Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Messina

Publications and source records attributed to M Messina.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Canalization of human cervical mucus.

Cervical mucus forms channels when dried under a coverslip. The aim of the present work was: 1) to prove mucus canalization both in spontaneous ovulatory cycles and during ovulation induction with gonadotropins; 2) to prove the estrogen dependence of this phenomenon; 3) to check the importance of the proteidic and electrolytic concentration on chaneling; and 4) to use this phenomenon clinically, shortening the time in which it occurs. The number and arrangement of channels vary during the cycle. The phenomenon is estrogen-dependent. The comparison between estradiol values and the number of channels during spontaneous ovulatory cycles and treatment with gonadotropins showed a linear relationship. Treatment with estradiol 17 beta-valerate and ethinyl estradiol induced channel formation in women with primary amenorrhea. Canalization and ferning disappeared after dialysis or treatment with proteolytic enzymes. It follows that the two phenomena have similar characteristics. Canalization increases daily, as does estradiol, whereas ferning maintains the same grade for a longer period, and when a grade of + + + is reached, it provides no further indications. With the use of a thermostat, canalization occurred in only a few hours. Chaneling, a more precise index, could therefore substitute for ferning, particularly when monitoring the induction of ovulation.

Amenorrhea↗
PubMed1983

Antiandrogenic properties of spironolactone. Clinical trial in the management of female hirsutism.

The effect of spironolactone on female hirsutism was studied in 18 patients. The drug was administered at the dose of 400 mg for the first ten days and 300-200 mg later on in a first group of women (Group A); a second group (Group B) was given 200 mg spironolactone for the whole length of therapy. A significant decrease of the index of Ferriman and Gallwey (p = 0.01) was noted from the 100th day of treatment; acne and seborrhoea improved concomitantly. Plasma total testosterone values fell from 0.64 +/- 0.24 ng/ml to 0.32 +/- 0.12 ng/ml (p = 0.002) during the first 5 days only in the patients of Group A; in the other patients no significant changes were observed. PRL did not significantly change from pretreatment values; FSH and LH values at the 5th, 10th, and 15th day of therapy did not show a uniform course in both groups. On the basis of these results spironolactone administration appears promising in the therapy of female hirsutism.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Plasma exchange in immune complex glomerulonephritis: clinical and immunological correlations.

22 patients with immune complex (IC) glomerulonephritis (GN) were treated with plasma exchange (PE), corticosteroids and immunosuppressors, in 4 cases also as a long treatment. We evaluated circulating IC and some neutrophils (PMN) functions such as phagocytosis, aggregation and platelet activating factor (PAF) release. In extracapillary GN improvement was observed in 3/9 patients, concomitantly with IC decrease: in 6/9 patients no renal amelioration occurred, despite IC decrease in two. In all Lupus Nephritis and mixed IgG/IgM cryoglobulinemia, IC were highly positive and the disappearance of IC in 5/6 Lupus Nephritis and 4/4 cryoglobulinemia heralded systemic and renal amelioration. PMN functions were hampered in acute Lupus Nephritis and mixed cryoglobulinemia, but constantly improved along with IC decrease and clinical amelioration. Thus in extracapillary GN the decrease of IC by PE may not eventuate in renal improvement. In Lupus Nephritis and cryoglobulinemia a better correlation exits between IC, PMN function and clinical course.

Cryoglobulinemia↗
PubMed1983

IgA1 and IgA2 in circulating immune complexes and in renal deposits of Berger's and Schönlein-Henoch glomerulonephritis.

IgA subclasses in circulating immune complexes (IgA1IC), serum immunoglobulins and mesangial deposits in Berger's and Schönlein-Henoch glomerulonephritis (GN) were studied. Both IgA1IC and IgA2IC were significantly higher in Berger's and Schönlein-Henoch GN than in healthy people. In phases of clinical activity both IgAIC subclasses further increased. The IgA1/IgA2 ratio was found not to differ from controls in either groups of patients. An increase in polymeric IgA was observed in Berger's and in Schönlein-Henoch GN. Both IgA subclasses were found in mesangial deposits.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1982

Control of cell protein catabolism in rat liver. Effects of starvation and administration of cycloheximide.

1. The loss of liver protein occurring in rats starved for 24 h was largely prevented by the administration of repeated doses of cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. Similar effects were produced on tubulin, a 'fixed' liver protein. 2. Starvation accelerated, whereas cycloheximide markedly lowered, the rate of protein radioactivity decay after labelling with [3H]valine or [14C]bicarbonate, indicating that changes in catabolic rates played an important role in the above regulations of liver protein mass. 3. The total activity of several lysosomal hydrolases showed little change in livers of starved rats, but a marked progressive decline developed after the administration of cycloheximide, particularly in the activities of cathepsins B, D and L as well as acid ribonuclease. There was no evidence that these changes might be due to endogenous inhibitors (at least for cathepsin B activity, which fell to less than 30% of the control values) or enzyme leakage into the bloodstream; rather, plasma beta-galactosidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase activities fell progressively during the cycloheximide treatment. 4. Endogenous proteolytic rates, measured in vitro by incubating subcellular preparations from livers prelabelled in vivo with [3H]valine, were markedly decreased in cycloheximide-treated animals. 5. The osmotic fragility of hepatic lysosomes, appreciably enhanced in starved animals, after cycloheximide treatment was found to be even lower than in fed controls. 6. The present data are consistent with the view that in starved animals the loss of liver protein is mostly accounted for by increased breakdown, due, in part at least, to enhanced autophagocytosis. 7. Cycloheximide largely counteracted these effects of starvation, altering the liver from being 'poised' in a proteolytic direction to a protein-sparing condition. The present data suggest that, besides suppression of the autophagic processes, a decrease in the lysosomal proteolytic enzyme system may also play a role in this regulation, and they seem to provide further circumstantial evidence for the existence of co-ordinating mechanisms between protein synthesis and degradation.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Clinical significance of the detection of circulating immune complexes in lupus nephritis.

