Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Rinaldi.
One hour after intravenous doses of 50 mg/d fluconazole for 6 days or 100 mg/d for seven days to healthy subjects, the cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of fluconazole were 1.26 mg/L and 2.74 mg/L, respectively. These values were approximately 52% and 62% those of serum. Four patients with an initial clinical diagnosis of meningitis also had significant concentrations of fluconazole in the cerebrospinal fluid.
While conventional cytodiagnosis can, in most instances, recognize cancer cells in metastatic effusions from solid tumors, the cellular type or the organ of origin of the primary neoplasia can rarely be determined only on the basis of their morphology. In the present study we have evaluated whether immunocytochemical techniques can be used to overcome this limitation by employing a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to tumor associated antigens (TAA) which lack detectable reactivity with mesothelial cells. To this end we have analyzed, by indirect immunofluorescence, cytospins of 60 malignant effusions of unknown origin. The results of this study have shown that the definition of the origin of the primary tumor, which was subsequently confirmed histologically and/or clinically, could be reached in 87% of the cases. These findings demonstrate that selected combinations of MoAbs, when used in immunocytochemical tests, can provide a powerful diagnostic tool in defining the site of cryptic primary neoplasias causing metastatic effusions.
One hundred sixteen patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were accrued in a prospective randomized trial comparing (A), chemotherapy (cisplatin and etoposide [VP-16]) for two courses plus radiation therapy (30 + 20 Gy split course), followed by an additional two courses to (B), the same regimen plus the addition of lonidamine (LND). There were 93 patients evaluable for response (46 in the chemotherapy/radiation arm and 47 in the chemotherapy/radiation/LND arm). One hundred fifteen patients were evaluable for toxicity. The overall response rates, median time to progression, and median survival time were similar in both arms. For the group of patients with squamous cell histology, time to progression was 27 weeks on arm A and 38 weeks on arm B (P = 0.01). Two-year survival in the squamous cell group in arm A was 9%, in arm B, 39%. LND does not give rise to additional toxicity, although myalgia and testicular pain are characteristic side effects.
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The characterization of mono- and dimethylated 5-substituted uracils was re-examined. Analysis of their physicochemical properties (pKa, U.V., delta 1H-N.M.R.) affords insight into the structural characteristics of 5-substituted uracil alkylated at the ring nitrogens.
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Membrane-bound receptor or enzyme distribution between cell surface and cell interior can be determined using the non-ionic detergent digitonin. A solid-phase radioimmunoassay using myocardial cells from newborn rats was performed to screen hybridoma culture supernatants and the cells were rendered permeable with increasing concentrations of digitonin (0-0.1%). This was achieved in 5 min at 37 degrees C and did not require the continuous presence of detergent. A characteristic amount of cytoplasmic protein (approximately equal to 45%) was released with subunit molecular weights of up to 200,000. This allowed exogenous molecules such as immunoglobulin G to gain access to the intracellular targets. The binding to rat myocardial cells of 36 monoclonal antibodies was examined by this procedure. The binding assays were carried out for 30 min at 37 degrees C using cells previously treated for 10 min with 0.05% of digitonin. This appears to be a simple and rapid method of screening and selecting the hybridoma culture supernatants.
Several series of mono-, di- and trimethyl derivatives of N-(6-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-4-oxo-2-thioxo-5-pyrimidinyl)benzene sulfonamide substituted at the benzene ring (Z), were synthesized and studied spectrophotometrically. The spectral and physical data enabled the structures of the methyl derivatives obtained by methylating (Z) to be identified. When assayed biologically as antimycotics, a small percentage of the substances exhibited mild fungicide activity.
Some derivatives of N-(5-pyrimidinyl)benzenesulfonamide, variously substituted at the benzene and pyrimidine ring, and variously methylated at ring and/or sulfonamidic nitrogens, were re-prepared. The activity of these compounds against lymphocytic leukemia P388 was evaluated and proved to be negligible or completely absent.
