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Biomedical subjects

L Giuliani

Publications and source records attributed to L Giuliani.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Glutathione S-transferase in humans: development and tissue distribution.

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) was investigated with benzo(a)pyrene-4,5-oxide (BPO) as substrate in tissue specimens from 26 fetal and 27 adult livers and 27 placentas. The average (+/- SEM) of GST activity in the cytosol was 1.80 +/- 0.18 (fetal liver), 3.05 +/- 0.30 (adult liver) and 1.18 +/- 0.07 (placenta) nmol/min/mg. GST was also investigated in human fetal and adult lungs, kidneys and gut. In these tissues the average (+/- SEM) GST activity ranged between 0.71 +/- 0.12 (adult intestine) and 2.11 +/- 0.18 (fetal lungs) nmol/min/mg. Whereas in the fetal liver the conjugation of BPO was catalyzed at a rate of about two-thirds of the adult rate, similar or higher GST activities were found in the fetal non-hepatic tissues as compared to the adult organs. No correlation was found between the activity of the GST in fetal liver and placenta and the gestational age (11-25 weeks). GST develops before the 11th week of gestation and it does not undergo changes during the mid-gestation. No correlation was found between GST activity in adult liver and age (32-70 years).

Adult↗

Sulfotransferase in humans: development and tissue distribution.

Sulfotransferase with 2-naphthol as substrate was investigated in the cytosolic fraction of human fetal liver, lungs, kidneys, adrenal glands, intestine and placenta and also in liver, lungs, kidneys, intestinal and urinary bladder mucosa from human adult subjects. All tissue specimens assayed catalyzed the sulfation of 2-naphthol at a significant rate. The activity (expressed as pmole per minute per milligram protein; mean +/- SD) was 211 +/- 197 (n = 46) fetal liver; 22 +/- 12 (n = 29) placenta; 625 +/- 205 (n = 42) human adult liver. In fetal kidneys (576 +/- 177; n = 6) and gut (558 +/- 293; n = 6) the activity was twice as high as in liver. In the lungs (273 +/- 125; n = 6) and in the adrenals (174 +/- 119; n = 19) the sulfotransferase activity was comparable with the hepatic one. In human adult extrahepatic tissues the highest activity was found in the intestinal mucosa (153 +/- 49; n = 4) and the lowest one in the urinary bladder mucosa (16 +/- 4; n = 4). This paper shows that the sulfotransferase has a wide distribution in the human fetus and the distribution pattern of this enzyme is different in the human fetus and adult subject.

Adult↗

Penile-brachial pressure index as a guide for the dosage of intracavernous injection of papaverine.

From October 1985 to June 1986 we have treated 82 impotent patients. We related their penis-brachial pressure index (PBPI) with the dosage of papaverine necessary to obtain a full erection as measured by tumistore. We describe the technique and the relationship between the PBPI and the dose of papaverine necessary for the erection; in this way PBPI should be used as guide for the dosage of intracavernous papaverine injection.

Adult↗

Percutaneous debulking of staghorn stones combined with extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy: results and complications.

The results and complications of 122 percutaneous debulking of staghorn stones are carefully reviewed, discriminating between dilated and not dilated kidneys. Percutaneous debulking can be defined as satisfactory in about 70% of the cases. In the remaining 30% of the cases (mostly not dilated kidneys) it has got little or no results. The overall complication rate is quite low and most of the common complications can be prevented. Percutaneous procedures in nondilated kidneys have an overall complication rate highly superior to that in dilated kidneys. It should be preferable to treat as many staghorn stones as possible in nondilated kidneys with staged extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) monotherapy, stenting the ureter and monitoring the urinary infection. Struvite stones are best suitable for stented ESWL because of their fragility. In case of cystine or oxalate monohydrate staghorn stone open surgery might be preferable in virgin patients, but it is often refused by the patients.

Adult↗

Hormonal pattern and testicular histology in patients with prostatic cancer after long-term treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist analogue.

Seven patients suffering from prostatic cancer were treated with a depot form of D-Trp-6-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH), a LH-RH agonist analogue (3 mg i.m. every 28 days) for a period of 24-32 months. The peptide induced a sharp and long-lasting inhibition of both gonadotropin and testosterone secretion. A sustained suppression of pituitary and testicular function was observed 40 days after the treatment was suspended. Testicular biopsies performed in all patients showed a marked impairment of Leydig cell mass and a complete spermatogenic arrest with a tubular derangement and fibrosis. Results indicate that the long-term continued gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist analogue therapy induces not only a functional inhibition of testicular androgenesis but also anatomical testicular damage whose reversibility does not seem to be probable.

