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Biomedical subjects

L Ferrucci

Publications and source records attributed to L Ferrucci.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Recovery of functional status after stroke. A postrehabilitation follow-up study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Information on predictors of long-term change in functional capacity after a rehabilitation program in stroke patients is scant. This study describes the long-term evolution of self-reported functional ability after discharge from rehabilitation and its relation with age, level of neural impairment at discharge, and changes in neural impairment during follow-up. METHODS: Fifty patients (31 men and 19 women; mean +/- SD age, 66.0 +/- 9.9 years; range, 47-86 years) with a first unilateral stroke and no severe cognitive impairment were consecutively enrolled. Self-reported disability in activities of daily living and neural impairment measured by the Fugl-Meyer Scale were evaluated after discharge from a rehabilitation program and 3 and 6 months later. RESULTS: Functional disability was significantly reduced after 3 and 6 months. Attenuation of disability occurred mainly among those patients with more severe baseline neural impairment. In this group, patients aged > or = 65 years were more disabled at baseline than younger individuals, but they had the same rate of improvement. In patients aged < 65 years, changes in disability over time could be attributed to changes in neural function, whereas older patients' functional recovery was greater than that expected from their improvement in neural impairment alone. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that in stroke patients with severe neural damage further functional improvement occurs even after completion of a rehabilitation program. There is evidence that older patients may be more likely to employ compensatory strategies to overcome some of the neural impairment that remains after stroke.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Quantitative and qualitative DNA variations in Anabaena azollae Strasb. living in Azolla filiculoides lam.

Heterocysts and vegetative cells of the filamentous nitrogen-fixing Anabaena azollae isolated from the apex to the basal leaf cavities of Azolla filiculoides were examined by epifluorescent microscope after fluorochrome staining. Acridine orange (AO), DAPI, and chromomycin fluorochromes were used in order to evidence total DNA content and respectively, A + T and G + C bases. Measurements of fluorescence intensities were made on photographic prints by the automatic image analysis system Quantimet 970. Heterocysts contained higher amounts of DNA than did vegetative cells, and their content strongly increased in the basal leaf cavities. The heterocyst DAPI brightness was quite uniform, whereas in vegetative cells DAPI brightness increased from the apex to the basal groups. In vegetative cells from the apex to the median group, the percentage of DAPI brightness was 60-85% with respect to AO brightness, whereas in heterocysts of the same groups DAPI brightness was 40-50% with respect to AO brightness. In the basal group, brightness due to DAPI staining was comparable with those of previous group both in heterocysts and in vegetative cells, whereas chromomycin brightness increased strongly in heterocysts. These data show that heterocyst changes its DNA content and composition in the basal leaf cavities, suggesting that its lifetime is not completely over.

Acridine Orange↗
PubMed1991

Value of combined assessment of physical health and functional status in community-dwelling aged: a prospective study in Florence, Italy.

A survey of the health and social conditions of a representative sample of 967 persons aged 60 years and older from the city of Florence, Italy, was undertaken in 1980. In 1987, a follow-up survey of this cohort was performed. There were 391 documented deaths, 408 survivors, and 168 individuals who could not be located. Functional ability at baseline was assessed using a World Health Organization 14-item scale. Indicators of physical health status included chronic disease status, number of drugs, physician visits, and days of hospitalization. After adjustment for age and sex, both functional ability and indicators of physical health status were found to be independent, statistically significant predictors of mortality. The results of this study further support the view that biomedical and functional assessment are both necessary for a comprehensive evaluation of the older population.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Factors affecting the digestion of restriction endonucleases in situ.

The influence of incubation buffers and glycerol on the enzyme activity of naked DNA of lambda phage and mouse, and of mouse chromosomal DNA was investigated. The results obtained varied in part from previously known data, but confirmed the importance of these factors in determining the patterns of in situ restriction enzyme digestion so far attributed exclusively to endonuclease activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Patterns of digestion of human chromosomes by restriction endonucleases demonstrated by in situ nick translation.

A restriction enzyme-nick translation procedure has been developed for localizing sites of restriction endonuclease action on chromosomes. This method involves digestion of fixed chromosome preparations with a restriction enzyme, nick translation with DNA polymerase I in the presence of biotinylated-dUTP, detection of the incorporated biotin label with streptavidinalkaline phosphatase, and finally staining for alkaline phosphatase. Results obtained obtained on human chromosomes using a wide variety of restriction enzymes are described, and compared with results of Giemsa and Feulgen staining after restriction enzyme digestion. Results of nick translation are not in general the opposite of those obtained with Giemsa staining, as might have been expected. Although the nick translation procedure is believed to give a more accurate picture of the distribution of restriction enzyme recognition sites on chromosomes than Giemsa staining, it is clear that the results of the nick translation experiments are affected by accessibility to the enzymes of the chromosomal DNA, as well as by the extractability of the DNA.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1990

Age-related changes in the pharmacodynamics of intravenous glyceryl trinitrate.

