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Biomedical subjects

M Mostert

Publications and source records attributed to M Mostert.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Glucocorticoid receptors immunoreactivity in tissue of human embryos.

The exact period when glucocorticoid receptors (GR) appear in human embryos is unknown, however their presence is acknowledged in target tissues before the fetal adrenal cortex secretes cortisol. Determining when GR develop could serve as an index of the importance of glucocorticoids in the morphological and functional development of tissues. The aim of this study was to determine time of onset of GR in human tissues using an immunohistochemical method. Results indicate GR are present in tissues of 8-10-week-old human embryos: in most tissues, the immune reaction was only or predominantly nuclear.

Embryo, Mammalian↗
PubMed1996

Staphylococcus aureus skin colonization in infants with atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus colonizes eczematous lesions in 78-100% of children and adults with atopic dermatitis (AD), whereas it is found on skin of healthy subjects in only 2-25% of cases. On unaffected skin of subjects with AD the bacterium has been isolated in 51-100% of cases. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: This paper examines rate and density of S. aureus colonization, using the swab technique and the contact plate method, respectively, on affected and unaffected skin in 72 infants with AD (age 3-24 months) and in a control group, to determine if there are significant differences with respect to what is reported for children and adults with AD. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The main differences is that on unaffected skin of our infants with AD, bacterium colonization rate is significantly lower than on affected skin.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Treatment of cells with alkaline borate buffer extends the capability of interphase FISH mapping.

Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been shown to be a means to map DNA sequences relative to each other in the 100 kb to 1-2 Mb genomic-separation range. At distances below 0.1 Mb, probe sites are infrequently resolved in interphase chromatin. In the 0.1- to 1-Mb range, interphase chromatin can be modeled as a freely flexible chain. The mean square interphase distance between two probes is proportional to the genomic separation between the probes on the linear DNA molecule. Above 1-2 Mb, the relationship between interphase distance and genomic separation changes abruptly and appears to level off. We have used alkaline-borate treatment to expand the capability of interphase FISH mapping. We show here that alkaline-borate treatment increases nuclear diameter, the interphase distance between probes on homologous chromosomes, and the distance between probes on the same chromosome. We also show that the mean square distance between hybridization sites in borate-treated nuclei is proportional to genomic separation up to 4 Mb. Thus, alkaline-borate treatment enhances the capability of interphase FISH mapping by increasing the absolute distance between probes and extending the range of the simple relationship between interphase distance and genomic separation.

Borates↗
PubMed1994

Levels of carnitine and glycogen in rabbit tissues during development.

This study attempts to add further light on the development of metabolic pathways in mammalians from fetal to post-natal life, by examining ongoing modifications of carnitine (in terms of total acid soluble, short chain esterified and free carnitine) and glycogen levels in the liver, heart, muscle and brain of rabbit during development.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Dietary modifications versus dicyclomine hydrochloride in the treatment of severe infantile colics.

This study examined 120 infants, aged 3-12 weeks, with severe colics and compared the results of a specific hypoallergenic diet (group A) with those of pharmacological treatment (group B). Non-breast-fed group A infants received soy milk and if unresponsive, hydrolyzed milk formulas; mothers of breast-fed infants received a diet without cow's milk, eggs or fish. Breast-fed and non-breast-fed group B infants received dicyclomine hydrochloride 3 mg/kg/day. Results, based on quantitative measurements of crying, indicated that in breast-fed infants there was no significant improvement between group A (62.5%) and group B (66.6%) infants. Among formula-fed infants, comparison of positive results using soy milk (65.9%) with positive results using dicyclomine (53.3%) was not significant; positive results using soy milk and hydrolyzed milk formulas in non-responders to soy milk, provided an improvement in 95.4% of cases. Pharmacological treatment provided an improvement in 53.3% of cases. The difference was significant (p < 0.01).

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed1994

Atopic dermatitis of infancy and urinary tract infections.