Aged↗

Diagnosis of male impotence after intracavernous papaverine test.

The diagnosis and treatment of male impotence have been radically modified by the introduction of intracavernous injections of papaverine. Papaverine treatment can solve more than 70% of male impotence cases, so that the real clue to the diagnosis of impotence is to discriminate between patients who can be treated by papaverine alone and patients deserving thorough investigation. The association of papaverine injection plus video sexual stimulation for this purpose was adopted in our last 250 unselected patients and represents a valuable tool. 115 of 250 achieved successful treatment for their impotence according the following percentages: intracavernous papaverine injections at the practice or at home 75.8%; prosthesis, 19.1%; venous surgery, 3.4%, and arterial surgery, 1.7%.

Adult↗

Value of computerized tomography and ultrasonography in the preoperative diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma extending into the inferior vena cava.

During a 15-year period, 34 patients with renal cell carcinoma extending into the inferior vena cava were submitted to radical ablative surgery at our institution. 8 patients had caval tumor thrombus (TT) extension at the level of the renal veins, 17 had infrahepatic, 8 retrohepatic and 1 atrial TT extension. Cavography, computerized tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US) were performed preoperatively on 34, 24 and 16 of these 34 patients, respectively. The sensitivity of the techniques used in diagnosing caval involvement was 100, 97 and 87.5% for US, cavography and CT, respectively. The upper limits of TT were clearly detected by US, CT and cavography in 100, 95 and 76% of diagnosed cases, respectively. From this study it appears that US and CT have a sensitivity comparable to cavography in the detection of caval TT. However, US and CT allow a more precise delineation of the upper limits of TT if compared to cavography. This implies that the role of cavography in diagnosing caval TT and its upper limits must be reappraised in light of the progress of noninvasive outpatient procedures.

Adult↗

Hydroxylation of dibutylnitrosamine in the human liver and intestinal microsomal fractions.

The metabolism of the bladder carcinogen N-nitroso-di-n-butylamine (NDBA) was studied in microsomal preparations of tissues of patients of both sexes, aged 59-69 years undergoing abdominal surgery. Samples of liver, ileum, and colon were of normal histological appearance. For comparison, samples of rat liver and small intestinal mucosa microsomes were included in the study. Using 1-14C-labeled NDBA, the biotransformation to hydroxylation products retaining the nitroso group, NDBA-2-OH, NDBA-3-OH, and NDBA-4-OH, respectively, was investigated by reversed phase HPLC. In order to separate these metabolites, pooled samples were analysed by normal phase HPLC. The rate of hydroxylation of NDBA was found to be 5.5 times higher in rat liver microsomes compared to those from human liver (2.86 +/- 0.29 vs 0.52 +/- 0.03 nM X min-1 X mg-1). NDBA-3-OH proved to be the major metabolite formed (greater than 80% of total metabolites). The metabolism of NDBA was low but detectable in seven out of nine specimens of human gut, 0.1-0.5 nM X mg-1 in 1 h of incubation, and of the same order of magnitude in rat intestinal tissue (0.4-0.6 nM X mg-1).

Aged↗

Glucuronidation of 1-naphthol in nuclear and microsomal fractions of the human intestine.

The glucuronyl transferase activity was measured with 1-naphthol as a substrate in nuclear and microsomal fractions of the human intestinal mucosa. The mucosa was obtained from different parts of the intestine. The rate of 1-naphthol glucuronidation ranged between 0.70 and 1.26 nmol/mg/min (nuclear fraction) and 0.21 and 0.54 nmol/mg/min (microsomal fraction). The average (+/- SEM) of the nuclear/microsomal ratios of the glucuronyl transferase was 2.48 +/- 0.19. The epoxide hydrolase activity towards styrene oxide was measured in the same subcellular fractions; it was undetectable in the nuclear fraction, whereas it was 0.46 +/- 0.04 nmol/mg/min (mean +/- SEM) in the microsomal fraction. The glucuronyl transferase activity was also measured in nuclear and microsomal fractions of the human liver. The activity (mean +/- SEM) was 1.14 +/- 0.21 nmol/mg/min (nuclei) and 5.00 +/- 0.80 (microsomes). The average of the nuclear to microsomal ratios (mean +/- SEM) was 0.32 +/- 0.03.

Aged↗