Biomedical subjects

M C Martini

Publications and source records attributed to M C Martini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Influence of encapsulation on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of octyl methoxycinnamate.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro transdermal permeation and skin accumulation of one ultraviolet (UV) absorber-octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC)-through pig skin and to determine the quantity of OMC in the skin surface and different pig skin layers (stratum corneum, viable epidermis, dermis, and receptor fluid). Four cases have been considered: the application of oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions containing the same filter free and encapsulated in nanocapsules (NC). The influence of the carrier on the percutaneous penetration was studied. Data showed that UV absorber exhibited increases in skin accumulation when is formulated in emulsions in free form. Skin accumulation of OMC-free in the emulsions was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than that of OMC-encapsulated for all formulations investigated. OMC-free skin accumulation ranged from 127.8 +/- 22.8 microg/cm(2) (O/W emulsion) to 172.1 +/- 12.9 microg/cm(2) (W/O emulsion). OMC-encapsulated skin accumulation ranged from 50.3 +/- 13.1 microg/cm(2) to 43.0 +/- 6.5 microg/cm(2) at NC-O/W and NC-W/O, respectively. No significant differences were found in the transdermal permeation of cinnamate for any of the formulations tested. The results of this study demonstrate that the inclusion of OMC-encapsulated in sunscreen formulations decreases the skin accumulation of the cinnamate since the in vitro release mechanism of OMC-nanocapsules is governed by hydrophobicity and crystallinity of the polymer and by the high lipophilicity of the drug. The crystallinity of the polymer have the ability of reflecting and scattering UV radiation on their own thus leading to photoprotection without the need for molecular sunscreens.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMed2004

Poly-epsilon-caprolactone nanocapsules containing octyl methoxycinnamate: preparation and characterization.

This study investigates the different nanocapsules (NCs) made of poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) containing the lipophilic sunscreen Escalol 557 [octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC)] and analyzes the influence of nanoparticle-based systems on light-induced decomposition of the sunscreen agent. The NCs were designed and prepared by the solvent displacement method. Formulation parameters, such as the nature and volume of the organic and aqueous phase and the nature and concentration of the surfactants and polymer, have relevant implications on NC elaboration. We investigated the influence of several technological (stirring speed: 300-800 rpm) and formulation factors [polymer amount, 195-244.5 mg; surfactant, Tween 85 (Polysorbate 85), Montanox 80 (Polysorbate 80), and Synperonic PE/F68 (Poloxamer 188) as stabilizing agents; and volume of the organic phase, 20-30 mL of acetone] on the particle size and the OMC loading capacity of the formulations--encapsulation efficiency and yield. The sizes of NC obtained were in the range of 309 to 1042 nm, the encapsulation efficiencies ranged from 93.82% to 99.97%, and yields of NC encapsulation ranged from 48.12% to 86.28%. Of all the preset experimental conditions, Montanox 80, 30 mL of acetone, 244.5 mg of polymer, and a stirring speed of 350 rpm have been selected as the best in this experimental design study. The experimental conditions selected to obtain OMC-loaded NC of 374 nm resulted in a high entrapment percentage (97.52%) and yield (82.95%). The PCL nanoparticles loaded with OMC were effective in reducing light-induced degradation of the sunscreen agent.

Acetone↗

PubMed2003

[Biochemical analysis of epidermal lipids].

According to the knowledge acquired some 15 years ago, the cutaneous lipids may be classified into 2 families: the "neutral" lipids, represented by cholesterol, cholesterol esters, cholesterol sulphate, triglycerides, free fatty acids, squalen and alcanes, and the "polar" lipids including phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyeline) and sphingolipids (ceramides I-VII, monohexosylceramides). From the functional point of view, free fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides organised in layers are the most important components of intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum. Analytic methods have been recently developed to help understand the structural organisation of these various molecules within the horny layer and their influence on the epidermal barrier function. Raman microspectroscopy or X-ray diffraction are most frequently used. Differential calorimetry and fluorescence or infrared spectroscopy provide complementary information. The principal findings are: lamellar structure depends on the presence of ceramides supplemented by adequate quantities of free fatty acids and cholesterol; ceramide chains interact to provide the ordered structure and ceramide-1 is necessary for stabilisation of lipid layers; cholesterol may regulate the molecular mobility of hydrocarbon chains within the bi-layers. Knowledge of the molecular structure of the barrier lipids finds several applications, e.g.: in pharmacology--conception of new formulations adapted for percutaneous and topical application of drugs; in dermatology--comprehension of physiopathologic mechanisms of various dermatoses; in biotechnology--development of skin substitutes with valid stratum corneum barrier; in cosmetics--choice of best formulations suited for reconstruction of the intercellular lipid substance.

