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Biomedical subjects

M Nazzari

Publications and source records attributed to M Nazzari.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Defibrotide in the prevention of deep venous thrombosis in general surgery. Preliminary results of a multicenter study].

In an open multicenter comparative study aimed at the evaluation of the efficacy of defibrotide in the prophylaxis of postsurgical deep vein thromboses (DVT) an ad interim evaluation has been made on 2626 patients thus far enrolled. 1323 had received defibrotide (200 mg q.i.d. by IV route from day -1 to day +7th postoperative), 941 calcium heparin (5000 IU b.i.d. or t.i.d. by SC route from day 0 to day +7 postoperative) and 362 other treatments (antiaggregating agents, placebo or no therapy). This group has not been included in the final evaluation, due to its limited size. The diagnosis of DVT or pulmonary embolism (PE) was made according to clinical routinary criteria. The incidence of DTV has been 15/1323 (1.13%) in the defibrotide group and 21/941 (2.23%) in the heparin group (chi-square, p = 0.056) while the cases of suspected or ascertained PE have been respectively 3/1323 (0.22%) and 10/941 (1.06%) (p = 0.02). The incidence of adverse effects with defibrotide was less than 1%; occasional cases of increased serum transaminase levels were seen with heparin. These preliminary results supports the effectiveness of defibrotide in the prevention of post-surgery DVT, its effects being similar or more prominent than those of calcium heparin, currently regarded as the standard medication.

Adult↗

A pilot evaluation of the effect of defibrotide in patients affected by peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

This was a random double-blind study versus placebo designed to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of defibrotide in patients with chronic peripheral vascular disease (PVD), Leriche stage II. A total of 20 male outpatients (mean age 58.8 years) were selected and treated with placebo for 2 weeks (run-in period), and then allocated randomly to treatment with defibrotide (200 mg/day, intramuscular, n = 10) or matched placebo (n = 10) for 90 days. Before intake and at 15, 30, 60, and 90 days of treatment, each patient received a Doppler ultrasound examination of the lower limbs, and the residual perfusion index (Winsor) was calculated at rest and immediately after a symptom-limited treadmill test. Absolute walking distance was measured in addition. Blood samples were taken for routine laboratory tests before intake and at 30 and 90 days of treatment. All patients completed the trial without adverse effects; no meaningful alterations of laboratory test returns were detected. Patients receiving defibrotide showed a significant increase of the Winsor index after exercise at 90 days versus basal (mean 0.47 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.43 +/- 0.05, p less than 0.05), and a parallel increase of walking distance (basal 288 +/- 42.3 m vs. 368 +/- 46.6 at 60 days, p less than 0.05, and 407 +/- 64.3 m at 90 days, p less than 0.01). No improvement was seen in the placebo group. These preliminary results suggest that defibrotide may prove beneficial to patients with PVD; further studies are needed to find the most appropriate dosage regime.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗

Lack of influence of sulglycotide on naproxen bioavailability in healthy volunteers.

We explored the bioavailability and kinetics of naproxen (N) in 12 healthy volunteers treated orally with single doses of 500 mg and retreated after a washout period with the same dose of N plus sulglycotide (S) 200 mg. Naproxen blood levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in samples collected at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h of dosing with N or with N + S. No statistically significant difference in terms of naproxen blood levels emerged as the product was administered alone or concurrently with sulglycotide. Peak plasma concentrations and AUC values were 71 +/- 3.16 micrograms/ml and 685 +/- 27 micrograms/ml/h, respectively for N alone, and 72.5 +/- 2.85 micrograms/ml and 651 +/- 28 micrograms/ml/h, respectively for N + S. The difference was not significant. Similarly, the kinetic behavior of naproxen was not modified by the simultaneous presence of sulglycotide, as shown by the t1/2 beta-values obtained with N alone (8.39 +/- 0.31 h) and with N + S (7.93 +/- 0.30 h), and likewise by the distribution volumes at equilibrium (7.63 +/- 0.42 and 7.9 +/- 0.38, respectively), Cmax (63.3 +/- 2.86 and 60.4 +/- 2.9 micrograms/ml, respectively) and tmax (0.95 +/- 0.06 and 1.10 +/- 0.10 h, respectively). From these findings it seems legitimate to claim that sulglycotide can be administered concurrently with naproxen to prevent possible gastric injury by the anti-inflammatory agent thanks to its wellknown antiulcer and cytoprotective activity on the gastric mucosa, without any undue interference with the absorption (hence effectiveness) of naproxen.

Adult↗

[Prevention of deep venous thrombosis with defibrotide in chest surgery. Controlled multicenter study versus heparin].

