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Biomedical subjects

M Carrara

Publications and source records attributed to M Carrara.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Effects of 6,6'-dithiodinicotinic acid (CPDS) and its metabolite 6-mercaptonicotinic acid (6-MNA) on murine and hamster fibroblasts (3T3 and BHK) and murine metastatic melanoma cells (F10).

We investigated the action of 6,6'-dithiodinicotinic acid (CPDS) and its metabolite 6-mercaptonicotinic acid (6-MNA) in vitro on murine (3T3) and baby hamster kidney (BHK) fibroblasts and an in vivo highly metastatic subline of murine B16 melanoma (F10). CPDS determined an inhibition of cell growth and a decrease in cell adhesion, while 6-MNA had no effect. When combined with data of the mitotic index and endogenous purine ribonucleotides (on which the drugs seem to have no effect), these observations are conceivable with the hypothesis that the primary target of CPDS is cell membrane.

Cell Adhesion↗
PubMed1985

Antinociceptive effect of some carboxypeptidase A inhibitors in comparison with D-phenylalanine.

It had previously been shown that D-phenylalanine and hydrocinnamic acid, two in vitro inhibitors of carboxypeptidase A, possess an analgesic action when injected i.p. in mice. We have studied the in vivo effects of indole-3-acetic acid, another carboxypeptidase A inhibitor, and of the following analogs of D-phenylalanine substituted in position 4: D-tyrosine, p-fluoro-D-phenylalanine and trifluoroacetyl-p-fluoro-D-phenylalanine. Whereas indole-3-acetic acid caused a higher and shorter analgesia in comparison with D-phenylalanine, p-fluoro-D-phenylalanine and its N-trifluoroacetyl derivative yielded both a greater and a much longer lasting analgesic effect. Since the latter compound showed only slight inhibitory activity on carboxypeptidase A in vitro, we suggest that inhibition of this enzyme and analgesia might not be directly correlated.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1985

Are calcitonins analgesic and/or hyperalgesic?

The acetylcholine writhing test and the hot plate test were used in mice to evaluate peripheral and central analgesia after porcine, salmon and human calcitonin administrations. ICV and IV injection of calcitonins caused a peripheral analgesia that persisted for at least 2 hr. SC injection of calcitonins did not produce peripheral analgesia. However, when administered by IP route, an increasing peripheral analgesia was observed. Although it had a slow onset, it was as powerful as after ICV or IV administration. Employing the hot plate test to determine the entity of a central analgesic response, the IP administration of calcitonin surprisingly revealed a hyperalgesic effect. It started soon after the injection, reaching its maximum after about 2 hr. At this point the hyperalgesic effects were fully antagonized by EDTA.2 Na ICV, or by Ca++ICV. Moreover only the latter produced a strong and long acting analgesia. Applying a central or peripheral test, calcium seems to play different roles on the algesia variations induced by calcitonins.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1979

[Scar cancer and rib fractures. Causality or coincidence?].

On consulting our archives in order to give a casuistic contribution to the scar-cancer theory, we have met with a new datum: in 60 patients affected with a lung carcinoma, 13 of these, i.e. 21.6%, had suffered with a previous thoracic trauma with or without rib fractures.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

Catabolism of 6-ketoprostaglandin F1alpha by the rat kidney cortex.

Homogenates of the rat kidney cortex converted 5,8,9,11,12,14,15-hepta-tritiated 6-ketoprostaglandin F 1alpha into one major product identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of the methoxime-methyl ester trimethylsilyl ether derivative as 6,15-diketo-9,11-dihydroxyprost-13-enoic acid. The sequence of derivatisation i.e. methoximation prior to methylation, was crucial as methylation of 15-keto catabolites of the E, F and 6-keto-F series affords degradation products. The corresponding 15-keto-13,14-dihydro catabolite was formed in much smaller quantities. Time course studies indicated that 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha was catabolised at a slower rate (about 2-5 fold) than prostaglandin F1alpha. The catabolic activity was blocked by NADH.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cytotoxicity of paclitaxel in combination with cisplatin and a new Pt-mercaptopyridine complex.