Ceramides↗

PubMed2001

Flaxseed consumption influences endogenous hormone concentrations in postmenopausal women.

Lignans, similar in structure to endogenous sex steroid hormones, may act in vivo to alter hormone metabolism and subsequent cancer risk. The objective of this study was to examine effects of dietary intake of a lignan-rich plant food (flaxseed) on serum concentrations of endogenous hormones and binding proteins (estrone, estrone sulfate, 17 beta-estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin, progesterone, prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, testosterone, and free testosterone) in postmenopausal women. This randomized, crossover trial consisted of three seven-week feeding periods, during which 28 postmenopausal women, aged 52-82 yr, consumed their habitual diets plus 0, 5, or 10 g of ground flaxseed. Serum samples collected during the last week of each feeding period were analyzed for serum hormones using standard diagnostic kits. The flaxseed diets significantly reduced serum concentrations of 17 beta-estradiol by 3.26 pg/ml (12.06 pmol/l) and estrone sulfate by 0.09 ng/ml (0.42 nmol/l) and increased prolactin by 1.92 micrograms/l (0.05 IU/ml). Serum concentrations of androstenedione, estrone, sex hormone-binding globulin, progesterone, testosterone, free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were not altered with flaxseed feeding. In this group of postmenopausal women, consuming flaxseed in addition to their habitual diets influenced their endogenous hormone metabolism by decreasing serum 17 beta-estradiol and estrone sulfate and increasing serum prolactin concentrations.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

The effect of flaxseed and wheat bran consumption on urinary estrogen metabolites in premenopausal women.

Estrogen is metabolized along two competing pathways to form the 2-hydroxylated and the 16alpha-hydroxylated metabolites. Based on proposed differences in biological activities, the ratio of these metabolites, 2-hydroxyestrogen:16alpha-hydroxyestrone (2:16alpha-OHE1), has been used as a biomarker for breast cancer risk. Women with an elevated 2:16alpha-OHE1 ratio are hypothesized to be at a decreased risk of breast cancer. Flaxseed, the most significant source of plant lignans, and wheat bran, an excellent source of dietary fiber, have both been shown to have chemoprotective benefits. Some of these benefits may be attributable to their influence on endogenous sex hormone production and metabolism. We examined the effect of flaxseed consumption alone and in combination with wheat bran on urinary estrogen metabolites in premenopausal women. Sixteen premenopausal women were studied for four feeding treatments lasting two menstrual cycles each in a randomized cross-over design. During the four feeding treatments, subjects consumed their usual diets supplemented with baked goods containing no flaxseed or wheat bran, 10 g of flaxseed, 28 g of wheat bran, or 10 g of flaxseed plus 28 g of wheat bran/day. Urinary excretion of 2-hydroxyestrogen and 16alpha-hydroxyestrone, as well as their ratio, 2:16alpha-OHE1, were measured by enzyme immunoassay. Flaxseed supplementation significantly increased the urinary 2:16alpha-OHE1 ratio (P = 0.034), but wheat bran had no effect. These results suggest that flaxseed may be chemoprotective in premenopausal women.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Flaxseed influences urinary lignan excretion in a dose-dependent manner in postmenopausal women.

