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Biomedical subjects

M Masi

Publications and source records attributed to M Masi.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

A long-term study on the use of evening primrose oil (Efamol) in atopic children.

The effect of essential fatty acids on atopic eczema is controversial. Some workers have reported that patients with atopic eczema improved following oral treatment with evening primrose oil (an oil with a high concentration of gamma-linolenic acid), but others have disputed this. This study was designed to look at the effect of evening primrose oil as a long-term oral supplementation for children with atopic eczema. Treated children dramatically improved their clinical condition after 4 weeks of therapy, and this improvement was maintained during the whole period of treatment (20 weeks). At the same time, modifications in plasma, neutrophil and lymphocyte fatty acid composition were detected.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1988

Evening primrose oil (Efamol) in the treatment of children with atopic eczema.

It has been reported that essential fatty acid levels may be low and that there may be reduced levels of delta-6-desaturase metabolites of linoleic acid in patients with atopic eczema. Good therapeutic results have been reported on the use of evening primrose oil (Efamol) in adults but not in children. Efamol contains gamma-linolenic acid, the delta-6-desaturase metabolite of linoleic acid. The authors have studied 24 children with atopic eczema: 12 of them were treated with a higher dose of evening primrose oil than in previous studies and 12 with placebo olive oil. The clinical status and plasma, neutrophil and lymphocyte fatty acid composition in these children have been evaluated. After 4 weeks the eczema of essential fatty acid-treated children significantly improved in comparison with that of placebo-treated children (p less than 0.01). There were significant changes in plasma fatty acid composition between the basal values and the end of active treatment, and between the placebo and actively treated children. Neutrophil and lymphocyte fatty acid composition did not seem to be related to disease activity.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1984

Behçet syndrome: report of two early-onset cases treated with transfer factor.

Report of two cases of Behçet syndrome in children, one with the features of a neuro-Behçet syndrome and the other with chiefly severe ocular changes. Both children were treated with transfer factor when previous treatment had proved ineffective. Some years after the beginning of treatment, which is still continuing, transfer factor may be said to be of value in Behçet syndrome.

Behcet Syndrome↗
PubMed1982

Hemodynamic and metabolic effects of nitroglycerin ointment in pacing-induced angina pectoris.

Hemodynamic and metabolic effects of nitroglycerin ointment (40 mg nitroglycerin) were tested on 15 patients with clinical evidence of stable angina. Basal value (B) and atrial pacing (AP)-dependent changes were evaluated before and 30 min after ointment administration. After treatment tension time index (TTI) basal value showed a 19% reduction (p less than 0.05). Compared to the control a lesser AP-dependent increase was also noted (27%, compared to 45%; p less than 0.005). According to TTI reduction, MVO2 showed an evident decrease both in basal conditions and during AP (21% and 29.6%, respectively). On the contrary, diastolic pressure time index (DPTI) does not result significantly influenced by the treatment. Consequently, DPTI/TTI ratio increase is largely the result of TTI reduction, which is well correlated to myocardial oxygen demand. Coronary sinus blood flow decrease (16% and 27% under basal conditions and during AP, respectively) confirms that the therapeutic efficacy of the ointment does not result from an increase in myocardial oxygen supply. Finally, during AP nitroglycerin ointment resulted in a significant decrease in myocardial lactate release (L% mean value ranges from-17.5% to 3.4%; p less than 0.001). Such an improvement probably reflects a primary influence of the drug on the extracoronary vascular bed.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Serum immunoglobulins and lymphocyte subpopulations derangement in Turner's syndrome.

Abnormalities of the proportions of peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations and of immunoglobulin serum levels were found in twenty patients affected by Turner's syndrome. A slight but significantly decreased percentage of circulating T and B cells, and increased percentage of null cells and a decreased in vitro responsiveness of lymphocytes to phytohaemagglutinin, concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen were found in Turner's syndrome patients. IgG serum level was found significantly decreased in comparison with age-matched fifty-seven normal males and fifty-seven normal females and IgM serum level was intermediate between female and male values; Turner's syndrome patients with monosomy had an IgM serum concentration very close to male values. The derangement of T and B lymphocyte subpopulations, probably related to the aneuploidy, does not seem to be a severe one but it could account for the immunoglobulin abnormalities and for the association of Turner's syndrome with immunological disorders such as autoimmune diseases. The role of X chromosome on IgM serum level is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Deficiency of autologous mixed lymphocyte reactions and serum thymic factor level in Down's syndrome.

The immune competence of the T lymphocyte system was studied in 28 noninstitutionalized subjects with Down's syndrome (DS) and were compared with sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The ability of enriched T lymphocytes to respond to 3 different T cell stimulants revealed a selective impairment of T lymphocyte subset(s). Subjects with DS showed normal responsiveness in allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions, but their response to phytohemagglutinin and in autologous mixed lymphocyte reactions was severely impaired. Non-T cells from DS subjects stimulated equally well both normal and DS allogeneic T lymphocytes. The blood concentration of serum thymic factor in the majority of DS subjects was much lower than that found in age-matched healthy controls. These data support the hypothesis that a deficiency of the T-dependent regulatory system is an intrinsic feature of DS and confirm the precocious aging of the immune system in these subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Effects of asphyxia and oral gentamicin on intestinal lactase in the suckling rat.

The effect of oral gentamicin on lactase, the major disaccharidase of the neonatal intestine, was studied using the suckling Wistar rat as a model. The jejunal lactase-specific activity of asphyxiated animals given oral gentamicin at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day for two days was significantly decreased compared to that of nonasphyxiated animals given oral saline (P less than 0.01). Although the intestinal lactase-specific activity of nonasphyxiated animals given oral gentamicin at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day for two days was not significantly different from that of animals given oral saline, a high dose of oral gentamicin (160 mg/kg/day) was associated with decreased lactase-specific activity in both the jejunum and ileum. Intramuscular administration of gentamicin was not associated with decreased intestinal lactase-specific activity. More information is needed regarding the mechanism of the biochemical injury associated with the oral use of aminoglycosides and its clinical significance, if any, in the human infant. Until this is known, the potential for such injury should be of special concern where prophylaxis against necrotizing enterocolitis is being considered, particularly in view of the increased tendency for treated infants to become colonized with gram negative organisms resistant to the antibiotic being used.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

[Cardiac metabolism in angina patients before and after aorto-coronary bypass].

The haemodynamic indices proposed by Buckberg et al. have been used to evaluate total coronary flow and its distribution to the subendocardial tissue. The following conclusions were drawn from the data obtained in humans and in experimental pathology: 1) in regional ischaemia (angina, myocardial infarction), the DPTI/TTI ratio expresses the degree of subendocardial hypoperfusion with fair approximation, although it has some theoretical limitations, 2) in total myocardial ischaemia, as occurs during ECC, the index provides an accurate picture of the subendocardium and a useful idea of the real effectiveness of the means of myocardial protection.

Angina Pectoris↗