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P Rinaldi

Publications and source records attributed to P Rinaldi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Influence of the 21-aminosteroid U74389F on ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat.

We examined the effects of the administration of 21-[4-(2,6-di-1-pyrrolidinyl-4-pyrimidinyl)-1-piperazinyl]-pregna-1,4,9( 11)-triene-3,20-dione, monomethansulfonate (U74389F), a 21-aminosteroid and so-called lazaroid, that is characterized by an inhibitory activity against iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, on ischemia-reperfusion renal injury in a rat model. After either 60 or 90 min of ischemia, plus 2 or 24 h of reperfusion, kidneys were assayed for glutathione, adenine nucleotides and lipid peroxidation products. 60 min of ischemia produced too little oxidative stress and/or too much spontaneous recovery to allow visualization of the protective effect of the drug. 90 min of ischemia followed by reperfusion induced significant glutathione oxidation, the free oxidized glutathione to total glutathione redox ratio (%) being enhanced from 4.6 +/- 0.7% before kidney clamping to 11 +/- 1 and 8.6 +/- 1.4% at 2 and 24 h reperfusion, respectively. Treatment with the lazaroid provided significant protection against this oxidation (4.9 +/- 1.05% at 24 h reperfusion). Results of lipid peroxidation confirmed the antioxidant effect of the lazaroid. In conclusion this study provides evidence for a protective role of the tested lazaroid against ischemia-reperfusion renal injury in the rat.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

[Inflammatory pseudotumor of the urinary bladder. Study of 4 cases and review of the literature].

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory pseudotumour (IPT) of the urinary bladder is a benign proliferative lesion which can simulate clinically and histologically a sarcoma. Aim of this study is to report four new cases and to review the literature. CASES: Two patients were male, aged 2 and 4 years respectively (cases 1 and 2); cases 3 was a 26 year old woman and case 4 was a 40 year old man. Three patients presented with gross haematuria. One patient (case 4) presented with abdominal pain. On cystoscopy all the lesions presented as polypoid masses, ranging from 0.5 to 3 cm. in greatest axis. All patients were treated with conservative surgery. Case 1 died of unrelated causes 7 years later; at autopsy no evidence of residual bladder lesion was found. All the remaining three patients are alive and free of disease 8, 4, and 3 years respectively. RESULTS: On histology all the lesions had similar features. They were characterized by a submucosal growth of spindle cells with little pleomorphism, immersed in abundant myxoid stroma. In all cases immunoreactivity with vimentin was obtained; smooth muscle actin was focally positive in two cases and cytokeratin in one case. Bladder muscular wall was involved in three cases. CONCLUSION: The present four cases showed same histological and immunohistochemical feature of the IPTs previously described in the literature. IPT of the urinary bladder must be differentiated from malignant lesions such as rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, inflammatory fibrosarcoma, sarcomatoid carcinoma. Differential diagnosis is based mainly on the characteristic histological picture of IPT. Immunohistochemistry can be misleading as IPT shares in common with those malignant conditions, positivity with some markers, such as desmin with rhabdomyosarcoma and cytokeratin with sarcomatoid carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Early and late cognitive event-related potentials mark stages of HIV-1 infection in the drug-user risk group.

HIV-1 (Human immunodeficiency virus) infection of the brain causes delays in auditory event-related potential (ERP) components. We recorded auditory ERPs from 38 former parenteral drug users (PDUs) at three stages of HIV-1 infection: seronegative; seropositive; stage II; and seropositive, stage IV. There were five response conditions: Go Nogo, Count, Simple Response, Simple Count, and Ignore. P3 peak latencies were significantly delayed and P3 amplitudes were significantly reduced for all seropositives, including asymptomatics, when compared to PDU seronegative controls. In contrast, the P1 and N1 peak latency measures were delayed only for seropositives with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) qualifying illnesses. There was a significant negative correlation between the CD4 count and the latency of P1, N1, and the MMN. Also, increased P1 and N1 amplitudes correlated with indices of disease progression (Choice RT and CD4 counts, respectively). The results extend previous findings by clarifying the pattern of auditory ERP markers of disease progression. Early, as well as late, brain involvement caused by HIV-1 is marked by delays and decreased amplitudes in cognitive components. In addition, late brain involvement is marked by delays and increased amplitudes in specific, automatic, and/or obligatory components.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1991

[Obesity among patients admitted to a medical department at the Terni Hospital].