Dietary estrogens, such as lignans, are similar in structure to endogenous sex steroid hormones and may act in vivo to alter hormone metabolism and subsequent cancer risk. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of dietary intake of a lignan-rich plant food (flaxseed) on urinary lignan excretion in postmenopausal women. This randomized, cross-over trial consisted of three 7-week feeding periods during which 31 healthy postmenopausal women, ages 52-82 years, consumed their habitual diets plus 0, 5, or 10 grams of ground flaxseed per day. Urine samples collected for 2 consecutive days during the last week of each feeding period were analyzed for lignan content (enterodiol, enterolactone, and matairesinol) by isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Compared with the 0-gram flaxseed diet, consumption of 5 or 10 grams of flaxseed significantly increased excretion of enterodiol by 1,009 and 2,867 nmol/day, respectively; significantly increased excretion of enterolactone by 21,242 and 52,826 nmol/day, respectively; and significantly increased excretion of total lignans (enterodiol + enterolactone + matairesinol) by 24,333 and 60,640 nmol/day, respectively. Excretion of matairesinol was not significantly altered by flaxseed consumption. Consumption of flax, a significant source of dietary estrogens, in addition to their habitual diets increased excretion of enterodiol and enterolactone, but not matairesinol, in a dose-dependent manner in this group of postmenopausal women. Urinary excretion of lignan metabolites is a dose-dependent biomarker of flaxseed intake within the context of a habitual diet.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Plasma levels of apolipoprotein E and genetic markers in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Besides apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism, whose association with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been confirmed in most of the numerous population samples studied, other markers have been investigated. In most cases the association firstly described was not confirmed in subsequent works. Since it is important to examine these associations in as many populations as possible, we investigated APOE, APOC1, APOC2, alpha-1 antichymotrypsin (ACT) and presenilin-1 (PS-1) polymorphisms in a series of elderly patients with late-onset sporadic AD from Northern Italy and in a sex and age-matched control group. We could not confirm the significantly higher frequency of the ACT*A allele among carriers of APOE e*4 allele described elsewhere, although a similar trend was observed. The APOC2 and the PS-1 distributions were similar between patients and controls. However, we observed a significant difference in the genotype and allele frequencies of APOE and APOC1: patients had higher e*4 and C1*2 allele frequencies. This finding confirms the important role for APOE in AD occurrence. In addition, APOC1 seems to be an interesting marker because, though in strict linkage disequilibrium with APOE, it seems to play an independent role in AD risk. In contrast to previously reported data, plasma apoE concentrations were similar in patients and in controls. An interaction between APOE and APOC1 polymorphisms and apoE levels was observed in patients: subjects carrying the APOE E3/E2 or the APOC1 2-2 genotype have higher apoE concentrations than those who do not.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Plausible mechanisms for the protectiveness of whole grains.

Dietary guidelines recommend the consumption of whole grains to prevent chronic diseases. Epidemiologic studies support the theory that whole grains are protective against cancer, especially gastrointestinal cancers such as gastric and colon can-cer, and cardiovascular disease. Components in whole grains that may be protective include compounds that affect the gut environment, such as dietary fiber, resistant starch, and oligosaccharides. Whole grains are also rich in compounds that function as antioxidants, such as trace minerals and phenolic compounds, and phytoestrogens, with potential hormonal effects. Other potential mechanisms whereby whole grains may protect against disease include binding of carcinogens and modulation of the glycemic response. Clearly, the range of protective substances in whole grains is impressive and advice to consume additional whole grains is justified. Further study is needed regarding the mechanisms behind this protection so that the most potent protective components of whole grains will be maintained when developing whole grains into acceptable food products for the public.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

PubMed1999

Effect of flaxseed consumption on urinary estrogen metabolites in postmenopausal women.

Flaxseed, the richest known source of plant lignans, has been shown to have chemoprotective effects in animal and cell studies. Some of its effects may be mediated through its influence on endogenous hormone production and metabolism. Two competing pathways in estrogen metabolism involve production of the 2-hydroxylated and 16 alpha-hydroxylated metabolites. Because of the proposed differences in biological activities of these metabolites, the balance of the two pathways has been used as a biomarker for breast cancer risk. We examined the effects of flaxseed consumption on urinary estrogen metabolite excretion in postmenopausal women. Twenty-eight postmenopausal women were studied for three seven-week feeding periods in a randomized crossover design. During the feeding periods, subjects consumed their usual diets plus ground flaxseed (0, 5, or 10 g/day). Urinary excretion of the estrogen metabolites 2-hydroxyestrogen (2-OHEstrogen) and 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone (16 alpha-OHE1) as well as their ratio, 2/16 alpha-OHE1, was measured by enzyme immunoassay. Flaxseed supplementation significantly increased urinary 2-OHEstrogen excretion (p < 0.0005) and the urinary 2/16 alpha-OHE1 ratio (p < 0.05) in a linear, dose-response fashion. There were no significant differences in urinary 16 alpha-OHE1 excretion. These results suggest that flaxseed may have chemoprotective effects in postmenopausal women.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Effects of soy intake on sex hormone metabolism in premenopausal women.

