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Biomedical subjects

L Pinto

Publications and source records attributed to L Pinto.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Endocannabinoids and the gut.

In the digestive tract, there is evidence for the presence of high amounts of endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol) and of mechanisms for endocannabinoid metabolism and possibly endocannabinoid uptake. Pharmacological studies have shown that anandamide inhibits excitatory transmission and peristalsis in the isolated guinea-pig ileum and reduces intestinal motility in the mouse in vivo; all these effects are mediated by CB(1) receptors, which are located on enteric nerves. Conversely, the selective CB(1) receptor antagonist SR141716A increased intestinal motility and this effect is likely due to the displacement of endocannabinoids rather than to its inverse agonist properties. Interestingly, inhibitory effects of anandamide via non-CB(1) receptors and stimulatory effects via vanilloid receptors have also been proposed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) due to loss of anion exchange transporter.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary spherocytosis encompasses a heterogenous group of inherited disorders due to alteration of r.b.c. surface/volume ratio. Spectrin deficiency is the most common observed defect. We analyzed a case of HS associated with band 3 deficiency without spectrin reduction. METHODS: In the study of a family originating from southern Italy, we show that a 20% deficiency of band 3 with normal spectrin content may be responsible for dominantly inherited hereditary spherocytosis (HS). The proband is a 12 years old girl consulting for jaundice, chronic anaemia and splenomegaly. Her mother had a similar haematologic phenotype. RESULTS: Electrophoretic analysis of erythrocyte membrane proteins showed a deficiency in band 3 protein. Band 3 protein chymotryptic fragments, deglycosylated band 3, and its isolated cytoplasmic domain, all displayed normal electrophoretic migrations. Furthermore, the tryptic peptides profile of the cytoplasmic domain of the protein did not demonstrate any abnormality, nor did the amino acid composition of the peptides. Analysis of the membrane proteins during erythrocyte ageing, evaluated in density-fractionated red cells, showed that band 3 content was normal in the lighter fraction, whereas in the denser fraction band 3 deficiency was more pronounced than in membranes from non fractionated red blood cells. CONCLUSIONS: This case describes HS due to anion exchange transporter deficiency. Our results on fractioned red cells support the hypothesis that the defect was probably due to a band 3 protein loss during cell ageing and not to a primitive quantitative defect.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Infundibulotomy of the Vater's ampulla at impacted stone in the papilla].

Infundibullotomy or the method of endoscopic choledochoduodenostomy is an alternative to surgical bilio-digestive anastomosis for common bile duct obstructions due to impacted stone in the ampulla de Vater when occasionally standard endoscopic sphincterotomy was unsuccessful. In addition the endoscopic choledochoduodenostomy is a method described as final palliative treatment in elderly patients and/or those as high operative risk with malignant obstructions in the distal part of the common bile duct.

Adult↗