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Biomedical subjects

M Carini

Publications and source records attributed to M Carini.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Antihepatotoxic properties of uridine-diphosphoglucose in liver fluke infection. Experimental fascioliasis in the rat.

The antihepatotoxic properties of uridine-diphosphoglucose (UDPG, Toxepasi) have been evaluated in a well-established model of liver damage, the liver fluke infection (experimental fascioliasis in the rat), which causes a dramatic loss of the microsomal drug-metabolizing monooxygenase (MFO) and glucuronosyltransferase (GT) enzyme systems as a consequence of peroxidative damage to microsomal membrane lipids. Administration of 100 mg/kg UDPG i.p. to the infested rat for the entire course of the infection (40 days) positively affects the parameters reflecting the integrity of the liver cell (serum glutamate-pyruvate, GPT and glutamate-oxaloacetate, GOT, transaminases) and the detoxifying capacity of the liver (cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b5, cytochrome P-450-dependent p-nitroanisole O-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase activities, and the p-nitrophenol glucuronidation) and greatly reduces the lipid peroxidative phenomen in membranes from whole liver (tissue malonic dialdehyde content) and in membranes of the microsomal fraction (conjugated diene absorption). As a consequence of this, the total lipid and phospholipid contents of the liver are restored, there is minimal loss of latency of GT enzyme(s), cytochrome P-450 conversion to cytochrome P-420 is fairly negligible and total liver glutathione content is also restored. Therefore, UDPG restores liver function by protecting the endoplasmic reticulum membranes from the oxidative stress resulting from activation of the CN-insensitive respiratory burst of the phagocytic cells consequent to Fasciola hepatica invasion, migration and growth. It is very likely that UDPG acts as an effective antilipoperoxidative agent through both direct (as demonstrated by our in vitro experiments) and indirect mechanisms (stimulation of the glycolytic pathway, and hence of the reducing equivalents----glutathione----vitamin E supply).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Undiversion with ileocecal segment following high transureteroureterostomy.

A boy presenting with a small bladder and refluxing blind-ending ureteral stumps following multiple attempts at ureteral reimplantation and supravesical diversion with a high left-to-right transureteroureterostomy and right cutaneous ureterostomy underwent successful undiversion. Surgery consisted of bilateral ureterectomy and ileocecocystoplasty, with intussusception of the ileocecal valve and anastomosis of the ileal tail to the right renal pelvis.

Adolescent↗

Treatment of lower ureteral calculi with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

A group of 70 patients presenting with stones in the lower third of the ureter was treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy using a Dornier HM3 lithotriptor. For adequate radiological stone visualization a sitting position was used in 68 patients, while 2 with calculi overlying the sacroiliac joint required placement in the prone position. All but 1 patient had additional endoscopic maneuvers before treatment, consisting of the passage of a Zeiss sling around the stone in 40 and, when this was not possible, a ureteral stent in 29. The over-all success rate was 94.2 per cent (66 of 70 patients) with 3 patients having retained fragments and 1 requiring an open operation. The combination of new positioning techniques and relatively simple endoscopic maneuvers makes treatment of lower ureteral stones feasible and safe with the Dornier lithotriptor.

Adult↗

Conservative surgical treatment of renal cell carcinoma: clinical experience and reappraisal of indications.

During a 14-year period 36 patients who presented with renal cell carcinoma underwent conservative surgical treatment. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to treatment indications and condition of the contralateral kidney: group 1 included patients with a solitary kidney or bilateral tumors, group 2 patients had a damaged contralateral kidney and group 3 patients were without abnormalities of the contralateral kidney. Cumulative 6-year survival rates were 58 per cent for group 1, and 90 per cent for groups 2 and 3 combined. The over-all cumulative 6-year survival rate was 74 per cent. Based on these data extension of the indication for conservative surgical treatment seems to be justified in patients who present with low stage tumors and partial or potential damage to the contralateral organ.

Adult↗

Carboxylic metabolites of tiadenol as "proximate" inducers of hepatic peroxisomal beta-oxidation activity.

