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Biomedical subjects

S Bianchi

Publications and source records attributed to S Bianchi.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Radio-immunoassay of salivary progesterone for monitoring ovarian function in female infertility.

Fifty-two women, aged from 25 to 41 years, with infertility due to chronic anovulation were admitted to the study together with 36 age-matched controls with proven ovulatory cycles. Paired plasma (3 ml) and whole unstimulated saliva (10 ml) samples were collected over a 30 day period, starting from the first day of a menstrual bleeding, in patients, and throughout the menstrual cycle, in controls. Salivary progesterone levels, measured in women with infertility, ranged from undetectable values to 16 pmol/l during the first, and from 36 to 98 pmol/l during the second half of the monitoring period. In eugonadal women the steroid levels ranged from 34 to 46 pmol/l and from 96 to 780 pmol/l during the follicular and luteal phases, respectively. The saliva/plasma progesterone ratio ranged from 0.58 to 2.71 p. cent and a good correlation between salivary and plasma levels was found at each time of monitoring. Many (86 p. cent) of patients, which were randomly allocated to a low- or high-dose epimestrol administration schedule, appeared to be sensitive to the drug, achieving, after therapy, salivary progesterone levels which were within the range of controls. Since correct assessment of luteal function in basal conditions and during therapy requires multiple steroid measurements, and since saliva can be obtained by non-invasive techniques, salivary assays represent an attractive alternative to plasma ones for monitoring ovarian activity, also during specific treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Effects of relaxin on the mouse mammary gland. III. The fat pad.

The effects of relaxin on the growth of the mammary fat cells of ovariectomized virgin mice have been studied histologically and morphometrically. To characterize the effects of relaxin and investigate a possible synergism in promoting growth of the mammary fat pad, some animals were treated with other mammotrophic hormones, namely estrogen and insulin. The data obtained after 18-20 h of relaxin treatment suggest that this hormone induces hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adipose cells. The degree of hypertrophy is the same if relaxin is given either alone or after estrogen priming. The action of estrogen seems to be obligatory to obtain fat cell hyperplasia. Indeed, a de novo formation of fat cells occurs in all animals treated with estrogen, either alone or in association with relaxin or insulin. However, the maximum degree of adipose cell hyperplasia was attained only when relaxin followed a pretreatment with estrogen, thus suggesting a synergistic action of these two hormones in promoting the overall growth of the mammary fat pad. These findings follow the observation that relaxin stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial and myoepithelial cells of the duct system and strongly support the idea that relaxin may be regarded as a trophic hormone for the parenchymal and stromal components of the mammary gland.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1986

The release of histamine by parasympathetic stimulation in guinea-pig auricle and rat ileum.

Two preparations, a segment of rat ileum and the vagally innerved guinea-pig auricles, have been used in an analysis of the responses to vagal or to electrical field stimulation. The responses to parasympathetic stimulation were depressed by atropine and by tetrodotoxin, and potentiated by eserine. Supramaximal stimulation (10-20 Hz) resulted in increased release of acetylcholine and histamine, both in rat ileum and guinea-pig auricles. The release of histamine after parasympathetic stimulation did not exhibit tachyphylaxis, and it was not reproduced by non-parasympathetic stimuli. In both preparations, atropine produced a significant, dose-related reduction of histamine measured in the bath fluid after stimulation, while eserine increased histamine output. A significant diminution of mast cell granules metachromasia was observed in guinea-pig auricles and in rat intestine after parasympathetic stimulation. The possibility is discussed that acetylcholine released by parasympathetic stimulation would in turn evoke the secretion of histamine from tissue mast cells.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1985

Plasma cell generation inhibition in lymphocyte cultures containing cerebrospinal fluid from children with central nervous system viral infections.

Plasma cell generation in pokeweed mitogen-pulsed lymphocyte cultures was markedly suppressed when the experiments were carried out by adding cell-depleted cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 5 acute aseptic meningitis or meningoencephalitis children known to have an overexpanded cell population with the suppressor-cytotoxic T-cell surface phenotype in their CSF. In contrast, B-cell terminal differentiation was not affected by the addition of CSF from 5 control children with non-neurological diseases, thereby indicating that CSF from central nervous system virus-infected children contains soluble factors which are themselves capable of exerting regulatory influences on immunocompetent cells.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

[Studies on bacteriologic contamination of potassium chloride solution 25% in multidose containers regularly used on hospital wards].

The use of multidose containers poses the problem of in-use microbial contamination. In a clinical investigation sterility tests of 25% potassium chloride solution (w/v) in multidose containers have been performed in-use on two surgical wards. The contents of 80 vials used for 1, 3, 7 or 10 days (with registered withdrawals) were sterility tested with the aid of blood agar plates. None of the 80 bottles were contaminated. It has been shown that lege artis withdrawals of 25% potassium chloride solution (w/v) from multidose containers involves a very low risk of contamination. However, the theory that contaminants have been killed must not be excluded. In final laboratory tests, multidose containers of 25% sterile potassium chloride solution (w/v) were artificially contaminated. Test microorganisms were E. coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Staph. aureus ATCC 25923. Microbial control after 1 or 2 days storage showed absence or significant germ reduction with the experimental technique described.

Drug Contamination↗