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Biomedical subjects

G Sala

Publications and source records attributed to G Sala.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Reduced platelet glutamate uptake in Parkinson's disease.

Defects in mitochondrial enzymes have been found not only in substantia nigra, but also in platelets from Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients, suggesting a systemic impairment of energy metabolism. Since platelets present an energy-dependent glutamate uptake similar to that described in central nervous system, glutamate uptake was determined in platelets from 34PD patients and 21 age-related normal controls, as Na+-dependent [3H]glutamate influx; glutamate level was also analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC. A 50% reduction of glutamate uptake (p < 0.001) was observed in idiopathic PD patients, respect to controls and secondary parkinsonian syndromes. The decrease correlated with the severity of PD, measured by the UPDRS (r = -0.54; P < 0.05). Glutamate level was increased in platelets of PD patients, but was not correlated to the uptake decrease. Both phoenomena may be explained by the modifications of mitochondrial enzymes described in platelets, which could be used as a peripheral model of glutamatergic function in PD.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1994

Effects of pidotimod on macrophage functions in methylprednisolone-treated mice.

CD-1 mice were treated with methylprednisolone (mPDN) 2-5 mg/kg s.c., for 11 or 6 days, in order to achieve an immunosuppressed state. For the same length of time a group of mice also received pidotimod ((R)-3-[(S)-(5-oxo-2-pyrrolidinyl) carbonyl]-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid. PGT/1A, CAS 121808-62-6) i.p. at 100 or 10 mg/kg. At the end of treatment, peritoneal macrophages (MO) were recovered, purified by adherence to plastic and activated in vitro with different stimuli. After 24 h of incubation, the supernatants were collected and assayed for the presence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and nitrite (NO2-), which is the stable derivative of nitric oxide (NO) in acqueous solution. It is well known that TNF-alpha and NO represent two out of many molecules secreted by activated MO which are essential for killing microorganisms and for natural response to infections. It was observed that MO from mPDN-treated mice were unable to produce sufficient levels of both TNF-alpha and NO when stimulated in vitro with lipopolysaccharide, IFN-gamma or conidia from an opportunistic fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus, confirming that corticosteroids are able to inhibit the antimicrobial activity of MO. However, MO from mice received mPDN plus pidotimod fully recovered the capacity to produce TNF-alpha and NO in response to the same stimuli. Optimal dose of pidotimod was 100 mg/kg. In addition, pidotimod was also able to reconstitute the cellularity of the peritoneum and of the spleens of mice immunodepressed by mPDN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1993

[Clinical applications of color-Doppler: the parathyroid glands].

The high-resolution appearance of enlarged parathyroid glands is well known. Thus, real-time gray-scale US alone fails to provide, in ENT surgery, adequate sensitivity and specificity rates to differentiate between parathyroid glands, hypoechoic thyroid adenomas and other hypoechoic neck masses. Since parathyroid tissue, in both normal and enlarged glands, is hypervascular, color-Doppler US is used as a sort of non-invasive angiography to identify parathyroid glands. The combined use of B-mode and color-Doppler US allows the vascular features of thyroid masses to be satisfactorily demonstrated, with easy differentiation between enlarged parathyroid glands, featuring diffuse internal vascularization, and thyroid adenomas characterized by rounded peripheral vessels and also lymph nodes and cysts exhibiting different vascular patterns. We studied 25 patients with clinical and biochemical signs of hyperparathyroidism (19 primary and 6 secondary) submitted to surgery in the last 20 months. Every patient was scanned with both B-mode and color-Doppler US. At surgery, 19 parathyroid adenomas were found--16 of them correctly identified preoperatively with color-Doppler US and 3 false negatives (retrotracheal glands). Moreover, 1 false positive was observed due to a small Plummer's adenoma misdiagnosed as an intrathyroid parathyroid adenoma: both lesions had the same vascular pattern on US images. Sensitivity was 84.5% and specificity 93.7%. In secondary HPT patients, 23 hyperplastic glands were found at surgery--21 of them correctly identified preoperatively by color-Doppler US, with 2 false negatives. No false positive was found. Sensitivity was 87.5% and specificity 100%. Sensitivity does not differ very much from what reported in literature. Specificity is clearly increased by the use of color-Doppler US. The possible source of error represented by Plummer's adenomas lead us to investigate pulsed Doppler capabilities in differentiating Plummer's adenomas from PT glands, since color-Doppler findings were similar in the two conditions. Peak velocities recorded with both color and pulsed Doppler showed velocity to range 6 to 40 cm/s in parathyroid glands (mean +/- SD: 14.6 +/- 11.7) and 38 to 120 cm/s in thyrotoxic nodules (mean +/- SD: 78.4 +/- 23). The statistical analysis of the results showed a highly significant difference between the two groups of velocities. Peak velocities as recorded in the main, vessels of the parathyroid glands with color and pulsed Doppler were correlated with the activity of the parathyroid glands.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adenoma↗
PubMed1989