Chronic exposure of rats to the hypolipidemic agent tiadenol causes a dramatic dose-dependent increase of peroxisomal beta-oxidation activity. To elucidate which metabolite of the drug is the "proximate" inducer (tiadenol is eliminated completely in metabolized form after acute administration) we investigated the qualitative and quantitative metabolic profile of the drug at different doses (50, 150, 300 mg/Kg in two-weeks chronically treated rats, in parallel to that of a model compound, tiadenol-disulfoxide, a weak inducer of palmitoyl-CoA oxidation activity. No changes in the biodisposition of tiadenol (and tiadenol-disulfoxide) were found following chronic treatment for all the doses tested. For both the compounds a strict correlation was evidenced between the extent of formation of carboxylic metabolites and their inductive potencies on peroxisomal beta-oxidation activity. This indicates that tiadenol carboxylic metabolites act as the enzymatic effectors.

Animals↗

Pancreatic late recurrence of bilateral renal cell carcinoma after conservative surgery.

The appearance of solitary late metastases of renal cell carcinoma has seldom been documented. A female patient, who 13 years previously underwent left radical nephrectomy and right lower polar resection for bilateral simultaneous renal cell carcinoma, presented with a solitary pancreatic metastasis which was successfully treated with pancreaticoduodenectomy. The major points of interest of this report are the occurrence of a primary bilateral tumor, the initial treatment with conservative surgery and the site of late recurrence. The diagnostic and prognostic implications of late metastases of renal tumors are discussed.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell↗

Treatment of large renal calculi with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy monotherapy.

One hundred and twenty patients with large renal calculi (greater than 3 cm), who had not undergone previous stone-debulking procedures, were treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) monotherapy using a Dornier HM3 lithotripter. Stones were divided into four categories according to Rocco's classification: 20 C2, 25 C3, 51 C4 and 24 C5. Repeated treatments were necessary in 13 patients, while planned two-stage treatments were performed in 8. Pretreatment adjunctive endourological maneuvers (except for the placement of ureteral stents for visualization of 37 contrast-negative stones) were used in 16 cases (13.3%) and posttreatment maneuvers in 20 (16.6%). Open surgery was necessary in 6 patients, including one nephrectomy. Complete elimination of all concrements was documented in 74 patients (61.6%): 63 within 3 months and 11 within 6-12 months. The stone-free rates for different categories were: 80% for C2, 64% for C3, 58.8% for C4 and 50% for C5. The stone-free rate for contrast-negative calculi was 83.7% (31/37), and for radiopaque ones 51.8% (43/83) (p less than 0.001). It is concluded that ESWL monotherapy is an adequate treatment choice for some categories of large radiopaque stones and for all radiolucent ones.

Adult↗

Incidental finding of renal cell carcinoma with histological regressive aspects in a pregnant woman.

A renal cell carcinoma was incidentally discovered with sonography in a 32-year-old pregnant woman. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to provide further information about tumor stage without causing adverse effects on the fetus. The patient underwent radical nephrectomy at the third month of pregnancy and subsequently delivered a normal full-term child. Pathology revealed regressive aspects which can be possibly ascribed to high progesterone levels during pregnancy.

Adult↗

Periurethral neurofibroma.

A periurethral neurofibroma presenting as a midline perineal mass was removed in a three-year-old boy. An immunohistochemical study of S-100 protein distribution within the tumor tissue was performed.

Child, Preschool↗

Analysis of tiadenol in human plasma by capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detection.

A sensitive and specific method for the quantitative determination of tiadenol in human plasma is described. After addition of the internal standard, both compounds were quantitatively extracted into chloroform and then derivatized with heptafluorobutyric anhydride (the structures of both derivatives were confirmed by electron impact mass spectrometry). Quantitation was achieved by capillary gas chromatography, using a (63) Ni-electron capture detector. Linearity was observed in the concentration range 5-100 ng ml(-1) and the minimum concentration of tiadenol detectable in plasma was 2.0 ng ml(-1). The method was successfully applied to plasma specimens collected from healthy human volunteers following a single oral administration of 800 mg of tiadenol.

Journal Article↗

Simultaneous bilateral adrenal involvement by renal cell carcinoma: experience with 3 cases.