In vitro synergy has been reported for exposure to paclitaxel prior to cis-platin (cis-DDP), whereas the reverse sequence resulted in antagonism. There is no clear evidence for an intracellular origin of the schedule-dependent interaction, but several hypotheses have been proposed, such as effects at the level of DNA crosslinks, or binding to tubulin sites. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of these two drugs as single agents, in combination and in sequence, against a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (LoVo). Moreover, we considered the new Pt-mercaptopyridine complex C/2, was like cis-platin in being able to alter DNA conformation. We have therefore studied the cytotoxic effects after single agent exposure, concomitant exposure (paclitaxel + cis-platin and paclitaxel + C/2) and sequential drugs exposure (paclitaxel-->cis-platin and cis-platin-->paclitaxel or paclitaxel-->C/2 and C/2-->paclitaxel). Our results demonstrate that the most cytotoxic effect is induced by paclitaxel and C/2 exposure both in the case of concomitant cell treatment and sequential exposure paclitaxel-->C/2.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Risk factors for chronic respiratory disorders in a sample of farmers in middle Italy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in agricultural workers in a rural area of Tuscany and to relate them to some occupational risk factors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was performed on a sample of 461 agricultural workers from two rural area of Tuscany. All subjects underwent to respiratory questionnaire, pulmonary function test and skin prick tests. Occupational risk factors were evaluated as response to questions related to 11 specific jobs, most of them related to cow-shed works. RESULTS: Subjects had high mean age and a long work duration. Smoking habit was significantly associated with symptoms of chronic bronchitis, while atopy was significantly associated with chronic cough, phlegm and dyspnea. In comparison with a control group of workers which did not report any occupational risk factors (reference group), logistic analysis showed that most symptoms were significantly associated with some specific jobs related to animal breeding, taking into account differences due to age, smoking habit, atopy and district. Mean pulmonary function tests were in the normal range, without any significant relationship with different risk factors, except smoking habit. Increased work duration was associated with significant decrease of pulmonary function. CONCLUSION: Symptoms of chronic bronchitis were frequent in this population of farmers of Middle Italy. The analysis of risk factors confirms a relevant role for some specific occupational risk factors, related to jobs in the cow-shed, in the development of respiratory disorders.

Agriculture↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anti-inflammatory effect of mud-bath applications on adjuvant arthritis in rats.

OBJECTIVE: The real effects of mud-bath applications on the inflammatory process are still not clarified. We studied these effects on rat adjuvant-induced arthritis. METHODS: Arthritis was induced in 30 rats by subplantar injection of Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) into the right hind paw. Ten days after FCA injection, the rats were randomized in 3 groups of 10 each: the first one was submitted to a cycle of mud-bath applications, the second one was treated with indomethacin, the third one received only saline per os (control group). The paw volume, measured by plethysmometry, and the serum levels of TNFalpha and IL-1beta were considered as evaluation parameters. RESULTS: FCA injection caused a progressive enhancement of paw volume and a rapid increase of TNFalpha and IL-1beta serum levels. After the randomization, mud-bath applications reduced inflammation and at the end of the treatment the paw volume and the TNFa and IL-1beta serum levels were significantly tapered in comparison to the controls (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggest an anti-inflammatory effect of mud-bath applications on adjuvant arthritis in rats. These results could explain the beneficial effects of thermal treatments observed in some inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

How to identify and calculate glenoid bone deficit.

In recent years, we have seen increased interest in bone lesions of the glenoid rim as acute fractures (Bony-Bankart) and as chronic bone defect in instability. This derives from three main clinical and statistical findings: a significant incidence of bony Bankart lesion after a first dislocation, a high percentage of glenoid bone defects in chronic instability, and, finally, a close relationship between bone defect and incidence of recurrence after arthroscopic stabilization. The authors agree on determining glenoid bone defect that exceeds 15-20% as the main contraindication to arthroscopic stabilization. It is thus necessary to accurately calculate bone defect in order to be able to plan the most suited type of surgery. The authors report their simple, accurate and reproducible CT method known as Pico to quantify and measure bone defect in terms of percentage bone area and in terms of square mm of defect.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro studies on tin-dithiocarbamates.