Cutaneous leishmaniasis. Treatment with itraconazole.

The chemotherapy of leishmaniasis is still far from satisfactory. Itraconazole, one of the most recent azole antifungal agents, appears to be well tolerated in man. Two patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (Leishmania tropica), contracted in Saudi Arabia, were treated orally for 2 months with itraconazole (100 mg/d). Both recovered without side effects or abnormalities in their main biologic parameters.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[A ergonomic chair on an oscillating pivot with an electrical motor for the prevention of occupational lumbar pathology due to the seated posture].

It is described an ergonomic chair of new conception, because it is not a static one, but slowly swinging in all planes, with a motion activated by an electrical engine. This chair is patented. The clinical experimentation on cases of "minor" lumbar pathology, as it is found more and more frequently in prolonged seated working situations, confirm the benefit of this instrument, already tested in cases of manifest lumbar pathology.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed1989

[Skin metastasis of clear cell carcinoma of the kidney].

A case of a 70 year old man, affected by a solitary cutaneous metastasis of a clinically asymptomatic clear cell adenocarcinoma of the kidney is reported and some histopathological differential diagnoses are considered.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1988

Simultaneous multiwavelength spectrophotometric quantitation of active components in analgesic formulations. Comparative study of three calculation methods.

This work deals with the UV spectrophotometric quantitation of a mixture of compounds with overlapped spectra. The mixture spectrum is resolved by use of three computational programs based on different algorithms, namely Multicomponent Analysis (commercial software available from Hewlett-Packard), MULTIC (relying on multiple regression analysis) and SIMPLEX. The results obtained for mixtures of acetylsalicylic acid, acetaminophen and caffeine in commercial analgesic formulations, are compared.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1986

Effects of pinaverium bromide on Oddi's sphincter.

Twelve to 15 days after cholecystectomy, endocholedochal pressure was measured in ten patients before and one hour after oral administration of 15 mg of pinaverium bromide (six patients) or placebo. The mean endocholedochal pressure was 7.1 +/- 0.25 mmHg before and 3.1 +/- 0.2 mmHg after pinaverium (P less than 0.01), and 7.0 +/- 0.2 and 6.8 +/- 1.2 mmHg in the placebo-treated patients. The results suggest that pinaverium bromide has a specific effect on the common bile duct and probably on Oddi's sphincter.

Ampulla of Vater↗
PubMed1986

The effect of isoferritins on granulopoiesis.

The evidence for a regulatory role of acidic isoferritins on hemopoiesis is not entirely consistent with our knowledge of ferritin biochemistry, and no clear picture of this phenomeonon has emerged. In the present study, we have been unable to confirm a consistent effect of purified heart (acidic), spleen (basic), or serum (glycosylated) isoferritins on CFU-GM colony formation in vitro. Inhibition of colony formation by cell extracts or conditioned media does not relate to the presence of acidic isoferritins, nor is this effect neutralized by a monoclonal antibody to acidic isoferritins. The composition of ferritin preparations previously described as inhibitory to CFU-GM colony growth could not be confirmed, and they were not found to be predominantly acidic in nature. Our data do not support a role for acidic isoferritins as inhibitors of granulopoiesis.

Bone Marrow Cells↗