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Biomedical subjects

L Fontana

Publications and source records attributed to L Fontana.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids influence the recovery of thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis in rats.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary supplementation with omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on the fatty acid composition of plasma and red blood cell membranes in rats with thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis. METHODS: Thirty-eight female Wistar rats were given 300 mg thioacetamide/L in drinking water for 4 months to induce the experimental liver cirrhosis. Sixteen rats were used as controls. After treatment with thioacetamide, nine rats of each group were killed. Then, thioacetamide-treated rats were divided into three new groups, each receiving a different diet for 2 weeks: a semipurified diet (n = 9), the same diet supplemented with omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n = 10), or the same semipurified diet supplemented with omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids simultaneously (n = 10). The remaining control rats were fed the semipurified diet. Liver histology and plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid composition were assessed. RESULTS: An apparent improvement of the histological damage took place in the rats fed the omega-3+ omega-6-supplemented diet. The diet supplemented with polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 series induced increases in the omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in total plasma lipids, plasma lipid fractions and in erythrocyte phospholipids, and decreases in omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocyte phospholipids during the recovery of rats with thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis. The administration of the diet supplemented with both omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids contributed to increase the levels of total plasma saturated, monounsaturated, and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from cirrhotic rats. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the simultaneous supply of long-chain fatty acids of the omega-3 and the omega-6 series can be beneficial to improve the fatty acid status of this experimental model of liver cirrhosis.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Dialysis, adaptation, quality of life, and family support].

Chronic dialysis treatment is characterized by a series of complex interdependent objective problems, such as the dialysis experience, the individual way to assess it, and some "protective" factors such as social and family support. Progresses in dialysis research show that dialysis patients have important alternatives to passively accept their condition: thanks to adequate psychological and relational aid, they can reach rather advanced adaptation levels, which allow them to modify both their behaviour and way of life, to keep a satisfactory compliance, and to improve their quality of life (QoL). In this adaptation process, both family and social support play an important role, although controversy still exists on it. The results of our study confirm the complexity of this role and show that either haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis patients' adaptation process and QoL may be directly related to the extent of family member's ("caregiver") support. It is of particular interest the fact that patients, especially those undergoing haemodialysis, provided with a caregiver's assistance but who choose to "act by themselves", do have better adaptation levels and QoL than those who rely only on their caregiver. This fact reassesses the widely accepted point of view that continuous caregiver's support is always a positive and necessary factor in order to improve both the adaptation and the QoL of dialysis patients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Toxicity of 4-chloro-2-nitroaniline and 2-chloro-4-nitroaniline to isolated rat hepatocytes].

The toxicity of 4-chloro-2-nitroaniline (4C2NA) and 2-chloro-4-nitroaniline (2C4NA) was investigated on isolated rat hepatocytes following 1-3 hours of exposure to 0.2 and/or 2 mM of these xenobiotics. The higher of the two concentrations appeared to induce a statistically significant loss of cellular viability (p less than 0.01 compared to control), judged by Trypan Blue staining, after 3 hours of incubation with these substances means = 58, SD = 7%; and means = SD = 7%; for 4C2NA and 2C4NA, respectively). Furthermore, both chloronitroanilines produced an hepatocellular and microsomal damage demonstrated by conspicuous changes in LDH and G-6-Pase activities (p less than 0.01). The exposure to 2 mM of both 4C2NA and/or 2C4NA produced a marked depletion of the intracellular pool of GSH after 3 hours (13 mM/10(6) and 10 mM/10(6) cells, respectively; p less than 0.01). Thus it seems possible that 2C4NA may induce a more severe cellular damage than that induced by 4C2NA.

Aniline Compounds↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Defective antibody-dependent and lectin-induced polymorphonuclear cytotoxicity in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

A short-term 51Cr-release assay was employed to investigate polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) antibody-dependent (ADCC) and phytohemaglutinin-induced (PHA-ICC) cytotoxicity against chicken erythrocytes in 28 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). MDS patients PMN-mediated ADCC and PHA-ICC were significantly reduced when compared to normal donors. When the patients were subdivided according to the revised FAB classification, a reduction in PHA-ICC from the RAEB group and a progressive impairment of ADCC from RA to RAEB-t patients was observed. These abnormalities may be ascribed to a reduced number of effector cells or to a metabolic impairment of their cytolytic capacity. These PMN functional deficiences may contribute to the increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, irrespective of the presence of granulocytopenia.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of human serum based tumor marker control.

A human serum based tumor marker control containing 13 antigen associated with tumors or cancer cell proliferation has been developed for use in quality control of various cancer diagnostic test methodologies. The menu is comprehensive including several new antigens: the Carbohydrate Antigens 125 and 19-9, Tissue Polypeptide Antigen (TPA), Beta-2-microglobulin, as well as some traditional markers; CEA, AFP and PAP. The control is bilevel; Level I representing low values and Level II showing elevated or clinically significant values, designed to control the linear range of the assays. Stability of reconstituted material is 14 days at 2-8 degrees C and 30 days at -20 degrees C. Accelerated stress testing shows that the lyophilized material is stable for 3 years when stored at 2-8 degrees C. Testing was completed using commercially available RIA and IRMA assays. The product contains no azide or other preservatives that may interfere in these immunoassays. This product is designed for use in cancer antigen testing as part of a quality assurance program. This control will effectively assist in evaluating the accuracy and precision of immunoassay methods used in cancer evaluation.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A case of recent atrial flutter treated with intravenous propafenone].

A recently observed case triggers an examination of Propafenone (P.) treatment of atrial flutter (AF). A review of the literature reveals that the question has not so far been sufficiently investigated. In fact only one paper reporting the inadequacy of P. in the treatment of certain forms of AF and atrial fibrillation caused by vagal hypertonia has apparently been published. The case presented here is of a 59 year old man with left bronchial pneumonia in a static phase and an ECG indicating AF. Treatment with P. in slow-release bolus form (2 mg/kg) converted the AF into sinus rhythm in the space of a few minutes. In the absence of any demonstrable cardiac pathology the condition in thought to have been caused by the patient's precarious metabolic status (hypoxaemia, sepsis).

Atrial Flutter↗
PubMedDate not supplied

C8 beta subunit deficiency in a patient with recurrent neisserial infections.

A 15-year-old woman with a history of recurrent episodes of meningococcal infections was admitted to our hospital with signs and symptoms indicating a meningeal inflammation. Since in the last few years some of the patients affected by recurrent meningococcal infections have been recognized to have selective complement deficiencies, the patient's serum was studied for determining the complement function. C8 was found to be present only in traces, with a pattern of partial identity as compared with that of the normal human serum. Moreover, total hemolytic complement was undetectable and could be completely restored with purified C8, but not with other complement components; thus, we concluded for the presence of a C8 deficiency state. Further reconstitution experiments carried out with sera having selective deficiencies of either C8 beta or C8 alpha-gamma subunits allowed us to recognize the presence of a dysfunctional C8 molecule lacking the beta chain, but possessing the alpha-gamma subunit. The clinical history of the patient, characterized by recurrent meningococcal infections, further supports the current concept of an increased susceptibility of the C8 beta-deficient patients to Neisseria meningitidis infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Dynamic electrocardiographic study of a group of urban bus drivers].

On the initiative of Preventive Medicine promoted by the Genoa Urban Transport Company, authors carried out an inquiry of dynamic electrocardiography by Holter during the normal working activity of a group of 95 drivers. It was observed mean value of heart rate of 86.23 +/- 10.08; moreover patients with more working seniority shown a lesser increase of the pulse rate with statistical difference as compared with other groups. In any case we don't observe any change of ventricular repolarization.

Adult↗