Organotin compounds have been studied for their biological properties, whereas very little is known about the effects of tin-inorganic derivatives on biological systems. Owing to our interest in the dithiocarbamate moiety in relation to metal redistribution in the body and to its biological import, we performed in vitro cytotoxicity experiments on dithiocarbamates. Preliminary results obtained with five tin-dithiocarbamates, where DDTC is the diethyldithiocarbamate anion, indicate some very promising compounds.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A cross-sectional epidemiological study of symptoms and respiratory physiology in a sample of workers in shoe manufacture].

The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and functional abnormalities has been evaluated in a sample of 350 workers (186 males and 164 females, mean age: 35.1 and 36.6 years respectively) employed in 24 factories of the shoes industry in the area of Pisa, exposed to airway irritants (solvent vapours, leather dusts and fumes). Each subject performed C.N.R. questionnaire of respiratory symptoms and diseases, and measurement of Forced Vital Capacity and derived indices. A mild prevalence of respiratory symptoms (chronic cough: 9.3% and 8.5% in males and females respectively; chronic phlegm: 14.6% and 6.8%; persistent wheeze: 2.1% and 1.7%; dyspnea of 1st degree: 23.3% and 39.0%) was reported, more frequently in smokers than in non smokers. Subjects with longer job duration in the shoe industry showed a trend to have a higher prevalence of chronic phlegm than subjects with shorter job duration; on the contrary, the last ones had a higher prevalence of rhino-conjunctivitis. A higher prevalence of attacks of shortness of breath and dyspnea of 2nd degree in males, and dyspnea of 1st degree in females was observed in workers to high risk job (to shear, to use adhesive, etc.) with respect to workers employed in low risk job (to assembly, to store etc). Mean spirometric values where in the normal range. Subdividing the subjects in groups with different smoking habit and job duration, a mild effect of the occupational exposure in groups with the same smoking habit could be observed for FEV1 and MEF50 particularly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Abnormal migratory activity of peripheral neutrophils from asthmatic patients and its modulation by inhaled glucocorticoids.

In order to investigate if bronchial asthma is associated with enhanced markers of activation in peripheral neutrophils, the migratory capacity of neutrophils in venous blood was measured by means of the Boyden chamber technique in 29 subjects with bronchial asthma of differing severity. Random migration (random motility), but not locomotion toward 10% Escherichia coli supernatant as chemoattractant (chemotaxis), was increased in asthmatic subjects with respect to 11 normal subjects (98 +/- 20 microns vs. 85 +/- 6 microns; p < 0.05). When asthmatic subjects were subdivided into groups of different disease severity, subjects with mild and mild to moderate asthma showed significantly higher values for random motility and chemotaxis than normal subjects; on the other hand, subjects with more severe disease showed the lowest values for migratory activity. No correlation was found between migratory activity and clinical findings of asthma, except for baseline FEV1 (% of the predicted value), which showed a slight but significant positive correlation with chemotaxis (r = 0.44, p < 0.05). Subjects with atopic or occupational asthma had higher values for migratory activity than subjects with nonallergic asthma. Thirteen asthmatic subjects repeated all evaluations after 1 month of treatment with high doses of inhaled glucocorticoids (beclomethasone dipropionate 1500 micrograms/day). Random motility (95 +/- 24 microns vs. 75 +/- 15 microns; p < 0.05) and chemotaxis (130 +/- 22 microns vs. 105 +/- 25 microns; p < 0.05) were significantly reduced after treatment, as well as the symptom score; on the other hand, symptom score but not bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine challenge significantly changed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Inhalation↗