We report 3 cases of renal cell carcinoma and synchronous bilateral adrenal metastases discovered preoperatively with computerized tomography and other imaging techniques. Surgical treatment consisted of radical nephrectomy through a transperitoneal approach, with adjunctive lower polar resection in a patient with bilateral renal tumors, and contralateral adrenalectomy. Subsequent steroid treatment was given.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Elective treatment of ureteral stones with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was used as an elective treatment in 128 ureteral stones. Of the 108 with adequate follow-up, 88% were successfully disintegrated. Ureteral catheters proved to be particularly useful for more precise stone localization and as a mechanical means to push the calculi inside the renal cavities or to create a fluid interface around them, in order to increase the efficiency of the shock waves. When ureteral catheters were used a success rate of 95.5% was observed, as opposed to 82.8% when stents were not used (p less than 0.05).

Follow-Up Studies↗

Experimental studies on pharmacology, metabolism and toxicology with tiadenol-disulfoxide. Dissociation of lipid lowering effects and the induction of peroxisomal and microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes.

The hypolipidemic activity of tiadenol-disulfoxide, the major metabolite of 1,10-bis(hydroxyethylthio)decane (tiadenol, Eulip) in man and in the rat was assessed in various experimental models versus the corresponding activity of tiadenol. Tiadenol-disulfoxide in the normolipidemic rats lowers total serum cholesterol and serum and liver triglycerides in an extent comparable to that of the reference compound. Likewise, it is equally effective as tiadenol in preventing Triton-induced hyperlipidemia and Nath diet induced hypercholesterolemia; in addition tiadenol-disulfoxide is slightly more effective than tiadenol in increasing HDL-cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic rats. At hypolipidemic doses the compound causes no hepatomegaly, no induction of peroxisomal catalase and palmitoyl-CoA oxidase activities, no smooth endoplasmic reticulum proliferation and no induction of microsomal cytochrome P-450 and of cytochrome P-450 dependent enzyme activities: aminopyrine (aminophenazone) N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, zoxazolamine hydroxylase and hexobarbital oxidase. At the suprapharmacological dose of 300 mg/kg tiadenol-disulfoxide, if compared to the reference compound, shows a generally lower order of toxicity on these hepatic parameters. Orally administered tiadenol-disulfoxide is well absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract and is eliminated in urine at 45% of the dose in unchanged form, and the remaining being: glucuron-conjugated tiadenol-disulfoxide (10%), S-oxidized metabolites (15%) and sulfoxidized carboxylic metabolites (15%). The compound is well tolerated both in mice and rats. The results of this comparative study demonstrate that: 1. tiadenol-disulfoxide is a substance with promising hypolipidemic properties; 2. tiadenol-disulfoxide is largely responsible for the hypolipidemic activity of tiadenol; 3. hepatomegaly consequent to tiadenol administration is the consequence of the response of the liver cell to the increased functional demand of the mixed function oxidase (MFO) system involved in the metabolism of the drug; 4. peroxisomal enzyme activities induction observed with both drugs at non-pharmacological doses does not play any role in their hypolipidemic action and is not associated with hepatomegaly.

Animals↗

A rapid method for the simultaneous detection by collisionally activated dissociation mass-analysed ion kinetic energy spectrometry of parts per trillion of diethylstilbestrol, zeranol and trenbolone in plasma and edible tissues of cattle.

The current methods for the control of the illegal use of anabolics in cattle breeding are far from satisfactory in terms of specificity and sensitivity. Here we describe a method for the simultaneous detection of diethylstilbestrol, zeranol and trenbolone in plasma and edible cattle tissues. The method is rapid (total analysis time 30 min), specific and sensitive (ppt level). The technique employed is a tandem mass spectrometric method: collisionally activated decomposition mass-analysed ion kinetic energy (CAD MIKE) spectrometry. Detection involves the injection of the crude ethanol extracts of plasma and tissues and selection/collision of molecular ions of each targeted compound. Confirmation of the presence of particular compounds is made by matching the complete CAD spectra so obtained with those of the pure compounds.

Animals↗