Comparable hemodynamic effects were obtained administering a much lower intravenous dose of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) in elderly than in younger patients. The pharmacodynamics and kinetics of GTN were thus assessed in 2 groups of patients with acute myocardial infarction (group A: less than or equal to 65 years, 6 patients; group B: greater than or equal to 75 years, 6 patients). The arterial and venous dose-concentration relationship and the associated hemodynamic changes at end-point (EP: 10% reduction in mean systemic arterial pressure) were similar in the 2 groups. However, in older subjects EP was reached at a lower GTN infusion rate (0.11 +/- 0.04 vs 0.33 +/- 0.11 micrograms.kg-1.min-1, mean +/- S.D.; p less than 0.001), and with lower arterial and venous drug concentrations (arterial [GTN]: 1.2 +/- 0.1 vs 4.6 +/- 1.2 ng.ml-1; p less than 0.01; venous [GTN]; 0.09 +/- 0.05 vs 0.35 +/- 0.15 ng.ml-1; p less than 0.05), whereas overall GTN kinetics appeared to be substantially independent of age. Thus, the enhanced efficacy of GTN in advanced age seems to stem mainly from pharmacodynamic changes, which may be the consequence of dampened baroreceptor reflexes, as suggested by a lower heart rate increase per unitary fall in systolic arterial pressure observed in group B (0.12 +/- 0.07 vs 0.41 +/- 0.29 b.min-1.mmHg-1; p less than 0.05).

Aged↗
PubMed1989

DNA base sequence is not the only factor for restriction endonuclease activity on metaphase chromosomes: evidence using isoschizomers.

Human and mouse fixed metaphase chromosomes were treated with the isoschizomer sets MboI/Sau3A and EcoRII/BstNI. In both cases we found that each member of the isoschizomer pairs produced different results, indicating that factors other than DNA base composition may affect in situ digestion by restriction endonucleases and that the structure of the enzymes is one factor. We also found that MboI and Sau3A isoschizomers produced the same effect on the chromosomes of the grasshopper Oedipoda germanica. This indicated that differences in the chromatin structure of different species may be important in determining restriction endonuclease activity on eukaryotic chromosomes.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Age-related hemodynamic effects of intravenous nitroglycerin for acute myocardial infarction and left ventricular failure.

Acute hemodynamic effects of intravenous nitroglycerin (NTG) were assessed in 24 patients with acute myocardial infarction and left ventricular failure, and results were compared between 2 groups of different age (group A--65 years or less, n = 12; group B--75 years or more, n = 12). Overall, hemodynamic effects of NTG consisted of an increase in stroke volume index and left ventricular stroke work index (+21 and +23%), coupled with a 16% reduction in systemic vascular resistance, and of a marked decrease in right atrial and pulmonary artery (PA) pressures. The hemodynamic end-point (5 to 10% reduction in mean systemic arterial pressure) used for NTG titration was achieved with a significantly lower dose in group B, in which a greater percent reduction in mean PA and mean PA wedge pressures was also observed. However, because effects of NTG on systemic vascular resistance were similar in groups A and B, it was concluded that the vasodilating action of NTG is maintained in advanced age, as opposed to what has been demonstrated for beta-adrenergic agents.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Flunarizine-induced parkinsonism in the elderly.

Twenty-seven patients (19 women and 8 men, ages 63 to 88 years; mean, 74 years) displayed mild to moderate parkinsonism and altered ballistic motor performances during long-term flunarizine treatment. One month after, flunarizine withdrawal, 20 patients showed clear-cut improvements in both clinical features and ballistic motor performances; a complete recovery within 6 months was observed in all these patients but one, who still showed very mild slowness of movement. On the other hand, seven patients showed little clinical improvement and still maintained markedly altered ballistic motor performances 1 month after drug withdrawal. At the 2-month follow-up assessments, either they did not improve further or they deteriorated; they were successfully treated with L-dopa and, despite the ameliorations, after 12 to 24 months they still have definite parkinsonian syndrome. The authors conclude that (1) flunarizine, even at the recommended dose (10 mg daily), can induce reversible parkinsonism, at least in subjects older than 60; (2) the persistence of a marked symptomatology 2 months after flunarizine withdrawal should lead to starting treatment with antiparkinsonism drugs; (3) the study of ballistic movements is proposed as a useful tool for objective quantification and early detection of bradykinesia.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Improved exercise tolerance by i.v. fructose-1,6-diphosphate in chronic, stable angina pectoris.