The Authors report the results of a study intended to asses the prevalence of obesity in Terni's medical department. Body mass index (BMI) was used as a measure of obesity: it can easily be calculated from weight and height (W/H2) for any individual. A sample of 1195 patients (569 males and 626 females) was studied; obesity was found in 30% of the females and in 10% of the males.

Female↗
PubMed1990

Acute non lymphoid leukemia following CMF treatment as adjuvant therapy in positive node breast cancer. Case report.

The CMF regimen as an adjuvant therapy for breast cancer with axillary node involvement has become "standard therapy" at least for some subsets of patients (according to the Second Consensus Development Conference on Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer). The acute toxicity of such a regimen is usually mild and well tolerated; the late toxicity is mainly represented by amenorrhea. Here a case of acute non-lymphoid-leukemia (ANLL) after six CMF cycles is reported.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Increased morbid risk for schizophrenia-related disorders in relatives of schizotypal personality disordered patients.

To evaluate whether probands from a clinical sample diagnosed as having DSM-III schizotypal and/or paranoid personality disorder have a familial relationship to the schizophrenia-related disorders, the morbid risk for schizophrenia-related disorders and other psychiatric disorders were evaluated in the first-degree relatives of patients with schizotypal and/or paranoid personality disorder and compared with the corresponding risk for these disorders in the first-degree relatives of patients with other non-schizophrenia-related personality disorders. The morbid risk for all schizophrenia-related disorders, and specifically for schizophrenia-related personality disorders, was significantly greater among the relatives of the probands with schizotypal and/or paranoid personality disorder than among the relatives of probands with other personality disorder. The morbid risk for other psychiatric disorders did not differ significantly between the first-degree relatives of the schizotypal/paranoid personality disorder and the other personality disorder control proband samples. These results suggest a specific familial association between schizophrenia-related disorders, particularly schizophrenia-related personality disorders, and clinically diagnosed schizotypal patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Clinico-hematological evaluation of 57 patients undergoing antiaggregant treatment with indobufen].

A long-term administration of Indobufen, 400 mg daily, was evaluated in 57 patients with cardiovascular diseases. Aggregation waves induced by ADP, collagen and epinephrine showed a significant and persistent inhibition of platelet function. Minor side effects were observed and in 6 patients the drug was withdrawn: 4 patients began to experience gastric troubles, 1 patient had positive occult test for blood, 1 patient developed an allergic rush. Clinical evaluation and platelet aggregation study before starting indobufen and during the follow up period seem to be useful in the evaluation of effectiveness, safety, compliance and suitable daily dose.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1986

Moderate hyperbilirubinemia does not influence the behavior of jaundiced infants.

Several recent reports have described short-term effects of moderate hyperbilirubinemia, and have questioned the treatment protocols of neonatal jaundice. However, most of these studies were not designed to investigate the effects of hyperbilirubinemia per se and could have been influenced by phototherapy. We have evaluated with the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Scale 17 moderately jaundiced term 3-day-old infants (mean bilirubin level 10.6 mg/100 ml, range 8.4-14.3) not treated with phototherapy and 17 not jaundiced matched subjects; 14 jaundiced 4-day-old subjects (mean bilirubin level 10.4 mg/100 ml, range 8.4-12.9) and 14 not jaundiced matched subjects; 10 ex-jaundiced 1-month-old infants (mean bilirubin level 11.5 mg/100 ml, range 9.1-15.9) and 10 matched not jaundiced infants. No differences were found between jaundiced infants and not jaundiced infants. Our data indicate that moderate levels of hyperbilirubinemia not treated with phototherapy do not influence neonatal behavior. Hence, more aggressive treatment is not justified, at least in term infants.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1985

Effects of different ways of covering the eyes on behavior of jaundiced infants treated with phototherapy.