Studies suggest that phytoestrogens in soy products may impart hormonal effects that protect women against breast cancer. Limited research suggests that intake of soy products high in isoflavonoid phytoestrogens affects sex hormone metabolism, but it is unknown whether phytoestrogens in soy have any effect on menstrual function or serum sex hormones in women on common hormone therapies, such as oral contraceptives (OC). We studied the effects of soy in 36 premenopausal women, 20 of whom used OC. Subjects consumed their normal diet for two menstrual cycles and added a soy beverage containing 20 g of protein and 38 mg of total isoflavones to their usual diet for another two menstrual cycles. No significant differences were observed in serum estrone, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, prolactin, or progesterone concentrations with soy feeding in the non-OC or the OC group. No changes in menstrual cycle length or the urinary estrogen metabolite ratio of 2-hydroxyestrone to 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone were seen with soy feeding in the non-OC or the OC group. Levels of urinary estrogen metabolites were significantly different between the non-OC and the OC group. Thus soy consumption had no significant effect on the menstrual cycle, serum sex hormones, or urinary estrogen metabolite ratio in premenopausal OC or non-OC users.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Urinary isoflavonoid and lignan excretion on a Western diet: relation to soy, vegetable, and fruit intake.

Dietary isoflavone and lignan phytoestrogens are potential chemopreventive agents. This has led to a need to monitor exposure to these compounds in human populations and to determine which components of a mixed diet contribute to the exposure. Typically, urinary isoflavonoid excretion is associated with soy consumption and that of lignans is associated with whole grains. However, other plant foods are known to contain phytoestrogen precursors. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between urinary isoflavonoid and lignan excretion and intakes of vegetables and fruits (V&F). Isoflavonoids (genistein, daidzein, O-desmethylangolensin, and equol) and lignans (enterolactone, enterodiol, and matairesinol) were measured in urine collected for 3 days from 49 male and 49 female volunteers (age, 18-37 years) reporting a wide range of habitual V&F intakes. Dietary intakes were assessed using 5-day diet records and a food frequency questionnaire. V&F groupings (total V&F, total V, total F, soyfoods, and V&F grouped by botanical families) were used to assess the relationship between V&F intake and urinary isoflavonoid and lignan excretion. Pearson correlations were performed. Intake of soyfoods was correlated significantly with urinary genistein (r = 0.40; P = 0.0001), O-desmethylangolensin (r = 0.37; P = 0.0002), daidzein (r = 034; P = 0.0007), and the sum of isoflavonoids (r = 0.39; P = 0.0001). There was no association between equol excretion and soy intake or between the isoflavonoids and any other V&F groupings. In addition, isoflavonoid excretion was correlated positively with intake of high-fat and processed meats, particularly among men who did not consume soy. This suggests that, even in the United States, on a Western diet, soyfoods are the primary contributors to isoflavone intake; however, additional "hidden sources" of soy may also contribute to exposure. In contrast, a variety of fiber-containing foods contributed to lignan excretion; the sum of the urinary lignans, enterodiol, enterolactone, and matairesinol, was associated with intake of total F (r = 0.27; P = 0.008), total V&F (r = 0.25; P = 0.01), soyfoods (r = 0.28; P = 0.006), and dietary fiber (r = 0.36; P = 0.0003). Overall, urinary phytoestrogens (isoflavonoids + lignans) were significantly higher in "high" compared with "low" V&F consumers. Compared with the "low" V&F group, the "high" group consumed diets that were, on average, higher in fiber and carbohydrate and soyfoods and lower in fat; thus, the urinary phytoestrogens may also be a useful marker of healthier dietary patterns.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

The spatial distribution of visual attention in hemineglect and extinction patients.

We studied the visual field distribution of speed and accuracy of manual responses to small brief light flashes, in patients with left hemineglect or extinction resulting from right hemisphere vascular lesions and in brain-damaged and healthy control subjects. All patients with right hemisphere lesions showed a greater impairment in both the speed of response and the detection rate in the contralesional than in the ipsilesional hemifield. This interfield difference increased with the eccentricity of stimulus presentation and was especially pronounced in neglect patients who showed a paradoxical increase in speed of response and detection rate at increasingly larger eccentricities in the ipsilesional hemifield. We hypothesize that both the contralesional slowing down and the ipsilesional speeding up of the response depends upon an exaggerated gradient of attention towards the ipsilesional hemifield. To assess whether these abnormalities concern automatic or controlled attentional processes, in a second experiment, we manipulated the predictability of the side of the stimulus presentation by using blocked rather than randomized stimulus presentations. This resulted in a speeding up of responses in both hemifields thus showing that the patients were able to focus attention to the side of stimulus presentation voluntarily. However, there was no modification of the contra-ipsilesional differences which, therefore, are likely to be related to abnormal automatic processes rather than controlled attention.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Consumption of exogenous bifidobacteria does not alter fecal bifidobacteria and breath hydrogen excretion in humans.