Nasal histamine (H), leukotriene C4 (I-LTC4) and SRS-A activity were studied in seven aspirin-(ASA)-intolerant patients (AIR) with rhinitis and in five ASA-tolerant control patients with chronic rhinitis after nasal provocation (NP) with a lysine acetylsalicylate solution. The same parameters were also studied after metabisulfite (MBS) NP in four sulfite-intolerant patients with rhinitis and in six control patients with chronic rhinitis. In six ASA-intolerant subjects and in four controls, we studied the PGD2 levels in nasal washes after ASA NP 0.2 mL of lysine acetylsalicylate solution (10 mg/mL) was sprayed intranasally in ASA-intolerant patients and controls and a 25-mg/mL MBS solution in sulfite intolerant patients and controls. Nasal wash fluids were obtained using 5 mL of 0.15 M saline before and 7 1/2, 15, 30, and 60 minutes after nasal provocation. The nasal provocation with ASA induced itching and sneezing in four out of seven intolerant subjects. In this subgroup histamine values in nasal wash fluids were significantly higher versus the remaining ASA-intolerant patients at 30 and 60 minutes (P less than .05 and P less than .01, respectively) and versus controls at 60 minutes (P less than .01). We found significantly higher I-LTC4 (P less than .01) and SRS-A levels in nasal washes collected from ASA-intolerant subjects versus controls at 60 minutes after nasal provocation. There was no significant increase in the mean PGD2 values in either the ASA-intolerant or control groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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The authors have put in evidence that the 5-HT (20 mg/Kg b.w.) injected intraperitoneally in four days fasting rats and drinking water, causes an almost complete glycogenolysis in liver and muscles. When the 5-HT is injected in four days fasting rats but drinking a water solution (20%) of glucose, the amount of glycogen, in both organs, is marked increased.
Urinary recovery and serum determination of Paba were carried out in 48 control children (C) and 53 paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) divided into three classes by age. Ninety and 120 min after the ingestion of 15 mg/kg of BT-Paba and of a standard meal, serum Paba was determined. In the same subjects the percentage Paba recovery was measured in the urine collected during an 8 h period after the same administration of BT-Paba. Correlation between urinary and serum Paba values was higher in the older children in respect to the 0-2-year-old infants. A urinary Paba test was less sensitive and specific than a serum Paba test in the evaluation of exocrine pancreatic function. The best discrimination between C and children with CF, using the maximal value of serum Paba at 90 or 120 min (peak), was obtained in the younger infants (0-2 years old). BT-Paba test with serum Paba peak determination is recommended as a substitute for the classical urinary Paba test in the evaluation of exocrine pancreatic function in paediatric patients, especially in the younger infants.
Lonidamine was given to several patients affected with different types of neoplasias growing as metastases both in ascites and pleural effusion, and solid cutaneous metastases. The patients with tumor cells in ascites and pleural effusion were treated with Lonidamine per os or in loco injections. In cutaneous metastases, Lonidamine was administered by different routes: (1) per os; (2) local endoarterial; and (3) in association with hyperthermic perfusion with or without antiblastic drugs.
2-, 3- and 4-amino-N-(6-amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-2-mercapto (or alkylthio)-5-pyrimidinyl)benzenesulfonamides were synthesized and biologically tested on different strains of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. Some of the 4-aminoderivatives were also tested for antibacterial properties on numerous bacterial strains. Antimycotic activity of 4-amino compounds, expressed as MIC, is around 50 micrograms/ml and higher than that of both 2-amino- and 3-aminoderivatives. In all these compounds alkyl chain length does not seem to have any notable effects on biological activity, an exception being made for some aralkyl compounds. Antibacterial activity of 4-aminoderivatives is very low for all strains tested.
Blood samples in sodium citrate 3.8% (ratio 1:10) of 15 healthy people were subjected to the pressure of 0, 50, 150 mm Hg respectively in a circuit operated by a peristaltic pump as during dialysis. The platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was determined in all cases. We found a significant reduction of the maximum percent aggregation of the samples exposed to the pressure of 150 mm Hg. We then suppose that a positive correlation exists between high pressure in the dialytic circuit and platelet damage.