This study was performed to determine whether covering the eyes with an opaque screen over the head end of the bassinet instead of the normal patch would improve the behavioral organization of jaundiced, but otherwise healthy, term infants treated with phototherapy. 38 matched infants were randomly assigned to have a patch or a screen. Serum bilirubin at the time of observation was 11.2-17.5 mg/100 ml (mean = 13.7, patch) and 9.4-16.4 mg/100 ml (mean = 13.4, screen). 19 infants, of whom 11 were jaundiced (6.2-14.3 mg/100 ml, mean = 10.3), served as control subjects. The infants were examined with the Brazelton scale on the 3rd day after birth, when the patch subjects had been under blue light from 6 to 45 h (mean = 23.9), and the screen subjects from 6 to 61.5 h (mean = 22.6). The control subjects scored better (all differences, p less than 0.05) than the patch subjects on inanimate visual, animate visual, visual and auditory, alertness. The control subjects also did better than the screen subjects on inanimate visual, animate visual, animate auditory, visual and auditory, alertness, but poorer on motor maturity and consolability. The screen subjects did poorer than the patch subjects only on skin color lability. At 1 month of age, 9 sets of matched infants were examined. The only difference was that the control subjects did better than the patch subjects on animate visual and lability of state. Our data confirm the poorer short-term orientation performance of jaundiced infants treated with phototherapy but do not indicate that covering the eyes with an opaque screen improves behavioral organization.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1984

Neurophysiological changes in the in vitro rat hippocampus following chronic lithium administration.

The effect of chronic lithium exposure on the electrophysiological responses of the Schaffer collateral-commissural (SCC) input to the CA1 pyramidal neurons in the in vitro hippocampus was investigated. Experimental animals were intubated intragastrically with lithium carbonate (150 mg/kg) for 3-4 weeks. This treatment produced lithium levels in serum and hippocampus of 0.3-1.3 mM. During the recording period, the hippocampal slice retained a stable lithium concentration of 53% of the initial value. Chronic lithium exposure had a depressive effect on input/output relationships, paired-pulse facilitation and strength of orthodromic inhibition. The antidromic inhibition was virtually intact. No obvious differences were found between control and lithium slices in amplitude, latency or waveforms, of synaptic and antidromic extracellular potentials. These findings are compatible with a major action of lithium on the excitability of SCC axons and synaptic terminals.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Early behavioural development of preterm infants.

In this study 17 male and 13 female infants with gestational ages between 27 and 34 weeks (mean 30.7) and birthweights between 750 and 2020g (mean 1545) were evaluated with the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale at 35, 38, 40 and 44 weeks postconceptional age. All were in room air at the time of observation and none was being treated with mechanical ventilation. In the motor performance cluster, all five items improved with advancing postconceptional age and in the orientation cluster four of six items improved with age: these show better behavioural evolution compared with other clusters. There was no change in auditory response, with good response from 35 weeks onward. Behavioural development did not proceed evenly in all areas, and within the same cluster certain features developed earlier than others. From 35 to 44 weeks, auditory responsiveness was similar to that of previously evaluated healthy term infants.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1983

The behavior of jaundiced infants treated with phototherapy.

This study was performed in order to evaluate possible changes in behavior in jaundiced infants without perinatal complications other than hyperbilirubinemia treated with phototherapy. Thirty jaundiced infants (mean bilirubinemia 13.3 mg/100 ml, range 8.4-17.5) born spontaneously at term and undergoing phototherapy for 6 h or more, and 30 comparison subjects similar for sex, birthweight, gestational age, Apgar score, obstetrical history and father's profession were examined during the 3rd day of life according to Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale (BNBAS). For 6 of 26 items we found higher values for comparison group (Wilcoxon's Test): inanimate visual median (m.) 5 vs. 3 (P less than 0.05); animate visual m. 5 vs. 3.5 (P less than 0.01); visual and auditory 5.5 vs. 4 (P less than 0.005); pull-to-sit m. 6 vs. 5 (P less than 0.01); cuddliness m. 5 vs. 4 (P less than 0.01); alertness m. 5 vs. 4 (P less than 0.005). Visual orientation responses were the most compromised. On the 4th day of life, 14 infants who had terminated phototherapy at least 2 h before (mean 9.9 h) were compared with their matched comparison group subjects and the same significantly poorer performances, mainly in visual orientation, were found. At one month of age, 12 of these infants treated with phototherapy still showed a significantly poorer performance in 2 items of orientation: inanimate visual m. 6 vs. 4.5 (P less than 0.05); visual and auditory m. 6.5 vs. 4 (P less than 0.05). Whether these results depend on the jaundice or on the phototherapy remain to be established.