The hypothesis that consumption of bifidobacteria by humans would increase colonic bifidobacteria and decrease breath hydrogen excretion was examined. A commercially available strain of bifidobacteria was tracked through the gastrointestinal tract. We determined that a 12-d feeding period of 10(10) cells of exogenous bifidobacteria daily was adequate to achieve a stable number of exogenous bifidobacteria in the colon. A 12-d washout period was chosen because the exogenous bifidobacteria could no longer be detected at that time. A double-blind crossover study used both male and female subjects. The order of treatment with skim milk alone or skim milk + bifidobacteria was randomized. Breath hydrogen excretion (micromol/L) and fecal counts of total bifidobacteria [log colony forming units (CFU)/g feces] were not significantly different between males and females and were not affected by consumption of exogenous bifidobacteria. Calculations based on the numbers of exogenous bifidobacteria consumed and the fecal numbers of exogenous bifidobacteria excreted suggested that numbers of the exogenous strain increased within the gastrointestinal tract. These data suggest that it is difficult to permanently alter total colonic bifidobacteria and affect physiologic function (net hydrogen in the colon as reflected by breath hydrogen) by feeding bifidobacteria, although the percentage of the total bifidobacteria represented by the exogenous strain can be affected.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1997

Cholesterol-lowering effects of modified animal fats in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: In an attempt to improve the nutritional value of animal fats (including milkfat and lard), two technological approaches (i.e., cholesterol removal by steam distillation and linoleic acid enrichment by addition of safflower oil) were tested for cholesterolemic effects in a cohort of 29 older women (age 68 +/- 7 years). METHODS: Test fat sources were incorporated into crackers, cookies, cheese, ice cream, whipped topping, sour cream, baking shortening, and table spreads. Subjects were permanent residents of a convent where meals were prepared in a centralized kitchen, allowing test fats to be provided in daily food menu items. The foods containing test fats were introduced into three sequential dietary treatment periods, each lasting 4 weeks, in the following order: cholesterol-reduced animal fat (CRAF): fatty-acid modified, cholesterol-reduced animal fat (FAMCRAF); and-unaltered animal fat (AF). Subjects were offered menu items cafeteria style and encouraged to make food selections consistent with their habitual diets, which were recorded daily. RESULTS: Fasted blood lipid profiles determined at the end of each treatment period showed that FAMCRAF reduced mean plasma total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B concentrations relative to AF (p < 0.05). Mean HDL cholesterol concentrations were not influenced by diet. DISCUSSION: Relative to native products, animal fats modified by cholesterol removal and linoleic acid enrichment reduced plasma total and LDL cholesterol concentrations in a predictable manner similar to that based on studies of men.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Implicit redundant-targets effect in visual extinction.

Patients with left visual extinction as a result of unilateral right hemisphere damage were tested on a redundant-targets effect paradigm (RTE). LED-generated brief flashes were lateralized either to the left or to the right visual hemifield or presented bilaterally. Subjects were asked to press a key as fast as possible following either unilateral or bilateral stimuli and immediately afterwards to report on the number of stimuli presented. As previously found in normal subjects, bilateral stimuli were responded to faster than unilateral ones, and this was evidence of a RTE. The main thrust of this study was that extinction patients showed a RTE not only for correctly perceived bilateral stimuli but also in trials in which they extinguished the stimulus on the field contralateral to the lesion. This result is compatible with a preserved processing of the extinguished input at least up to the stage at which it may interact with the input from the normal side to yield a speeded motor response. Interestingly, the implicit redundancy gain of extinction patients was found to fit a coactivation (i.e. neural) rather than a probabilistic model.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Input and response determinants of visual extinction: a case study.