32 patients (22 biopsed) with lupus nephritis (LN) were observed for circulating immune complexes (IC). Solid phase C1q (SPC1q) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation tests were used. The patients were studied during the clinical follow-up in different phases of disease activity. Comparative studies between each histological class of LN and corresponding forms of idiopathic glomerulonephritis (IGN) were made: no significant differences were found between either mesangial LN and stalk mesangial IGN, or between focal proliferative LN an focal proliferative IGN. However, a significant difference was found for SPC1q data between diffuse proliferative LN and mesangiocapillary IGN, and between membranous LN and membranous IGN. LN, with an acute nephritic syndrome and hypocomplementemia, displayed SPC1q data significantly above the levels of IC found in IGN with similar clinical features. IC serum data would seem an important element for the diagnosis and the clinical management of patients affected by LN.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Circulating immune complexes containing IgA, IgG and IgM in patients with primary IgA nephropathy and with Henoch-Schoenlein nephritis. Correlation with clinical and histologic signs of activity.

A new conglutinin solid phase assay for the detection of immune complexes containing IgA (IgAIC) and other conglutinin tests for immune complexes containing IgG and IgM (IgGIC and IgMIC) were used in studies on 34 patients affected by Berger's GN (92 sera) and 12 affected by Henoch-Schoenlein GN (61 sera). Thirty-six patients were observed over follow-up periods of 2-43 months. Levels of IgAIC in both groups of patients were significantly higher than those in healthy people. The values obtained in patients with Henoch-Schoenlein GN were statistically higher than those obtained in patients with Berger's GN. Moreover, IgAIC were frequently found to be associated with IgGIC and/or IgMIC. In both groups of patients, the IgAIC levels were significantly correlated with the presence of signs of clinical and histological activity such as the magnitude of microscopic hematuria, a past history of macroscopic hematuria and the percentage of glomeruli with florid epithelial crescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Levels of proteolytic activities and cell protein degradation.

The chanelling of substrate proteins to the degradative sites is generally considered to be the main limiting step for both basal and accelerated cell protein catabolism. On the other hand, circumstantial evidence from different laboratories suggests that overall protein catabolic rates and intracellular levels of proteolytic activities may be related. Two relevant examples are discussed. The first concerns the effects of repeated doses of cycloheximide on the rat liver, which result in stabilization of slow-turnover proteins concurrent with a marked reduction in lysosomal proteinase activities. The second is liver growth, both developmental and induced, where decreased protein degradation is likewise associated with reduced proteinase activity levels. In the regenerating liver, in particular, the reduction in lysosomal enzyme activities is not homogeneously distributed among cells, but seems mainly accounted for by changes which involve dividing hepatocytes. Evidence is presented indicating that the intracellular level of lysosomal proteinase activities, particularly cathepsin B, in the liver is subjected to relatively rapid adjustments, which is compatible with a possible role for them in the regulation of cell protein catabolism.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Lysis of rat liver lysosomes through incubation with 1-leucyl-glycine, substrate for a lysosomal dipeptidase.

1-Leu-Gly is a substrate for a lysosomal dipeptidase. The incubation of subcellular fractions in the presence of the dipeptide causes a rapid lysis of the particles, as revealed by the increase of both free and soluble activities of acid phosphatase. This effect is due to the hydrolysis of the dipeptide within the particles, as documented by the concomitant aminoacid production. The enhancing effect of EDTA on this phenomenon is reported.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1980

Lysosomal hydrolase activities in the developing rat liver.

The specific activity of three lysosomal proteinases (cathepsins B1, D, and L) as well as acid phosphatase and beta-galactosidase has been determined in the liver of both 7-10 day-old and young adult rats. Cathepsin B1 in suckling rats is markedly lower than in adults, while cathepsin D is only moderately lower and cathepsin L does not significantly differ. The activity of acid phosphatase is similar in the two groups of animals whereas that of beta-galactosidase in suckling rats is approx. twice as high as in adults. The activity of lysosomal hydrolases thus appears to be regulated individually during the development. Moreover it is suggested that the low activity of cathepsin B1 may be related to the low rate of cell protein catabolism characteristic of the developing liver (Conde and Scornik, 1977).

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1980

Effect of a fast-growing ascites hepatoma (Yoshida AH-130) on proteinase activities in the rat liver.

The weight of the liver and its DNA content definitely increase in rats transplanted with the ascites hepatoma AH-130 (Yoshida). The specific activity of cathepsin B1 decreases progressively in the liver during the first week after transplantation reaching one third of the initial levels, whereas that of cathepsin D shows the opposite behaviour increasing to levels 40% higher than in controls. The activity of the two proteinases in the blood plasma varies in a similar way, though the modifications are even more pronounced than in the liver. The relevance of the changes in tissue proteinase activities to the liver growth in tumour-bearing animals is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Effect of fasting and glucagon on the residual latent activity of acid phosphatase in rat liver.

Data are presented on the variation of the residual latent activity of acid phosphatase after hypo-osmotic shock in relation to differences in the functional state of the vacuolar apparatus, as obtained after 24 hours of fasting or treatment with glucagon. It is moreover reported the effect of cycloheximide, which appears able to interfere not only with the glucagon-induced autophagy, but in all likelihood also with the basal autophagic processes.

Acid Phosphatase↗