BACKGROUND: Infants under evaluation for atopic dermatitis (AD) at our clinic undergo a battery of examinations that include urinalysis and urine culture tests with antibiograms. The prevalence of cases with significant bacteriuria and leukocyturia (SBL) appeared to be unexpectedly high. OBJECTIVE: This study attempts to establish whether infants with AD should be suspected of having a higher prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of urine and urine culture tests was performed in 131 infants (84 males and 47 females) aged 1-24 months with untreated AD and in 1,327 control subjects (621 male, 706 female) aged 1-24 months. RESULTS: SBL was present in 27.5% of cases versus 3% of controls (p < 10(-5)). After routine treatment for AD and antibiotic treatment on the basis of a urine antibiogram, the recurrence rate of SBL, evaluated monthly over a 6-month period, was only 8.3%. CONCLUSION: Infants with AD might be at a greater risk for developing UTI, and when treated for AD this risk might be reduced.

Bacteriuria↗
PubMed1994

[Weaning of infants in the Turin district. An epidemiological survey].

A cross section study was performed on 1060 healthy children living in the Torino district to examine the modalities followed for weaning during infancy. Mothers were asked to fill in a questionnaire which contained questions concerning the family, allergic and metabolic diseases in relatives, type of food given to infants before, during and after weaning, and source of dietary counselling. A score was given for each answer. Data indicate generally correct trends though major fields of error concerns prevention of food allergy and coeliac disease. Scores were correlated with family type and area of origin of the family.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Magnetic resonance and the diagnosis of short stature of hypothalamic-hypophyseal origin.

Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 23 patients with short stature (7 had multiple pituitary hormone defect, 11 had isolated growth hormone deficiency and 5 had normal variant short stature) to investigate if there is a relation between magnetic resonance findings and results of endocrine tests. Magnetic resonance imaging of patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency or with serious isolated growth hormone deficiency (growth hormone < 3 micrograms/l) revealed an interrupted pituitary stalk and ectopic neurohypophysis or a mass. In patients with less serious isolated growth hormone deficiency (growth hormone > 3 micrograms/l) or with normal variant short stature, the technique revealed a normal or hypoplastic hypophysis. Magnetic resonance appears to be a useful second-level diagnostic tool in defining the type of alteration in growth defects of endocrine origin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The insulin signal and its effects on the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in circulating lymphocytes of obese children.

1. Studies have shown that in circulating lymphocytes pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) is responsive to insulin. 2. To improve existing knowledge on how insulin influences PDH behaviour, situations in which cell responsiveness to insulin is impaired could be of interest. 3. PDH behaviour in circulating lymphocytes from obese children, with high plasma insulin levels and normal glucose tolerance, was examined. 4. Masking and unmasking processes of insulin receptors on the plasma membrane appear to modulate the enzyme response to insulin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Modified Greulich-Pyle, Tanner-Whitehouse, and Roche-Wainer-Thissen (knee) methods for skeletal age assessment in a group of Italian children and adolescents.

Modified Greulich-Pyle (GP), Tanner et al. 2, radius, ulna and short bones (TW2-RUS), TW2-20-bone and Roche-Wainer-Thissen RWT (knee) skeletal age assessments were made in an Italian population sample of 128 males and 93 females aged 4.1-16.9 years. All the scales appear to be well-suited to the Italian population despite minor differences. A very high correlation was found between the assessment of knee skeletal ages by the RWT method and that of the hand-wrist by the GP and TW2 systems in the same subject without sex and age-associated variations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Pyruvate dehydrogenase activation by insulin in human circulating lymphocytes and the possible pathway involved.

1. The incubation of human fresh circulating lymphocytes with insulin leads to modifications in the behaviour of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) when the contact medium is supplemented with 50 microM Ca2+ and Mg2+. 2. To investigate the mechanism involved in the PDH responsiveness to insulin in circulating lymphocytes and the role of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in this process, the PDH activity was assayed in lymphocytes combined with insulin and/or a number of substances whose mechanism of action is partially known. 3. Of these some have been seen to mimick insulin effects on PDH, whereas other were tested for the first time in this study.

Enzyme Activation↗