We have studied a patient, CZ, with contralateral visual extinction due to a large ischaemic frontal-parietal-temporal lesion in the right hemisphere. We found that manipulation of intensity of the visual stimulus had little effect while an increase in eccentricity substantially increased extinction rate. An important factor was represented by the hemifield of stimulus presentation: when double stimuli were presented to the contralesional (left) hemifield, the leftmost stimulus was consistently extinguished while when stimuli were presented to the ipsilesional (right) hemifield, extinction was absent. Such effect was specific to hemifield rather than to head- and trunk-defined hemispace. Manipulation of response-related variables affected extinction to a large extent: In particular, the use of nonverbal responses diminished extinction considerably. This suggests that an important component of extinction may be represented by an impaired access of visual information to the left hemisphere. Finally, the RT results confirmed previous evidence of an ipsilesional attentional bias favouring the rightmost stimuli both in the contralesional and in the ipsilesional hemifield.

Brain Ischemia↗

PubMed1996

Oral tramadol and buprenorphine in tumour pain. An Italian multicentre trial.

In this multicentre trial tramadol and buprenorphine were compared for the treatment of neoplastic pain no longer responsive to non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. A total of 131 adults (86 M, 45F) were treated with tramadol (one 100-mg slow-release tablet every 8-12 h), or buprenorphine (one sublingual 0.2-mg tablet every 6-8 h). The trial was to continue for up to six months. Most patients started treatment with 2-3 tablets/day in both groups, and the mean treatment period was 58 days for tramadol and 51 for buprenorphine. Almost all dose changes needed were made in the first fortnight in both treatment groups, and the largest number of patients dropped out because of inadequate pain relief or progression of the underlying disease. The results achieved in the first two weeks persisted throughout the rest of the trial, and the investigator's assessments on each patient's clinical chart corresponded closely with those that patients made in their own daily diaries. In the four hours after the first dose both drugs virtually halved the severity of pain (measured using a visual analogue scale), and this relief lasted throughout treatment. By the end of the first week the proportion of patients with strong/unbearable pain in the tramadol group had fallen significantly (from 98.4% to 48.1%, p < 0.05), as compared to a drop from 92% to 66.7% for buprenorphine. The quality of sleep also tended to improve in the tramadol group, with the proportion of patients enjoying good or deep sleep rising from 37% to 50%, as compared to 33% to 40-44% with buprenorphine. Karnofsky's and Spitzer's indices reflecting the quality of life did not change in the tramadol group; in the buprenorphine group the Karnofsky index dropped slightly after a fortnight (p < 0.05 between treatments). In the first two months of the trial the number of patients with no/moderate pain rose continuously in the tramadol group (71% and 80% after one and two months); the rise was less marked in the buprenorphine group (number of patients with mild/moderate pain, 45% and 65%). In both the short term and in the longer term, it was found that the levels of efficacy and acceptability were always significantly better in the tramadol group than in the buprenorphine group. General and biological safety in both drugs was good. The most typical side-effects were those characteristic of opioids (nausea and/or vomiting, drowsiness). Adverse reactions were reported in 17 patients taking tramadol (25%) and in 16 taking buprenorphine (26%). There were six drop-outs in the first group (9%) and seven in the second (11%). Serious symptoms arose more frequently in the buprenorphine group (19% cf. 10%). No signs of dependence or tolerance were noted.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

The University of Minnesota Cancer Prevention Research Unit vegetable and fruit classification scheme (United States).

High vegetable and fruit (V&F) intake has been associated with a lower risk of many cancers. However, the specific V&F, the active compounds present in V&F, and the dose at which they confer protection are unknown. Standard methods for assessing, classifying, and quantifying V&F exposures in epidemiologic studies have not been established. Differences among studies occur due to inherent differences among V&F, and across dietary assessment methods, study populations, etiologic hypotheses, and analytic methods. The V&F classification scheme presented here characterizes and quantifies V&F consumption for elucidating risk relationships, identifying chemopreventive compounds present in V&F, and facilitating identification of potential biomarkers of V&F intake. Broad criteria define which plant foods count as V&F. Formation of food groups is based on proposed biological mechanisms of action. Five main groups are included: Total V&F; Total Vegetables; Total Fruits; and two groups orthogonal to these -- the Botanical and Phytochemical groups. Subgroups are specified within each main group. V&F exposure is quantified as the absolute amount consumed (weight) or as the number of household servings. This classification scheme has public health applications and may be used to examine associations with chronic diseases other than cancer.

Eating↗