52 patients with histologically proven lung cancer are reported. The AA. underline the not sobstitutive role of C.T. scan in pre-operative determination of bronchogenic carcinoma extension. C.T. revealed a very high diagnostic accuracy in assessing the primary tumor extension and in evaluating distant macrometastases; however, in showing hilar and mediastinal nodal involvement has not the same accuracy. The AA. think that, at the present time, a combinate C.T. study of the chest, upper abdomen and brain is, in the most number of cases, a rapid, accurate and practical method to evaluate the extension of lung cancer.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Immunocytochemical localization of the mannose receptor on ultrathin cryosections of chicken macrophages.

Emulphogene-solubilized chicken macrophages were used for the isolation of the mannose receptor by affinity chromatography on mannose-sepharose. From 5 X 10(9) cells 1 microgram protein was obtained, which was separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) into 2 bands with an approximate molecular weight of 130 and 170 kDa. The agglutinating activity was assayed with mannan-coated M. luteus cells. Agglutination was inhibited by D-mannose, L-fucose and D-N-acetylglucosamine. A rabbit antibody against the protein competed with mannan and mannosylated ferritin for the binding sites. The receptor was localized by immunolabelling on ultrathin frozen sections and the relative density of labelling/cell compartment was calculated. The receptor appeared randomly distributed on the surface. Labelling of coated pits was occasional. A higher density of the gold marker was found on surface infoldings (filopods, lamellopods). Subcellular membranous structures contained few labelled regions, with a relative increase from rough endoplasmatic reticulum to Golgi vacuoles. The highest average density was found on membranes of large vesicles near the surface, presumably derived from lamellopods which fuse at their tips to create an internalized vacuole. Fluorescence micrographs showed the complex folding of plasma processes, sometimes forming crater-like apertures. The particular fluorescence intensity of methanol-fixed cells, due to large vesicles, reflects the amount of receptor which is not exposed on the surface. The extent of receptor-rich membrane involved in formation of surface infoldings, craters and large vesicles indicates their role in receptor traffic in the absence of specific ligands.

Animals↗

[Dynamic evaluation of the renin-angiotensin system with captopril in screening for renovascular hypertension].

In 69 hypertensive with suspected renovascular hypertension the response of plasma renin and angiotensin I to a single oral dose of Captopril (Captopril test) was determined. In 15 of the 16 patients found to have renal artery stenosis at angiography and cured by either revascularization or nephrectomy, Captopril stimulated both plasma renin activity and plasma angiotensin I to a far greater extent than in the majority of the 53 classified as essential hypertensives. False positives were limited to 8. Sensitivity and specificity were 94% and 85%, respectively. In the same series sequential renal angiophotoscan showed 100% sensitivity but a lower specificity (75%). In comparison, both the sensitivity and the specificity of rapid-sequence intravenous pielography, isotopic renogram and recumbent plasma renin activity were far less satisfactory. It is concluded that this simple, safe and economical test should be preferred to the other diagnostic procedures in the screening of renovascular hypertension. Its use in combination with renal angiophotoscan improves diagnostic reliability.

Adult↗

Diaphragmatic hernias due to blunt thoracoabdominal trauma.

This nineteen-year retrospective review was designed to evaluate diaphragmatic hernias due to blunt thoracoabdominal trauma in a series of 50 patients. Motor-vehicle accidents were the most frequent cause. The diagnosis was made immediately after injury in 34 patients (acute hernias), but delayed from two months to 30 years in 16 (chronic hernias). Two patients, with multiple associated injuries, died soon after admission and diagnosis was made at necropsy. The nature of injury, the physical findings and the plain chest roentgenograms suggested a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in most of the remaining acutely injured patients. All patients with chronic hernias had suggestive or suspicious abnormalities on chest roentgenograms; however, appropriate upper gastrointestinal tract and barium enema studies were of utmost importance for the correct diagnosis. Reduction of herniated viscera and repair of diaphragmatic defect were generally accomplished through a laparotomy in acute hernias, whereas thoracotomy was the preferred approach in delayed instances. There were four postoperative deaths, three with severe multiple associated injuries and one with respiratory failure.

Abdominal Injuries↗