Behavior↗
PubMed1982

Behaviour of preterm newborns reaching term without any serious disorder.

We studied the behaviour of 20 preterm infants (average gestational age 33 weeks) brought to term, without any serious disorder. These infants were compared with a group of 21 healthy term infants. To evaluate behaviour we used the 26 items of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale (BNBAS). Our preterm infants had on the whole better scores than those reported in the literature for preterm infants with various disorders. Apart from lower ability to bring hand to mouth and in getting used to visual stimuli (these differences are statistically significant) they had, in the items of orientation a lower score only in ability to follow a voice and a face (not statistically significant). These results show that preterm infants reaching term without any serious disorder do on the whole as well as full-term infants. This correlates with the observations of Dubowitz on behaviour and particularly on visual function of preterm infants and confirms the preliminary report of Daum regarding the influence of the type of neonatal pathology on the ability of orientation at the moment of term.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1975

Serotonin in the lateral geniculate.

Serotonin was introduced, by means of a fine cannula, into the lateral geniculate body of cats immobilized with Flaxedil and artificially ventilated, while the electrical activity at the point of injection was monitored by means of microelectrodes. Doses of 1.25 to 30 mug dissolved in 0.5 to 2.0 mul of saline produced, in 2-30 min, changes in electrical activity characteristic of synchronization: increase in the rhythmicity and in the amplitude of the spontaneous gross waves and increase in the clustering of the spontaneous neuronal action potentials. At the same time the activity of neurons which produced action potentials of high amplitudes was decreased, the activity of neurons which produced action potentials of low amplitudes was increased. Action potentials of different amplitudes were produced, in this case, by neurons of different types. Thus, in the lateral geniculate as in other thalamic nuclei studied in previous investigations, the synchronization of spontaneous activity seems to require the simultaneous excitation and inhibition of two different types of neurons. The action of serotonin on activity evoked by stimulation with brief flashes of light was limited to the decrease in the amplitude of the average gross response and the inhibition of only one type of neuron. This suggests that, in the lateral geniculate body, serotonin may be implicated in different ways in the different network structures responsible for the development of spontaneous as contrasted with evoked activity.

Action Potentials↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis of circulation of neuronal activity in the waking cortex.

It is well known that the rhythmic activity of the cerebral cortex is closely associated with a highly organized circulation of neuronal impulses through the networks in which the activity develops. The present study has attempted to determine by quantitative methods, the consistency of this circulation and of its association with the cortical waves, over relatively long periods. Cortical gross waves and neuronal activity have been recorded by means of arrays of extracellular microelectrodes, in freely moving cats as well as in cats immobilized with flaxedil. Autocorrelations have been performed on trains of rhythmic waves and on associated clusters of action potentials; cross-correlations and multiple correlations have been performed between waves and action potentials and between action potentials generated by different groups of neurons. It has been found that the rhythmicity of the waves, the rhythmicity of the associated clusters of action potentials, the time and phase relations between them, and the circulation of neuronal activity through the networks, remain highly consistent over periods as long as two hours.

Action Potentials↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Malignant pheochromocytoma. A case report and comments on a rare pathology].

Pheochromocytomas and functioning paragangliomas are rare tumors arising from the primitive neural crest, and found in the adrenal medulla or elsewhere within the sympathetic paraganglion axis. Clinical symptoms are related to catecholamine production or less frequently to dopamine or other neuropeptides secretion. Malignant pheochromocytomas are very rare tumors comprising between 5-35%, but this value is uncertain because the usual criteria for malignancy, such as mitotic activity, nuclear pleomorphism, are not suitable to discern benign from malignant pheochromocytomas. A specific diagnosis of malignancy requires evidence of invasion of the adjacent organs and the occurrence of metastases. Personal experience is presented with 92 patients affected by: adrenal pheochromocytomas (51 cases), cervical paragangliomas (32 cases), and extra-adrenal paragangliomas (9 cases). Malignant forms were observed in a 23-year-old young woman affected by malignant pheochromocytoma with lymphatic para-aortic metastases (1.9%), and in 2 patients affected by cervical paragangliomas (1 CBT, 1 VBT) with lymph nodal metastases. Careful follow-up of all patients with measurement of the urinary catecholamine is necessary to detect metachronous neoplasm and later metastases, identified with RMN and 131I-MIBG scintiscan.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