The effectiveness and tolerability of defibrotide in the prevention of post-surgery deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were compared with those of heparin in a multicentric randomized controlled study. One hundred-eight-four both sexes patients submitted to thoracic surgery were randomly allocated to defibrotide (400 mg b.i.d. by IV route, n = 94) or to calcium heparin (5000 I.U. t.i.d. s.c., n = 90); both treatments were started the day before the operation and withdrawn when patients were allowed to stand up (i.e., after 7 days). No patients developed DVT in the defibrotide group, while a single case of DVT was detected in the heparin group; furthermore, a more prominent bleeding was observed in the latter, in the early post-operative period (normal bleeding: 2nd day: defibrotide 70/92 pts, heparin 53/90 pts, p less than 0.02; 3rd day: defibrotide 87/92 pts, heparin 76/90 pts, p less than 0.05, chi 2 test), while the healing rate of surgical wounds was similar in the two groups. No relevant modifications in laboratory parameters were seen throughout the observation period. Thus, these preliminary data suggest that defibrotide is at least as effective as heparin in the prevention of post-thoracic surgery DVT and that the former drug has a possibly better tolerability profile, due to a lesser tendency to bleeding.

Adult↗

Double-blind comparison of once-daily bopindolol and atenolol for mild-to-moderate hypertension.

In order to compare the medium term antihypertensive effectiveness and tolerability of atenolol with those of bopindolol (LT 31-200), a new non-selective beta-blocker with slight PAA (partial agonist activity), a randomized double-blind study was performed. Thirty-one outpatients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension (WHO stage I-II) were enrolled and after a placebo run-in randomly allocated to bopindolol (1 to 4 mg/day) or atenolol (50 to 200 mg/day). The dose was titrated according to the individual pressor responses, and thereafter it was kept constant until the end of the treatment (12 weeks). Both drugs induced statistically significant decreases in SBP, DBP and HR, both in resting conditions and during an ergometric test. Accordingly, most patients achieved the main goal of the therapy, i.e., supDBP less than or equal to 90 mmHg, 11/15 (74%) with bopindolol versus 8/13 (62%) with atenolol. There were no significant differences between the effects of the two compounds. Resting airway resistance (expressed as Peak Expiratory Flow) was not influenced by the treatments. The antihypertensive efficacy was still evident after 12 months in 8 patients who were evaluated for non-comparative long-term effectiveness of bopindolol monotherapy, and improvements in plasma lipid profiles were also observed. Side effects were relatively mild and transient, with two patients in the atenolol group discontinuing therapy (one for inefficacy and one because of undesirable reactions) and one dropped out in the bopindolol group (late evidence of not fulfilling inclusion criteria).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Humoral and hemodynamic effects of nitrendipine versus clonidine in patients with essential hypertension.

A single-blind, randomized controlled study was conducted to assess and compare the antihypertensive effectiveness and the effects on glucose tolerance and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone balance of nitrendipine (Bay e 5009), a new dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, and clonidine. Twenty-six outpatients with uncomplicated mild to moderate essential hypertension were randomly allocated to receive 20 mg of nitrendipine or 0.25 mg of clonidine (slow-release formulation) daily for five weeks. One patient in the clonidine group dropped out. Both treatments significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressures with negligible modifications in heart rate. However, diastolic blood pressure was reduced significantly more (P less than 0.001) with nitrendipine. Accordingly, 12 of 13 patients given nitrendipine attained the goal of diastolic pressure less than or equal to 90 mmHg, according to criteria of the Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program, while only three of 12 patients in the clonidine group achieved this goal. Side effects were mild and transient in both treatment groups. No definite trends in plasma renin activity or plasma aldosterone concentration, or in blood glucose or immunoreactive insulin (measured both in fasting conditions and after an oral glucose tolerance test), were evident when baseline and posttreatment values were compared. The results of this study suggest that nitrendipine is an effective and safe antihypertensive agent and is devoid of adverse effects on glucose tolerance and renin-aldosterone homeostasis.

Blood Glucose↗

[Sulglicotide in the prevention of gastric disease induced by NSAID. Double-blind controlled study versus placebo].

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, essential for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, are frequently associated with significant adverse effects on the integrity of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Sulglicotide (S), a natural product, has been found to possess gastromucosal protective properties. Aim of the present study was to evaluate whether (S) 200 mg t.i.d prevented or reduced the severity of gastric and/or duodenal mucosal injury induced by Diclofenac. A total of 30 patients with either rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA) who required NSAID therapy for at least 8 weeks were enrolled into a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study. The main criteria for entry into the trial was the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms, and gastric/duodenal lesions assessed by endoscopy. At the end of the treatment endoscopy and relative symptoms were assessed. Six out of 15 patients, in both groups of treatment developed mucosal injury, but only in the placebo group the gastric damage was important (ulcer and petechiae) while in the group (S) we observed only hyperemia of the gastric mucosa. These preliminary data indicate the usefulness of Sulglicotide in preventing or reducing mucosal injury from NSAID treatment.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗

[Transient global amnesia].

Transient global amnesia is a well known syndrome, characterised by sudden loss of short term memory with retrospective amnesia, that appears in otherwise good healthy subjects. Transient global amnesia is often unknown and misunderstood. Authors explain pathogenetic hypothesis and diagnostic criteria, showing some clinical cases.

Amnesia↗