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Biomedical subjects

M Castellano

Publications and source records attributed to M Castellano.

157 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The determination of Ck, LDH and its isoenzymes in pericardial fluid and its application to the post-mortem diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

After having studied 144 pericardial fluids, from the same number of judicial corpses, we propose the measurement of CK for the postmortem diagnosis of myocardial infarction, since it is a reliable, exact and easy technique available to an ordinary laboratory. Providing that contaminated samples be disregarded, the fluids are centrifuged early, and the cadavers be under 48 hours old, the study of CK enzymatic levels in the pericardial fluid allows the postmortem differentiation of myocardial infarction from other causes of death.

Autopsy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

High-dose, not low-dose insulin increases the vasoconstrictor effect of norepinephrine in spontaneously hypertensive rats: effects of antihypertensive treatment.

The effect of insulin on the vasoconstriction induced by norepinephrine is presently controversial. Therefore, the aims of our study were: (1) to evaluate the effect of low- and high-dose insulin on the concentration-response curve to norepinephrine in small resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) before and after the development of hypertension, and (2) to evaluate the effects of antihypertensive treatment on vascular response to insulin and norepinephrine. Fifty-six rats were included in the study. Six SHR were treated with enalapril and 6 with candesartan cilexetil from the 4th to the 12th week of age, while 10 WKY and 14 SHR were kept untreated. Two additional groups of 10 untreated SHR and 10 WKY were killed at 4 weeks of age, in a prehypertensive phase. Mesenteric small arteries were dissected and mounted on a micromyograph. A dose-response curve to norepinephrine was performed at cumulative concentrations in the presence or absence of low- and high-dose insulin. We found that only high-dose insulin increased the vascular response to norepinephrine in 12-week-old SHR, but not in 4-week-old SHR or in age-matched WKY. The increased responsiveness to norepinephrine disappeared after preincubation of the vessels with a selective inhibitor of endothelin-1 type A receptors. After antihypertensive treatment with enalapril or candesartan cilexetil, the potentiation of the vasoconstrictor response to norepinephrine was abolished. In conclusion, insulin at high, nonphysiological doses seems to induce an increase in the reactivity to norepinephrine in mesenteric small arteries of SHR, possibly mediated by a local production of endothelin-1. Antihypertensive treatment with an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker may normalize this altered response. This mechanism may be relevant in the development of hypertension in SHR.

Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Heroin prescribing: Is there scientific evidence of its efficacy for the treatment of its dependence?].

It is in the United Kingdom where medical prescription of opiates has been more widely used. Although these practice had been increasing until the sixties, several factors caused a decreased since then, so that it is currently 1.6% of all maintenance programmes, becoming methadone prescription more important. Mainly through studies conducted in Switzerland, the debate over the appropriateness of this practice. In such studies, it appears that heroin prescription supports important improvements in the patients outcome, as it is associated with better retention rates, a reduction in abuse of illicit substances, and improvements in patients health and social aspects. However, methodological limitations of these studies and ambiguous results of studies carried out in other countries, make it difficult to determine the effectiveness or efficacy of this pharmacotherapy, so that more studies are needed to scientifically justify this practice.

Heroin↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hemodynamic and humoral effects of 2 different doses of ketanserin in aged patients with hypertension].

The purpose of this double blind, cross-over, randomized study was to assess the antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability of ketanserin given at two different doses (i.e. 20 or 40 mg b.i.d.) in a group of patients with essential hypertension aged over 60 years. In addition, we evaluated the effect of ketanserin on some indexes of the sympathetic nervous system activity and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, as well as the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug after acute administration per os and during chronic treatment. Twelve hypertensive patients, 6 males and 6 females gave their informed consent to the study. Each patient underwent a non invasive blood pressure monitoring after a wash out period with placebo, after 5 weeks of treatment with ketanserin (20 or 40 mg b.i.d.), after a second wash out period with placebo, and after a second period of treatment (5 weeks) with ketanserin (40 or 20 mg b.i.d.). In addition, we evaluated ketanserin plasma levels during acute and chronic administration. During treatment with ketanserin 20 mg b.i.d. systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed a small, statistically not significant reduction. The higher dose (40 mg b.i.d.) reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Three hours after administration of 40 mg of the drug, ketanserin plasma levels were higher than after administration of 20 mg; this difference disappeared after 24 hours. A statistically significant relationship between mean blood pressure reduction during chronic treatment and ketanserin plasma levels was detected. No adverse effects were detected. In conclusion, ketanserin seems to be well tolerated and useful in antihypertensive therapy in elderly patients, particularly at the dose of 40 mg b.i.d.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bilateral optic neuritis in occupational exposure to trichloroethylene.

Central nervous system depression is the predominant response to acute trichloroethylene exposure. Cranial or peripheral nerves are also affected. The paper is a case report of a bilateral retrobulbar optic neuritis caused by occupational trichloroethylene poisoning. The urinary concentration of trichloroacetic acid one week after the onset of symptoms was positive. Visual fields and visual evoked potentials recovered eight months later. Other neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis were excluded.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Discrimination between migraine patients and normal subjects based on steady state visual evoked potentials: discriminant analysis and artificial neural network classifiers.

Fifty-one migraine patients and 19 control subjects were examined by steady state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) procedure. The aim of this study was to develop a discriminant analysis and an artificial neural network (NN) classifier in order to discriminate between migraneurs during attack-free periods and normal subjects. Discriminant analysis correctly classified 72.5% of migraine patients with a false positive rate of 36.8%. The NN method had a sensitivity of 100% with a false positive rate of 15%. The results of this study confirm SSVEP pattern as a marker of migraine and demonstrate that NNs could be a useful method in the statistical analysis of topographic EEG data.

Adult↗