The effect of IV fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) on transient, reproducible myocardial ischemia was evaluated in ten patients, aged 50 to 66 years, with chronic, stable exertional angina. FDP or placebo (glucose) were administered between basal and posttreatment ergometric stress testing; an identical procedure was repeated in each patient with the second treatment on the following day according to a single-blind, cross-over design. FDP improved exercise tolerance and total work capacity, significantly delaying the onset of ST-segment depression and angina. Nevertheless, the critical level of the rate x pressure (R X P) product, causing appearance of myocardial ischemia, was not remarkably changed. However, the R X P product at same workload was significantly lower after FDP. These results suggest that improved exercise tolerance might have resulted from peripheral (increased oxygen delivery to skeletal muscle) rather than from central (cardiac) effects of FDP.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Comparative study of time-course of hemodynamic effect of isosorbide dinitrate spray and sublingual tablets in patients with pulmonary congestion.

We compared the time-course of the hemodynamic effect of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN), 5 mg, in the form of sublingual tablet and oral spray, in 15 patients with isolated chronic pulmonary congestion (pulmonary arterial end-diastolic pressure of 15 mmHg or more in the presence of normal or only slightly reduced cardiac index). Both formulations produced significant reductions in the pulmonary arterial end-diastolic pressure. The effect of ISDN tablet (sublingually) became evident at 10 minutes after administration and was maximal at 30 minutes. The effect of ISDN oral spray became evident at 3 minutes and reached a peak at 10 minutes. The magnitude of hemodynamic response was similar. These findings indicate that ISDN oral spray is superior to ISDN sublingual tablets for rapid relief of pulmonary congestion.

Administration, Sublingual↗
PubMed1988

Effect of HpaII and MspI restriction endonucleases on chronic myelogenous leukemia chromosomes. Detection of CpG dinucleotide demethylation in situ.

The restriction endonucleases HpaII and MspI both cleave the nucleotide sequence CCGG, but the action of HpaII is inhibited if the internal cytosine is methylated. HpaII and MspI were used on fixed chromosomes from bone marrow cells of individuals suffering from chronic myelogenous leukemia and healthy individuals. We found that MspI acts with the same efficiency on all chromosome samples, whereas HpaII extracts more DNA from the chromosomes of leukemic individuals than from the chromosomes of nonleukemic individuals. We postulate that demethylation of cytosine in the CpG dinucleotide of leukemic cell DNA accounts for our findings.

Cytidine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1988

Ageing of fixed cytological preparations produces degradation of chromosomal DNA.

When fixed chromosome preparations were allowed to age for 1-72 h, they became progressively more susceptible to digestion by exonuclease III and by S1 nuclease. Analysis of DNA from these aged preparations on agarose gels showed that the molecular weight of the DNA decreased as ageing progressed. We conclude that DNA in fixed chromosome preparations becomes progressively degraded as the preparations age.

Cell Survival↗
PubMed1987

Two-dimensional echocardiographic imaging: in vitro comparison of conventional and dynamically focused annular array transducers.

Quantitative two-dimensional echocardiography has been adversely affected by a tendency for underestimation of cross-sectional areas of cardiac chambers, a difficulty that might be ameliorated by recent advances in imaging technology. To determine if this were so, we measured echocardiographic cross-sectional areas of 25 formalin-fixed animal left ventricular (LV) sections in vitro using conventional 13 mm and 15 mm diameter fixed-focused single element transducers, and a 15 mm diameter dynamically focused annular array transducer at 3 different distances between myocardial slice and transducer (2 cm, 6 cm and 10 cm) and compared the 2-dimensional echocardiographic areas to the corresponding anatomic cross-sectional areas of the same hearts. LV total and cavity area were measured by computer assisted planimetry of videotaped echo images, performed blinded to the transducer used, and photographed anatomic slices; LV myocardial area was derived by subtraction. Comparison of two-dimensional echocardiographic total, myocardial, and cavity areas with corresponding anatomic measurements showed excellent correlation for each transducer at all depths (r = 0.97 to 0.98 for total area; r = 0.98 to 0.99 for cavity area; r = 0.93 to 0.97 for myocardial area). For total and myocardial cross-sectional areas, the slope of the relation between echographic and anatomic areas did not differ significantly from unity, but for LV cavity area this was achieved only by the dynamically focused transducer. In contrast, the conventional 13 mm transducer significantly underestimated larger LV cavity areas in both the near and middle fields (slopes = 0.90 and 0.91, respectively) and the 15 mm transducer yielded slopes from 0.86 to 0.91 in all fields.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Echocardiography↗
PubMed1987

The AluI-induced bands in great apes and man: implication for heterochromatin characterization and satellite DNA distribution.

Restriction endonucleases have recently been proved to be active on fixed chromatin, producing differences in staining of metaphase chromosomes. In this paper we show the results obtained by treating the metaphase chromosomes of Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus, and Gorilla gorilla with the restriction enzyme AluI. These results demonstrate qualitative differences in the telomeric heterochromatin between Pan and Gorilla despite the fact that these areas appear homogeneous in the two genera by the C-banding method. The results found with individual chromosomes in the different species also appear relevant, in the light of the evolutionary relationships between these nonhuman primates and man. Lastly, the results suggest the presence, in great apes, of some highly repetitive DNA sequences different from the human satellites I-IV.

Animals↗